Help with new 5 string set

[kucor]

Hi TB,

After 7 years of using exclusively Elixir SS's, DR lo rider steels and (occasionally) hi beams and dragon skins, I came to a conclusion that I wasn't 100% happy with any of them. DRs are great A-G but B is floppy after 4th fret on my Lakland 55-01.

Elixirs last forever but punch just isn't there.

Is there a stainless steel set with punch and life span comparable to DRs, but with better B string?

I play finger style 99% of time, 1% would be pop/slap fills.

The set has to be 45-105 gauge. My B was 130 or 135 but this doesn't matter as long it's tight and defined.

Ps, I don't care about tension in general, will adapt to anything.

Thanks

 

[mmbongo]

If you like the DR's other than the B string, just get some single B strings to try. No rule saying you can't mix and match, I do it all the time.

 

[michael_t]

If you like the DR's other than the B string, just get some single B strings to try. No rule saying you can't mix and match, I do it all the time.

+1

This "mix and match" idea is a viable option when it comes to finding a low B string that matches well with the rest tonally. This is something I've learned through many experiments in my tone quest for my Yamaha 5-string for the last 15 mths.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

DR does offer a 135 single stainless Lo Rider which will tighten things up a little.

 

[ixlramp]

DRs are great A-G but B is floppy after 4th fret

The set has to be 45-105 gauge. My B was 130 or 135 but this doesn't matter as long it's tight and defined.
Ps, I don't care about tension in general, will adapt to anything.

You do care about tension because you complained about a floppy B, which means the tension was too low.
Your B being 130 or 135 does matter because gauge determines tension and you want something tight.
Most sets have the B at a much lower tension than the other strings to avoid the problems caused by a large gauge causing excessive stiffness.
A B equal in tension to a .105 E would need to be a .140. But a .135 may work well for you.
Make sure to try a taperwound B for more flexibility and brightness.

 

[kucor]

You misunderstood me, I didn't say I have a problem with floppy B, it just lacks definition above 4th fret. Physically, B string is just fine and plays great, just like on most Laklands.

What I don't care about is the tension feel under my right hand finger tips. For example, round cores tend to have smaller tension than hex cores, but that doesn't mean they will be floppy.

Sorry for my english, it's not my native language.