Floppy E String on A Short Scale?

[Mustang Surly]

Flats, specifically, D'Addario Chromes.

 

[lz4005]

Flats, specifically, D'Addario Chromes.

Without talking about gauge that's a meaningless recommendation. Thinner gauge flats have less tension than thicker gauge rounds.

For example, the .090 Chromes I use on my Godin A4 have less tension than the .110 gauge DR Lowriders I have on my P bass.

 

[Liam Wald]

Move up a gauge in strings, forget the flats if you like bright with good attack (I hate flats), and the next part you're probably not gonna like...

Start playing more softly.

I switched to short scale basses a little more than a year ago. My band tunes down a half step, and we do a handful of songs in drop D, which means C#. I used to play super aggressively and at first thought the short scale venture was going to be a no-go. I decided instead it was time for me to become more versatile in my playing, and I am blown away by the results of that.

Just by listening closely and adjusting, it became habit pretty quickly. Within about a month I had no more issues, and strangely enough have a rough time today imagining how I ever did. The tone of my drop D sounds just as awesome as any other note on my bass, my softer touch now happens unconsciously, without effort, and I am a much more versatile and articulate player than I was a year ago.

I highly recommend rethinking your playing style and readjusting. In my experience it's been much more beneficial and effective to work at changing me, as opposed to changing the bass.

And I can still dig in when I want to. That hasn't been lost at all. I just now have more of a choice.

Joe's advice is great. I recently switched to short scale and realized that I needed to adjust my playing style to accommodate for the reduced string tension. The good news is that once you come to this realization, changing your technique can happen quickly. More amp headroom and a softer touch is what will help you get there.

 

[jonnybass1]

I have several short scale basses and I use Rotosound 66 swing 50-110. They provide a good tension on my basses and the stainless strings provide brightness that sometimes disappears on short scales. I have just never been a fan of chromes or other flat wound strings I always go back to the Rotosounds.

 

[smart51]

A thicker gauge string will have more tension for the same pitch. I used to have a Curbow 5 string. The low B sounded different to the other strings. I but some heavier strings on and the B was great. D'Addario half wounds. They sounded good and felt good to play. Expensive though.

 

[micguy]

Lower tension is inherent to short-scales, some concessions must be made.

Only if you accept using the same gauges. A 5 string bass tuned GDAEB, if you capo it at the 5th fret, is a very short scale (25.5) bass with the lowest strings tuned GDAE. If the strings at 34 inches aren't floppy (meaning you have a big enough B string), then they won't, when shortened, be floppy. If you can get a 25.5 inch scale bass to not be floppy, one at 30 inches is quite doable. You have to increase the diameter of the E string more than you'd think - a 110 gauge GHS Boomer will tune to E on a 30 inch scale at 39 pounds of tension, which is still relatively light. You might be OK with that (I would, but I like light gauge strings). If you like more tension, you would need to go even bigger.

 

[Liam Wald]

I like these round wound nickel strings for short scale.
They are from TalkBass on Ebay.
La Bella RX-N4A-S SHORT SCALE Bass Rx Series Nickel-Wound Bass Guitar Strings

 

[PullThePlug]

Daddario XL regular light gauge, regular scale length strings on both my mustang PJ. No flop here.

 

[bassman10096]

Use a thicker string. That is the only thing that increases tension.

Physics - the bottom line.

 

[ajkula66]

I have several short scale basses and I use Rotosound 66 swing 50-110.

Where are you finding these? All I can see from RotoSound in short scale is 40-90.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

Only if you accept using the same gauges. A 5 string bass tuned GDAEB, if you capo it at the 5th fret, is a very short scale (25.5) bass with the lowest strings tuned GDAE. If the strings at 34 inches aren't floppy (meaning you have a big enough B string), then they won't, when shortened, be floppy. If you can get a 25.5 inch scale bass to not be floppy, one at 30 inches is quite doable. You have to increase the diameter of the E string more than you'd think - a 110 gauge GHS Boomer will tune to E on a 30 inch scale at 39 pounds of tension, which is still relatively light. You might be OK with that (I would, but I like light gauge strings). If you like more tension, you would need to go even bigger.

Not all basses can handle the extra tension. If they're just short-scale versions of long-scale instruments, constructed the same way, then theoretically they should be fine. If they're designed right from the get-with to be short scale, strung normally, maybe not? We all know that most manufacturers cut every corner they can get away with. Plus, not everyone can/wants to play with humongous bridge cable strings. I figure short scales ought to play like short scales, and long like long. No need to expect unrealistic things, they're all good at what they do!

 

[bassdude51]

Put D Addario Chromes on my short scale. No problems and it sounds fantastic! String through body is meaningless!

 

[Wes275]

Hi. I just bought a Fender Mustang Player PJ bass(30" scale) with a top-loaded bridge. I noticed that the E string has less tension and is much floppier than on a regular bass. Is there a way to fix that? Maybe get a string-through bridge? Thanks!

I just played one today at guitar center and it wasnt floppy at all.

 

[Rocket Queen]

I've had excellent results with GHS Precision Flats, which come in short scale length. They produce a fat, classic sound on a shorty, IMO. I use them on my Badtz Maru Bronco, and on my shorty P.

If flats are actually the solution in this case, GHS Brite Flats may be more suitable. They're a higher gauge (0.108" E string vs. 0.095") and, accordingly, higher tension.

 

[iiipopes]

Late to the party, but this is important. You can't just use a thicker string. Especially on a short scale bass, if the string gets too thick, it loses flexibility. This cuts overtones and the E string no longer tonally matches the rest of the strings. It goes thump, and what overtones are there go sharp, what is called "inharmonicity," so it sounds out of tune even if it strobes out properly.

E strings on a short scale bass are a compromise in tone, flexibility, feel, and intonation. It is very, very difficult to find a good one. I don't know if any companies make a tapered core E string, but that would help. Strings specifically made for short scale basses help, like the La Bella Mustang or Beatle set, unlike many short scale strings which are just long scale strings stopped on the winding lathe sooner. Some work, some don't.

When stringing a new set, be very, very careful not to bind or overly twist the string; use even more care to assure the leader is a smooth set of winds around the tuner post without kinks or overlaps, and after getting the strings up to pitch, giving them a gentle tug to equalize tension, tune them again, then set the string witness points across the nut and saddle, and tune them again.

I am intrigued by the new "lumped" strings as developed by Dr. Jonathan Kemp of the University of St Andrews’ School of Physics and Astronomy, along with the University’s Music Centre. I wonder how that will help short scale strings, if at all, with intonation. It won't help if the string is too thick so even though the tension may feel better, it loses flexibility and overtones.

Bass strings hit the high notes

I don't have any particular string recommendations. Especially on short scale, strings are so personal that even the best and most famous players go through safaris. I have a friend who has an Ibanez Micro and a Supro Huntington II, and even with a mini-safari and comparison last fall, he is still searching for the "right" strings for each of those basses. Even Sir Macca, some decades ago, had his staff scour the globe for the remaining N.O.S. Maxima flats sets for his Rickenbacker, and on his Hofners over the decades he has used at various times Pyramid flats, Rotosound flats, Rotosound black nylons, La Bellas, and others.

Good luck!

 

[LanEvo]

I’ll make a specific recommendation. Try GHS Short Scale Bass Boomers in the Regular (050-107) gauge.

SHORT SCALE BASS BOOMERS®

 

[HaphAsSard]

GHS 3035 short-scale bass Boomers (.107" low E) or 3070 Brite Flats (.108"), as mentioned above; La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass Flats Medium 760FM-S or 1954 Original 0760M-S.

Or get a short-scale 5-string set (and up-tune the lowest string: if the gauge is within .125", at 30" scale it won't have more tension than a 110 on a 34"). Pyramid makes [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], but it would be expensive, and the rest of the set would be either tighter than the new E and not very comfortable overall if uptuned (with the G discarded), or quite a bit loose if kept at the intended pitches (with the original E discarded); ditto for one Dunlop flatwound set, the DBFS40120S.
This other one, the DBFS45125S, might work with the .105 omitted: the new .125" E would have more tension than the .085" A, but not a lot more.
Warning: if you decide to try it, do so at your own risk. Generally speaking, I would not hesitate to tune a low B up to D on a long-scale bass, or to E on a shorty. However, Dunlop strings are designed to be very flexible by means of thin cores, which might not withstand the increase in tension.

Or go custom (Newtone; also Pyramid - may need a dictionary to navigate their custom order form... You can just shoot them an email though, their boss speaks English).

 

[lunarpollen]

Or to turn the question around, why don't we have string throug heads? How can the small break angle across the nut in most basses be ok, even with a head lower than the fretboard?

You do want some downward tension at the nut, but generally need more at the bridge to ensure that the strings stay put in the bridge saddles. The nut slots don't need all that downward tension to keep the strings in them.

 

[Killing Floor]

Could be worse. Just be glad it's not a floppy G-String.

 

[Matty Koff]

Haven't had a shorty in my hands yet but just based on the experience of one of my two 5 string basses @34" scale.. you might be able to get used to it. At first I noticed less tension in my Low B being my first 5'er, but now it's familiar to me and I believe my technique has adjusted to it and it sounds pretty good.

Like Mr. Nerve said it could be a matter of learning to play softer.