Heavy gauge with light gauge B

[CaptainTuna]

Hello everyone!

I don't like playing on my high strings much lately (D and G) and if I can i usually play the same tune on lower strings (B, E, A). Reason I do this is that high strings produce a trebly tone I don't like much.

Because of this I was thinking on getting/trying heavier gauge strings (50-110). But...I was also thinking of getting a light gauge B because I find it quite floppy and with very low tension. Also, the sound doesn't always come out of the instrument as I want it to when playing on the B string(haven't got quality pickups unfortunately, that is probably the reason).

Before buying a 50-100 4 string set plus a 120 gauge B string I wanted to ask you guys if you find anything wrong with this. I always see a 20 gauge difference between strings and getting a low gauge B with a heavy gauge which only differs by 10 (instead of 20) from the E string scares me a little, even if I don't really know why (not being a "pro").

 

[winegamd]

Don't worry about the numerical gauge values. These do not reflect the actual tension of the string when tuned to pitch. A .105 E usually has a tension around 38-40lbs where a .120 B will be somewhere around 30-32lbs. That is a huge difference in tension and will affect the feel while playing quite a bit. To match the tension of the .105, a .135 B would be a better match. For your .110 E, a .142-.145 B would be a more likely candidate.

As far as being floppy, this is a result of tension and flexibility. To fix this problem one would usually go to a heavier gauge, not a lighter. I would suggest that you take a look at Circle K strings website. The tone issues you are describing with your strings are the exact issues they fix with theirs.

 

[KingRazor]

Hello everyone!

I don't like playing on my high strings much lately (D and G) and if I can i usually play the same tune on lower strings (B, E, A). Reason I do this is that high strings produce a trebly tone I don't like much.

Because of this I was thinking on getting/trying heavier gauge strings (50-110). But...I was also thinking of getting a light gauge B because I find it quite floppy and with very low tension. Also, the sound doesn't always come out of the instrument as I want it to when playing on the B string(haven't got quality pickups unfortunately, that is probably the reason).

Before buying a 50-100 4 string set plus a 120 gauge B string I wanted to ask you guys if you find anything wrong with this. I always see a 20 gauge difference between strings and getting a low gauge B with a heavy gauge which only differs by 10 (instead of 20) from the E string scares me a little, even if I don't really know why (not being a "pro").

A lighter gauge will have even lower tension. If you want more tension on your low B, you want a heavier gauge.

 

[ixlramp]

CaptainTuna ...
Other way around ... the trebly tone of the high strings is due to being too tight, so lower their gauges. Increase the gauge of the B to make it tighter. Almost all traditional and mainstream sets have tension rising from low to high, Circle K Strings 'balanced' sets have all strings at equal tension.

See the tension chart for XL nickelplated roundwound long scale here: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf

A 120 110 pair will be extremely unbalanced. Equal tension pairs are 125 90, 130 95, 135 100 and 145 105.

 

[CaptainTuna]

I trust you completely, but I am confused by the fact that lower gauges would make the strings less high; why would lower strings such as the E and the A string make lower sounds then (being higher in gauge)?

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I trust you completely, but I am confused by the fact that lower gauges would make the strings less high; why would lower strings such as the E and the A string make lower sounds then (being higher in gauge)?

When comparing two identical strings that vary only in the size, a lighter-gauge string will be more flexible and have greater ability to move around and vibrate at the lower harmonics. This is important because the lower harmonics require the most energy to move and amplify. If a string is too stiff and inflexible, it limits the amount of energy that can be passed into the string to vibrate it at the lower harmonics, and as such, the energy is dispersed into the upper harmonics, resulting in a thinner sound.

To see what I mean, detune your G-string down to D and compare it to your D-string. The G-string, which will have about half the tension and be considerably more flexible, should sound much beefier than the D.

 

[ixlramp]

Almost all traditional and mainstream sets have tension rising from low to high.

... this creates a tone that changes from dark on the lower looser strings to bright on the higher tighter strings. For a more balanced tone you need to tighten the low strings (larger gauge) and loosen the higher strings (smaller gauge), so all strings are at similar tension.

If you're not interested in the D and G strings how about tuning a string or 2 lower F#BEAD or C#F#BEA? Excellent balanced string sets are available at Circle K Strings: Link Removed see the sets at the bottom of the page.

I trust you completely, but I am confused by the fact that lower gauges would make the strings less high; why would lower strings such as the E and the A string make lower sounds then (being higher in gauge)?

Well yes it is confusing, larger strings are stiffer and therefore darker sounding ... but also tighter and therefore have a more trebly tone ... 2 things working in opposite directions.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Some people like the feel of different things...

One of the most common sets is .045 .065 .080 .100 which has a lighter E string...

I have seen people build sets that look like .045 .065 .080 .095 for standard tuning... Its personal preference...

I have also seen people use 45-105 sets with a .120 "B" string, so I guess its really up to you.

 

[CaptainTuna]

Thank you for all your answers!!
I still haven't decided on my next strings to buy though I guess I just have to try them both sooner or later to see which gauge set (light, heavy) gives me the lower sound I'm looking for.

I also noticed that I only have this "strings are too trebly!!" issue with my GB 75 bass, which has stock strings still on (should be D'Addarios, it's a Cort) and which has a J-style pickup and a Stingray-like pickup. My other bass has a P-pickup and I just love how it sounds, never had any similar issue.

EDIT:

forgot to mention...following your suggestions i tried moving my plucking hand near the neck and I'm happier with the sound I get now. Downside of this is that strings feel much floppier and I can't play as fast. Probably higher gauge (=higher tension) strings would be a good compromise: little more trebly but if I play on near the neck they'll probably sound good and won't be as floppy as normal gauge strings. Opinions?

 

[darkstorm]

120 was my pref when I had a fiver doing low B. 130 was just too thick and below 120 to floppy.

 

[ixlramp]

Try tilting your pickups first before messing with gauges. The bridge pickup creates the bright tone so lower the end under the high strings. By tilting your pickups in opposite directions you can adjust the tone across the strings.