I almost made an expensive mistake tonight. Went to move a cab and forgot it was still plugged into the head. The head crashed to the ground and I was ready for the worst. Turned it back on and it seems fine. I'm that much more of a Quilter fan now.
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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out
- Thread starter Korladis
- Start date
SUPER random question (which is probably par for the course for this thread)…
Does anyone know what the thickest string gauge is the you can use for the lowest string on a P bass???…
Whatever gauge that might be-What is the max gauge you can use for E standard tuning on the E string???
Currently using Geezer’s Black Beauties .110-Love them, but kinda wish I had a thicker bottom string…
Does anyone know if I can go to a heavier gauge and still have E tuning (and I’m betting I’d have to have the nut widened???…
Also-Any difference on what a J width neck can take vs a P neck (I’d assume they are similar in terms of what tension they can take if they’re both 34”)…
Thanks! \m/
Does anyone know what the thickest string gauge is the you can use for the lowest string on a P bass???…
Whatever gauge that might be-What is the max gauge you can use for E standard tuning on the E string???
Currently using Geezer’s Black Beauties .110-Love them, but kinda wish I had a thicker bottom string…
Does anyone know if I can go to a heavier gauge and still have E tuning (and I’m betting I’d have to have the nut widened???…
Also-Any difference on what a J width neck can take vs a P neck (I’d assume they are similar in terms of what tension they can take if they’re both 34”)…
Thanks! \m/
First, why do you want a thicker E string? 110 is pretty thick already for an E1 string IMO. If you want to feel more tension, I'd suggest trying a different type of string.
That said, one practical consideration is what's the next step up you're likely to find? A 115 maybe (though that's probably uncommon)?
As far as what the neck can take, it doesn't matter if it's a P or J. Bear in mind you may need to adjust your truss rod. That's nothing to be afraid of though.
As long as you're not really reckless, the only thing you've got to lose by experimenting is the cost and materials of strings (and maybe a nut if you do some filing).
@xJasonSmithx, are you rehearsing at the old armory at 26th and Curtis?
If you mean down to E0, that's how I've currently got my Dingwall tuned.
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Thank you for responding…
So to provide some further context behind my question- I actually prefer thicker gauge strings even though it was a bit of an adjustment at first…
It was a slight adjustment to get used to it at first, but something about larger strings made playing feel more comfortable when I bumped up to .110 for the E…
What got me thinking about this-Wednesday evening I was practicing and was feeling adventurous so I dug out an electric g*r just because I hadn’t messed around on one in a very long time and wondered how it would feel after playing bass 6x a week for the last few months…
After months of bass it felt like a joke-Small and frail-Almost like a toy in my hands by comparison (granted that is always how I’ve sorta felt about guitar, but it just seemed that much more notable to have a smaller/shorter neck and dainty upper strings)…
So after I got done with the song I was playing (butchering) I put it down and I picked up my bass and finished practicing bass for the night…
While I was practicing I started thinking about why I like bass more as an instrument and the fact that I like my bass strings to be on the thicker side <—-- (lol-Apparently I like my bass strings like I like my women
)…I usually play in standard tuning bc I’m still pretty green to bass (I hit the one year mark this month), but switching back to the bass after I messed around on the g*r for a few minutes also made me start thinking about that thing that some people do where they buy a 5 string set and used the four lowest gauge strings on a four string bass (usually for BEAD tuning)…
That got me thinking about whether or not a thicker gauge than a .110 would work for standard tuning bc the last person that helped me put on the .110 strings mentioned that .110 was probably the thickest string gauge you can use for the E string…At the time-I wasn’t sure if he said that due the fact that you would probably need to file the nut to get it to hold a thicker gauge string or if it had to do with neck strength in that a heavier gauge string would put too much pressure on the neck if you tune a thicker gauge to E…
So I was asking also to see if that statement is true or not regarding using anything over .110 (obviously a 5 string uses a thicker gauge for the low B but I wasn’t sure if what happens if you try to tune to E using a .125 or .130)…
So (pardon that long digression)-At that point it was more curiosity about what the bass can take from a feasibility standpoint as well as general personal preference for thicker strings…
I realize that was kind of a long and convoluted way to go for that question on why I’ve kicked around a thicker E string, but that was the back logic (or lack thereof) as to why I was asking that question…
Thanks! \m/
A roundabout way you could go to use thicker strings is to play a shorter scale bass. Then you could have thicker strings without the tension being like a suspension bridge cable. Also short scale basses are cool.
Some numbers for the heck of it (using the Stringjoy tension calculator)...
On a 34" scale, a .100 E string has a tension of 36.5 lbs.
Same scale, but with a .110, the tension goes up to 46.2 lbs.
Still the same scale, but going up to a .115, the tension is 50.8 lbs. (ouch)
Drop the scale length to 30", and that .115 is only 39.6 lbs.
Even if you go up to a .120 on the 30" scale, the tension is "only" 43.5 lbs.
Let's say you wanted to be part of the bass elite and get an Ibanez Mikro bass, which has a scale length of 28.6"... you could go all the way up to a .130 and the tension would "only" be 45.4 lbs. Also when you play it you get to look like a giant.
If you really want to have thicker strings, you should seriously consider a short scale. Going higher than .110 for E1 on a 34" scale bass is going to be rough.
Some numbers for the heck of it (using the Stringjoy tension calculator)...
On a 34" scale, a .100 E string has a tension of 36.5 lbs.
Same scale, but with a .110, the tension goes up to 46.2 lbs.
Still the same scale, but going up to a .115, the tension is 50.8 lbs. (ouch)
Drop the scale length to 30", and that .115 is only 39.6 lbs.
Even if you go up to a .120 on the 30" scale, the tension is "only" 43.5 lbs.
Let's say you wanted to be part of the bass elite and get an Ibanez Mikro bass, which has a scale length of 28.6"... you could go all the way up to a .130 and the tension would "only" be 45.4 lbs. Also when you play it you get to look like a giant.
If you really want to have thicker strings, you should seriously consider a short scale. Going higher than .110 for E1 on a 34" scale bass is going to be rough.
On string thickness: every string has a natural pitch to gauge ratio. So, given a gauge, the string has a natural pitch. Tune it too low and it will become floppy, and cease to vibrate.. Tune it too high and it becomes too tense, sound strained (although that's also a matter of taste) and pull the instrument out of shape.
I think most strings thicker than 110 don't want to be tuned up to E @34". It's outside their comfort zone.
I think most strings thicker than 110 don't want to be tuned up to E @34". It's outside their comfort zone.
I did some rearranging so I figured I'd take a photo. I literally have nothing better to do.
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Okay-THANK you for your last paragraph-That was essentially the question I was attempting to ask even though I probably asked it in a super convoluted way…
I don’t really have an interest in playing a short scale (one of the things I like about bass is that the longer fretboard feels more proportional to my overall body size than a guitar or a short scale)…
So -Yeah I think that pretty much answered my question…
Thanks! \m/
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Thank you so much for replying…
Mentioned in my other response above but your last response also answered my question so just wanted to say thank you for taking time to answer my question…
Thanks! \m/
Heheh, I've been playing bass/guitar for going on four decades now. I didn't even hit BEAD tuning until recently. Really, what are you seeking with a thicker E? Just higher tension and resistance to your fingers, or a different sound? I ask because back when I was younger, it truly seemed that most bass strings were more rigid than the average one is today. As @lucas303 points out, you can get away with a thicker string w/lower tension with a shorter scaled bass. But really, I love my short scale basses because they kind of feel like guitars when you're playing them. It's ridiculously easy to bend and generally screw around on them compared to a 34" scale bass, even though there is a lot of variation even in the longer scale.
If you just like the feel of a thicker string, find a 5-string 30" scale set, throw it on an appropriate scaled machine after taking your rat tailed files to the nut to widen it appropriately, and go to town. That's basically what I did with my BEAD bass, but I tuned it to the lower tuning, because that was my goal (and yeah E on the 34" would be very high tension). If you mess up widening the nut, then you're out a nut replacement. That sucks, but it's not horrible.
If you just like the feel of more rigid strings, or you like the sound of strings under higher tension, then yeah, that is a different question.
Heh, I have nothing to add other than (I think again) to note that your cat and the cat I have that fixates on me looks suspiciously like yours.
But, to make it relevant, the room she sleeps in all day is filled with stuff to rock with (and yeah, it's where I do my day job, too).
Edited to add: Jeebus, that is a large amalgamation of crap. You should see the other side of the room, or even the other desk in the corner you don't see in the pic, or the mixing board - they're both obscured by the hat. I really need to clean this place up.
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One time I needed a Bass in C Standard tuning, so I tuned my 5-string up a half step. The low B went up to C, increasing the tension somewhat (I think it was a 130 gauge). It felt really stiff and the sound had an annoying "ringing" to it, that I can't describe adequately. To me it felt like holding a balloon that's about to burst.
Keep in mind, that this was just a half step up. You could tune your E string up to A (just for a minute) and check how that feels and sounds.
Keep in mind, that this was just a half step up. You could tune your E string up to A (just for a minute) and check how that feels and sounds.
I use these, but play B-E-A-D. I just throw out the highest string. Even though the E is 'only' .105, it def is stiff [in a good way]. These strings are amazing and keep that fresh roundwound snap even after a year.
I love that spot! I was in the room directly under the stairs for a bunch of years. A personal badge of honor, we would get noise complaints about volume.
...I've got three barefaced two tens.... This makes me feel like o need more cabs.
Lovely set up 
