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Squier Bronco E sting

#7
If the string sounds out of tune all the time, it might be your intonation or the string might be twisted.

Try loosening the string until the ball end is loose and see if it turns to a new, relaxed position. If so, hold it in that position while you retune. Then, check the intonation (get your open E in tune, then play the 12th fret E and see if it's in tune). You have to make some compromises on intonation because your E & A and D & G strings share a saddle each. Replacement bridges that fit Broncos are somewhat hard to find.

Short scale E strings, especially flatwounds, are inherently flabby sounding. I've never tried Rotosound strings. My Bronco has a rail-humbucker in it and D'addario Chrome flatwounds. The E is fat sounding, but I wouldn't say flabby or out of tune.
 
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#8
I used to play short scale basses and regularly found that the E in short scale string packs often arrived "dead", not just more flubby (which is to be expected) but less sustain, less volume, less tone compared to the other strings.
Not sure what it is, or whether its just my perception. I tried a few packs of strings and different brands and they're not always like that. I did come across a few dead roto short scale flats (E string only), although roto did send me another in the post when I contacted them. Definitely worth trying larger gauge E strings on short scale, rounds also seem to be less effected than flats IMO.
 
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#9
Rotosound short scale string are utterly USELESS. Completely rubbish. Replace them with something else. ANYTHING will be better. The E-string is so floppy that it can't even hold a steady enough pitch for tuning, it just goes boooOOOINNgggg. I can't believe Rotosound still sell that junk.

I complain a lot about the lack of short scale sets with decent tension. Personally I think short scale basses need to be around 45-105. But even lighter tension sets from ANY other manufacturer than Rotosound will be an improvement. Really, ANYTHING will be better. Roto short scale strings are scrap metal and only fit for the recycling bin. :vomit::vomit::vomit:

I love Rotosound LONG scale sets btw so it's not that I hate Rotos. It's about their short scale sets being total GARBAGE. They are by far the worst set of strings you can buy.

The good news is of course that you can improve your Bronco MASSIVELY by throwing the Rotos in the garbage where they belong and get something else. Truly horrible strings!
 
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#10
Strings: God's gift to short scale bass players are the GHS Balanced Nickels. I can't say enough about them. As the title says, balanced in both tone and feel string-to-string and up the neck; big, round tone. Nickel is more dense than NPS, so there is more tension for the given diameter, which means they don't flop. They don't twang as NPS can do or thud as flats can do. They last a long, long time. One set lasted through two week-long annual tours to Mexico on the Pacific coast with my party band. They are reasonably priced.
 
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#12
Deleted member 271037 said:
Rotosound short scale string are utterly USELESS. Completely rubbish. Replace them with something else. ANYTHING will be better. The E-string is so floppy that it can't even hold a steady enough pitch for tuning, it just goes boooOOOINNgggg. I can't believe Rotosound still sell that junk.

I complain a lot about the lack of short scale sets with decent tension. Personally I think short scale basses need to be around 45-105. But even lighter tension sets from ANY other manufacturer than Rotosound will be an improvement. Really, ANYTHING will be better. Roto short scale strings are scrap metal and only fit for the recycling bin. :vomit::vomit::vomit:

I love Rotosound LONG scale sets btw so it's not that I hate Rotos. It's about their short scale sets being total GARBAGE. They are by far the worst set of strings you can buy.

The good news is of course that you can improve your Bronco MASSIVELY by throwing the Rotos in the garbage where they belong and get something else. Truly horrible strings!
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Exactly, I can't even tune the E. I appreciate all the help fellas. They were the only short scale strings available in the store around the corner from my house. I have an SX P/J full body that I love and with Ernie Ball super slinkys. I will have to try and find something similar to them in short scale. Appreciate all other options offered. Of course they do have a Mini P for sale, but I would rather keep this Bronco and try and make it work for something easy to throw in the car and go.
 
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#15
GodPlayedBass said:
All you can do really is change the pickup. My bronco had the same problem. Upsetting cuz I did love that bass
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I agree that the pickup Fender use in Broncos isn't particularly good (it's just a cheap, ceramic Strat pickup) but it has absolutely nothing to do with the OPs problem. Change to better strings and that E-string will be perfectly fine. The stock strings Fender use on Broncos are rubbish too btw, far too light gauge and a fret buzz nightmare. But they're still better than the awful Rotos!

A new pickup could definitely be worth considering though. I replaced mine with a Creamery Musicmaster pickup which was a massive improvement. I also tried some of the popular guitar rail pickups that people seem to like in Broncos but apart from being hum cancelling I actually though they were worse than the stock Strat pickup. Guitar pickups are voiced for guitars. Basses need bass pickups IMO.
 
#16
The first thing I would do is straighten the E string between the nut and the tuner post. I had the exact same problem when I first came to TB and @cstone noticed that and told me to fix it. It worked like a charm.

Edit: The string from the nut to the post should be straight like the others.
 
#18
My Mini P is shorter than my Bronco but the E sounds powerful if a little loose in the low end. All flats do that to an extent.
My Bronco's E string, however, sounds horrible. Weak, dark, no definition. It's definitely the pickup, both the stock one and the dual blade HB I replaced it with. I think basses need a beefier pickup if it has a narrow coil but it's better when the coil is larger like in a P bass, it needs to pickup more string area.
 
#20
J Posega said:
Short scale E strings, especially flatwounds, are inherently flabby sounding. I've never tried Rotosound strings. My Bronco has a rail-humbucker in it and D'addario Chrome flatwounds. The E is fat sounding, but I wouldn't say flabby or out of tune.
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That's a contradiction. If short scale E strings were inherently flabby sounding, then all short scale E strings would sound flabby. If the E string D'Addario Chrome in your bass doesn't sound flabby, then flabbiness is not inherent to short scale E strings.
 

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