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Anyone using extra heavy gauge strings?

Gopherbassist

Gopherbassist

Jan 19, 2008
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#1
I called DR today to ask them what kinds of custom sets they have and it turns out you can get pretty heavy with it. I asked if they could do a 60-80-105-120 set, and they said the can, as well as other options.

I would be using these most likely for standard tuning, but of course there's the option to down tune with these gauges. Does anyone have any experience using extra heavy strings?

What are the tonal differences? Any downsides?
 
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#5
57pbass said:
I tried the Jamerson flats but that .110 E string was too much to handle for me and my style of playing. They did sound amazing though.
.45 - .105 is my comfort zone.
Click to expand...
I have been using the 1954 Jamerson flats for a long while with the bridge cover and mute, the whole thing. Lately I have been using them without the mute. I use them for the type of music they were used for. I don't use that bass for any Jazz fusion 😊
 
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#7
The strings on this one are old Fender 9050 flats (.055 .070 .090 .105). They are the heaviest I have used, been on this bass nearly 20 years and I’ve no plans to replace them unless they break:
IMG_4921.jpeg
 
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#8
Gopherbassist said:
I called DR today to ask them what kinds of custom sets they have and it turns out you can get pretty heavy with it. I asked if they could do a 60-80-105-120 set, and they said the can, as well as other options.

I would be using these most likely for standard tuning, but of course there's the option to down tune with these gauges. Does anyone have any experience using extra heavy strings?

What are the tonal differences? Any downsides?
Click to expand...

Why...what's the goal? What you've described above is essentially a BEAD set. I suspect I know the desired outcome but I can think of better ways to pull this off employing more conventional (...and readily available!) options. My hair stands on end when I encounter a 110 E.

Riis
 
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#9
Zooberwerx said:
Why...what's the goal? What you've described above is essentially a BEAD set. I suspect I know the desired outcome but I can think of better ways to pull this off employing more conventional (...and readily available!) options. My hair stands on end when I encounter a 110 E.

Riis
Click to expand...
I was listening to some sound samples of strings of different gauges, and liked each heavier set more than the last. I want to see how far that can be taken.
 
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#10
I slapped some of these on my Moollon P Classic

checkout.stringjoy.com

Stringjoy 50-105 Long Scale 4 String Medium Gauge Signatures - Nickel

We call this one the Goldilocks set because it's not too heavy and it's not too light. It's juuuust right. I like to think that if Goldilocks was a musician, she'd be a bass player and would be able to lay down the funkiest bass grooves that would keep those three bears up dancing all night...
checkout.stringjoy.com checkout.stringjoy.com

Def raised the action a good bit. I was going to get it re-set, but I put on thicker strings to make it harder to play and get a thicker tone for recording, and I really like it as-is in standard tuning. I guess .50 isn’t crazy high, but it’s the biggest I’ve used.
 
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#11
Gopherbassist said:
I was listening to some sound sample of strings of different gauges, and liked each heavier set more than the last. I want to see how far that can be taken.
Click to expand...

As I mentioned, it would be a BEAD set with each string tuned-up a 4th. I was expecting a response more along "less flop" and such. I'll paint with a wide brush and see what other suggestions pop-up:

*Standard 45-105, heavy 50-110.

*Hex core are generally stiffer than round but even that varies brand-to-brand. Dunlop SuperBrights are relatively flexible thanks to the thinner hex core wire...DR Low-Riders are notoriously stiff and on the other end of the spectrum.

*Wrap-stacking: the winding process, itself, will change the perceived stiffness under the fingertips.

Get your nut files...and TR wrench...out if going with anything heavier.

Riis
 
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#12
I have generally favored light gauges for any given tuning for a long time, but I have had my ATK305 for at least 30 years now and I imagine I probably went relatively heavy at some point 😆 the heaviest I’ve used that I can remember were Beefy Slinkies on the companion ATK300, .130/.100/.080/.065, tuned BEAD; still not terribly heavy for the tuning, though that .065 got up to 50 pounds of tension at D2, which definitely didn’t feel “light.” I’m mostly just here to say that I think an ATK should be a pretty safe candidate for this experiment.

On a related note, I have long wondered why the big string on a five-string will often (not always) sound noticeably different from the other strings in a roundwound set, usually much tubbier; but if you take the big four from that same set and put them on a four-string, you almost never get that tubby biggest string.
 
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#13
I can’t possibly imagine what you would gain in tone would be worth the damage you’d cause to your bass and hands in the long run.

Also, wouldn’t you need to move the bridge saddles much further back than your bridge probably allows, at least for the E string?
 
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#14
I always have and do. I have used everything from a .110 to a .135 for an E. Anything smaller I can't use. All of my basses currently are either .110 or .115. I've tried thicker gauges for the others but I usually snap them. See how I strung up a Suona when I had it and what I went through (spoiler: 60/80/110/125 in standard tuning).

The sets I use:
  • Rotosound RS77LE (50/75/95/110) - has been my goto set since the 80s
  • Rotosound RS88 (65/75/100/115) - my goto set since the 90s on most fretless basses
  • Dunlop DBFS50110 (50/70/90/110) - if a bass doesn't like the 77s, I use these
I know from experience Pyramid will make you a custom set of whatever gauges you want as long as they make them. Super nice folks to deal with, they just aren't the string for me.

I'm having a medium scale bass built right now and am considering which strings to use since it'll be strung E-C. It'll either be the RS77LE set with a 40 for the C, or the Dunlop DBFS40120M (40/60/80/100/120). Basses with a low B don't work for me. Any 5er I've ever had has been E-C including a Fender Bass V years ago.

I wish manufacturers made a .115 flatwound E, specifically Dunlop or Rotosound. I've inquired to both - not happening. Pyramid does but see aforementioned comment.
 
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#17
Gopherbassist said:
I called DR today to ask them what kinds of custom sets they have and it turns out you can get pretty heavy with it. I asked if they could do a 60-80-105-120 set, and they said the can, as well as other options.

I would be using these most likely for standard tuning, but of course there's the option to down tune with these gauges. Does anyone have any experience using extra heavy strings?

What are the tonal differences? Any downsides?
Click to expand...
 
#18
Gopherbassist said:
I called DR today to ask them what kinds of custom sets they have and it turns out you can get pretty heavy with it. I asked if they could do a 60-80-105-120 set, and they said the can, as well as other options.

I would be using these most likely for standard tuning, but of course there's the option to down tune with these gauges. Does anyone have any experience using extra heavy strings?

What are the tonal differences? Any downsides?
Click to expand...
I do. But I tune down to D Standard (DGCF), which compensates for the extra tension. I have the following strings on my basses:
1. D'Addario NYXLs (55-110 heavy gauge)
2. D'Addario Chromes (50-105 medium gauge)
3. La Bella DTFs (49-109 medium gauge) - one gauge below the 1954 Original / "Jamerson" / heavy gauge set

I probably wouldn't tune any of those sets higher than Eb Standard because of the high tension. From my point of view, I don't hear any tonal differences from the equivalent light gauge strings tuned to standard. There aren't any downsides for me besides those related to standard tuning.

You might want to get a proper setup done if you put extra heavy gauge strings on.
 
#19
Gopherbassist said:
Probably strong enough not to break. It's an ATK, not a very thin neck.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I wouldn't count on that. Honestly, many basses can't even handle regular .105 sets after a while. Basses with maxed truss rods, ski jumps, twists or warps is surprisingly common.

I wouldn't put extra tension on anything not built specifically to handle it... i.e., properly seasoned woods, graphite/steel reinforcement rods, proper truss rod loading when built.
 

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