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Flabby B

#3
You need more scale length, or neck angle, or a thicker guage of string, or a better designed bridge/tuners, or headstock pitch, or a combination of these things.

I can reccommend about a million and one basses that will have a better B than your washburn, but I have no idea what kind of price range you're looking at. :)
 
#8
Zentner said:
You need more scale length, or neck angle, or a thicker guage of string, or a better designed bridge/tuners, or headstock pitch, or a combination of these things.

I can reccommend about a million and one basses that will have a better B than your washburn, but I have no idea what kind of price range you're looking at. :)
Click to expand...

+ 1 to everything you've said,except scale length. I've played many a 34 scale bass that had outstanding B strings, and a few 35 scales that were just so so. IMHO construction and string gague has more to do with how the B sounds and plays than scale. For example, you won't find a floppy B on Smith's or Sadowsky's. On the lower end, Ibanez basses have pretty good B's. Even Fender has stepped up their game considerably in that category. All 34 scale.
 
#10
In most sets the B is the loosest string. Equal tension BE pairs are actually 125 90, 130 95, 135 100 or 145 105.
Circle K Strings sell 'balanced tension' sets with all strings at equal tension. Otherwise build a custom set with a larger B.
 
#11
ixlramp said:
In most sets the B is the loosest string. Equal tension BE pairs are actually 125 90, 130 95, 135 100 or 145 105.
Circle K Strings sell 'balanced tension' sets with all strings at equal tension. Otherwise build a custom set with a larger B.
Click to expand...

+1

That's why I've just ordered a 135 100 custom set. Not that the B is particularly flabby on my 35" scale bass but it is noticeably looser than the other strings. I'm trying my own 'balanced tension' set for a more consistent feel across all the strings.
 
#12
Thanks guys, I'm a 4 stringer for my main guitars but the Washburn was a sentimental purchase (first bass I fell for in a shop when I was a littleun) so I picked one up now I'm an old git ;-)
Like the sound of balanced sets, will have to look into this further!!
 
#13
Big mark said:
Thanks guys, I'm a 4 stringer for my main guitars but the Washburn was a sentimental purchase (first bass I fell for in a shop when I was a littleun) so I picked one up now I'm an old git ;-)
Like the sound of balanced sets, will have to look into this further!!
Click to expand...

It's an interesting subject (okay, I find it interesting!). I think the most useful resources for me, other than TB, were:

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Between these sites I managed to work out what should be a good balanced set for me and get it at a really good price. Looking forward to getting the strings now and trying them out!
 
#15
What brand and gauge is on ot now? Perhaps your using light gauge low tension strings? Are you using 45-125or130 set? If so then trying same gauge strings from mfg whose strings have a little more tension then yours have, might help. If its more a case of flabby sounding low B rather then flabby feeling, then try lowering that side of neck pup a turn or raising that side of bridge pup a turn. Whichever works best for change to current adjustment.

For strings with best low bass articulation and least bleh flabby sound for low bass I'd pick DR neons. Rotosound Swing66 do low bass well to. But the DR Neons have them beat for that by a good notch.
 

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