34" Scale 5 string advice

[Jhu32]

So I am going to purchase a new bass in around a month and came upon Betts Basses. They're handmade in Pennsylvania and they aren't too expensive. Now I am covering and playing more Metal stuff, would a 34" 5 string have a tight enough B string so it wouldn't sound like crud in the mix? Any advice is greatly appreciated

 

[nostatic]

Never heard of them. Plenty of 34" scale 5-strings have great B-strings. It depends on the actual bass and execution rather than the scale length.

 

[Jhu32]

Never heard of them. Plenty of 34" scale 5-strings have great B-strings. It depends on the actual bass and execution rather than the scale length.

Check them out, never tried one but seems very nice. He built Craig Douglas (from Douglas Basses) his #1 bass, pretty sweet.

 

[scuzzy]

Certainly intriguing for the price, that is for sure. Playing with string gauge, and a good setup, tension should be fine. 34" scale Warwick's have good B strings. Passive jazz pickups might not cut it well for metal though, IMO. (If that is the model you are looking at)

 

[scuzzy]

Certainly intriguing for the price, that is for sure. Playing with string gauge, and a good setup, tension should be fine. 34" scale Warwick's have good B strings. Passive jazz pickups might not cut it well for metal though, IMO. (If that is the model you are looking at)

Actually, forget I said that. Good enough for Geddy, good enough for me! If I had the money and the need, not sure I could pass on that, just out of curiosity. I'm tempted to buy that 4-string jazz!

 

[MrLenny1]

I agree with nostatic. Plenty of 34 ' scale basses have good B strings.
I have 4 of them. Pedulla, Stambaugh & Tobias.

 

[bearfoot]

If you like D'Addario strings, you can use their tension charts to get your B string at or near the E, or wherever you like.

 

[Jhu32]

Actually, forget I said that. Good enough for Geddy, good enough for me! If I had the money and the need, not sure I could pass on that, just out of curiosity. I'm tempted to buy that 4-string jazz!

It'd be a good buy... he's a super guy too, not sure if that matters to some, but it does to me.

 

[JIO]

Never heard of them. Plenty of 34" scale 5-strings have great B-strings. It depends on the actual bass and execution rather than the scale length.

+1 - hear hear especially depends on player execution.

 

[walldaja]

That 34" basses automatically have bad B strings is exaggerated. Using good strings and a little heavier gauge keeps you from having floppy strings. Most manufacturers have the 95% solution from stock. Don't let the scale length talk you out of a bass until you play it and have the strings you like.

 

[bholder]

If you like D'Addario strings, you can use their tension charts to get your B string at or near the E, or wherever you like.

Yeah, my advice: big strings. Just posted some clips of my 34" Sire V7 with the DR DDT .145 B and .125 E in the Sire Club thread. Sire Bass Club! Might be the best 34" B I've heard, beats some 35"ers even, imo.

 

[HappyChillmore]

Was it stupid that I got 40-120 black beauties for my five string?? I am a guitarist new to bass and didn’t think a b string could be floppy. It sort of is I would say, it’s an active 35” scale schecter.

 

[motoman]

My 34" b string is pretty tight. I run the strings thew the body and use .135 b string

 

[FunkHead]

One of the best feeling and sounding B string I have ever tried is a Thomastic Infeld Jazz Round .118! Just killer.

I have tried the fat B strings and never got them to sound great above the 7th or 8th fret(Good but not great like the the TI).

 

[HappyChillmore]

Sweet! That’s good to know. Thanks for sharing