Extra light set for a 6 strings bass to go with a 30-90 set - which C string?

[Pier_]

Hi everybody!

I have a difficult question for you all:

I happily switched a bass with Funkmaster strings, 30-50-70-90 (I've already used them a lot in the past, dismissed for standard 45 and not I'm back here), I like the feel and tone on every string, so for my other 4 string basses I won't have any issue.

unfortunately I have a Yamaha TRB6p that I use a lot and love so much, and that is always strung with the Ernie Ball 32-130 set.

I was looking at extra light sets for 6 string bass, but most of them don't go below 30 or 28 for the C string, and the smallest G is a 40.

so I was looking for single strings, and found that Rotosound makes a .025 (below it it's plain steel .020) for the Swing Bass, but I'm scared that tuned to C will have more tension than the .030 G string.

are there sets with a lighter C string?

also, I'm trying to find out a good B string: I've never tried anything below .130, but I know that "over .130" sound like crap to me, with poor intonation and muddy notes.

most sets with a 95 E string match it with a 120 B, but has anyone tried a 110 or 115 B string?

please, avoid the useless messages like "below .150 it's not worthy", I already did my experimentation with heavy gauges

my first idea was to buy single .025 and .110/.115 and try them with a Funkmaster set.

 

[michael_t]

Looking at the tension chart, I would guess the 0.025C balances better with the 35-55-70-90-120 set (RS665LB), which is a nicely-balanced 5-string set to begin with.

Swing Bass 66 30-90 (FM66)

G 030 - 20.11
D 050 - 29.85
A 070 - 30.41
E 090 - 27.02 (107.39)

Swing Bass 66 35-90 (RS665LB):

C 025 - ??
G 035 - 26.44
D 055 - 33.53
A 070 - 30.41
E 090 - 27.02 (117.40)
B 120 - 26.42 (143.82)

 

[Pier_]

thanks, I didn't think about the tension chart on the website.

I'm looking the site, and the 35-45 set is like this:

.035 C 47.35 lbs
.045 G 48.27 lbs

the 30-40 set is like this:

.030 C 35.82 lbs
.040 G 39.50 lbs

I guess how the .025 C would be, maybe I'd try to ask Rotosound I'll let you know. however, I've seen that on Amazon they have the single string for few euros, guess I'll try it.

 

[michael_t]

thanks, I didn't think about the tension chart on the website.

I'm looking the site, and the 35-45 set is like this:

.035 C 47.35 lbs
.045 G 48.27 lbs

the 30-40 set is like this:

.030 C 35.82 lbs
.040 G 39.50 lbs

I guess how the .025 C would be, maybe I'd try to ask Rotosound I'll let you know. however, I've seen that on Amazon they have the single string for few euros, guess I'll try it.

Just for reference, GHS Boomer .025 is 29.3 lbs. in high C. I would imagine Roto 66 .025 is fairly close to it.

 

[Pier_]

Just for reference, GHS Boomer .025 is 29.3 lbs. in high C. I would imagine Roto 66 .025 is fairly close to it.

thanks! so it would probably be too tight for going along with a .030 G.

 

[michael_t]

thanks! so it would probably be too tight for going along with a .030 G.

If I were you, I would try the 0.025C with the 35-120 5-string set.

 

[Pier_]

If I were you, I would try the 0.025C with the 35-120 5-string set.

guess I'll try this solution, it's probably the less complicated I'll let you know

 

[Richard Lindsey]

I don't know if you can easily order from Kalium if you're in Italy, but they make an enormous variety of 6-string sets, and there might be at least one set that would work for you, such as this one: Hybrid Bass Medium .114″ Balanced Six String Set | Kalium Music.

 

[Drzejzi]

Warwick puts a 20 C string in their light set (20-40-60-80-100-130) and a 25 C in the medium set (25-45-65-85-105-135). The 20 is extremally floppy as a C. The 25 is just a little better.

 

[40Hz]

I’d suggest getting in touch with the folks at Stringjoy (
[email protected]). I’ve had them help me out with a selecting string gauges for a few custom guitar and bass sets in the past. And I was really happy with how it worked out. They also sell individual strings as well as sets. Their prices are very reasonable.

 

[EvilJ]

If you don't find what you are looking for, try 'Newtone Strings' in the UK. You can customize almost anything you need to for around 30$ US per set.

 

[Pier_]

thanks!

 

[ole Jason]

I think the 25 would probably work. I'd also be tempted to try out the 28 just to see how it feels with a 30 on the G. I messed around with those really small gauge wound strings a lot when I was playing 7-string for the high F and found most of them to be pretty spotty in terms of tone and durability. I never had any luck at all with unwound strings, they always sounded very different from the wound strings.