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GHS Balanced Nickels Shorties on a Mustang

OneNut

OneNut

Feb 12, 2024
313
494
Canada
#1
Ok, so I had a SBMM Short Scale that I tried several sets of strings on because I just wasn't jiving with the tone, but I did love what the GHS Balanced Nickels did in general.

I just traded the SBMM SS in for a JMJ Mustang. Some may say the bass should be wearing flats, but there was something in the GHS BN sound that I wanted. Now unfortunately the GHS BN short scales has a speaking length of 32.75" and in measuring the strings on the JMJ it was 32.875" (1/8" longer) to just past the nut. GHS doesn't offer a medium scale in the BNs.

Given the availability locally, my mental picture that 1/8" would put the silk on the nut and that I have no regard for my wallet at the moment, I bought a the set of BNs (4700) and just installed them on the bass.

And this is what I got:
20241105_182326.jpg


I'd installed the G first so I was thinking of happiness, but it went downhill from there. Probably far less than ideal, but it did tune up and intonate and sounded ok in a brief bit of playing that I could do today.

Overall length was a possible issue:
G - 1 3/4 wraps with an uncut string
D - 2 3/4 wraps with an uncut string
A - I'm a moron and have no idea why I cut it too short
E - length cut down fine for proper wraps around the post
20241105_180408.jpg


Going to run with it for a bit and see how stability is. It does sound awesome, just with the speaking length was that much longer so I could use the shorty set properly.
 
#2
OneNut said:
Ok, so I had a SBMM Short Scale that I tried several sets of strings on because I just wasn't jiving with the tone, but I did love what the GHS Balanced Nickels did in general.

I just traded the SBMM SS in for a JMJ Mustang. Some may say the bass should be wearing flats, but there was something in the GHS BN sound that I wanted. Now unfortunately the GHS BN short scales has a speaking length of 32.75" and in measuring the strings on the JMJ it was 32.875" (1/8" longer) to just past the nut. GHS doesn't offer a medium scale in the BNs.

Given the availability locally, my mental picture that 1/8" would put the silk on the nut and that I have no regard for my wallet at the moment, I bought a the set of BNs (4700) and just installed them on the bass.

And this is what I got:
View attachment 7070818

I'd installed the G first so I was thinking of happiness, but it went downhill from there. Probably far less than ideal, but it did tune up and intonate and sounded ok in a brief bit of playing that I could do today.

Overall length was a possible issue:
G - 1 3/4 wraps with an uncut string
D - 2 3/4 wraps with an uncut string
A - I'm a moron and have no idea why I cut it too short
E - length cut down fine for proper wraps around the post
View attachment 7070817

Going to run with it for a bit and see how stability is. It does sound awesome, just with the speaking length was that much longer so I could use the shorty set properly.
Click to expand...
- How long have they been there? Strings stretch, if a little, over the first couple weeks. Silk will end up to the other side of the nut;
- you could also shave the silk back a smidgen. Diameter seems to not taper yet, at the section currently over the nut.
 
Last edited:
#4
HaphAsSard said:
- How long have they been there? String stretch, if a little, over the first couple weeks. Silk will end up to the other side of the nut;
- you could also shave the silk back a smidgen. Diameter seems to not taper yet, at the section currently over the nut.
Click to expand...

They were installed 20 minutes before that picture so I'd expect that they settle in a bit. I did try stretching them after I brought them up to tension by really giving them a hard tug.

I did set all the witness points but of course I couldn't do the bend coming through the body. I'd expect that to settle a bit to give me a bit more length.

I thought about cutting the silk back but I figured I'd try it for a bit and see how it did.
 
#5
michael_t said:
I wouldn't worry about it too much as long as the full winding under the silk is past the nut on all four, which is the case here. It would only be a problem if the full winding came up short of the nut slot.
Click to expand...

The only thing I noticed it seemed it be a bit sensitive coming up to tune the way they are right now.

I couldn't find any reference to doing this anywhere as most people say to use medium scale on the Mustang so this is a bit of public info.
 
#8
Jeff Scott said:
When I had my CIJ '97 Mustang Bass I put an old set of long scale Jazz Flats on it. Worked just fine, so you may have more options to choose from with strings.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is a fair number of strong that would seem to work on the Mustang

The going wisdom however seems to be you need medium or long scale due to the through body bridge, so my point here is that a selective set of short scale strings may work giving even more choice.
 
#9
michael_t said:
That could well be because they're still very new. I would let them settle for a few days and see how they do before doing anything drastic, ie shaving off the silk in the nut slots, which I don't think is necessary.
Click to expand...

I would agree that shaving silk seems a bit unnecessary. My preference would be no silk past the nut, but that is only happening on the A. Doesn't seem to affect the sound and that is the most important thing.
 
#12
OneNut said:
thought about cutting the silk back but I figured I'd try it for a bit and see how it did.
Click to expand...
HaphAsSard said:
'drastic'? Hardly. I wouldn't think twice about doing it if it were necessary - which I have, in the past.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I've shaved up to a healthy 1/4" or so of silk on severon strings over the years. I put a little drop of glue afterwards. I've never had a problem.
 
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