yeah man I kinda agree, but to justify buying a new bass I need it to be different to the one I have.
An active 5 string is justifiably different to a passive p/j 4 string.
...and a 5 string goes lower, so its a bass bass.
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Floppy B String
- Thread starter bigboy_78
- Start date
yeah man I kinda agree, but to justify buying a new bass I need it to be different to the one I have.
An active 5 string is justifiably different to a passive p/j 4 string.
...and a 5 string goes lower, so its a bass bass.
Lighten-up people. I own a 5 too...but ultimately I prefer a 4 and agree with Duck Dunn. Every time I watch Wooten, I think "when I can do that on a 4, then I'll add an extra string."
Good B strings are on a Stingray 5 (34") and the Lakland Skyline 55-02 (or USA 55-94) (35"). Nice feeling B strings on both.
But Duck was still right....
I bought a G&L Tribute L2500 two weeks ago and I'm replayin' a 5er after a 2 year straight hiatus
I play full step downtuned, so figure out what tension has my B string tuned "A"!
But hey same things you said Billy Sheehan once told me on a clinic... He said "I'm still learning to proficiently cover all my 4er fingerboard to even start minding over a multiple string bass..."
And I surely CAN'T play like him, ok?
Cheers,
Wallace
The topic is the OP's desire to fix a floppy B.
I certainly don't wish to be dismissive of digressions, even dismissive digressions.
So let me offer a reason to let the signal achieve more gain than the noise.
I also prefer a 4, but where the book requires a low B, it is better to work than starve.
I certainly don't wish to be dismissive of digressions, even dismissive digressions.
So let me offer a reason to let the signal achieve more gain than the noise.
I also prefer a 4, but where the book requires a low B, it is better to work than starve.
My suggestion goes for a compact headstock B string retainer, if there'd eventually be room for it
I'm not talking about stringholder (D/G string) no. A retainer a piece of steel or aluminum to increase after nut tension on B
It's harder tryin' to explain/describe it, than actually applyin' it
Cheers,
Wallace
Heavier strings and a proper setup can help improve the low B string. Higher end basses are developed with a few tricks like a stiffer neck, stronger witness angle at the headstock, among other things. My 32" scale CB will stomp anything off the shelf, no questions asked.
I am going to vote strings. I don't care whether you play four, five, or whatever. The critical things are scale length and string gauge (well, weight really but the two are generally related). Most 34 inch five strings use ~0.130 B strings and those are probably great on 35 inch basses. A 34 is probably going to need a ~0.145 B string. I tune my 34 inch four strings CGDA. I prefer flats and they only go up to about 0.130. That is ok when tuned to a C and it is even good enough when I flip the Hipshot tuner to get an A. But I have one bass that uses rounds and the C string on that is 0.145 -- much nicer.
Ken
Ken
I've owned 34's and 35's. But I have found multiple options in 34" where the B string is every bit as good as a 35", so I no longer play or own 35"'s as I find 34"'s more comfortable.
All my 34" Carvins, have astouding B strings, as does my 34" Reverend Mercalli. The B on my 34" Sadowsky Metro was also great before I sold it.
That being said, the only cr@p B strings I have played have been on 34's. And I mean they were bad...
A 35" is NOT a requirement for a tight B, and often leads to more problems than it solves (which isn't really anything, IMHO). If that's your preference though, go for it! There's no right or wrong, just preference.
All my 34" Carvins, have astouding B strings, as does my 34" Reverend Mercalli. The B on my 34" Sadowsky Metro was also great before I sold it.
That being said, the only cr@p B strings I have played have been on 34's. And I mean they were bad...
A 35" is NOT a requirement for a tight B, and often leads to more problems than it solves (which isn't really anything, IMHO). If that's your preference though, go for it! There's no right or wrong, just preference.
No, Duck wasn't right. Every time I watch Vic (yeah he is a great player and great guy) I think to myself, "I can't do what he's doing on the 4 and then I grab my 7 and think, "But Vic isn't playing these notes, or these, or these, or doing this up here on the neck or...."
Agree. It turns out my best "to die for" B string happens to be a 35" on my Modulus, but if you can't live with the B strings found on my 34" Ken Smith, Alembic, or Carvin basses, there is something seriously wrong with you!
And let me point out that finding ANY extra long scale string sets in a hurry at some local music store is usually dreaming!
(Same problem goes for 34" G&L with through-body stringing)
I have a Fender (MIM) Jaz Deluze. When I bought it the B was quite floppy. I replaced the strings with Ernie Ball Power Slinky's. The B is no longer floppy. I have also notice that my touch has lightened. While I am satisfied with the Power Slinky's, I would like to go to something smaller than 1 135 B string. Any recommendations?
While I prefer 4 string basses, a quality 5 string is a good thing to have in the arsenal.
I added a used Modulus Q5 a few months back and put a .136 B string on it from Circle K. (.136, .106, .079, .059, .043). No floppy B string here! The .136 is slightly under sized for a balanced tension set but all the strings feels very similar and she sounds great!
I don't use her much but everyone knows it when I do!!
Sepp
I added a used Modulus Q5 a few months back and put a .136 B string on it from Circle K. (.136, .106, .079, .059, .043). No floppy B string here! The .136 is slightly under sized for a balanced tension set but all the strings feels very similar and she sounds great!
I don't use her much but everyone knows it when I do!!
Sepp
After all, I'm used to short scale basses and conversely tend to downtune long scales, so I'm definitely used to low string tension... And I hit really hard.
Anyway... G&L Tribute L2500, stringthrubody and 0,132 B string tuned "A"
I can do that...
And if I can do that, everybody can
Cheers,
Wallace
Anyway... G&L Tribute L2500, stringthrubody and 0,132 B string tuned "A"
I can do that...
And if I can do that, everybody can
Cheers,
Wallace
I've found that on the American Std Jazz V, Fender's own 8520s, Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky's (both with 130 Bs) are fine, but even better is D'Addarios with a 135 B - I can really pound that one and it stays well controlled.
Not so good (IMO) are Rotosounds even tho it's still a 130 B. It's noticably less tense.
For a while I had a Lakland 55-01 with 35" Scale, but I thought the B was slightly floppy both with the stock strings (Lakland's own ?) and the Ernie Ball's
Not so good (IMO) are Rotosounds even tho it's still a 130 B. It's noticably less tense.
For a while I had a Lakland 55-01 with 35" Scale, but I thought the B was slightly floppy both with the stock strings (Lakland's own ?) and the Ernie Ball's
Well, I suspect history will show that Duck Dunn filled more dance floors with his 4 than any 7 string ever will. The 7 string I'm sure is quite impressive to watch (at least to other musicians). But a guy like Duck makes people (including the women) "feel."
All with 4 strings...
But we digress...
I use .130 D'Addario B srings on my Yamaha BB1025X, which is a 34 scale, and it's hands down the best sounding B I've ever played.
I guess the question is, what is it about about a 5 string bass that would prevent them from doing the same thing?
I guess the question is, what is it about about a 5 string bass that would prevent them from doing the same thing?
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
The B string does have the least tension no matter what, and the only thing that does matter is the scale of the bass, and the type/gauge of the string.
D'Addario string tension chart: check out page 10 - XLB125/130/135 compared to EADG gauges.
http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf
There are several ways a B string can go wrong. It can be less bright than other strings, have less volume than other strings, have a faster decay than other strings, twist a cheap neck so it has different action that the other strings... different problems have different solutions.
OP says the Bs were floppy. That only has to do with the string, how far it's stretched, and to what tension. Assuming all these basses were tuned to the correct tension (pitch), then 34" is 34" no matter how cheap the bass. That leaves strings as the only tweakable hardware factor to fix floppiness.
Basses in a store have who-knows-what kind of strings on them, so don't judge the bass by the tension on the B.
Hex-core strings are stiffer, heavier gauges are stiffer, stainless steels can feel stiffer than nickels but I suspect that's an illusion - whatever makes you comfortable and sounds good to you is the right answer.
The other thing you can do is play closer to the bridge where the feel is stiffer.
If they're floppy to the point of fret noise then the setup is too low, or a technique of plucking them very vertically so they vibrate parallel to the fretboard might help.
Or it could be a matter of getting used to a B string. It's not going to feel like an E string any more than an E will feel like an A.
OP says the Bs were floppy. That only has to do with the string, how far it's stretched, and to what tension. Assuming all these basses were tuned to the correct tension (pitch), then 34" is 34" no matter how cheap the bass. That leaves strings as the only tweakable hardware factor to fix floppiness.
Basses in a store have who-knows-what kind of strings on them, so don't judge the bass by the tension on the B.
Hex-core strings are stiffer, heavier gauges are stiffer, stainless steels can feel stiffer than nickels but I suspect that's an illusion - whatever makes you comfortable and sounds good to you is the right answer.
The other thing you can do is play closer to the bridge where the feel is stiffer.
If they're floppy to the point of fret noise then the setup is too low, or a technique of plucking them very vertically so they vibrate parallel to the fretboard might help.
Or it could be a matter of getting used to a B string. It's not going to feel like an E string any more than an E will feel like an A.
