Thicker strings?

[Zako]

I play pretty heavy with my fingers with my 5 string, and every time i gig with my death metal band my arm can get a little tired.
(i play as fast as i can to keep up with the drummer ha.)
But it would be easier to play without my strings feeling too loose.

I thought about getting a bass with a 35" scale but i dont know how much that would help and its the most expensive solution ha.

So i was wondering is there a good five string set with a low .135B?

like all the strings are .005 up, im using ClearTone strings with
.45 .65 .85 .105 .130

and possibly want .50 .70 .90 .110 .135

EDIT: I guess my bass is a 35'' scale ha, maybe i should get a 36''?

Any help plz?

[seanm]

IMHO, thicker strings slow you down a bit.

[calebbarton]

its not going to help you speed up. it will increase tension and that can be harder to fret. i play .50-.110 on a 4 string. i use the gage because i downtune for some stuff, and i dont play fast. learn to play lightly. you can learn to play lightly and fast. its not hard it just takes a lot of practice.

[mikezimmerman]

If your arm is getting tired, you probably need to work on playing lighter, with more control. Playing hard actually makes you play slower, not faster. It also usually requires your action to be higher, which is more work for your left hand. So, I'd work on lightening up a bit.

However, if you want to try heavier strings, there are certainly companies that make .050-.135 sets. Look at an online shop with lots of variety like JustStrings--they have a D"addario steel set that sounds like just what you were asking for (http://www.juststrings.com/dad-eps160-5.html) and there are probably several others.

Mike

[Zako]

Well about my arm getting tired, it usually happens at my bands third song to keep up with the guitars tremolo picking.
But around our 5th song / half the set my arm starts feeling better ha.

I guess in my opinion thicker strings will help me play softer? I dont think i play too rough but normal gauged strings move too much for me it seems when im playing fast.

So if the strings are thicker and have more tension wont that help by the strings being harder to vibrate?

Its also harder to be heard if you play softer

I would hope thicker strings would even out my playing style to where i woudlnt have to change it much to feel comfortable playing faster.

Edit: Yes thanks for the advice though

[Blues Cat]

Generally thicker strings will have more tension with less orbit which = lower action = easier to fret.

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by calebbarton

its not going to help you speed up. it will increase tension and that can be harder to fret. i play .50-.110 on a 4 string.

I use that gauge for DGCF, but my feeling is go to a smaller gauge if you're getting tired - not larger.

[ehque]

Regardless of string size, you might be getting tired because you're digging in too deeply. Try to pay attention to your technique - bass strings shouldn't need to be plucked as much as caressed into motion. I use a 30-45-65-85-105-130 set and have use very little energy to pluck each string, and instead let the amp do the work for me. YMMV.

[mikezimmerman]

Originally Posted by Zako

I guess in my opinion thicker strings will help me play softer?

No, paying attention to your technique will help you play softer.

So if the strings are thicker and have more tension wont that help by the strings being harder to vibrate?

It will make the strings harder to vibrate. But if you want the strings to vibrate less, you can just concentrate on not playing as hard, which will let you play faster AND make you less tired.

Its also harder to be heard if you play softer

That is what the amp is for! Pay attention to any metal guitarist who plays fast--they all play very lightly with very little extra motion, and let the amp do all the work. The same rule applies whether you're using a pick or fingers: the less you have to move the string (and your fingers), the faster you can go.

Mike

[seanm]

Originally Posted by Zako

So if the strings are thicker and have more tension wont that help by the strings being harder to vibrate?

True, but it also means you should give the note more time to bloom. Guys who really like to dig in don't tend to play fast bass lines.