C Standard/Stoner Doom string gauge?

[Roseweave]

I'm wondering about what people use? I've seen people recommend getting a 5 string set and throwing away the bottom string, however in Stoner/Doom at least on guitar there's a tradition of using looser strings as it encourages a "loser" style of playing with lots of bends.

I recently swapped the stock strings on my J&D Jazz Bass out for some Rotosounds, the E string is 105 gauge. my guess is the stock was probably 100. It's obviously a bit loose but I'm mostly happy with the sound.

I'm curious does anyone else downtune on "Standard" gauges? I see people with 35 inch scales not happy with 115 and that seems wild to me.

I will say though that there's definitely a difference using fingers and pick doing this. I find the Rotosounds better than the stock strings for downtuned fingerstyle, but using a pick definitely tightens things up.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I'm wondering about what people use? I've seen people recommend getting a 5 string set and throwing away the bottom string, however in Stoner/Doom at least on guitar there's a tradition of using looser strings as it encourages a "loser" style of playing with lots of bends.

I recently swapped the stock strings on my J&D Jazz Bass out for some Rotosounds, the E string is 105 gauge. my guess is the stock was probably 100. It's obviously a bit loose but I'm mostly happy with the sound.

I'm curious does anyone else downtune on "Standard" gauges? I see people with 35 inch scales not happy with 115 and that seems wild to me.

I will say though that there's definitely a difference using fingers and pick doing this. I find the Rotosounds better than the stock strings for downtuned fingerstyle, but using a pick definitely tightens things up.

Rotosound what?

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I recall your name in the Mikro club. If so, you likely know what a 105 tuned to E feels like on it. Tune a 34" scale down to C# and it would feel like the E on a Mikro. I've read that the 110 in the Steve Harris and heavy set in the 77 Monel flat series is used quite ok as C1. The tension is around 32lbf. Certainly in playable territory. The 110 in the Roto 66 swing series rounds would have a much looser feel though. Only 26.5lbf. Not much more than the 105 downtuned to C. The 115 is available and though it's tension is not known (It's not part of any 66 set, so no tension spec) it is probably around 30lbf as C1. Playable if you like loose.
I tune C# standard mostly, and I use gauges in the ball park 50 70 095 130
But I like a firmer lowest string, which I infer you are wanting to avoid

 

[Roseweave]

yeah, Swing 66

 

[Prodigus Filius]

yeah, Swing 66

Swapping in a Roto 66 115 for the 105, along with the remaining Roto 66's ( I'm assuming 045 065 080 from the standard set and not the RSSLF which has an 085) would look like this

CFBbEb Tuning

Frequencies

C1/32.60hz
F1/43.65hz
Bb1/58.27hz
Eb2/77.88hz

Gauges 045 065 080 115

C1/.110/29.60lbf
F1/.080/27.60lbf
Bb1/.065/32.31lbf
Eb2/.045/30.40lbf

TT = 119.91lbf

Be interesting to read what gauges Al Cisnero uses. One of the godfathers of Stoner Rock one would assume.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Geezer B is definetly an influence on Stoner rock. I read that he used 105 or 110's downtuned for D and C#. But following the release of 13th album, DR strings did him a up a custom set by swapping out the 110 in the BBK-50 BB set with a 115 for a better feel doing some songs from the album which were in C standard

 

[MrAB4003]

I've played the Rotosound 77 flats (45-105 gauge) in C Standard in the past and they had a nice tension. I've also played DR-DDTs (65-125 gauge) in this tuning and they were amazing, but they were more tense than the 77s. The DDTs were THICK like bridge cables!

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Nick Oliveri, who was in seminal Stoner rock band Kyuss, talking about using a 115 GHS Bass Boomer gauge for C Nick Oliveri: 'The New QOTSA Record, I Can't Wait For People To Hear It' Using strings from two different brands, it looks like his gauges were a 55 80 95 115 . Obviously having a balanced set was something that didn't concern him.

 

[Andre678]

I used a set of heavy gauge DR hi-beams for this and always wished I could have a 115 instead.

Seems like from my experience and what others are saying a 115 or 110 gauge C string seems to be the way to go.

 

[kmd88]

I’ve had good luck with Rotosound Nickels 50-70-90-110 for C# standard on my Stingray. Gives me that Sabbath-ish looseness but still retains decent enough tension to be playable.

 

[digbass]

Get a 5 string set and go up a half step. You won’t have floppy strings and it be a crisper sound and stay in tune better.

 

[Phaidrus]

Scott Reeder (Kyuss etc.)

Scott Reeder: “I play left-handed but the bass is strung right-handed, so I can’t just walk into a store and try a bass. Not one!”

”I have two other Warwicks - a Thumb with a lot of midrange growl, and the Katana, which has a beefier, low oomph to it. I use the Katana mainly for Fireball Ministry which is detuned and kind of doomy. I always use medium-gauge strings from 45 to 105, but tuned down to C# standard so the strings are pretty loose and squirrely and I can get huge bends. I tried thicker gauge strings for the low tunings, but it’s too stiff to get those bends, and end up going dead too quickly.”

"I also use Dean Markley strings, I’ve been with them for nearly 30 years, mainly Blue Steels.”

 

[Roseweave]

Keep in mind this is my main bass, I don't have a dedicated downtune bass. I'll probably just get a 5 String Stingray copy(maybe the HB?) at some point and use slightly lighter strings for the looseness.

 

[KellyC]

Who knew that stoner doom was such a technical genre? Not me!

 

[stigbeve]

I use the DR DDT 55 75 95 115 set for C# standard and have been pleased.
If you want a looser feel for C standard maybe give those a shot.

 

[stefanos80]

I have a P bass tuned in C standard with Rotosound nickel 50-70-90-110. They are loose but they sound surprisingly good to me.

 

[MCS4]

I've used 105, 110, and 115 for the low C string, at 34in scale. The 105 is looser than I prefer for most applications but 110 and 115 are both fine. I do prefer slightly lower tension as a general matter and I also sometimes have situations where I want to be able to tune the C up to D

 

[coy garcia]

Best loosey goosey light roundwounds I've ever used are "DR Strings BLACK BEAUTIES Coated 4-String Bass Light (40-100)". If your into that sort of thing.

 

[J-Mags]

Stiffer hex-core strings like GHS Boomers like to be tuned to C more than lighter-feeling strings. I do feel that doom tones are pretty floppy. It all comes down to what kind of feel you like. I've tuned .105 sets down to C for recording and it sounded fine.

I don't think I'd be inclined to go over 110 unless the looseness was really bugging me. I like tighter strings for playing faster music, because I feel like I'm chasing light strings around the fretboard, but "chasing" has a different meaning when you're playing at doom tempos.

 

[micguy]

there's a tradition of using looser strings as it encourages a "loser" style of playing with lots of bends.

Sometimes spelling does matter.

A 125 for a low C is in the neighborhood of 35 pounds (low but usable tension) for a 34 inch scale. For a 35, you could get away with a 120, but I wouldn't go lighter. 90, 70, 50, would be good gauges for the other strings going up in fourths (assuming C standard tuning)