Suggest a single string for my low B

[Hyoga]

I'm using ernie ball slinky flatwound power 55 -110. Problem is: I need 5 strings. ernie Ball seems to not sell the .130 slinky flatwound as single string. I'm not too keen on buying the whole 45 - 130 set just to use one string out of it. I play a fretless: Ibanez EHB 1005F.

Happy to get your suggestions what I could use for the B string. (please note that I need that to be available in Japan, so it probably should be something that the string maker makes normally available).

At my usual (internet) dealer, I can get these:
Ernie Ball: .130 or .135 nickel wound, .130 stainless steel, .130 or .135 cobalt wound (.130 flatwound chrome plated and .130 slinky flatwound are both "no longer available")
Elixir: four distinct ".130 nanoweb" for which I don't understand the difference
D'Addario: XLB130, NYXLB135 and 130, XLB160, NYXLB130 and 130T.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Slinky flatwound single .130 Link Removed

 

[Ggaa]

The Daddario XLB130T would work but it's roundwound. I use a .125T with my medium set(I like a tapered B when available).

 

[HaphAsSard]

I'm not too keen on buying the whole 45 - 130 set just to use one string out of it.

Any chance you could get it anyway, keep the B, and then re-sell the remaining four strings to somebody else? Is there a Craigslist equivalent over there?

 

[Hyoga]

Slinky flatwound single .130 Link Removed

As I said, "no longer available".

 

[Hyoga]

Any chance you could get it anyway, keep the B, and then re-sell the remaining four strings to somebody else? Is there a Craigslist equivalent over there?

There is, I might try it, but I'm sort of convinced it's not going to work well. But let's see, why not try it once...

 

[michael_t]

At my usual (internet) dealer, I can get these:
Ernie Ball: .130 or .135 nickel wound, .130 stainless steel, .130 or .135 cobalt wound (.130 flatwound chrome plated and .130 slinky flatwound are both "no longer available")
Elixir: four distinct ".130 nanoweb" for which I don't understand the difference
D'Addario: XLB130, NYXLB135 and 130, XLB160, NYXLB130 and 130T.

Out of what's listed, I would try the .135 Cobalt Roundwound for the sake of matching the same alloy for the tonal character. Or, can you possibly get the D'Addario Chrome flatwound .132?

As for the "four distinct .130 nanoweb", I think they're talking about the four different types, ie stainless tapered & non-tapered, and nickel tapered & non-tapered.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

As I said, "no longer available".

I missed that

 

[iiipopes]

Slinky flatwound single .130 Link Removed

This ^ Years ago, I went through the 5-string flats safari. You should also be able to get the single 130 EB slinky stainless flat from either fretnation.com or juststrings.com without the import cost and delay.

 

[Yahboy]

My suggestion are pack the 55-110 for future use, then place order on 2816 set.

Don't forget store the 55-100 along with few silicon pack in seal plastic.

Adding the 130 Cobalt flat to 55-100 just cause the 130B has different stiffness feel on your hand.

2816 are very well string to string stiffness and comfort to play.

hope help.

 

[micguy]

Just so you know, with a 110 E (you must like high tension), if you want the same tension on your B string, you want a 145. A 130 B (what I use) has the same tension as a 95 E

Kalium is a good source for fat strings - 145 is right in their wheelhouse.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Just so you know, with a 110 E (you must like high tension), if you want the same tension on your B string, you want a 145. A 130 B (what I use) has the same tension as a 95 E

True, but the largest commonly-available flatwound low B is the .136" by Thomastik-Infeld.
The only company that makes larger ones (up to...a lot: they specialise in sub-contrabass strings, like Kalium) is Garry Goodman's Octave4Plus:

Sub Contra Flatwounds

Kalium is a good source for fat strings - 145 is right in their wheelhouse.

The OP did mention roundwound options, so yeah. He'd have to relent on them being available in Japanese stores though.

 

[Hyoga]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Helps thinking quite a bit.

 

[micguy]

The OP did mention roundwound options, so yeah. He'd have to relent on them being available in Japanese stores though.

All the strings I buy, I get over the internet - you don't find single strings at brick and mortar stores. Pretty sure they will ship to Japan.