Acoustic bass suggestions?

[HaphAsSard]

At some point I might be looking for different strings. Any suggestions for replacements, upgrades, flats, whatever would certainly be welcome.

[Most plug-and-play options in bigger font.]


1) NYLON-CORE ROUNDWOUNDS

Beside the
- D'Addario XTB3790GS
that your Guild Jumbo Junior Bass comes with from the factory (it used to be the EXPPBB190GS, which were the same strings but with the older, EXP coating instead of the newer XT one), the following sets also exist:
- Ortega ODW-4
- Martin M4750
- Aquila 310U Round Spirals
- La Bella MBLNS Silverbacks (the .115 low E from the latter may require either thinnage-via-clampage at the tuning post, or some filing of the post slot).

Then there are 25.5" scale, plain-end 6-string sets, made to tune normal classical guitars one octave lower:
- Villela Lower Octave Strings
- the Savarez LOW640R
- the Magma Transpositor Mi-E Bass Sound (GCT-E)
- the Aquila 143C

as well as a handful of sets for extended-range (yet normal-scale) classical guitars
- the Ortega OCTA-8NS;
- the Magma Transpositor GCT-BG10

plus
- a weird "half bass /half guitar" Magma Transpositor set, the GCT-BG6, the low half of which could be used, integrated with an extra-light, classical guitar low E tuned up to G
- and a 5-string bass (BEADG) set, also by Magma (same normal guitar scale, same materials), the BT-5.

There is also a nylon-core, silver-plated copper set for (25.5" scale) Mexican guitarrón, only not in mariachi A-A tuning but E-E (as used in East-Asian, Niibori guitar orchestras), made by Savarez, the GRN640R.
There is another one, the Alice ACB110, but I have no clear idea what they're made of. They both probably have loop ends.

- Savarez also makes plain-end contrabass guitar strings (sets 4CB640R, 4CB640RL, 6CB640R), as do
- Hannabach (841MT 4S.75, 841MT 6S.75, 841MT 4S.90, 841MT 6S.90),
- La Bella (CB40PE, and the six-stringed CB60PE - both also available in -BE = "ball end" version)
- Pyramid (480 200),
- RC Strings (BJ60, BJ660),
- Dragão (D038)
- Fisoma (F2714T),
- Alice (ACB111)
and possibly others.
All the sets from the latter group are wound to longer lengths than guitar-scale, and will have to go on tuning posts untapered.
Some (the two Savarez 4CB, the two Hannabach .75, the Dragão) have significantly larger low E's, which may require some jury-rigging as described for the La Bella Silverbacks (be flattened to fit the post slot, or the latter be filed wider, or both).

[I wouldn't mess with Hannabach, Pyramid, Optima or Thomastik-Infeld sets for Schrammelgitarre (Austrian extended-range harp guitar): their added bass strings have small gauge increments because their vibrating length, not just gauge, is also gradually increased, so even their fattest gauge will probably be too thin for bass tuning.
Similarly, there are 10- and 11-string sets for extended-range classical guitar (by La Bella, Savarez and Pyramid, perhaps others as well), but their lowest string is actually a G1 or an A1, not an E1. Ditto for the 8-string Magma GCT-8.]


2) NYLON CORE, BLACK NYLON ROUNDWOUNDS

- Galli UXB810-23Inch
They are each made of a nylon core, a copper underwinding, and a black nylon round-section filament as the outer wrap. Make sure you're actually getting the 23-inch length version.


3) NYLON-CORE METAL FLATWOUNDS

- Pyramid 639 100 (aka Pyramid 235 GS MiniSet; nickel flatwound outer wrap)
- Aquila 210U Flat Spirals (varnished copper flatwound on a "Sugar" bioplastic core)
- Kala KA-BASS-4FW-23inch (aka Galli UXB910C-23; chrome-steel flatwound)
^ [NOT to be confused with the La Bella -made flatwound set for solid-body electric intonatable-bridge 23" scale basses, the Kala KA-BASS-4FW-SC ("steel-core").]

 

[HoHumbucker]

[Most plug-and-play options in bigger font.]


1) NYLON-CORE ROUNDWOUNDS

Beside the
- D'Addario XTB3790GS
that your Guild Jumbo Junior Bass comes with from the factory (it used to be the EXPPBB190GS, which were the same strings but with the older, EXP coating instead of the newer XT one), the following sets also exist:
- Ortega ODW-4
- Martin M4750
- Aquila 310U Round Spirals
- La Bella MBLNS Silverbacks (the .115 low E from the latter may require either thinnage-via-clampage at the tuning post, or some filing of the post slot).

Then there are 25.5" scale, plain-end 6-string sets, made to tune normal classical guitars one octave lower:
- Villela Lower Octave Strings
- the Savarez LOW640R
- the Magma Transpositor Mi-E Bass Sound (GCT-E)
- the Aquila 143C

as well as a handful of sets for extended-range (yet normal-scale) classical guitars
- the Ortega OCTA-8NS;
- the Magma Transpositor GCT-BG10

plus
- a weird "half bass /half guitar" Magma Transpositor set, the GCT-BG6, the low half of which could be used, integrated with an extra-light, classical guitar low E tuned up to G
- and a 5-string bass (BEADG) set, also by Magma (same normal guitar scale, same materials), the BT-5.

There is also a nylon-core, silver-plated copper set for (25.5" scale) Mexican guitarrón, only not in mariachi A-A tuning but E-E (as used in East-Asian, Niibori guitar orchestras), made by Savarez, the GRN640R.
There is another one, the Alice ACB110, but I have no clear idea what they're made of. They both probably have loop ends.

- Savarez also makes plain-end contrabass guitar strings (sets 4CB640R, 4CB640RL, 6CB640R), as do
- Hannabach (841MT 4S.75, 841MT 6S.75, 841MT 4S.90, 841MT 6S.90),
- La Bella (CB40BE, and the six-stringed CB60BE - both also available in -BE = "ball end" version)
- Pyramid (480 200),
- RC Strings (BJ60, BJ660),
- Dragão (D038)
- Fisoma (F2714T),
- Alice (ACB111)
and possibly others.
All the sets from the latter group are wound to longer lengths than guitar-scale, and will have to go on tuning posts untapered.
Some (the two Savarez 4CB, the two Hannabach .75, the Dragão) have significantly larger low E's, which may require some jury-rigging as described for the La Bella Silverbacks (be flattened to fit the post slot, or the latter be filed wider, or both).

[I wouldn't mess with Hannabach, Pyramid, Optima or Thomastik-Infeld sets for Schrammelgitarre (Austrian extended-range harp guitar): their added bass strings have small gauge increments because their vibrating length, not just gauge, is also gradually increased, so even their fattest gauge will probably be too thin for bass tuning.
Similarly, there are 10- and 11-string sets for extended-range classical guitar (by La Bella, Savarez and Pyramid, perhaps others as well), but their lowest string is actually a G1 or an A1, not an E1. Ditto for the 8-string Magma GCT-8.]


2) NYLON CORE, BLACK NYLON ROUNDWOUNDS

- Galli UXB810-23Inch
They are each made of a nylon core, a copper underwinding, and a black nylon round-section filament as the outer wrap. Make sure you're actually getting the 23-inch length version.


3) NYLON-CORE METAL FLATWOUNDS

- Pyramid 639 100 (aka Pyramid 235 GS MiniSet; nickel flatwound outer wrap)
- Aquila 210U Flat Spirals (varnished copper flatwound on a "Sugar" bioplastic core)
- Kala KA-BASS-4FW-23inch (aka Galli UXB910C-23; chrome-steel flatwound)

Excellent. Thanks so much for all that detail.

 

[HoHumbucker]

[Most plug-and-play options in bigger font.]


1) NYLON-CORE ROUNDWOUNDS

Beside the
- D'Addario XTB3790GS
that your Guild Jumbo Junior Bass comes with from the factory (it used to be the EXPPBB190GS, which were the same strings but with the older, EXP coating instead of the newer XT one), the following sets also exist:
- Ortega ODW-4
- Martin M4750
- Aquila 310U Round Spirals
- La Bella MBLNS Silverbacks (the .115 low E from the latter may require either thinnage-via-clampage at the tuning post, or some filing of the post slot).

Then there are 25.5" scale, plain-end 6-string sets, made to tune normal classical guitars one octave lower:
- Villela Lower Octave Strings
- the Savarez LOW640R
- the Magma Transpositor Mi-E Bass Sound (GCT-E)
- the Aquila 143C

as well as a handful of sets for extended-range (yet normal-scale) classical guitars
- the Ortega OCTA-8NS;
- the Magma Transpositor GCT-BG10

plus
- a weird "half bass /half guitar" Magma Transpositor set, the GCT-BG6, the low half of which could be used, integrated with an extra-light, classical guitar low E tuned up to G
- and a 5-string bass (BEADG) set, also by Magma (same normal guitar scale, same materials), the BT-5.

There is also a nylon-core, silver-plated copper set for (25.5" scale) Mexican guitarrón, only not in mariachi A-A tuning but E-E (as used in East-Asian, Niibori guitar orchestras), made by Savarez, the GRN640R.
There is another one, the Alice ACB110, but I have no clear idea what they're made of. They both probably have loop ends.

- Savarez also makes plain-end contrabass guitar strings (sets 4CB640R, 4CB640RL, 6CB640R), as do
- Hannabach (841MT 4S.75, 841MT 6S.75, 841MT 4S.90, 841MT 6S.90),
- La Bella (CB40BE, and the six-stringed CB60BE - both also available in -BE = "ball end" version)
- Pyramid (480 200),
- RC Strings (BJ60, BJ660),
- Dragão (D038)
- Fisoma (F2714T),
- Alice (ACB111)
and possibly others.
All the sets from the latter group are wound to longer lengths than guitar-scale, and will have to go on tuning posts untapered.
Some (the two Savarez 4CB, the two Hannabach .75, the Dragão) have significantly larger low E's, which may require some jury-rigging as described for the La Bella Silverbacks (be flattened to fit the post slot, or the latter be filed wider, or both).

[I wouldn't mess with Hannabach, Pyramid, Optima or Thomastik-Infeld sets for Schrammelgitarre (Austrian extended-range harp guitar): their added bass strings have small gauge increments because their vibrating length, not just gauge, is also gradually increased, so even their fattest gauge will probably be too thin for bass tuning.
Similarly, there are 10- and 11-string sets for extended-range classical guitar (by La Bella, Savarez and Pyramid, perhaps others as well), but their lowest string is actually a G1 or an A1, not an E1. Ditto for the 8-string Magma GCT-8.]


2) NYLON CORE, BLACK NYLON ROUNDWOUNDS

- Galli UXB810-23Inch
They are each made of a nylon core, a copper underwinding, and a black nylon round-section filament as the outer wrap. Make sure you're actually getting the 23-inch length version.


3) NYLON-CORE METAL FLATWOUNDS

- Pyramid 639 100 (aka Pyramid 235 GS MiniSet; nickel flatwound outer wrap)
- Aquila 210U Flat Spirals (varnished copper flatwound on a "Sugar" bioplastic core)
- Kala KA-BASS-4FW-23inch (aka Galli UXB910C-23; chrome-steel flatwound)

I have never played nylon round wounds before, or even know if I have heard them played. Is there a consensus type of string (round, nylon wound, flat) that folks tend to use for ABGs?

 

[HaphAsSard]

I have never played nylon round wounds before, or even know if I have heard them played. Is there a consensus type of string (round, nylon wound, flat) that folks tend to use for ABGs?

Acoustic bass guitars with more standard scales, namely long-scale 34", medium-scale 32" (more common among acoustic basses than electric, because long-scale ones, with the added body bulk, are too unwieldy for some players) or short-scale 30", come with steel-core strings like their electric counterparts: most commonly with acoustic-dedicated, bronze roundwounds, which are the loudest.
While the majority of players just stick to bronze rounds, or just throw "electric" nickel or steel rounds on their ABGs, a substantial chunk of them prefer either pressurewounds, flatwounds or nylon tapewounds. (all three also available in bronze.)
To these, I would add an interesting niche option, that of nylon-core flatwounds (as made by Galli and Aquila) or more commonly roundwounds (bronze or silver-plated copper).


The latter type (nyloncore rounds) has become standard in guitar-scale acoustic basslets like yours, because, while low-tension and prone to roll under the fingers, their flexibility makes them easier to maintain a brighter and chorus-free tone, as well as a stable pitch envelope, with very short scales.
Alternative wraps (flatwounds, the Galli black nylonwound set) for this scale-length bracket, as listed in my post above, invariably have synthetic cores, for the above reason.


Steel-core string sets, whether round or flat, of appropriate length do exist, and yet others might be adapted if one knows what they're doing, but
- intonation would be poor, because bridges have been positioned with nylon-cores in mind, and would need to be repositioned further back (away fron the neck) in order for steel-cores not to play increasingly sharp up the neck. Also,
- their total tension may or may not exceed what the top and bracing were designed to operate at.