Standard Scale Strings For A Shorty?

Depends on the bass and how short you'd need to cut the strings, especially with round cores.

 

Round-core strings, such as the Pure Blues you have, can get finicky when you need to cut into the main body of the string as the outer winding can separate from the core wire.

DR "long scale" is 38" in winding length (ball end to taper), so in order for them to fit on a short-scale bass, you would probably need to cut them at the thickest part of the string.

 

Is it a thru-body Mustang or top-load?

 

GHS Balanced Nickels (pure nickel roundwound on a round core) come in "short scale" with 32.75" winding length (ball end to silk).

GHS Balanced Nickels Pure Nickel Round Wound Bass Strings Short Scale - 4-String 44-106 4700

DR Sunbeams do come in "short scale" but DR's "short scale" is 33.75" in winding length.

 

If the bass is a 2+2 tuner arrangement, then:
1) The G string doesn't matter. G strings are typically in the 40 to 50 range, and remember that an average acoustic guitar E string is 54 wound around the smaller tuner, so you can wind a G string around just about anything (don't go there!);
2) The D and A string tuners are generally far enough from the nut that they can be used without the strings winding past the silks (or taper if no silk).
3) The E string is the issue. Depending on the E string, it can get really stressed winding the speaking length around the tuner post, and is prone to breakage. DR doesn't help, because they don't have real short scale length strings. Their "short scale" is @ 34 inches of speaking length (give or take, depending on the model of string, as posted above), which will still wrap the meat of the string around the E string tuning post on typical short scale instruments. Sometimes, if it is close, and the bridge is amenable, you can take a small piece of stainless steel tubing 4mm i.d. / 6mm o.d. and extend the ball from the anchor to get a little more room to wind the string, but this is a "make do" at best.

If the bass is a 4-in-line arrangement, as a Mustang, then the A string may be an issue like the E string, and the OP may be better off selling the set. Since the OP says his bridge is a top-load, most "real" short scale strings (32-33 inch speaking length) should work. I recommend the GHS Balanced Pure Nickels, as they have the proper length, great round tone, consistency string-to-string and up the neck, good longetivity, and are reasonably priced. My friend who plays short scale swears by them, and I have had great experience with them on my short scale project bass.

 

I've done this with roundwound strings many times over the past fifty years. If your tuners have big,fat, posts it usually works out ok. Make sure to put a SHARP bend in the end before you cut the string to prevent the wraps from slipping. Most recently I put a used set of long scale TI Jazz Rounds from my P on my SG. I also have a medium scale set of TI Jazz flats on my Gretsch shorty with the full diameter winding of the E wrapped on the small post on this bass. Those have been on for ten years now.

 

I am currently trying rotosound 66 standard strings on my technically short-scale-but-wants-medium-scale-thanks-tune-o-matic. I feel like I am breaking some law here but so far it's been ok.

 

They'll be fine, used longscale Roto66 on a short scale bass loads of times with no issues

 

So far my 2 self confirmed experiments w/ this is the LaBella RX long scale nickel round wounds on the top loading 3 point style bridge of the LP Jr. bass & a set of NYXL long scale rounds I tried on my top loading Wattplower before I got the TI short scale jazz rounds for it. It worked out well in both of those case for me. I don't think I'd worry so much w/ the round wounds if you're needing a couple/few wraps of the thickest diameter of the strings on the closest posts to let you use the tapered section in the posts, FWIW. I guess technically my former Squier VI is also one of these cases, but the overall string length is so long w/ the tailpiece & 6 inline headstock that some of the long/medium scale strings I'd tried were a bit short for comfort...

Cutting flats past the silks is still something I've been too timid to try & I want them to be the "right" length if I'm using new strings.

Good to hear the the Roto 66s have worked well on the short scales, I've liked them a lot on my 4003S so far & was bummed I couldn't find a short scale equivalent.