It's not so much about the radius, but rather, tension. The wrap wire is tight around the core and for all practical purposes can't slip. This means that in order to bend the string, the core has to stretch, because it has a longer path to follow around the radius of the post than the inner wrap. Think about what happens to the outer wrap wires as they make a bend. The portion on the outside of the bend opens up (stretches). The core has to do a similar dance, just not as much. Add tension from winding and you put a huge amount of stress on the core.
But there is always stress on the core, as that's what is actually the string, the structural component. Cores are flexible and have to be - we stretch strings out to keep them in tune, we bend them when we play, and when they vibrate they stretch and return, stretch and return, many times per second; we call that a "note." It is the core that is wrapped around the post - just not the windings that are called the "speaking length."
The speaking length of the string should not be wound into the post; we are told this repeatedly by string manufacturers. Why is this? A flexibility issue. Thinking about it, if one has a wire core, and he wants to make it stiffer, what does he do? wraps it with ever-more layers of wire, the windings. This makes the string stiff. Therefore, feeding the windings, or "speaking length" of the string into the post is like feeding the stiffest part of the string into an area where the strings needs its most flexibility.
If this is so, then why would DR insist on making their strings to industry-standard extra long length (38"), and calling them "long." and in particular, why would they ship a B string - the thickest, inherently least flexible, and shortest - with the same speaking length, knowing it will feed the windings into the post?
It takes nerve to sell that product then tell the consumer to not use it in the only way it can be used. No wonder their customer service is so generous in handing out replacement strings - this must happen all time. So much so that one retailer on here has had custom-wound lengths made for precisely this reason. DR should have done it on their own.
DR is plainly swimming upstream from the rest of the industry with a 38" speaking length and calling it long scale. in my book, that's extra long scale. always has been. and thinking about it, if feeding the speaking length of the strings into the post will most always break the string, so much so that manufacturers tell us NOT to do it, yet DR insists on making their strings so long, from my vantage it's a bad design.
I have had this problem before: back in the 80's, I had a Kramer 450B. It had tiny little string posts that, for the E and G strings, were almost right against the zero fret/nut. Rotosounds and LaBellas broke because the speaking length wound into the post. I had custom-length strings wound by LaBella to solve the issue. It's too bad it looks like DR, as far as B strings go, are back in the bad old days for me. But there are many other choices, so not as big a deal as it was back then.
and don't tell me again and again it's my bass. does this on ALL of my basses, and I have many. Great if it works for you.
And I will say for the umpteenth time: these comments are for 34" scale basses only.
