I have a 2017 Danelectro Longhorn bass in desperate need of new strings. I understand this is a shortscale bass. I prefer low-tension roundwound strings. Because the instrument has a metal nut, I am not sure what gauge of strings I might need. Any suggestions appreciated.
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Strings for Danelectro Longhorn bass?
- Thread starter Crackle
- Start date
LaBella makes a flat wound set just for Danelectro basses. Check it out and you can see what gauges they have. Don't remember the numbers but they're very light. Not every short scale round will fit those basses, small holes in tuners limit what you can use.
What does the material the nut is made from matter?
If you want to know the biggest strings that will fit just measure the slots.
I think unclebass made a more important point with the fact that the tuners cannot accept a string with much diameter. My preferred strings are DR Hi-Beams but I think they're out of the question with the Longhorn.
I've read some negative reviews of the Labella Longhorn strings. Sure, anything can get bad reviews. I'm just looking for someone with experience re: strings for a Longhorn bass.
I've read some negative reviews of the Labella Longhorn strings. Sure, anything can get bad reviews. I'm just looking for someone with experience re: strings for a Longhorn bass.
I have a Longhorn and you can literally use any gauge of string you want to, as long as the ball-to-taper length is correct.
^^THIS^^ My lefty 2017 Korean Longhorn came from the factory with 45-105 D'Addario rounds on it; but it is true that some of them do still have the traditional guitar style tuners. And that can limit the string sizes you can use. I do have a set of the La Bella Longhorn flats; yes, they are on the thin side (39-96, if memory serves). I've been hesitating to put them on the thing - the reviews on them seem split between "great Dano sound" and "Flabbiest strings ever". And, my experience with light short scale strings definitely runs towards "Flabby"... If it were me? I'd put some flats on it - but I'm a flatwound kind of guy. If you want rounds? Just put some "normal" gauge rounds on it - which ever kind meets your definition of "low tension". And, I also agree; the aluminum nut won't make much of a difference in your sound. Like old Kramers, it's just a 'thing" they do...
Short scale GHS P Flats work well. For nickle rounds I used SIT short scale Powerwound strings (.40-.95), and for steels I used D'Addario Pro Steels. Nice gnarly sound. I read that steels were first made and used for Dan Electro basses but not sure how accurate that is. I did try out some D'Addario XLs which really felt stiff and not much flexibility. I eventually stuck with the SITs until selling the bass. It is best to stick to .95 to .100 E string sets due to the narrow neck and small tuning gears. Very resonant bass which was tons of fun to play.
There are at least 4 La Bella flatwound sets that will fit a short-scale Dano with guitar tuners:
760FS-S (45-105)
760FL-S (43-104)
760FM-S (49-109)
760FX-S (39-96)
LTF-4A-S (42-100)
The last ones are advertised as "low tension".
I like 760-FS-S.
Unfortunately, sometimes (usually? Always?), La Bella packages aren't marked with -S on the set number. Sometimes it's the same package as 34" scale with a sticker on the front that says "short scale", so shop carefully.
760FS-S (45-105)
760FL-S (43-104)
760FM-S (49-109)
760FX-S (39-96)
LTF-4A-S (42-100)
The last ones are advertised as "low tension".
I like 760-FS-S.
Unfortunately, sometimes (usually? Always?), La Bella packages aren't marked with -S on the set number. Sometimes it's the same package as 34" scale with a sticker on the front that says "short scale", so shop carefully.
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John Entwhistle bough new Danelectros when he broke a string. He couldn’t find new strings for them. Well documented.
I came across this thread while trying to figure out what strings I needed for the Longhorn I got new last year. I wound up contacting Danelectro to find out what the bass shipped with and got a really quick and helpful response:
D'Addario EXL 170S Nickel Wound Reg Light, 45-100
G 0.045
D 0.065
A 0.08
E 0.1
I picked up a set, but haven't tried them yet. In any case, I hope this helps the next Longhorn owner looking for strings!
D'Addario EXL 170S Nickel Wound Reg Light, 45-100
G 0.045
D 0.065
A 0.08
E 0.1
I picked up a set, but haven't tried them yet. In any case, I hope this helps the next Longhorn owner looking for strings!
Yeah, that's what mine came to me with. As usual with factory strings - especially D'Addario rounds - they went into the trash can, shortly after the initial function check. I decided on the La Bella 39-96ga. 760FX's, over the made-for-Danelectro's 42-83ga. 760FD's, since the E string was a little heavier - and they make them in long scale, too. So, that's what my Longhorn, and one of my DC59 Pro's are wearing. They still get "that Dano sound", and - IMO - they work a little better for me when I use a pick. I'm pretty happy with them...
on the Danelectro Longhorn I've used:
Rotosound RS77S (flatwound: poor intonation due to the saddle)
Rotosound RS66S (poor intonation, the E couldn't intonate properly on different sets, and at the 12th fret it was a perfect F...)
Pyramid Gold (flatwound: medium scale, but they fit)
D'Addario EXL170s (perfect fit and intonation)
D'Addario ECB81s (flatwound: perfect fit and intonation)
there's a video on youtube of a Dano with GHS P flats short scale, and they seem to fit and intonate.
as mentioned by others, it's important that the length is correct.
for what concerns the nut, 45-100 and smaller/nearer gauges will work properly, no need to correct anything. I guess that choosing 50-105 or bigger would require a filing.
Rotosound RS77S (flatwound: poor intonation due to the saddle)
Rotosound RS66S (poor intonation, the E couldn't intonate properly on different sets, and at the 12th fret it was a perfect F...)
Pyramid Gold (flatwound: medium scale, but they fit)
D'Addario EXL170s (perfect fit and intonation)
D'Addario ECB81s (flatwound: perfect fit and intonation)
there's a video on youtube of a Dano with GHS P flats short scale, and they seem to fit and intonate.
as mentioned by others, it's important that the length is correct.
for what concerns the nut, 45-100 and smaller/nearer gauges will work properly, no need to correct anything. I guess that choosing 50-105 or bigger would require a filing.
Rotosound 66s are light, and could fit if you upgrade the bridge to the adjustable saddle version. Otherwise I'm afraid of the intonation problem, too.
I use La Bella 39-96 on a 32" scale EB-3 bass, and don't find it too floppy. It's the polar opposite to a roundwound sound, though.
I use La Bella 39-96 on a 32" scale EB-3 bass, and don't find it too floppy. It's the polar opposite to a roundwound sound, though.
I don't "do" round wound strings any more - and haven't, for many years, now. They hurt my nerve-damaged and too-frequently frostbitten fingers too much. Out of my 27 basses, only one wears rounds; the short scale TI JR324 Jazz Rounds on my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. They don't feel much like rounds; they are light gauge (and pretty low tension, too); but, they are probably waay too long for a Longhorn. The Gretsch will happily wear most long scale bass strings; the short scale TIJR's fit it perfectly...
As for the metal nut? It's a traditional Dano thing; so what? It's just aluminum, and pretty easy to replace with something else if you want. I have 4 basses with aluminum nuts; and 2 with brass ones. Unless the nut slots are messed up? Any "normal" gauge, short scale strings will fit, no problem... And, I've never had a problem getting any normal gauge string leaders to go through the holes in the tuner posts, either..
Yeah, an adjustable saddle "Pro" bridge - like the ones on my 2 '90's DC59 Pros - would be great. If you find one for sale - that isn't a vintage one, that goes for a couple hundred dollars on eBay? Let me know, 'cause I'd like to put one on my '18 Longhorn. Allparts.com used to sell them - but, not any more. And, AFAIK, Danelectro never did sell them. Good luck finding one - that doesn't involve buying the bass that it's already on...
As for intonation? I have several basses with... "primitive"... bridges, and here's what I know. ALL of them have strings that they like; they'll tune up nicely, and intonate just fine. They also have strings that they'll... tolerate; they'll tune up OK, but you might only get the E and the G string intonated. The other to will be varying degrees of "close". And, they will have strings that they hate. You'll get them to tune up - if you're lucky. Intonation? Not in this lifetime... I have a couple of these basses - including the Gretsch - that I've lost track of how many strings I tried on them. I still have one - which wears La Bella 760FS short scale flats; it will tune up - but only with the bridge at a ridiculous angle; intonation? Well, the E and the G strings are sort of intonated; the other two? Forget about it And, that's the result of 12 years of trying - and God only knows how many different strings...
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