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D'addario Jerry Jones 6-string bass set

JimmyM

JimmyM

Apr 11, 2005
127,255
125,172
Plymouth NC
Disclosures
Endorsing: Yamaha, Ampeg, Line 6, EMG
#1
so the ghs short scale rounds on my new longhorn are not working out so far. i'm not getting as strong a fundamental as i would like from them, and at times they almost sound like a bass sitar. didn't get that sound from the d'addarios i had on there originally, i'm going back to them, i believe.

only problem with d'addarios is that i want to use a 35-90 set or close to it, and the lightest set you can get in short scale is 40-95, except for the jerry jones 6-string bass set. what i was thinking of doing is taking the B string in the jerry jones set, which is a 34, and replacing the 44 G string, then use the rest of the set for the D (56), A (72) and E (84). however, the tension for the E is only 20 lbs, which is 7-8 lbs. lighter than the D and A, and the B tuned to pitch is 28.3 lbs. and will drop significantly at G pitch. so i'm wondering if that's the move.

so my questions to those who have used them are...

1. does the floppy tension of the E bother you?

2. have you tried bumping the G string for the B tuned to G? if so, did you like it?

3. do you think i'm a dolt for wanting to get opinions before i drop a whopping $9 on a set to try for myself?

btw, #3 is rhetorical, so don't bother answering ;)
 
#3
JimmyM said:
so the ghs short scale rounds on my new longhorn are not working out so far. i'm not getting as strong a fundamental as i would like from them, and at times they almost sound like a bass sitar. didn't get that sound from the d'addarios i had on there originally, i'm going back to them, i believe.

only problem with d'addarios is that i want to use a 35-90 set or close to it, and the lightest set you can get in short scale is 40-95, except for the jerry jones 6-string bass set. what i was thinking of doing is taking the B string in the jerry jones set, which is a 34, and replacing the 44 G string, then use the rest of the set for the D (56), A (72) and E (84). however, the tension for the E is only 20 lbs, which is 7-8 lbs. lighter than the D and A, and the B tuned to pitch is 28.3 lbs. and will drop significantly at G pitch. so i'm wondering if that's the move.

so my questions to those who have used them are...

1. does the floppy tension of the E bother you?

2. have you tried bumping the G string for the B tuned to G? if so, did you like it?

3. do you think i'm a dolt for wanting to get opinions before i drop a whopping $9 on a set to try for myself?

btw, #3 is rhetorical, so don't bother answering ;)
Click to expand...


Hey Jimmy!

Other than the strings issue, hows that bass been working out at the gigs so far? Has Bowzer even noticed it yet? :D

I would say that for 9 bucks, give it a shot. What have you got to loes-except 9 bucks? Thats like a weeks worth of coffee money for me :hyper:
 
#4
TimB 619 said:
Hey Jimmy!

Other than the strings issue, hows that bass been working out at the gigs so far? Has Bowzer even noticed it yet? :D

I would say that for 9 bucks, give it a shot. What have you got to loes-except 9 bucks? Thats like a weeks worth of coffee money for me :hyper:
Click to expand...
hey beef! it's working out pretty well. jon noticed it but he really doesn't care what i use as long as he can't hear it.

and yeah, i think you're right about the strings. i should just take a chance. thanks bro! merry christmas to you and the lovely mrs. beef!
 
#5
JimmyM said:
hey beef! it's working out pretty well. jon noticed it but he really doesn't care what i use as long as he can't hear it.

and yeah, i think you're right about the strings. i should just take a chance. thanks bro! merry christmas to you and the lovely mrs. beef!
Click to expand...

Thanks Jimmy, a Merry Christmas to you and your family as well! :hyper:
 
#6
JimmyM :cool: So you want to use 35-90 on a short scale bass? A .090 is probably thin enough to wind the full gauge onto the tuner post with no problems, especially since D'Addarios are so flexible. So perhaps you could use a standard long scale set or custom set of singles.

I guess it depends on the diameter of your tuning posts, if they're really tiny it might be a problem. Perhaps you could buy a single long scale .090 to see if there will be a problem. The thinner strings can have their full gauge wound onto the post with no problems at all.

If you're thinking of trying the Jerry Jones set with a .085 E, it seems to me you might as well build a custom set of D'Addario long scale singles 30-85, I think the full gauge of the .085 may well wind onto the post with no problems, depending on the diameter of the post.
 
#7
ixl, thanks for the advice, but i already tried it with a set of 40-95 long scales, and the dano has guitar tuners (cheap copies of kluson guitar tuners, to be exact), and the tension of the fat part going around the post is so noticeable that i'm sure it will cause them to snap eventually. didn't have a whole lot of problem with the D and G string, but the A and E are killers.
 
#14
Why such a light set on an already shorter scale bass? I have been experimenting with those gauges on a 34 scale, but it seems like for normal bass uses they would be waaayyy too floppy on a short scale!

FWIW- I used that set on my Dano Baritone in an attempt to make a Bass VI of it (it has a 30-ish inch scale, I believe like their bass necks). The tension balance was indeed pretty off to my hands, and even worse I could not get a decent tone out of the low E string at all above the 5th fret- it was very hollow with bad sounding overtones to my ears, very similar to the tone of some floppy B strings on 34" 5 string basses. I ended up going back to standard baritone strings tuned to D standard (so just a very tight feeling normal guitar tuning) that sounds and feels amazing. As far as using the B for your G, I personally couldn't imagine wanting less tension than the stock G in that set...

I would just try a set if I were you though, it is possible that I had a bum string as the rest of the strings sounded really good (I was using it more for chords and guitar-ish picking though vs. a standard bass). I was also using the set on a standard Dano guitar bridge, though I did file the bridge saddle to give what should have been a decent speaking point (and it was impossible to intonate the E correctly when tuned to the bass range- they must mount the bridges slightly farther back for their basses). I will also add that I didn't try any other Bass VI strings after that experiment failed, so it may have just been par for the course with that kind of setup...
 
#15
sunbeast, i think you just talked me out of the jerrys. that is exactly what i don't want. my goal with these strings is to make this bass stupid easy to play and stupid easy to bend notes. but i don't want stupid floppiness, and i have a feeling it's what i'll get.

i may just have to go back to the xl's 40-95. but i'm going to give these ghs's another week, because other than the overtones, i'm loving the feel. maybe if i rub goop all over them and get them super dead dead, they'll work out ;)
 
#16
JimmyM said:
sunbeast, i think you just talked me out of the jerrys. that is exactly what i don't want. my goal with these strings is to make this bass stupid easy to play and stupid easy to bend notes. but i don't want stupid floppiness, and i have a feeling it's what i'll get.

i may just have to go back to the xl's 40-95. but i'm going to give these ghs's another week, because other than the overtones, i'm loving the feel. maybe if i rub goop all over them and get them super dead dead, they'll work out ;)
Click to expand...
@JimmyM stupid easy to play and stupid easy to bend notes but NOT floppy is exactly what I’m looking for for my Bass VI-ish axe. What did you end up settling on (14 years ago….ooooooh zombie thread)?
 
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