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Multiscale question.

NOZMEDA

NOZMEDA

Nov 23, 2012
182
59
Cape Girardeau, MO
#1
Help save a brotha some money? Owning a dingwall it's been a slight pain over the years obtaining strings at certain gauges. Now I'm finally getting another MS bit it's a 4 string ns dimension and the E is listed at 36" AFAIK. Would some daddarios fit or will the taper sit across the nut?
 
#6
michael_t said:
If you want to make sure the E is long enough for the 36" scale, you can always try DR, whose "long scale" is longer than most at 37.75".

What type/gauges of strings are you interested in?
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Just some plain old nickel or ss daddarios probably just 45-100. Maybe lighter depending on how much tension the longer scale gives. For my dingwall I mostly used payson bass (great company imo) however his selection didn't always afford me the tension I wanted in certain tunings. He does have a good selection I was just doing a lot of different things. Anyways, I'm just wondering if I'll now have the ability to just walk into a shop and walk out with strings.
 
#11
michael_t said:
"Winding length" = fully wound part of the string before it tapers. You want the winding length to be long enough to go past the nut, but ideally short enough so only the tapered end wraps around the tuner post.
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Hey thanks this basically tells me I'm going to have to get the bass in my hands (in a few days) to make my own accurate measurements. That's the only way to really be able to find out. The link above is super useful. It'll be so awesome to be able to just get strings the day I want them or at least within two days rather than around two weeks with one company or even a couple months from another company that rarely responds to "wheres my stuff" requests.
 
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#12
NOZMEDA said:
Just some plain old nickel or ss daddarios probably just 45-100. Maybe lighter depending on how much tension the longer scale gives.
Click to expand...

I would suggest DR Lo-Riders, which come in both stainless steel and nickel-plated steel versions. The "medium-light" set, 45-65-80-100, would probably be good for multi-scale because A and E are lower in tension than G and D to begin with on a single-scale so they would end up being better balanced on a multi-scale by tightening up A and E.

As mentioned earlier, DR's "long scale" is 37.75" in winding length, so it should be plenty long enough to go past the nut on the 36" scale E. And they should be more readily available than any of the specialized multi-scale custom sets.
 
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#16
Easy thing to do is just order from FretNation as they have a section dedicated to fanned fret basses

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Personally, the SIT set is my favorite for my 4 string Dingwall ABZ that is also tuned down a half step. I ordered a set of everything and the SIT are the only ones that have the punch, snap, and feel that I like. The only 'bad' thing is that they don't come in a 4 string set so you have to get the 5 string set and use the B string for something else.
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#17
mmbongo said:
Easy thing to do is just order from FretNation as they have a section dedicated to fanned fret basses

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Personally, the SIT set is my favorite for my 4 string Dingwall ABZ that is also tuned down a half step. I ordered a set of everything and the SIT are the only ones that have the punch, snap, and feel that I like. The only 'bad' thing is that they don't come in a 4 string set so you have to get the 5 string set and use the B string for something else.
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Jason had SIT drop-ship me 3 custom sets for my Dingwall 4; they worked out to roughly $18/set, I got to select the gauges, and there was no extraneous B string.
 
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#18
Also, my Dingwall’s sound was striking me as a bit “crowded” in the mids, so I asked for one of the sets to be stainless steel.

They are EXACTLY what that bass needed.

Conversely, my MusicMan was a bit scooped, and really improved with one of the sets of SIT nickel
 
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#19
I am a big fan of the SITs and use them on all my basses - except I am now having a similar problem to the OP where I need weird gauges for a weird tuning. It looks like Stringjoy makes those and I plan to order a set when the SITs crap out. I haven't personally used them but almost every guitarist I know swears by them.
 
#20
Talk to Jason at Fret Nation.

DR strings, say PureBlues, lowriders, ect, the E string just makes it on my AB 1 four strings, or the Dbird. Just, barely.

The E string scale length is 36.25”. A 37” winding barely makes it across the whole nut. The other strings are fine.

Regular D’Addario won’t come close. Which is too bad, because they have nickel XL’s in a .035 set, and the last set, on sale from Fret Nation cost me $13. Fit just fine on the Super P.

One of my all time favorite sets is the DR Pure Blues VW, a light .040 set. About $25 I think.

I need to check and see if the DR Hellborgs will make it.
 

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