jf
It may indeed be the style of music, but in my experience with short scale basses? Like long scales, low tension - as in "not very stiff" - strings don't really... facilitate... playing with a pick, as much as stiffer strings do . And, on short scale basses, lighter gauge strings almost always equal not a lot of stiffness. With the exception of my Dano Longhorn (39-96 La Bella 760FX DTF's) and my Gretsch Broadkaster (42-93 TI JR324's) all my short scale basses wear flats in the 40-100 to 45-105 range. And, so do almost all my long scale basses. I'm not a big fan (usually) of really flexible strings. Why? Pretty simple...
Mainly it's because for the last 50+ years, I've played basses with flats 99.5 % of the time. And, as a general rule, flats are pretty stiff; sometimes, very, very stiff. And, the other reason is because, out of 24 basses I currently own, only 1 gets finger picked all the time; about 4 get finger picked roughly half the time; and all the rest get played with a pick - all the time.
The one that's always finger picked is a '95 Alembic Epic with TI Jazz Flats on it. People do play TIJF's with a pick; but for me? The technique adjustment needed to switch from bridge cable stiff strings, to the most flexible strings there are, just isn't worth it. Fingers only for that bass...
The basses that get played with either fingers or a pick? The Dano Longhorn and the Broadkaster (the TI Jazz Rounds are pretty flexible - as well as being the only rounds I have on a bass). One of my Dano DC59 Pros (with long scale La Bella 760FX DTFs), and my '06 Carvin LB-20 (1st gen, Sadowsky Blue Label Flats) are the others. I try to finger pick the EBMM 4HH Stingray Special (45-105 Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats) every once in a while, but; nah... where's that pick...?
All the rest of my basses? All picks, all the time. With the gauges of flats they wear, and their stiffness - combined with the '50- early '60s Rock; Rockabilly; Vintage C&W; some Blues; and some of the early Motown I like to play - in my opinion, nothing beats a pick.
Bottom line? The heavier gauge short scale strings will definitely minimize/eliminate string rattle - with a proper set-up. Which will absolutely help with lighter gauge, more flexible strings, too, but... you may not like the string height needed to eliminate that rattle. The same is true of long scale strings, but - in my experience - longer scale strings are not quite as... either/or... as short scale strings can be, and there's more room for adjustments, too. As for pick - or fingers? More flexible strings are certainly easier to play with fingers. I really enjoyed my Gibson Thunderbird that wore Roto 77 Flats; but trying to play those bridge cables without a pick was not enjoyable - at all... So, I suppose it all depends on how you want to play your bass. And, nobody can decide that - but you...
Well, let's see...
It may indeed be the style of music, but in my experience with short scale basses? Like long scales, low tension - as in "not very stiff" - strings don't really... facilitate... playing with a pick, as much as stiffer strings do . And, on short scale basses, lighter gauge strings almost always equal not a lot of stiffness. With the exception of my Dano Longhorn (39-96 La Bella 760FX DTF's) and my Gretsch Broadkaster (42-93 TI JR324's) all my short scale basses wear flats in the 40-100 to 45-105 range. And, so do almost all my long scale basses. I'm not a big fan (usually) of really flexible strings. Why? Pretty simple...
Mainly it's because for the last 50+ years, I've played basses with flats 99.5 % of the time. And, as a general rule, flats are pretty stiff; sometimes, very, very stiff. And, the other reason is because, out of 24 basses I currently own, only 1 gets finger picked all the time; about 4 get finger picked roughly half the time; and all the rest get played with a pick - all the time.
The one that's always finger picked is a '95 Alembic Epic with TI Jazz Flats on it. People do play TIJF's with a pick; but for me? The technique adjustment needed to switch from bridge cable stiff strings, to the most flexible strings there are, just isn't worth it. Fingers only for that bass...
The basses that get played with either fingers or a pick? The Dano Longhorn and the Broadkaster (the TI Jazz Rounds are pretty flexible - as well as being the only rounds I have on a bass). One of my Dano DC59 Pros (with long scale La Bella 760FX DTFs), and my '06 Carvin LB-20 (1st gen, Sadowsky Blue Label Flats) are the others. I try to finger pick the EBMM 4HH Stingray Special (45-105 Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats) every once in a while, but; nah... where's that pick...?
All the rest of my basses? All picks, all the time. With the gauges of flats they wear, and their stiffness - combined with the '50- early '60s Rock; Rockabilly; Vintage C&W; some Blues; and some of the early Motown I like to play - in my opinion, nothing beats a pick.
Bottom line? The heavier gauge short scale strings will definitely minimize/eliminate string rattle - with a proper set-up. Which will absolutely help with lighter gauge, more flexible strings, too, but... you may not like the string height needed to eliminate that rattle. The same is true of long scale strings, but - in my experience - longer scale strings are not quite as... either/or... as short scale strings can be, and there's more room for adjustments, too. As for pick - or fingers? More flexible strings are certainly easier to play with fingers. I really enjoyed my Gibson Thunderbird that wore Roto 77 Flats; but trying to play those bridge cables without a pick was not enjoyable - at all... So, I suppose it all depends on how you want to play your bass. And, nobody can decide that - but you...
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