Flabby B string sound & help.

[0liver]

Drilling/filing/reaming out one hole in a bridge is hardly a, "radical modification". At the risk of asking the obvious, have you considered taking this to a pro?

It's not only a matter of a string, but bridge and pickups as well. I don't want to change them and then be surprised if it works or not the way I want. I rather sell the instrument which serves me well and search for a more suitable one.

 

[JustForSport]

Before you sell, look around for what you want.
AFAIK, Conklin and Dingwall are a couple of the very few that accommodate that string size and tuning 'off-the-shelf'.
Not in the same price range as SR505.
Mods are cheaper, but there's no real way of knowing what you'll get 'til they're done.

 

[flameworker]

I use a 165, props to 200!!! but seriously, just us a a needle file or a dremel to make the fatter string fit the bridge. I HATE floppy B. rather have floppy boobies than a floppy b i think...no.

145 is good.

 

[Jim Carr]

It's not only a matter of a string, but bridge and pickups as well. I don't want to change them and then be surprised if it works or not the way I want. I rather sell the instrument which serves me well and search for a more suitable one.

Have you questioned the first requirement set forth in your initial post?

"...I need to tune my low string to F♯..."

As a fundamental, 23.1247 Hz is a very low note at the lower limit of human hearing. IME, even a great bass rig can only produce a small amount of energy at the fundamental frequency of a string tuned to 23.1247 Hz. Yet, in music, due to octave equivalence, one can freely transpose any pitch an octave up or down and still retain its essential function—with the limit that the notion of "bass" in a harmonic sense usually means the lowest pitch in a chord.

If you settle for a less extreme low string, say A or Ab, acceptable low string tension might be achieved on your current instrument. The musical function of the "missing" two or three half steps is achievable by octave transposition.

If your bass rig or PA can effortlessly deliver the low B fundamental, 30.8677 Hz, you are among the fortunate. I am not saying tuning to low F# is wrong, musically useless, inaudible or unattainable. It just may not be musically worth it. Consider it a color, that can be replaced by a related one. Such is the nature of orchestration, organ registration, and digital synthesis—why not for metal, too?

 

[Geezer Slappington Harris]

View attachment 489766

I am using .200 .142 .102 .076 .057 .041 gauges tuned F#BEADG.

Are those Circle K Strings? They say on their website that their strings wont work on a through-body bridge because of the short taper length, but I think id depends on the bridge, saddle, and size of the holes. I just ordered a .142, .094, .070, .053 set (used for drop B) from them and I'm sure it will work with my bridge.

 

[String Theory]

Are those Circle K Strings? They say on their website that their strings wont work on a through-body bridge because of the short taper length, but I think id depends on the bridge, saddle, and size of the holes. I just ordered a .142, .094, .070, .053 set (used for drop B) from them and I'm sure it will work with my bridge.

The strings are Circle K and the bridge is from 2TEK. The strings load from the back of the bass but are anchored near the top so the distance to the saddle is relatively short.