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a set up question

L

LonghornPicker

Dec 30, 2008
8
0
#1
I have a short scale (30") Danelectro Longhorn bass (it's so ugly it's totally awesome!) and I have some reservations about doing what I'm about to do.

To preface, I bought the bass about a month ago. It's the first bass I ever owned. I am a converted guitar player who plays with a pick (Dick Dale style). I like really high string tension and really thick strings. Because the Dano is a short scale the strings have a lot of slack in them. The strings on them right now are not light either. i want to set up the bass with a 5 string set minus the g-string, meaning a 130, 105, 85, 65. So the low B would be my e-string and so on. I do this on guitar as well to my great satisfaction.

I am scared though that the dano is just gonna ****in break! The thing is made out of plywood. will it be able to handle the stresses of the greater string tension? is there any precautions or adjustments I should make before I do this? has anyone here done this before?

I'm scared for the dano.
 
#4
I use Regular D'Addario Chromes in Short Scale... As taut as you need to be... Not loose at all. Also I don't think that the bridge or tuners on the Dano will handle that thick of a string without modification... And I totally agree... The Longhorn's are beautiful in there gaudiness!!

-robert
 
#5
You could do this as a test: tune the existing set up a 4th, that should get you in the ballpark tension-wise. See what happens. See if you can bring the relief back down with the truss rod. I have a feeling you will not be able to. If it works, you will have to make a new nut or modify the existing one-I'd keep it and make a new one.
Honestly, a better bet would be to get a long scale bass(35" or more) and put on ordinary heavy gauge strings-say 55 to 110.
Good luck, welcome.
 
#6
dmusic148 said:
You could do this as a test: tune the existing set up a 4th, that should get you in the ballpark tension-wise. See what happens. See if you can bring the relief back down with the truss rod. I have a feeling you will not be able to. If it works, you will have to make a new nut or modify the existing one-I'd keep it and make a new one.
Honestly, a better bet would be to get a long scale bass(35" or more) and put on ordinary heavy gauge strings-say 55 to 110.
Good luck, welcome.
Click to expand...

+1 Any long scale bass might be better than the Dano, which I think will self destruct.

I think you'll have better luck just getting an SX long scale and setting it up with heavy strings. A .110 E string should kick butt pretty good with great tension on any Fender type long scale bass. Go play an 08 MIA Fender, they come stock with 110's and will give you a feel for what it's going to be like. Even a new short scale Epi might handle the big strings.

I will agree that a 35" scale with big strings would also be killer.
 
#7
thanks everyone for the input. I appreciate it.



I took your advice dmusic, but did a slightly modified test. I tested to see how high I could tune the existing strings till it reached the point where it takes too much force to turn the tuners because there is just too much tension in the strings. I could get the low E to go up to a G#. The A went up to a B. The D was already at it's limit. The G went up to a G#. All normal characteristics of string tension with a set of strings that have "normal" string gauge spacing.

I'll have to make custom sets of strings (thank you juststrings.com). I forget the rule. Is it that you can go up an increment in gauge for every half step you can tune up your existing strings? I am not positive as to gauge strings on the bass right now, but after comparing strings to a friends bass, I've fairly certain that my low E is a 105 right now. If that is the case then I should technically be able to get away with 125, 95, 65, 45. That would be pushing it. 120 90 65 45 might be more reasonable. seem reasonable to you?


I cannot afford to buy another bass right now. lol, the Longhorn was an impulse buy. I bought it mainly for looks. I do not regret it however. I'm playing it through a 69 Bassman(my only amp) and the combo gets a really great/unique sound for what music I play and how I play(heavy chopping picker) the instrument. I keep the bassman full open on channel volume and bass but have to turn back the treble or else the Dano really clinks and plunks away! The instrument really needs flatwounds (it has same strings on it since when I bought it, roundwounds).

though if I could buy an extra long scale bass 36" I would most definitely try out a 140 as an E string!
 
#8
LonghornPicker said:
I have a short scale (30") Danelectro Longhorn bass (it's so ugly it's totally awesome!) and I have some reservations about doing what I'm about to do.

To preface, I bought the bass about a month ago. It's the first bass I ever owned. I am a converted guitar player who plays with a pick (Dick Dale style). I like really high string tension and really thick strings. Because the Dano is a short scale the strings have a lot of slack in them. The strings on them right now are not light either. i want to set up the bass with a 5 string set minus the g-string, meaning a 130, 105, 85, 65. So the low B would be my e-string and so on. I do this on guitar as well to my great satisfaction.

I am scared though that the dano is just gonna ****in break! The thing is made out of plywood. will it be able to handle the stresses of the greater string tension? is there any precautions or adjustments I should make before I do this? has anyone here done this before?

I'm scared for the dano.
Click to expand...

One other thought on this--that thick a gauge string on such a short scale may be quite a letdown sound wise. Usually as you go to a shorter scale you use thinner strings. You might not get any pitch at all out of the E string.
 
#9
62bass said:
One other thought on this--that thick a gauge string on such a short scale may be quite a letdown sound wise. Usually as you go to a shorter scale you use thinner strings. You might not get any pitch at all out of the E string.
Click to expand...


I think that the reasoning for as to why people go down to thinner strings on a shorter scale is ease of playability. normal strings would have too much tension(a problem I want!)


From my experience playing guitar, the bigger the gauge strings, the bigger the sound, the bigger the tone, the greater the resonation. (greater the tension = the strings are applying more pressure throughout the body/neck of the guitar = more resonance)

I don't see your reasoning for as to why you think no pitch would come out of the E-string with a larger string. what is it?
 
#11
yea, I actually have a set of set of Rotosound flat wounds right next to me which I bought a month ago and haven't done anything with. I didn't realize that I had bought long scale strings though till afterwards! So I don't know if I want to use them. I might return them and put that 45 bucks to something else.

A big part of the reason why I want to the greater tension on the E and A is because the strings started buzzing out. I hit hard with the pick and you can hear the buzzing on the attack. Also, I do not like it when the string moves too much when I pluck it. I should probably just raise the action(as all the strings started to buzz) and put the flats on....

The flats do feel like a stiffer string but does that translate to greater Lbs of pressure?

ha, I have a show on tuesday and there is a bass solo on one of the songs. i wanted to use the round wounds on them for a brighter sound and put the flats on after the show.

edit added:

I raised the bridge and the buzzing went away but now the intonation is ****ed. the open strings are flatter than the 12 fret. I saw that coming. does this mean I have adjust the truss rod?
 
#13
I lowered the bridge back and the intonation is fine. BUT NOW I get all the buzzing when I'm picking fretted notes again. I can't play it at all when the notes are buzzed out.

how do I get rid of the buzzing if I can't raise the action?
 
#16
OK, I wasn't sure about that. Some have individual metal saddles you can adjust. Would it be possible to remove the screws from the wooden piece so you can move it? I'll bet string tension alone will prevent it from sliding around. If not you could put a piece of double stick tape under it.

If this won't work for some reason, you'll need to make a new wood saddle that is compensated, like on an acoustic guitar.

On the other hand, maybe the buzz is simply bad fret work, but I suspect it's more to do with your forceful picking technique. Which is fine, but the Dan doesn't seem to like it very much.....
 
#17
OK, buzzing is all gone. Saddle is way up! I have 3/16" clearance on both E and G string from the top of the 12th fret. Looks like I'm going to have to take the bridge off and move the saddle back.

I can take the saddle off if I take the bridge off. It looks like I can move the saddle back slightly as it placed exactly in the middle of the hole that was cut for it to screw in.

thank you so much for bearing with me and helping me out, dmusic. I appreciate it!

(I must say I'm starting to enjoy the tech side of guitars. It used to frustrate the hell out of me!)
 
#18
LonghornPicker said:
I don't see your reasoning for as to why you think no pitch would come out of the E-string with a larger string. what is it?
Click to expand...

Just from my experience with shorter scale length basses. I don't mean there will be no pitch on the E, just less defined. But, try it out for yourself. That's how most of us find out useful things. Sometimes strange ideas work, sometimes not.

The thicker strings may make intonation a bit difficult and you'll probably have to move the bridge way back to compensate.
 
#20
62bass said:
Just from my experience with shorter scale length basses. I don't mean there will be no pitch on the E, just less defined. But, try it out for yourself. That's how most of us find out useful things. Sometimes strange ideas work, sometimes not.

The thicker strings may make intonation a bit difficult and you'll probably have to move the bridge way back to compensate.
Click to expand...

ha, you are absolutely right. it is less defined and it is the string that has the widest gap in intonation. I can live with this. I'm still going to try out a higher gauge E and A string.


OK, I moved the saddle all the way back and the intonation corrected significantly but not all the way. The G and D have perfect intonation. The A is slightly off. The E is slightly more off. Maybe with the greater tension of the heavier gauge E and A strings I buy will correct the intonation slightly more? It is not that bad that I have to get my panties in a bunch, but at this point it's like, what the ****, might as well get it perfecto.


wow, thanks everyone who helped me out. it's been a journey. I know the ax much more intimately now. It's like I'm playing the bass for the first time again, except it plays like I want it to now! SUH-WEET!!!
 

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