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Tapered Low B advice...

dreads311

dreads311

Guest
Sep 25, 2011
553
235
Philadelphia, PA
#1
Hello! I'm new to tapered low B strings and am never sure which sets to buy or if they are any good. Help me find the right strings! I would love to hear what you like to play on and why. I play 34" scale, medium gauge (.045-.135) and go for warmth and punch. I play in a pop/rock band, and all I'm all fingerstyle. Proud owner of a custom shop Warwick Thumb NT 5 Brodneck.
 
#2
First what I'd do is contact a Warwick dealer and see if you can get an extra string saddle for your bridge. Tell them you want the one that goes under the G string. Use that "narrower" string saddle on your tapered B string, and it will allow for a little better intonation on the B string than the regular saddle and string will (I've done this on my Corvette Std). Keep the other one around, in case you switch back.

EDIT: This is merely an option. You can easily use a tapered B with the regular wide saddle on the Warwick bridge, but as someone that regularly finds himself around the 10th fret on the B, having the better intonation that the narrower saddle provides is extremely useful.

Secondly, I've used GHS Progressives on my Corvette Std 5 and Streamer LX 6 Broadneck with great results. Punchy strings that are very articulate, but retain a warmth to them. The E and B strings are both "saddle huggers" (may actually be exposed core, or what GHS refers to it as). The clarity up the neck on the B and E strings are very good.
 
#3
I also use Progressives on my Warwick Streamer (4 string). Great strings! They are not quite exposed core, as they have a thin wrap of wire over the core to keep it from destroying your saddle.

But here is a great selection of exposed and taper core strings:

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#5
I'm normally a TI flats guy, but I recently put a set of Sadowsky Blue .45 - .130T on my Coda 5. Absolutely love the sound of these strings. The Nickel gives a warmer tone than the Stainless, and the aren't as "rough" feeling to me as over roundwound strings.
 
#7
lowfreq33 said:
I have yet to hear one good reason for using a tapered B.
Click to expand...

Bridges like the stock bridges on Brubaker Brutes and Carvin's SB series, as well as Hipshot B style bridges do not have slots wide enough to work well with anything over a .125 B string. I was able to get a .130 in with a screwdriver and hammer, but Tapered B strings fix that issue.
 
#10
One Bad Monkey said:
First what I'd do is contact a Warwick dealer and see if you can get an extra string saddle for your bridge. Tell them you want the one that goes under the G string. Use that "narrower" string saddle on your tapered B string, and it will allow for a little better intonation on the B string than the regular saddle and string will (I've done this on my Corvette Std). Keep the other one around, in case you switch back.
Click to expand...

dreads311,

If you are interested in something like this, please let me know and I would be glad to point you in the right direction. Thanks!
 
#12
SLaPiNFuNK said:
Many tapered B strings will work in regular B string saddles...

You wouldn't need a saddle with a G string sized slot unless it is an exposed core string or an exposed core with a fine wrap winding around the core...
Click to expand...

With a tapered string, it hits on the Warwick bridge at a spot where you have to have the B (or E) saddle raised quite a bit higher than you would if you swapped it out with a G saddle. It's an easy workaround that has resulted in better intonation on the B string on my Warwicks, as compared to using the stock, wider string saddle.

You don't HAVE to do this, but I recommend it because it works better.
 
#14
SLaPiNFuNK said:
This is the case with any bridge and a tapered string (Tapered saddle sits higher).... I thought you were talking about for the size of the slot.

Sorry :D
Click to expand...

True enough. Warwick bridges luckily have an option (which I wasn't clear that it was an option in my initial post) to remedy that, if you want to spend the $5 (I think) for an extra saddle.
 
#17
Steve said:
The same reason they use them on pianos. Sound better, work better.

IMHO YMMV
Click to expand...
+.5
I love the tone of a tapered B. They sound piano-like and is clear as a bell. The difference in performance between bass and piano comes into play when you fret the string. With tapered, (IMHO, IME) there seem to be more intonation compromises than with strings having a consistent mass throughout the length of the string. I could not get satisfactory B and E string intonation on my old modulus with LaBella super steps without significant compromises. Maybe it was just that brand, idunno???
 
#19
I use tapered B strings on all of my five string basses. For me, when I fist used a tapered B from a non-tapered B, it added so much tone, punch, and sustain. It also helped eliminate much of the floppy farty B string sounds. I use La Bella Hard Rockin' Steels, though they aren't called that anymore. I think they are just called Stainless Steels. La Bella claims to have the best B string in the business, I cannot, in my opinion, yet prove them wrong. If you are interested in checking out a set, check out samash.com. They have them there for a really affordable price.
 
#20
lowfreq33 said:
I have yet to hear one good reason for using a tapered B.
Click to expand...

I tried Chromes on my '87 Peavey Dyna 5, but the B string was too big at the ball end to fit through the Schaller bridge, even with the silk removed. I tried a couple of other brands too. A tapered B fits with no problem. I've used Sadowsky flats and Blue nickel rounds, and both fit and sound great.

There is your one good reason.
 

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