Light gauge B string, why???

[Limo]

What opinions do you have on light guage B string (anything under and .120)? I'm thinking that if we're all looking for a tighter B string with the 35" basses than how come ppl still get the lighter guage strings??
I'm wondering because I'm biased. I've had B strings that are 125" and sounded good but were too floppy and I've had 145" that was tight and felt good but sounde.....well it didn't sound much
I really don't know what to do and I need your help guys

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

People still get the lighter kind because lighter strings are generally faster, and also if they have lighter-gauged strings above the B, having a light B will maintain a more even string-to-string size balance. Playing lighter-gauged Bs with a light touch usually keeps any rattling away, and floppiness doesn't really occur much when you play lightly as well (I believe the type of string you're using is a much bigger factor in flopiness). Heavy-gauged strings have never sounded or felt good to me anyways. A .125-.130 is the best I've found to use.

 

[Limo]

People still get the lighter kind because lighter strings are generally faster, and also if they have lighter-gauged strings above the B, having a light B will maintain a more even string-to-string size balance. Playing lighter-gauged Bs with a light touch usually keeps any rattling away, and floppiness doesn't really occur much when you play lightly as well (I believe the type of string you're using is a much bigger factor in flopiness). Heavy-gauged strings have never sounded or felt good to me anyways. A .125-.130 is the best I've found to use.

Thanks Bryan, I'm having a problem now because I thought for a long time that the thicker the strings you got the better and tighter sound you had but then I got the .145 and I realized that it's perhaps not the thickness of the strings but maybe the brand of strings. My follow up question to your post is: Which brand do you feel have the best sounding/tightest strings? Keeping in mind that I want to get a tight string but not too thick and has a great sound. (a difficult task for you maybe)

 

[Figjam]

I think people have suggested DR Lo riders as a nice high tension string that sounds good.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I'd agree with DRs-I like their Sunbeams myself.

 

[Brendan]

I use light gauge B strings to detune E down two full steps to C (.120-.65), but I dunno if that counts, since I'm not tuning to B.

 

[Michael Jewels]

Limo, I don't know if you like Elixirs or not, but the set I have on my fretless has a very balanced sound and feel string to string, and the low B is very good considereing it's on a 34" scale instrument.

BTW, they're nanowebs, and the B is .130.

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[bassmonkeee]

I've yet to play a low B string that sounds as good as a TI Powerbass string, and it's a .119 on a 34" scale bass.

I don't buy into "longer is better" or "bigger is better" when it comes to low B sound. I subscribe to the "more neck rigidity is better" school of thinking. My Rockwood neck with rockwood fretboard with two truss rods and two graphite bars is probably the most over engineered neck I'll ever play on, but it sounds amazing--all the way down to low B on a tiny string.

The same thing with the six string US Curbow fretless that I had strung up wit TI Jazz Rounds. Again, .118" and it sounded full and huge with no flop.

Even my 6 string ABG with TI Acousticore strings has a great low B, and it's also only a .118."

 

[Matthew Bryson]

I use DR Long Necks on my 5 strings and I'm happy with my B string.

 

[NonoMusic]

I've yet to play a low B string that sounds as good as a TI Powerbass string, and it's a .119 on a 34" scale bass.

I don't buy into "longer is better" or "bigger is better" when it comes to low B sound. I subscribe to the "more neck rigidity is better" school of thinking. My Rockwood neck with rockwood fretboard with two truss rods and two graphite bars is probably the most over engineered neck I'll ever play on, but it sounds amazing--all the way down to low B on a tiny string.

The same thing with the six string US Curbow fretless that I had strung up wit TI Jazz Rounds. Again, .118" and it sounded full and huge with no flop.

Even my 6 string ABG with TI Acousticore strings has a great low B, and it's also only a .118."

Sorry to be reviving this thread for a completely unrelated topic, but that bass with the two truss rods and two graphite bars sounds insane... what's the name and where can I get it?