Light string gauges?

[nadnerbksenoj]

Hello!
(This is my first post on TalkBass by the way! )

I have a question about string gauge! When I got my Rickenbacker 4003, I really liked how the D and A strings were really light. At the time, I was a big fan of Rotosound I quickly got it set up for Swing 66s and forgot all about my like of smaller strings. Months later, I noticed that Ernie Ball makes their new cobalt bass strings in a light gauge (.40-.60-.70-.100) and I've really thought about going to light strings as a permanent thing on my basses. However, I don't want to dive into something I don't know too much about. I asked someone at my local music store and all he said was that I wouldn't get as much tone and that it'd be a bit easier for my fingers. Are those the only pros and cons that come with light string gauges?

Has anyone else used string gauges this light before? What are the pros and cons? And would this sound similar to using normal gauge strings at a low action? Thanks!

 

[Mystic Michael]

First of all, greetings fellow New Yorker!

Secondly, your music store guy is only partially right. Light-gauge strings are a little easier to play, but they lack nothing in tone. In fact, they actually have some tonal advantages.

Light-gauge strings tend to generate more harmonic content than heavier-gauge strings. For an instrument like a Rickenbacker, with those sensitive single-coil pickups that tend to pick up all the nuances of the mids and the highs, this can be a very pleasing combination - especially when played with a pick, to bring out all those glorious overtones.

Personally, I'd opt for the liveliest stainless steel roundwounds I could find - something along the lines of Rotosound Swing Bass 66, in gauge .40-.60-.75-.95. YMMV...

MM

 

[f.c.geil]

First of all, greetings fellow New Yorker!

Secondly, your music store guy is only partially right. Light-gauge strings are a little easier to play, but they lack nothing in tone. In fact, they actually have some tonal advantages.

Light-gauge strings tend to generate more harmonic content than heavier-gauge strings. For an instrument like a Rickenbacker, with those sensitive single-coil pickups that tend to pick up all the nuances of the mids and the highs, this can be a very pleasing combination - especially when played with a pick, to bring out all those glorious overtones.

Personally, I'd opt for the liveliest stainless steel roundwounds I could find - something along the lines of Rotosound Swing Bass 66, in gauge .40-.60-.75-.95. YMMV...

MM

Absolutely correct. In fact, those are the very strings I have on my Jazz...

 

[Ric5]

I only play 5 string basses ... Some of them Ricks ... I started using D'Addario super light strings .040 .060 .075 .095 .125 And they sound great. It really brings out the mids and the low B is better. Big fat low B strings seem to lack overtones and the lighter strings have more overtones.

 

[Afc70]

Hello!
(This is my first post on TalkBass by the way! )

I have a question about string gauge! When I got my Rickenbacker 4003, I really liked how the D and A strings were really light. At the time, I was a big fan of Rotosound I quickly got it set up for Swing 66s and forgot all about my like of smaller strings. Months later, I noticed that Ernie Ball makes their new cobalt bass strings in a light gauge (.40-.60-.70-.100) and I've really thought about going to light strings as a permanent thing on my basses. However, I don't want to dive into something I don't know too much about. I asked someone at my local music store and all he said was that I wouldn't get as much tone and that it'd be a bit easier for my fingers. Are those the only pros and cons that come with light string gauges?

Has anyone else used string gauges this light before? What are the pros and cons? And would this sound similar to using normal gauge strings at a low action? Thanks!

I've got a set of DR gauge 30-90 strings on my status graphite empathy- and it sounds fat and full- way more bottom end than my modulus flea which is strung 45-105's- of course pickups and preamps make a huge difference. But yes, the lighter gauge strings are much easier to play, but I don't think they are good for every bass.

 

[nadnerbksenoj]

First of all, greetings fellow New Yorker!

Secondly, your music store guy is only partially right. Light-gauge strings are a little easier to play, but they lack nothing in tone. In fact, they actually have some tonal advantages.

Light-gauge strings tend to generate more harmonic content than heavier-gauge strings. For an instrument like a Rickenbacker, with those sensitive single-coil pickups that tend to pick up all the nuances of the mids and the highs, this can be a very pleasing combination - especially when played with a pick, to bring out all those glorious overtones.

Personally, I'd opt for the liveliest stainless steel roundwounds I could find - something along the lines of Rotosound Swing Bass 66, in gauge .40-.60-.75-.95. YMMV...

MM

Yay, another New Yorker!

Interesting! The thing is though, I was highly considering changing the pickups in my Rickenbacker to the Bartolini replacements ones as I'd like a bit fatter of a tone. Another thing is that I was also considering putting them in my P-bass.

Would I lose that harmonic content if I changed my pickups? Or would it just be there, but less prominent?

 

[Mystic Michael]

Yay, another New Yorker!

Interesting! The thing is though, I was highly considering changing the pickups in my Rickenbacker to the Bartolini replacements ones as I'd like a bit fatter of a tone. Another thing is that I was also considering putting them in my P-bass.

Would I lose that harmonic content if I changed my pickups? Or would it just be there, but less prominent?

AFAIK, the Bartolini replacement Rickenbacker pickups are hum-cancelling, perhaps humbucker - but definitely not single-coil. I've never tried those Barts, but word I've heard is that they definitely change the unique character of the instrument. You may get more phatness - but at the expense of that trademark single-coil liveliness.

This really has mutated into a topic more suitable to the "Pickups & Electronics" forum. Unless you're really sure of what you're doing, and you have solid reasons for doing it (it seems to me that you do not), I would advise you to slow down and thoroughly study it out first.

MM

 

[nadnerbksenoj]

AFAIK, the Bartolini replacement Rickenbacker pickups are hum-cancelling, perhaps humbucker - but definitely not single-coil. I've never tried those Barts, but word I've heard is that they definitely change the unique character of the instrument. You may get more phatness - but at the expense of that trademark single-coil liveliness.

This really has mutated into a topic more suitable to the "Pickups & Electronics" forum. Unless you're really sure of what you're doing, and you have solid reasons for doing it (it seems to me that you do not), I would advise you to slow down and thoroughly study it out first.

MM

Okay! I'll look into them more! Thank you for the advice about the strings though!