What is the smallest wound string gauge?

[bacid]

I'm curious because I want to get a 7 soon and am wondering if there is the possibility of a wound F. I'm pretty sure it already has the unwound string, but I would like to compare it with a wound when I get it. I just want to know what the usual High F gauge is, and what the smallest wound string possible's gauge is. Thanks.

[snowdan]

warwick make at least a .020

i bought one as a C but WAY too floppy, likely it will be fine for F in case.

[bacid]

Thanks.

[Lokire]

I dunno about the smallest gauge, but you can definitely get wound F-strings. I had one from Dean Markley a while ago. Don't remember what the gauge was, but it felt fine

[ALiP BoB]

I thought that you are a guitarist.

[Vic Winters]

At that gauge, wouldn't a wound string have a thinner core than a non-wound string?

[snowdan]

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

At that gauge, wouldn't a wound string have a thinner core than a non-wound string?

any wound string has a thinner core than the outer dimension of a non wound string of the same gauge. that's trivial.

[HaVIC5]

The smallest I've ever seen was a .20

[Giraffe]

I get guitar strings down to .017, and they might go smaller. those are too short for most basses, as supplied. They tune (and stay in tune) much better than unwound strings of the same gauge.

[spade2you]

Juststrings.com has a plethora of LaBella strings down to a .020 wound string. A lot can do with the scale of your bass and the way you tune it.

I'm planning on ordering either a 7 or 8 string JP by CB or just a CB short scale tuned BEADGBE(a?). At a shortened scale and tuning like a guitar, I should have a lot less tension on those high strings and can safely use a heavier wound string where I'd be forced to use a plain steel on an XL scale bass.

[greenboy]

D'Addario guitar strings are about the only ones I've found that'll consistently reach and wrap the closest tuning peg on a 34" bass, and the wound XL come as low as .017. Just slip 'em through a ball-end cut off an old bass string.

[James Hart]

my DR 7 string set stops with a .020... that's wrapped. Feels even against the rest of the set.