want strings through the body but are strung through the bridge
 

Hey guys i just got a set of joe barden pickups installed on my bass and the tech set the strings to the bridge and i want them through the body. will i have to adjust the neck or anything if i take the strings out and just string it through the body?

No but you might have to buy a new set of strings, depending on how much extra string length gets used up by going through the body.

The neck should be fine as long as you stick with the same brand and gauge of strings you should be good.

well it was a brand new set of ghs flats that were strung through the bridge on accident. I usually always get it strung through the body. so im gonna have to get a new set to string it through the body?

Odds are the tech cut enough off of them to make them too short to run through the body. The only way to know is take them off and give it a try.

If they were top loaded first, you should be ok going thru-body, however it does depend on how much they were cut as two-fingers said...

If they were thru-body, they are pretty much useless top loaded now...

Personally, I'd just leave it. I have never noticed a difference going through the body, and I've talked to a ton of bass players on here who have done it both ways and they don't seem to notice any difference either.

I agree with Jimmy. I never found a difference. If you want to change the strings, go ahead. But I would just pl,ay these until they wear out, then run the next set string through if you really want to.

Hey me and Jimmy get to agree tonight! I have a Fender Roscoe Beck Signature and I have done it both ways dozens of times each and can never tell the difference. I think once (in a hurry) I did a few one way and a couple the other. No difference at all between strings. But either way, if you are dead set on going through the body, then you are at the mercy of length. If the guy cut too much off, you're into another set of strings.

Also depending on the extra length through the body and the angle of the headstock, you might up end with some of the speaking length of the string having been wound around the peg or have a kink from the nut. I don't know if that affects tone, but I don't like the sound of it.

its all good called up my guy and i asked him some questions then he told me to bring it to the shop and he would change it free of charge. When they restrung it through the body i instantly felt the difference especially in tension. but that just my opinion :bassist:

No advantage to thru body as long as you have a good bridge (not the thin bent metal stuff, a high mass qaulity bridge).

Your tech was prob using good common sense in my opinion, top loading the flats. Running flats thru body could risk damaging them depending on Break angle, string windings, etc etc.

Bah, I like the thin bent metal bridges. They're light and they're fine.

this is pretty funny, i should have never made this thread haha

there was no difference in tension, placebo effect is powerful even when you know it's there.

did they use the exact same strings?

+1 Personally I think string thru is overated, and limits string choices. I've had both, and can't tell any difference in tone. I'm not a fan of the break angles string thru creates either, and if sometime you choose to try TW for the B string - you're in for some headaches. I much prefer top load because it's just functionally easier.