Lightest Flatwounds for Longhorn Bass VI

[Rusty Razorblade]

I have just purchased a Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass VI, and I would like to put a set of flats on it that are 20-90, same gauges as a set of Slinky rounds I found.

Any ideas on where to look, other than the site where a custom set will cost me a hundred bucks?

 

[HaphAsSard]

I have just purchased a Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass VI, and I would like to put a set of flats on it that are 20-90, same gauges as a set of Slinky rounds I found.

Any ideas on where to look, other than the site where a custom set will cost me a hundred bucks?

Only non-custom-made, short-scale flatwound 090 I'm aware of is made by Rotosound,* the low E from their shortie Jazz Bass 77 set (RS77S):
Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass 77 Monel Flatwound Bass Guitar Strings - Short Scale
The D string gauge in particular is significantly lighter than what's in the Ernie Ball 2837 set (050 vs. 054), the rest is in the ballpark.

To the above you may add two D'Addario Chrome guitar flatwound strings, a 020 and a 030 (buy a couple more to qualify for free shipping):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Yes, they will be long enough (about 38" winding length, which is plenty for your Longhorn); yes, though flats they may not have the same tone as the Rotos but, isn't that the case for plain vs. wound strings on standard guitar?

So far we're under fifty bucks shipped, which is not bad.

Me, I plan to get an überlight set of all D'Addario guitar Chromes (plus one plain high E) for my VI-type instrument in the near future. Their largest string is a 080, which I would use as a low E. It should make for an interesting challenge...



* [I don't really recommend said low E based on my personal experience: very floppy and stiff at the same time, so 1) very jumpy pitch if you don't pluck/pick supersoftly, and 2) you may run out of intonation at the bridge.]

 

[ixlramp]

I suggest using D'Addario Chromes guitar strings throughout for consistency. The largest gauge is .080 but due to the higher tension and higher stiffness of flatwounds (gauge being equal) that may feel similar to a .090 roundwound. Stock strings on the Longhorn Bass VI use a .084 for E, so .080 is not going to be much looser.

 

[Rusty Razorblade]

Only non-custom-made, short-scale flatwound 090 I'm aware of is made by Rotosound,* the low E from their shortie Jazz Bass 77 set (RS77S):
Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass 77 Monel Flatwound Bass Guitar Strings - Short Scale
The D string gauge in particular is significantly lighter than what's in the Ernie Ball 2837 set (050 vs. 054), the rest is in the ballpark.

To the above you may add two D'Addario Chrome guitar flatwound strings, a 020 and a 030 (buy a couple more to qualify for free shipping):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Yes, they will be long enough (about 38" winding length, which is plenty for your Longhorn); yes, though flats they may not have the same tone as the Rotos but, isn't that the case for plain vs. wound strings on standard guitar?

So far we're under fifty bucks shipped, which is not bad.

Me, I plan to get an überlight set of all D'Addario guitar Chromes (plus one plain high E) for my VI-type instrument in the near future. Their largest string is a 080, which I would use as a low E. It should make for an interesting challenge...



* [I don't really recommend said low E based on my personal experience: very floppy and stiff at the same time, so 1) very jumpy pitch if you don't pluck/pick supersoftly, and 2) you may run out of intonation at the bridge.]

 

[Rusty Razorblade]

Thanks, all.

I'm going to use these rounds I got for a little while, actually not minding this guitar bright. Soon I'll try ordering strings to try out these suggestions, and see what I like best.

I wonder what strings people used on the Longhorn in the 50's. They didn't have rounds for bass then.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I wonder what strings people used on the Longhorn in the 50's. They didn't have rounds for bass then.

Funny thing is, they did, and precisely for Danelectro basses, either 4- or 6-strung: they shipped with roundwounds, the first ever seen on a bass (except for the earliest Tutmarc basses); according to one or two TB posters, at least in the early to mid Sixties Black Diamond -brand roundwound sets for Danos were also available for purchase in shops.

(Stateside, that is: John Entwistle famously had to buy entire Longhorns, every time he'd break a string on his "old" one, because he liked the tone and couldn't find aftermarket string alternatives on Denmark St, until the shop ran out of Longhorns to be bought. He temporarily gave up on them and finished "My Generation" with a Jazz, and shortly after started his collaboration with Rotosound when he learned they already made bass rounds, then working with them to tweak their formula into the Swing Bass 66.)

 

[Rusty Razorblade]

Only non-custom-made, short-scale flatwound 090 I'm aware of is made by Rotosound,* the low E from their shortie Jazz Bass 77 set (RS77S):
Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass 77 Monel Flatwound Bass Guitar Strings - Short Scale
The D string gauge in particular is significantly lighter than what's in the Ernie Ball 2837 set (050 vs. 054), the rest is in the ballpark.

To the above you may add two D'Addario Chrome guitar flatwound strings, a 020 and a 030 (buy a couple more to qualify for free shipping):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Yes, they will be long enough (about 38" winding length, which is plenty for your Longhorn); yes, though flats they may not have the same tone as the Rotos but, isn't that the case for plain vs. wound strings on standard guitar?

So far we're under fifty bucks shipped, which is not bad.

Me, I plan to get an überlight set of all D'Addario guitar Chromes (plus one plain high E) for my VI-type instrument in the near future. Their largest string is a 080, which I would use as a low E. It should make for an interesting challenge...



* [I don't really recommend said low E based on my personal experience: very floppy and stiff at the same time, so 1) very jumpy pitch if you don't pluck/pick supersoftly, and 2) you may run out of intonation at the bridge.]

Only non-custom-made, short-scale flatwound 090 I'm aware of is made by Rotosound,* the low E from their shortie Jazz Bass 77 set (RS77S):
Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass 77 Monel Flatwound Bass Guitar Strings - Short Scale
The D string gauge in particular is significantly lighter than what's in the Ernie Ball 2837 set (050 vs. 054), the rest is in the ballpark.

To the above you may add two D'Addario Chrome guitar flatwound strings, a 020 and a 030 (buy a couple more to qualify for free shipping):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Yes, they will be long enough (about 38" winding length, which is plenty for your Longhorn); yes, though flats they may not have the same tone as the Rotos but, isn't that the case for plain vs. wound strings on standard guitar?

So far we're under fifty bucks shipped, which is not bad.

Me, I plan to get an überlight set of all D'Addario guitar Chromes (plus one plain high E) for my VI-type instrument in the near future. Their largest string is a 080, which I would use as a low E. It should make for an interesting challenge...



* [I don't really recommend said low E based on my personal experience: very floppy and stiff at the same time, so 1) very jumpy pitch if you don't pluck/pick supersoftly, and 2) you may run out of intonation at the bridge.][/QUOTE]\



Thanks!

 

[HaphAsSard]

Thanks!

Let us know what you end up getting!

 

[Rusty Razorblade]

I'm now set on making a 12 string with double courses, like the short lived drop octave set-up on the Burns Double Six. Thinking my friend and I can make a 28.6" scale neck, 2 1/8" wide at the nut, and use a tuneomatic 12 string bridge, drilling out for the bass strings. I may try the labella bass vi set alongside a set of flatwound guitar strings.If that doesn't work out I'll go from there.