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floppy b string, any advice?

jbasedig

jbasedig

I'm unique, like everyone else.
Jul 8, 2015
497
606
Tucker, Georgia
#1
I have a 34 inch 5 string with a neck that I love. I've always used extra light gauge strings on this bass. I like that too. However, the B string has never really felt right... regarding tension in relation to the other strings and it's floppy. Its sounds decent, but the floppines...is bothersome, and I think it could sound better as well.

1. a tech at Guitar center told me to put a heavier gauge string on it.
2 Is it that simple?
3 Can I just change out the B string, or do I need to up the gauge for all strings
I like the Hartke xtra light strings in this bass. It has a very thin and fast neck
4 Would changing just the B to a heavier gauge cause the neck to twist?

The bass is a Bian Moore 5 [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#11
I've also experimented with the idea of mix-matching with surprisingly good results.

Instead of simply increasing the size of the B string with the same type of string, try to find a B string with increased "stiffness" so it doesn't feel as "floppy".

For example, when I tried the GHS Round Core Boomers 45-65-80-100-126 on my 34"-scale 5-string Yamaha, I wasn't too happy with the way the 126B sounded or felt. ie a little too loose and "mushy". So, I tried the GHS Pressurewound 128B to go with the rest of the RCBs and found it to be a better match both in terms of tone and feel due to the PWs hex-core stiffness (vs. the round-core flexibility) despite a fairly minimal increase in size.
 
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#12
michael_t said:
I've also experimented with the idea of mix-matching with surprisingly good results.

Instead of simply increasing the size of the B string with the same type of string, try to find a B string with increased "stiffness" so it doesn't feel as "floppy".

For example, when I tried the GHS Round Core Boomers 45-65-80-100-126 on my 34"-scale 5-string Yamaha, I wasn't too happy with the way the 126B sounded or felt. ie a little too loose and "mushy". So, I tried the GHS Pressurewound 128B to go with the rest of the RCBs and found it to be a better match both in terms of tone and feel due to the PWs hex-core stiffness (vs. the round-core flexibility) despite a fairly minimal increase in size.
Click to expand...
(Yeah, I was going to mention stiffness too, the DR DDTs are hex core - much stiffer than my usual DR Hi Beams (round core).)
 
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#14
bholder said:
Yeah, I was going to mention stiffness too, the DR DDTs are hex core - much stiffer than my usual DR Hi Beams (round core).
Click to expand...

The size of the core is also another important consideration. The larger the core, the stiffer/firmer it would feel.

The Dunlop Super Brights are hex core but very flexible due to the small diameter of the core wire. DR DDT would have a thicker core to make them suitable for down-tuning.
 
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#15
michael_t said:
The size of the core is also another important consideration. The larger the core, the stiffer/firmer it would feel.

The Dunlop Super Brights are hex core but very flexible due to the small diameter of the core wire. DR DDT would have a thicker core to make them suitable for down-tuning.
Click to expand...
I have several sets of the Super Brights on my "next to try" pile (they seem promising) but haven't felt like doing string changes for a while. :) But there's always a bass somewhere in my house with old strings if I look hard enough lol....
 
#19
I've found nickel strings in general too soft, as well as all but the biggest round core steel strings. I have to use a 130 B, minimum, in a hex core steel string. I'm currently using a 50-135 set of D'Addario ProSteel strings on my 2010 Fender American Deluxe Jazz 5. Great feel, great tone and great longevity. I've found I can actually run my action lower, my neck more flat, with bigger strings. They seem a bit less noisy when new, and tho they are stiff, I can run action a bit lower to compensate. Even wit slightly lower action, my B string is clean, responsive, and playable all the way up the neck. Even on my 34 scale bass.
By the way, Brian Moore makes phenomenal instruments. I'd definitely bet it's a string issue.
 
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#20
I play Very light gauge strings - 35-50-70-95. That set is tilted towards higher tension in the low strings, but it's still very low tension, which I like. A 130 B string matches the tension of a 95 E, if you want to keep the tension slope going down to the B, so it's a tiny bit tighter, a 135 works well for that assumption. Strings, for the same tension, should be a geometric progression - the next string down should be about a third bigger in diameter. String sets with even diameter steps, like 40-60-80-100 end up being slack in the lower strings, because it's a linear, not a geometric progression. It's math; it's Physics. It's not a lack of scale length (although that can help a bit,it makes the other strings tighter as well, which can be counterproductive)), it's a lack of diameter on the B string.

Short answer: You need a bigger B string. Most 5 string sets are deficient in this respect.
 
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