moving from 45-105 to 40-95

[DavidEdenAria]

The strings are GHS Pressurewound short scale but i need a bit less tension and hoping to get a bit more brightness.

The bass is a 65 Epiphone Newport that came with the 45-105 set; mudbucker neck only, all mahogany set neck.

I am capable of doing setups pretty well...ive changed gauge sets on guitars and usually need to adjust trussrod and string height.

Main concern is the nut, though i have filled and sanded nuts before, i want to approach it properly.....will the nut slots likely be too wide moving to the lighter set?

Any suggestions are more than welcome......btw, i also considered a set of tape wounds at 45-105 since tapes generally have less tension.

Thanks in advance!

 

[LBS-bass]

The strings are GHS Pressurewound short scale but i need a bit less tension and hoping to get a bit more brightness.

The bass is a 65 Epiphone Newport that came with the 45-105 set; mudbucker neck only, all mahogany set neck.

I am capable of doing setups pretty well...ive changed gauge sets on guitars and usually need to adjust trussrod and string height.

Main concern is the nut, though i have filled and sanded nuts before, i want to approach it properly.....will the nut slots likely be too wide moving to the lighter set?

Any suggestions are more than welcome......btw, i also considered a set of tape wounds at 45-105 since tapes generally have less tension.

Thanks in advance!

I'm no expert but I've never had any problems at the nut when going from medium to light gauge strings, and I always change out my strings to light ones. It could be a problem going heavier, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[michael_t]

Main concern is the nut, though i have filled and sanded nuts before, i want to approach it properly.....will the nut slots likely be too wide moving to the lighter set?

My two Fenders both originally came with 45-105 from the factory. I've used 40-55-75-95 with no issues at all.

 

[StevieMac]

Shouldn't be a problem at all. I have gone back and forth with those gauges on several basses.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Same experience, here. Should not be a problem unless something is amiss with the nut in the first place.

 

[GIBrat51]

Same experience, here. Should not be a problem unless something is amiss with the nut in the first place.

Yeah, what he said... IME, you will, indeed, get a little more flexibility with the lighter gauge. The increase in brightness? I'd say that's... problematic. Different strings would most likely be the Rx for that...

 

[fretlessguy]

As I have gotten older my gauges have become lighter. No problems thus far. Most likely you may have to adjust the string height and intonation, but that is par for the course.

 

[Gregc57]

5-10 thousandths of an inch is negligible.