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Floppy B String

#41
We need another 600 posts to solve this problem!

In face, everyone who posts should ignore the other x posts before it and just restate everything that everyone has said!

Moreover, we should all argue about how many strings a bass should have!

My gigging bass is a piano and any less than 250 strings SUCKS!

TL;DR

THIS THREAD IS BEATING THE HELL OUT OF A DEAD HORSE
 
#42
Disappear said:
We need another 600 posts to solve this problem!

In face, everyone who posts should ignore the other x posts before it and just restate everything that everyone has said!

Moreover, we should all argue about how many strings a bass should have!

My gigging bass is a piano and any less than 250 strings SUCKS!

TL;DR

THIS THREAD IS BEATING THE HELL OUT OF A DEAD HORSE
Click to expand...

Well the vast majority of threads have non original content - we even had a picks v fingers yesterday! So what do you suggest? Just shut TB down to new posts because it's all been said before ?
 
#43
Eckie said:
Well the vast majority of threads have non original content - we even had a picks v fingers yesterday! So what do you suggest? Just shut TB down to new posts because it's all been said before ?
Click to expand...

The point is quite simple. We all owe much of what we know to the players who generously shared what THEY knew with us. So we all OWE them for where we are! But we can't pay it back to them and nobody lives forever, so if it all is to survive it has to be passed on to the new players. And THAT is how we pay back those who gave what they knew to us!

The point is that when the noobs stop asking the same old questions and we stop giving the same old answers, is when bass playing starts to move backwards.
 
#47
Profania_bass said:
But a five string bass has five strings.. :scowl:
Click to expand...

A bass has four strings. And a big hollow body. And you stand it upright to play. :D

Or, alternatively, there are electric basses. These are new enough that they're still developing but old enough that some people put limits on them because "that's the way it's always been done and if it was good enough for [insert bass god here], it's good enough for me".

I'll just play whatever feels and sounds good.
 
#49
SoVeryTired said:
A bass has four strings. And a big hollow body. And you stand it upright to play. :D

Or, alternatively, there are electric basses. These are new enough that they're still developing but old enough that some people put limits on them because "that's the way it's always been done and if it was good enough for [insert bass god here], it's good enough for me".

I'll just play whatever feels and sounds good.
Click to expand...


Eeeeeeeeexactly. I love my five string, i rarely play four strings and all new basses i buy are five strings. Love dvelopment :-)
 
#50
allTimeFavorite said:
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?
Click to expand...

My Yammaha BB has a great B string. It is not good out of the box there are a few thing that you need to do to get it to sound good.

1) raise the action so that the tension of the string is a bit higher.
2) Make sure the B string is the correct distance from the pickups, if the string is too the output will be be muddy and clip frequently.
3) Buy some good string with a reasonably heavy B (my preference is "130").
 
#53
So, I just received my first 5-string yesterday, a 2011 Fender Standard Jazz V. A friend with industry connections ordered it for me to get a decent discount on it, so I didn't get to play it before buying, but it's new and if there's an issue, I can return it.

And...its B-string is a bit floppy.

That said, it's a factory setup with the standard .130 gauge string, and to be completely honest, it's not that floppy, so I'm pretty sure that a proper setup and new string should solve the issue completely (though I'll probably take it to my local luthier for his opinion).

I was planning on putting D'addario chromes on it (I'm eventually swapping out the pickups for a P/J set), but the thickest gauge chromes seem to come in is .132. Since chromes aren't an option for .135 or .145, what's the closest I can get to that with another manufacturer that makes a .135 or .145 gauge B-string?
 
#54
And, man don't worry
For sure they can work better on a 35" scale too, but they're flatwounds, so way more stable than thicker roundwounds...
And the idea of a center split (or EMG with 5er split inside the - removable - soapbar enclosure) is brilliant!

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#56
bassbenj said:
The point is quite simple. We all owe much of what we know to the players who generously shared what THEY knew with us. So we all OWE them for where we are! But we can't pay it back to them and nobody lives forever, so if it all is to survive it has to be passed on to the new players. And THAT is how we pay back those who gave what they knew to us!
Click to expand...

What a load of gobbledygook!

bassbenj said:
The point is that when the noobs stop asking the same old questions and we stop giving the same old answers, is when bass playing starts to move backwards.
Click to expand...

And again!
 
#57
Wallace320 said:
And, man don't worry
For sure they can work better on a 35" scale too, but they're flatwounds, so way more stable than thicker roundwounds...
Click to expand...
Thanks, good to know. Like I said, it wasn't that floppy, so slightly thicker gauge, plus setup, plus flatwound instead of roundwound should take care of the issue.

Wallace320 said:
And the idea of a center split (or EMG with 5er split inside the - removable - soapbar enclosure) is brilliant!
Click to expand...
I'm looking at getting a Wilde Bill Lawrence P-46/J-45 P/J set since they typically get such good reviews, are passive, and don't hurt the wallet too much. When it's done, it should be a nice jack-of-all-trades bass.
 
#58
Let's assume we'll both use same strings on 34" scale 5ers, right?
You'll eventually gonna play on centerspot, with the split pickup you're planning, while I mostly tend to play near the bridge
Ok: but then I guess you'll play properly tuned, while I usually play a full step downtuned (so that my B string is actually an A one)
Believe me:
0,132 flat's gonna be enough

Just get used to it

Cheers,
Wallace
 
#59
darkstorm said:
Most basses have a weak or floppy B in my experience both trying and listening to bands live. Very few have a good sounding B string imo. Lackland and Modulas have better then averrage sounding low B as does Carvin from ones Ive heard bass players playing.
Click to expand...

My Spector Rebop is a 35" scale, has the tighest B I've ever played. The Peavey Grind 5 has a tight B at 35" Neckthru. The Epi T-bird Pro-V has a 34" scale neckthru with a tight B. A B-string isn't inherently floppy, it just needs good design. Not just taking a 4 string model, widening the neck & slapping one on.

Also, be careful with "just put thicker strings on". Sometimes the extra thickness will require you to raise the string up higher to avoid fret buzz and then it will just feel fat & awkward (and will resonate really dull) compared to the rest of the strings.

My suggestion: Go to a store where they have a guitar tech who can do on-the-fly adjustments to any bass you pick up. Try them out & talk to the tech. My tech's taken some 34" Ibanez basses with POOR Bs and made them much more playable through 5mins on his bench before purchasing.
 

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