string gauge and what not (Going to Flats)

[lukelogandennis]

I'm sure that this is a horse that has gotten a beating several times. But I'm extremely paranoid about this sort of thing.

I play a Fender Deluxe Active Jazz® (MIM). Everything is stock. I want to go to D'Addario Chromes. (Since I started learning upright at school I have found that I prefer flats) I'm a little worried about string gauge and length. (And whatever else I'm not thinking about) A few suggestions of what I'm looking for would be awesome, thanks!


Edit: I forgot to mention that the bass IS fretted. Not that it really matters.

 

[groovenut57]

One thing to keep in mind about the flats is they generally do have more tension than the rounds of comparable gauges.

I used to use D'Addario EXL165 (nickel rounds, 45-105). Now, I have D'Addario ECB84 (chromes flats, 40-100) on both my MIM P and Highway One J and love them for their smooth and balanced feel without being either too floppy or too stiff.

Here are the links to the tension info on the two sets.

EXL165:

http://store.daddario.com/category/145919/EXL165_Long_Scale_45-105

ECB84:

http://store.daddario.com/category/145862/ECB84_Set_Long_Scale_40-100

Hope this helps.

 

[Double Agent]

String gauge is a personal choice. When I had Chromes on my Fender P/J, I used .050-.105 and it was just fine. Chromes are not overly tight, nor overly loose, they have a nice medium-high tension IME. I believe your other main choice with Chromes is .045-.100, which isn't much difference IMO. I went with the heavier gauge for those occasions when I would tune to drop-D, but I don't think it would have made a huge difference either way.

As far as scale, I believe that D'addario's "long scale" is what you are looking for. Their "super long scale" is for basses with 35" scale or greater, and the other stuff is for short scale basses like a Fender Mustang. Long scale = standard 34" scale. Stick to that, pick whichever gauge you prefer and enjoy.

Also, don't give up on the Chromes prematurely. They can be a smidge bright at first, but once they wear in (can take up to 2-3 weeks of regular playing), they'll give you great flatwound thump with some nice mids. I think you'll enjoy them on your Jazz.

 

[squashedOpossum]

+1 on the Chromes. I use .050-.105 on my fretted Jazz and .045-.132 on my fretless Jazz V.

 

[CPplaysBASS]

Long scale Chromes will fit your Fender bass ONLY if you string it through the bridge. So I believe with the MIM, you are safe.

If you have the option of stringing through-body, you have to have the super long scale. Otherwise the silk threads at the end will be sitting in the nut.

I have used Chromes personally (both 45-100 and 50-105) ... liked them, but still on the endless search for the "perfect" string for me. My order just came in for Fender flats, so I'll be trying those out in the next day or so.

Even the 45-100 has pretty tight tension, but I personally noticed it was less than the 50-105 set in feel. If I ever switch back to Chromes, I would go with the 45-100 set. I found the .100 E string to have a more defined tone.

 

[portmanteau]

Long scale Chromes will fit your Fender bass ONLY if you string it through the bridge. So I believe with the MIM, you are safe.

If you have the option of stringing through-body, you have to have the super long scale. Otherwise the silk threads at the end will be sitting in the nut.

This isn't entirely correct. You can string Chromes through body just fine. The silk threads can be trimmed carefully with a knife. It doesn't hurt the string at all to do this.

I have long scale Chromes on my MIA Deluxe Jazz 5 string (.45-.132), strung through the body, and they play beautifully.