I've never met a low B string I liked.

[T40Chump]

I'm cool with that. On my fiver I only go to the B when I want to feel the thunder of that low D and occasionally the C#. Otherwise I'm on the other four cause that's where I do most of my work. The lower notes seem to disappear audibly but are definitely felt.

 

[SteveC]

Don't you say that about every other month? And then say the opposite for the next month? Just like you do with cabs and head and even effects? Quit being a namby pamby miqutoast and stick to whatever it is, or at least learn some new lyrics because the song itself is waytired ; }

Yeah. I need to just stop posting on the topic and keep it to myself.

 

[greenboy]

And snarl at me like you mean it when I rate you down mister!!! Now gimme 50!!!

 

[ixlramp]

Most top players use 4 string basses. I have read many interviews where they have said they cannot get the clarity out of a low b string.

If they can't get clarity from a B string, they're doing it wrong. Wrong bass or wrong string choice. It's totally possible. I used to be disappointed with B strings, but it turned out to be a combination of cheap bass and stiff, under-tensioned strings.

 

[SteveC]

And snarl at me like you mean it when I rate you down mister!!! Now gimme 50!!!

While I am fairly sure I understand the tone of your comment, my response was honest. I do need to just stop the posts on a few topics as they really don't contribute anything meaningful to the dialog.

 

[lomo]

Dingwalls' 37" B basses are the VERY BEST in terms of this, hands down. I've played Modulus, MTD, Roscoe, Lakland, Sadowsky, Pedulla to name some and none come close in terms of balance and clarity all over the neck.

Everything else is a debatable second.
.

What he said, in spades.

 

[12bass]

...
Dingwalls' 37" B basses are the VERY BEST in terms of this, hands down. I've played Modulus, MTD, Roscoe, Lakland, Sadowsky, Pedulla to name some and none come close in terms of balance and clarity all over the neck.

Everything else is a debatable second.

If tonal consistency from string-to-string is the goal, then fanned frets are the way forward. In order for a low-B to "speak" with overtones similar to a low-E, it must be longer, like inside a piano. Some parallel-fretted basses may be better than others, but few will approach a Dingwall in terms of evenness across the strings.

 

[kraigo]

Most top players use 4 string basses. I have read many interviews where they have said they cannot get the clarity out of a low b string. I played a 5 string for a while. When you really think about it, all a low B does is give you a total of 5 lower notes than a 4 string. Is it really worth it?

If I sold the 55-01 I'd invariable buy another five somewhere down the road. That's just the way it is. Having bought and sold a half a dozen five strings over the years and having tried a lot more than that, this five string suits me better than any other I've seen.

What I like about fours is that I tend to get basses for character now. P-Bass, semi-hollow Ibanez Artcore, Something Jazz like, perhaps a violin bass down the line, perhaps a Danelectro, etc. The "character basses" that are readily available out there are almost invariably four strings. Which is fine by me. Like I said at the start of this thread, I generally grab a four string anyway. I'd just like to get my fretted five into rotation a bit more.

KO

 

[okcrum]

OP, just how light are the "lighter" SS sets you're using? Light and short doesn't generally make for a good B string. 0.125" and 34" even takes some searching around to get a nice B sound.

It took a long time for me to find anything I liked in a 5 set, but I finally did.

EDIT: nm 'bout the scale length...we know that

 

[pickles]

DR DDT 125 or Labella Hard Rockin Steel 128 will clear that right up for ya. I feel exactly the same way about the majority of B strings on the majority of basses. Those two strings are the ones I count on.

 

[Chasarms]

Most top players use 4 string basses. I have read many interviews where they have said they cannot get the clarity out of a low b string. I played a 5 string for a while. When you really think about it, all a low B does is give you a total of 5 lower notes than a 4 string. Is it really worth it?

Maybe most top "rock/pop" use fours if they can. But the pros use whatever the job calls for. There are MANY good five string basses out there getting used professionally every day.

 

[unclejane]

I personally haven't yet met a B string I didn't like actually. If there's a problem with its sound it's usually my fault, improper (for the tone I'm trying to get) technique or incorrect setup. And it would turn out the rest of the strings sounded lousy too!

The usual culprit for me is having the pickups too close to the strings. That's kind of a balancing act for me since I use my bridge PU as a poor-man's ramp (i.e. I pluck directly over it). So I need it usually a little higher than it should be for the best sound, especially when playing higher up than the 5th "fret" position.

So to me, the need for long scale basses or expensive strings, etc., to get a good B is mostly a myth. I've been able to get a fine B on pretty much anything (long as it's setup well, etc).

LS

 

[Denny Coon]

I have a Schecter Scorpion BEAD bass. I play it rarely, but I use DR HI BEAMS on it. It has active EMG DC's in it and the B when fretted sounds just as good as the E. Before it had EMG HZ's on it and the when fretting the B for an E it sounded like poop. Now with the different pups its perfect. I think the action and the pups are your biggest factors

 

[allexcosta]

One word, Dingwall...

 

[tomas_almeida]

One word, Dingwall...

Yup, he said it all. You ought yourself to try one. They are the most amazing basses I've ever played.

 

[kraigo]

OP, just how light are the "lighter" SS sets you're using? Light and short doesn't generally make for a good B string. 0.125" and 34" even takes some searching around to get a nice B sound.

It took a long time for me to find anything I liked in a 5 set, but I finally did.

EDIT: nm 'bout the scale length...we know that

35" Skyline. The strings are .040 to .128, stainless as linked in the original post. Not "Mark King light" by any stretch. What strings are among your "liked" list? That is the point of this thread.

KO

 

[Chasarms]

Yup, he said it all. You ought yourself to try one. They are the most amazing basses I've ever played.

Sheldon Dingwall is an amazing craftsman for sure. I thought his stuff was nice as anything I have I ever been around, and I have owned one of almost everything.

I ended up selling both my Super J5 and my ABII. As much as I thought the B was on its own plane, I had other issues that I thought out-weighed that greatness. So, I've gone back to Sadowsky.

Now, back to the OP. As far as actual strings, the Sadowsky labeled stainless Blue strings are also very good. I have the 45s on both of my Sadowskys right now and the B is Very responsive. They also tend to be a bit stiff for their gauge. So, in some ways, that helps, but it may be a turn off for you. I haven't tried the 40s. I have some on order.

 

[Chasarms]

35" Skyline. The strings are .040 to .128, stainless as linked in the original post. Not "Mark King light" by any stretch. What strings are among your "liked" list? That is the point of this thread.

KO

I used DR Long Necks on my Skyline JO5. If you are stringing through body, they are awesome. Otherwise, don't buy them. The tapers are too long unless you string them through body.

 

[JEDI BASS]

Have you ever played a Peavey Cirrus USA 5?

My experience with the low B on that bass is the polar opposite of what you described.

Agree... I've had 2 US Cirrus 6ers, but I also get that from my Laklands. I'd say try some DR Longnecks.

 

[JEDI BASS]

Personally, I like the difference between strings. More tonal options.

My main bass has a low F#, and believe you me, the B on that string sounds different than the open B, and the E played on the 10th fret sounds nothing like an open E. The difference in tone lets me, in a way, control the amount of bass frequencies I send out front...kind of like deciding whether I just want to play a certain note, or provide chest-thumping, foot-vibrating thump behind the note.

For me, that difference in sound is another musical tool to be used, not something I seek to eliminate.

Just my opinion, of course.

I ALSO agree w/ this. I find the fretted E, A, D, and G notes more appealling than the open strings (except in some slap applications), and I find myself playing higher up the fretboard to get this sweetness.