Strings for Jackson Minion Bass?

[jisham01]

First post on TalkBass so here goes: I'm primarily a guitarist who just bought a Jackson Minion bass to use in my home studio. I'd like to replace strings so am looking for suggestions since it has a 28.6" scale length vs. the typical 30" short scale. Will I be okay just buying standard short scale strings? Thanks in advance.

 

[ghostdog93]

Ibanez makes nickel wound strings specifically for their Mikro (IEBS4CMK), which is the same scale length. LaBella makes a set of flats for the Squier Mini-P (760FM-P), which again, is the same scale length. Either should work for you, depending on your needs.

Also, you can also search over in the Strings forum, I know there are a few interesting discussions about strings for these sub 30" basses.

 

[jisham01]

Awesome, thanks so much.

 

[Never2Late]

@jisham01 The Jackson Minion is a great bass! There's a Jackson Minion Bass Club thread HERE.

Since I have personal experience with the Minion and Mikro and others, I'll give my 2 cents.

What you probably already know but I'll state anyway:

• The string options are dependent on the length from the base of the bridge, where the ball rests, to the center of the tuning post for the E string.
• Guitar manufacturers have to keep bass headstocks relatively small to minimize neck dive.
• Headstock design matters.

Ibanez's headstock design, with 2 tuning posts on each side, allows the E string tuning post on the Mikro to be raised up while keeping the headstock small. On the Mikro, the distance from the ball to the center of the E string tuning post is 32.75".

Jackson's design (and Squier/Fender's), with all 4 tuning posts on the left side, doesn't have that flexibility. On the Minion, the distance is only 32". The Squier Mini is similar, if not shorter.

For context, the 30" scale Squier Bronco has a ball to center-of-E-string-tuning-post distance of 33", only 1/4" more than the 28.6" scale Ibanez Mikro.

Conversely, the G strings on the Jackson Minion and Squier Mini need to be longer than on the Ibanez Mikro.

So if a set of strings is made specifically for the Ibanez Mikro, there's a good chance they won't work on the Minion or Mini.

There's a Squier Mini Precision Bass Club thread HERE, with quite a few posts about string options. That would probably be a good place to start, as the Minion and Mini are the closest in string size requirements.

And we'd love to have you join the Jackson Minion Bass Club!

Ibanez Mikro E string center-of-post length:

Jackson Minion E string center-of-post length:

 

[jisham01]

Great info. Thanks so much.

 

[HaphAsSard]

@jisham01 The Jackson Minion is a great bass! There's a Jackson Minion Bass Club thread HERE.

Since I have personal experience with the Minion and Mikro and others, I'll give my 2 cents.

What you probably already know but I'll state anyway:

• The string options are dependent on the length from the base of the bridge, where the ball rests, to the center of the tuning post for the E string.
• Guitar manufacturers have to keep bass headstocks relatively small to minimize neck dive.
• Headstock design matters.

Ibanez's headstock design, with 2 tuning posts on each side, allows the E string tuning post on the Mikro to be raised up while keeping the headstock small. On the Mikro, the distance from the ball to the center of the E string tuning post is 32.75".

Jackson's design (and Squier/Fender's), with all 4 tuning posts on the left side, doesn't have that flexibility. On the Minion, the distance is only 32". The Squier Mini is similar, if not shorter.

For context, the 30" scale Squier Bronco has a ball to center-of-E-string-tuning-post distance of 33", only 1/4" more than the 28.6" scale Ibanez Mikro.

Conversely, the G strings on the Jackson Minion and Squier Mini need to be longer than on the Ibanez Mikro.

So if a set of strings is made specifically for the Ibanez Mikro, there's a good chance they won't work on the Minion or Mini.

There's a Squier Mini Precision Bass Club thread HERE, with quite a few posts about string options. That would probably be a good place to start, as the Minion and Mini are the closest in string size requirements.

And we'd love to have you join the Jackson Minion Bass Club!

Ibanez Mikro E string center-of-post length:
View attachment 7277627

Jackson Minion E string center-of-post length:
View attachment 7277629

Great post.

On nit, if I may:
the fact that the Ibanez MiKro has more room between bridge and 1st post surely means it, and not the Jackson Minion nor the Squier Mini Precision, can usually accommodate "standard" short-scale bass string sets. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that the MiKro stock set occupies the entire room:
in fact, I remember TBer @pcake lamenting the fact that the full-gauge winding length of an Ibanez Mikro string set she'd gotten didn't even clear the nut on the MiKro bass she had. Whether or not that was typical, it is very possible that said set may fit a Minion just fine.

 

[HaphAsSard]

^ [Pt. 2: ]

@jisham01:

The aforementioned Ibanez set is the IEBS4CMK (coated nickel wound, where "wound" is short for roundwound, and "nickel", I believe, for nickel-plated) :
www.amazon.com/dp/B0894YTFKL
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0894YTFKL

The Pyramid 820 100 set (pure nickel roundwound) is also an option, with an 81 cm / 31.89” winding length:
Pyramid 800 Superior Pure Nickel Rock 045/105, 32,60 €

The sleeper option is the largest four strings from the Ernie Bass 9-string electric guitar set (#2628, 9-String Slinky; nickel-plated roundwound)
www.amazon.com/dp/B00P3GZBSM
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P3GZBSM
which has recently been confirmed to have 31" winding length ball-to-taper for the largest string.
[Stoppers of some sort (washers, old bass ball-ends) may be required in order for the small, guitar ball ends to stay put at the bridge.]
_____

Over in flatwound land we have the above-mentioned La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass (stainless-steel) Flat 760FM-P specialty set:
www.amazon.com/dp/B007K7LYCE
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007K7LYCE

But also, of all things, a Pyramid Gold (chrome-nickel flatwound) set originally made for the smallest fractional double-bass size, as detailed in this modest contribution by yours truly:

Squier Mini P (28.6" scale) strings: a roundwound option + a LaBella flat alternative (Pyramid Gold)​

Product link here:
Pyramid Gold Orchester E-Bass Satz (kleine Größen) von Pyramid

______

Beyond these, and as far as I know, there's only either conventionally short-scale sets (and winding some low E at full thickness on the post), or going custom (Newtone Strings for rounds, or the twice-aforementioned Pyramid, for rounds, flats and also black nylon tapewounds).