T40 string scale length

[ed morgan]

Hello all. I'm wondering what string scale length any of you with Peavy T40's are using. Reason I ask is it seems to be a 34" scale length. I converted it to BEAD and bought a set of long scale roundwound strings and installed them. I didn't think it would be an issue, but the B string is tapered and the taper gets small
about a quarter inch from the nut, which let's the string set on the frets and buzz. Just wondering if anyone else has run into this type of issue. Seems a long time ago I was told it took super long scale strings due to the thru body stringing but I never hear anyone talk about it, and I found nothing trying to search on here or Google.

 

[michael_t]

What specific brand and type of strings are we talking about? I ask because the winding length for the low B varies depending on the manufacturer even though they are all referred to as "long scale".

 

[michael_t]

By the way, do you have them top-loaded or thru-body?

 

[ed morgan]

I hon

What specific brand and type of strings are we talking about? I ask because the winding length for the low B varies depending on the manufacturer even though they are all referred to as "long scale".

I honestly don't know what they are. I remember they were relatively cheap though. I want to switch to flats but don't want the same problem

 

[ed morgan]

By the way, do you have them top-loaded or thru-body?

Through body. I don't see a way on the T40 to top load them

 

[michael_t]

I honestly don't know what they are. I remember they were relatively cheap though. I want to switch to flats but don't want the same problem

Any way of measuring that low B string you have from the ball end to the taper at the other end where the string gets thinner?

 

[ed morgan]

Any way of measuring that low B string you have from the ball end to the taper at the other end where the string gets thinner?

Yes I'd just have to take it off. Project for another day

 

[michael_t]

Yes I'd just have to take it off. Project for another day

Once you have the measurement, we can make recommendations for the ones with the correct length to fit on your bass properly.

 

[michael_t]

I converted it to BEAD and bought a set of long scale roundwound strings and installed them. I didn't think it would be an issue, but the B string is tapered and the taper gets small about a quarter inch from the nut...

I want to switch to flats but don't want the same problem

So, just to make sure we are on the same page, you're looking for a 5-string set of flats, or possibly a custom 4-string set out of singles, to be tuned to BEAD on your Peavey T40, which is a 34" scale with thru-body option only. Correct?

 

[nickpc]

My T40 is wearing GHS Boomers - M3045. The silks all start about 0.5" above the nut, and they're listed as having a 37.25" length from the top of the ball to the silk. So you would need a string where the taper is at least 36.75" above the ball.

 

[ed morgan]

So, just to make sure we are on the same page, you're looking for a 5-string set of flats, or possibly a custom 4-string set out of singles, to be tuned to BEAD on your Peavey T40, which is a 34" scale with thru-body option only. Correct?

Yes

 

[ed morgan]

My T40 is wearing GHS Boomers - M3045. The silks all start about 0.5" above the nut, and they're listed as having a 37.25" length from the top of the ball to the silk. So you would need a string where the taper is at least 36.75" above the ball.

Great info thank you

 

[michael_t]

So, just to make sure we are on the same page, you're looking for a 5-string set of flats, or possibly a custom 4-string set out of singles, to be tuned to BEAD on your Peavey T40, which is a 34" scale with thru-body option only. Correct?

My T40 is wearing GHS Boomers - M3045. The silks all start about 0.5" above the nut, and they're listed as having a 37.25" length from the top of the ball to the silk. So you would need a string where the taper is at least 36.75" above the ball.

If the Boomers are long enough, then the "long scale" by most major manufactures should work fine, including D'Addario, Ernie Ball, Dunlop and DR.

 

[michael_t]

Yes

Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Flats (aka Group Flats) are a nice "middle of the road" flatwound (not too old-school, not too bright), which are available as a 5-string set with 37.25" winding length (same as GHS Boomers).

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[ed morgan]

Great info thank you

I just measured it and you're exactly right.

 

[ed morgan]

Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Flats (aka Group Flats) are a nice "middle of the road" flatwound (not too old-school, not too bright), which are available as a 5-string set with 37.25" winding length (same as GHS Boomers).

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It's 36.75 " from the string ball to the nut

 

[ed morgan]

My T40 is wearing GHS Boomers - M3045. The silks all start about 0.5" above the nut, and they're listed as having a 37.25" length from the top of the ball to the silk. So you would need a string where the taper is at least 36.75" above the ball.

It's 36.75" from ball to nut so the string itself needs to be maybe 42"? So what scale length is that?

 

[michael_t]

It's 36.75" from ball to nut so the string itself needs to be maybe 42"? So what scale length is that?

Don't worry about the total length of the strings; all bass strings do come plenty long enough. All you need to know is the "winding length" (ball end to taper/silk) of the strings is more than 36.75" so the taper goes past the nut. 37.25" winding length by GHS or Ernie Ball would be perfect for your bass because the taper (or start of silk) would be past the nut by half an inch but still short of the tuner post, which is the way it should be.

 

[ardgedee]

It's 36.75" from ball to nut so the string itself needs to be maybe 42"? So what scale length is that?

The T40 is 34" scale. Scale length is the distance* from the bridge saddle to the nut regardless of how long the distance is from the anchor to the saddle or from the nut to the tuner.

Since the T40 has through-body stringing and in-line tuners, it can require more string length than typical Fender-type basses which are also 34" scale. This is what you're dealing with. Fortunately most strings will work; at worst you might have to deal with the silks on the tuner end coming close to the bridge. There are some strings you can't use, like certain LaBella flatwounds which can unwrap themselves over the sharp break angle where the string exits the body, but that shouldn't be a problem for you here.

Anyway, it sounds like the B string you have isn't compatible, try tracking down a B string with more length before tapering on the tuner end. I'm actually a little surprised you can get a B string through the body anchor, I'm betting some won't fit because of the wrap layering on the ball-end.

FretNation has a lot of data about individual strings, it might be worth contacting them for recommendations.

*(Because of intonation, actual length is always a fraction longer than the proper scale length; if you measure from the nut to the 12th fret and multiply by 2, you'll get the scale length.)

 

[ed morgan]

Don't worry about the total length of the strings; all bass strings do come plenty long enough. All you need to know is the "winding length" (ball end to taper/silk) of the strings is more than 36.75" so the taper goes past the nut. 37.25" winding length by GHS or Ernie Ball would be perfect for your bass because the taper (or start of silk) would be past the nut by half an inch but still short of the tuner post, which is the way it should be.

Oh,ok,so the 37.25 is not the end of the string itself... great! I get it now, thank you