Recipe for a great low-B string?

[darwin-bass]

Yea, I know 35" scale. But I don't WANT to play 35" scale. I want great low-B performance from a 34" scale. What things have you found that contribute to a clear, sustained low-B tone?

Here's my recipe.

• Maple fingerboard.
• Ash body.
• Extra rigid neck (steel or graphite bars, thick profile, 1/4 sawn)

BUT - it also tends to produce a bright sounding bass. Hmmm.

 

[BassDaddy77]

I've recently read that using a tapered B along with an added string retainer will tighten things up for a 34" scale fiver. I haven't tried this myself, but it seems logical.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Rigid neck indeed but a rigid assembly of the neck is the most important, the reason why so many older Fenders have a poor B string.
People also tend to use strings too small. For a well defined B .130 or .135 are the least you should use.

 

[Gougedeye]

Honestly not trying to be a smart-ass here, How about getting a 34" scale bass that is known for its great B string? Sadowsky has a great reputation, as does Xotic, Nordstrand, A-C and many more. Personally, I have a Fender American Deluxe Jazz V with a great sounding B string! Focused, articulate and balanced with the rest of the strings... I always string through the body and use .130 or .135 B strings. Currently and most often, my bass is strung with DR Sunbeams.

 

[darwin-bass]

Honestly not trying to be a smart-ass here, How about getting a 34" scale bass that is known for its great B string?

Yes - I wasn't really asking about building a bass but about knowing what things to look for when purchasing one. My Carvin SB5000 has a very good low-B string but the LB-75 I had years ago was terrible.

Actually, I have 2 Carvins. One is ash/maple the other alder/rosewood. The latter might (not sure) be lacking the graphite bars. The ash/maple bass has an overall brighter / clearer tone and the low B rings more clearly. The alder/rosewood bass is warmer sounding and the low B is good but the warm sound of the instrument tends to make the note a tad less focused.

 

[Lonnybass]

How about starting with a stiffer string, like DR Lo-Riders (hex core) and a good setup?

Lonnybass

 

[Bobster]

Balanced tension string set!!!

This makes a real difference.

All the best,

Bob

 

[spade2you]

Strings and a rigid neck. My Cliff Bordwell 34" scale 6 is quite nice, as is my 32" scale 7. My 35" scale Rob Allens and Conklin as still very impressive.

 

[Thomas Kievit]

My recipe : heavy strings. get a .140 or .145 low B

 

[bramhc]

Don't forget to calibrate the pickups. The higher pickups distance from the strings, the tone is more clearer.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Tapered B string and balanced set.
Circle K works great , for me.
Squier Affinity, .142 B string.

 

[Ric5]

Recipe for a great low-B string?

1 - First and foremost ... a good setup. Flatten out your neck and lower the action.
2 - turn up the mids and not the bass.
3 - A lighter and not a heavier B string. .125 works better than a .135. Fatter strings make it too boomy
4 - 35" scale does very little to improve a low B

I play 5 string Rickenbackers with 33.25" scale and lighter strings and they have great low B strings.

I think the fatter string approach comes from 4 string players who want to get the modern sound without actually having a low B. They use fatter strings and turn up the bass to get the harmonic content and fatter tone when then play a B, C and D notes on their 4 string bass. When you add the low B and still use that approach the low notes become boomy and undefined and don't sit well in the mix.

 

[groooooove]

quality construction all around.

every detail of materials and construction adds up to the whole. a maple fingerboard/ash body bass thats built poorly won't have a great B string.

i've played several 33" basses with excellent B strings. none of them had any woods i can recall in common- one was a cherry body, maple/purpleheart neck.. the other was a 3 piece wenge neck with a mahogany body.. ext.. a good quality instrument will have a good quality sound throughout all registers.

 

[joebar]

there are so many factors and they don't always work in practise as they do in theory.

 

[shaft311]

I have not had a Warwick or Stingray that didn't do well with Low B. All my basses have Hipshot Xtenders as well, and Low A isn't a problem, either.

Listen to some 311. P-Nut is always low-B'n it. The Urge - Karl Grable uses the low B on his Stingrays just as much.

There are plenty of others. Those are the ones I have experience with.

I like DR Hi Beam medium strings.

 

[Ric5]

there are so many factors and they don't always work in practise as they do in theory.

Yes ... because different people have different concepts of what a "Good B String" is.

Also are you playing Metal, Country, Gospel, Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Hip Hop.

 

[Ric5]

I have not had a Warwick or Stingray that didn't do well with Low B.

+1

Those basses are well known for a good low B

 

[JTE]

35" is less a factor than consistent solid construction throught. A stiff stable neck does no good if it slops around where it joins the body. Maple/rosewood/ebony varies enough to not be a consistently predictor. I hate tapered strings, too twangy. Others swear by them.

My 5 is a Lakland Skyline 56-01. 35" scale, solidly built, DR Sunbeams 45/65/85/105/130 non-tapered carefully set up, including pickup adjustmnt. It's one of few 5-strings where the B sounds like it's the same instrument as the others. But most StingRay 5s and whatever G&L 5s I've played (don't recall the models) which are 34" are also balanced with solid B.

John

 

[CGremlin]

I think the fatter string approach comes from 4 string players who want to get the modern sound without actually having a low B.

For me, having heavier strings helps because the increased tension keeps the low B from being quite so floppy as it is with lighter strings, and thus easier to control.

 

[lowphatbass]

Different types of set-ups work well for different techniques, I don't believe there's one optimal solution for every player. Lots of players are happy with their B strings regardless of scale length, string size, etc.