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B string science

S

sonic assassin

Nov 8, 2008
3,455
34
cincinnati
#1
ive never NOT played a 5 (or more) string bass. started with one, never bothered with a 4. from day 1, i used elixir strings. i'd been using them for 5 years on guitars, why not. love them. tried others.. never good enough.

in saying that, i only ever get the normal 5 string pack from the local banjo mart/sam's ass. .045-.130. ive never really had an issue with their B strings, and i know it varies from bass to bass. factor in technique and blah blah blah, they all sound different.

but having never tried another size, im interested to know what the effect is. elixir has different sizes if you buy them separately. would a .125 have less mud and fit in a mix better? im sure a .135 would have better tension. or would i solve both problems with a taper wound (which ive never used)?

ive combated what i consider to be the inherent mud and floppiness of a string that big with technique. would different sizes fix either issue automatically? would going up to .135 to get more tension add more mud?
 
#2
I think it probably depends more on the bass, the scale length, and the pickups you have. I've had muddy/floppy B strings magically transformed into huge, tight sounding tone monsters just by doing a pickup upgrade..and that was on a 34" scale bass. My 35" Spector has the tightest, least muddy B string out there. I use DR Sunbeams though. To me, Elixirs always sound muddy :)
 
#6
Taper and gauge are solving two different problems.

Taper is about allowing the string to vibrate freely at the bridge. Heavy windings at the bridge damp the vibrations, deadening the tone and sucking away sustain.

Heavier gauges bring the tension up to match the other strings. Most manufacturers' B strings have significantly lower tension than the other strings in the set. E.g. for a .100" E the appropriate B for equal tension would be .133" or so, but many mfrs. pair a .100" E with a 125" B.

Of course the heavier gauge makes a taper that much more beneficial.
 
#7
sonic assassin said:
ive never NOT played a 5 (or more) string bass. started with one, never bothered with a 4. from day 1, i used elixir strings. i'd been using them for 5 years on guitars, why not. love them. tried others.. never good enough.

in saying that, i only ever get the normal 5 string pack from the local banjo mart/sam's ass. .045-.130. ive never really had an issue with their B strings, and i know it varies from bass to bass. factor in technique and blah blah blah, they all sound different.

but having never tried another size, im interested to know what the effect is. elixir has different sizes if you buy them separately. would a .125 have less mud and fit in a mix better? im sure a .135 would have better tension. or would i solve both problems with a taper wound (which ive never used)?

ive combated what i consider to be the inherent mud and floppiness of a string that big with technique. would different sizes fix either issue automatically? would going up to .135 to get more tension add more mud?
Click to expand...

Maybe try a slightly thinner B string?
That may help.
 
#8
The 125 will have less tendency for mud. Heavier gauge for same tuning would be more prone to mud. Since heavier gauges tend to be slightly fuller sounding then light gauge.

You could also try DR Neons light or medium gauge. I dont think theres a string with better low bass articulation.
 
#9
In general, with a vibrating string, higher mass and higher tension restricts the lower harmonics and, effectively emphasize the upper harmonics. This usually helps to reduce the muddiness of a string, but at the same time, depending on the construction and inherent stiffness, can make the string sound thin (usually the case if the string is lacking a lot of the lower mid content).

If you want string recommendations, I'd recommend the Circle K 142 set. They specialize in making thick strings for lower tunings.
 
#10
for the record, i have no interest in playing anything but elixir. ever.

im not unhappy with the sound im getting. just wondering if i could optimize my setup by using a different gauge/style. chocolate is good; high end chocolate is better, ya know?

so far ive heard small string = less mud. as well as bigger string = less mud.

is the benefit of the 125 being brighter a big enough factor to forgo tension? or will the stiffer 135 string being less floppy make it sound tighter and less flubbery in the bottom end? or will the 130 taper fix both?
 
#12
I think the thicker the B string, the more flubbery it sounds, at least to me. I use a .120 on my only 5, and I think it sounds more zingy like the rest of the strings, whereas the .125 and .130 I used to use didn't want to vibrate as much.
 
#13
I've been a loyal Elixir fan since 2006,and on my 5 string basses I use the .135 B, .105,.085,.060,.040. It is a more balanced feeling set. I get all my strings through Just Strings and I have to order individual strings to get that combination.It's a little more money to do it that way,but to me it's worth it.
 
#14
73jbass said:
I've been a loyal Elixir fan since 2006,and on my 5 string basses I use the .135 B, .105,.085,.060,.040. It is a more balanced feeling set. I get all my strings through Just Strings and I have to order individual strings to get that combination.It's a little more money to do it that way,but to me it's worth it.
Click to expand...

You may be able to save a few bucks by getting them from Bass Strings Online. Welcome to Bass Strings Online - Your Custom Bass String Shop...

They kill Juststrings on everything else, Elixir is strange though. They may have set pricing.
 
#15
sonic assassin said:
for the record, i have no interest in playing anything but elixir. ever.

im not unhappy with the sound im getting. just wondering if i could optimize my setup by using a different gauge/style. chocolate is good; high end chocolate is better, ya know?

so far ive heard small string = less mud. as well as bigger string = less mud.

is the benefit of the 125 being brighter a big enough factor to forgo tension? or will the stiffer 135 string being less floppy make it sound tighter and less flubbery in the bottom end? or will the 130 taper fix both?
Click to expand...

Buy the .135 and .125 in tapered versions and see for yourself which is preferable - it might not be the cheapest experiment, but at least you'll know for certain how to optimize your setup.
 
#16
Do try a taperwound for brightness and clarity, but beware that an overly-long taperwound section in the vibrating length (more than one inch) can cause a strange inharmonic tone (harmonics out of tune with fundamental). The shorter and fatter the taperwound section the better the tone.
Also try to use B strings with 3 layers of wrap wire, not 4 ... more flexible, clearer, brighter, more harmonic.
Larger gauge at B: more tension creates a brighter more defined sound, but more gauge is less flexible and darker, so there's 2 opposing effects. Try it and see :)
A 135 B has a similar tension to a 100 E, i recommend bringing the tension up closer to that of your E: more comfortable and playable.
 
#18
I've struggled with this low B issue for a long time and after years of trying different strings I've found that a low B string is a low B string. Higher tension, lower tension, it's still overall a beast that doesn't want to be tamed and more often than not, technique will be the strongest tool for that task. I understand brand loyalty completely, but for what it's worth, I found the DR Marcus Miller .120 fat beam to be the most satisfying low B to play. It's the most balanced sounding low B I have played every way from picking to popping delivering the boom or holding it down in the pocket with excellent clarity, which is often lost in one way or another with so many low B strings. If you're going to try different gauges or styles I would suggest starting with smaller gauges the strings you know you love and hopefully will save you a little time and money. Good luck.
 
#19
(Resurrecting zombie thread)

I've been messing with this as well. I have a Pedulla 5 and a Warwick 5 that I just can't seem to get the right amount of pop out of the B string. I switched to Pedulla strings, which are tapered on the BEA and it helped a little. I know that every string has its own character depending where you play it, but the B on these two basses seem to sound fundamentally muddier than the others.
I think the Pedulla bass is a lost cause. The Rapture J5 is supposed to have a vintage tone (according to them) and I don't think I can square that circle.
I got the Warwick $$ explicitly to have a more defined B, and it is a little better, but it still lacks clarity and articulation. The B in the Pedulla set I put on it is a .128 so now I'm thinking about a .120.
 

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