I'm beginning to understand 40-95 and 45-100 strings

[Iristone]

A thinner, less stiff string may help with giving more tone and less thud. A less stiff low string may sound more similar to higher strings that are less stiff in themselves. Tension balance is key, though, or the string may get too loose to vibrate properly.
This rationale can be confirmed by guitar strings: lighter strings sound brighter and more vocal while heavier strings sound fuller and more "chuggy". It may also explain why Rotosound makes their short-scale bass strings in very light gauges: a short scale needs less stiffness to reduce inharmonicity and dullness.

 

[woodyng2]

I seem to get a lot of thump from my low tension Labella flats and TI jazz flats. I’ve always felt like I could get a better tonal and playing balance between the highest and lowest strings with the gauges mentioned.

 

[Iristone]

Sorry, by "thump" I mean thud. IME La Bella seems to work really well with exact tension balance: the balanced 39-96 760FHB2 sounds very balanced across all 4 strings, whereas the unbalanced 50-100 760FHBB and 45-105 Rx or Super Steps have E and A strings that are unuseably dull.

 

[woodyng2]

The E string on the Labella low tension flexible flat set is very thuddy like that, too. It’s not my favorite sound, but a producer I work with loves it. It may be the combination of those strings and my GL JB2, because I’ve used the same strings on a Rickenbacker, and the E was more lively sounding.

 

[JonathanPDX]

More than anything, it's about the force you use to attack the strings. A lighter, thinner string is going to give you a full sound with much less attack, but it's also going to have lower tension and smack into the frets or pickups if you dig in. A big heavy string isn't going to move around so easily, making it easier to wail away on it without issue.

That's why you tend to see players with a lighter touch go with lighter strings and less tension. It's much easier to play fast with less force, so guys who are really going for technical work often use lighter strings to get to that place with less effort.

 

[Root 5]

A lot of players like the thud and thump. I’m one of them.

 

[micguy]

Tension balance is key, though, or the string may get too loose to vibrate properly.

This is the source of "floppy B strings on 5's" - it's not the bass that makes the string not have enough tension, it's the string. A 130 B has the same tension as a 95 E (about 35 pounds, which is pretty light tension) - that fact that string makers put 120's and 125's into string sets with 105 E's (they should be putting 140's in there) is why so many folks talk about "floppy B's".

 

[Iristone]

This is the source of "floppy B strings on 5's" - it's not the bass that makes the string not have enough tension, it's the string. A 130 B has the same tension as a 95 E (about 35 pounds, which is pretty light tension) - that fact that string makers put 120's and 125's into string sets with 105 E's (they should be putting 140's in there) is why so many folks talk b=about "floppy B's".

It's a tricky balance down that low. Too thick = too stiff and inharmonic, too thin = too loose and floppy. Maybe it's actually a good idea to use graduated scale length (fan fret), graduated material density (see different material windings on violin strings), or rope core (less stiffness for a given tension).

 

[ardgedee]

It's a tricky balance down that low. Too thick = too stiff and inharmonic, too thin = too loose and floppy. Maybe it's actually a good idea to use graduated scale length (fan fret), graduated material density (see different material windings on violin strings), or rope core (less stiffness for a given tension).

A couple manufacturers make stranded core strings for bass guitar -- I'm aware of Dougal and D'Addario, there might be others. People who are scandalized by the prices of TI Jazz strings should not look these up.

edit: One of the issues you might run into when you get into esoteric string designs is that you start wandering away from conventional rock bass sound because everybody's favorite songs were recorded using basses strung with conventional strings, warts'n'all. Not necessarily a problem unless your goal is to faithfully replicate somebody else's tone.

 

[SC Bassboy]

Over the years my bass strings went from 105 down to 100, but I tune a half step down so the 100 E string is closer to tension with a 95 gauge. I absolutely prefer lighter strings as they sound more musical and allow for faster, more emotive playing. Just ask Vic.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

A couple manufacturers make stranded core strings for bass guitar -- I'm aware of Dougal and D'Addario, there might be others. People who are scandalized by the prices of TI Jazz strings should not look these up.

edit: One of the issues you might run into when you get into esoteric string designs is that you start wandering away from conventional rock bass sound because everybody's favorite songs were recorded using basses strung with conventional strings, warts'n'all. Not necessarily a problem unless your goal is to faithfully replicate somebody else's tone.

Good take.

My thought is while I get the endless search for playability, when the notes start flying in the ensemble, minor changes in tone are not impactful to the overall mix. Further with recording methods today, you can take a track played with roundwounds, and make it sound like a DB an octave higher.

My experience is if you show up and you sound like an electric bass, you’re not likely to be in a situation where where some esoteric strings are going to be needed. Far be it from me to discourage experimentation, but if it were me I’d be exploring the crap out of my tone controls (which costs zero) before spending money on different string sets.

 

[LowWay]

Stanley Clark reportedly uses 30-90 gauge on 30" basses.

 

[mambo4]

More than anything, it's about the force you use to attack the strings.

I was thinking the same.
Of course the sound is X% string composition and Y% the plucking technique
I'm waaay more interested in exploring the latter Y%.
Intuitively, imagine lighter / thinner /lower tension strings respond better to thoughtful variation in plucking.

 

[Iristone]

Over the years my bass strings went from 105 down to 100, but I tune a half step down so the 100 E string is closer to tension with a 95 gauge. I absolutely prefer lighter strings as they sound more musical and allow for faster, more emotive playing. Just ask Vic.

Very true! I've moved to light gauge for electric guitar long ago (8-38 default, 10-38 for Strat, 9-42 for my girlfriend's ES-335), but I've just recently been thinking of trying it on bass. I was so used to Rotosound RS66LD, even though I often wish they could be just bit lighter!

 

[Deleted member 394181]

I thought, for many years, that it would be a trade-off. Lower gauges do not sound less powerful. To me.

 

[Felix1776]

When I first started playing I was using 45-105 with a 130 B string for standard tuning. I was using Dr Lo Riders which are an even higher tension string. Now I use 40-100 with a 120 B in standard and 45-105 with a 125 B in A standard tuning. I absolutely believe in lighter strings. They're obviously physically easier to play but I legitimately think they sound better too.

 

[logdrum]

I use to put an unlit blow torch and an angled grinder on the desk when I am practicing and on boy I got some highly tense strings. They sounded trembly

So now I have aromatherapy scents and a mini Zen sandbox nearby and ask Alexa to play me some soft nature sounds before practicing. My strings are now relaxed,

 

[pbass2]

This is the source of "floppy B strings on 5's" - it's not the bass that makes the string not have enough tension, it's the string. A 130 B has the same tension as a 95 E (about 35 pounds, which is pretty light tension) - that fact that string makers put 120's and 125's into string sets with 105 E's (they should be putting 140's in there) is why so many folks talk about "floppy B's".

True, true, but for me low B strings generally require compromise (unless perhaps on the Dingwall I used to own...). I'm a 45-105 guy pretty straight across the board with four bangers--flats and rounds--but after using nothing lighter than 130 low B's for some time I discovered I prefer a 125 down there. While it may feel a smidge less balanced with the rest(or rather, it did only briefly 'til I got used to it), it sounds more balanced on my basses (and that's rounds and flats). Any lighter than that I imagine I couldn't hang with it though.

 

[pepj]

For me, 40-95 was always about a better balanced set..plus why work so hard..?

 

[atquinn]

I think it varies from bass to bass. The 45-105's on my Precision are as easy to play as the 40-100's on another bass I own. And then I have another bass where the 45-105's felt too stiff. I swapped them out for 40-100's just this morning and now everything feels great. Not really noticing a tonal difference; the bass still sounds like "itself".