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The B string, does it always sound

coyote1

coyote1

Mar 23, 2012
2,300
3,107
#1
'clunky' on higher frets??

Seems to me that I've not played an ERB where I like the tone of the B string anywhere higher than the 12th fret. Also seems the thicker the string, the more pronounced that effect is.

Anyone have a different experience?? What bass are you using, and what brand/type/gauge string?
 
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#2
Always found the B string to be as described. The symptoms of the B string are true for all the strings though (but not as obvious). It has to do with harmonics and string properties, to name a few. Thicker strings will generally produce a 'clunkier' sound than the same note on the next string.

My OLP was where I discovered this.
 
#4
This is why longer scale basses for 5 and 6 string started becoming popular. 34" can work fine for most folks, but absolutely the higher notes on the B string get clunky on a 34" scale.
 
#5
Try to use Bs with 3 layers of wrap wire and taperwound = as flexible as possible. Apparently CIrcle K Strings are ultra flexy and therefore clear and defined.
But yes it's the effect of stiffness as in 'inherent string stiffness at zero tension', i don't mean stiffness caused by high tension. The larger the string and the higher the fret the higher the inherent stiffness, since the gauge to length ratio rises.
 
#6
ixlramp said:
Try to use Bs with 3 layers of wrap wire and taperwound = as flexible as possible. Apparently CIrcle K Strings are ultra flexy and therefore clear and defined.
But yes it's the effect of stiffness as in 'inherent string stiffness at zero tension', i don't mean stiffness caused by high tension. The larger the string and the higher the fret the higher the inherent stiffness, since the gauge to length ratio rises.
Click to expand...

DR's B strings are actually quite a bit clearer than CircleK's I tried..which were the .136 and the .142. Both of the CircleK's were very low tension as well, too low for me.
 
#7
JimmyM said:
This is why longer scale basses for 5 and 6 string started becoming popular. 34" can work fine for most folks, but absolutely the higher notes on the B string get clunky on a 34" scale.
Click to expand...

My BTB has a 35" scale, and indeed the B fretted above the octave is clearer sounding on it than on my Conklin or Tune basses.
 
#10
That's exactly why Todd Johnson shot this video to make your jaw drop:

Invalid Link Removed

jump to 1:35 to see how he describes a B string would sound on a "typical" bass and listen to how his signature bass does the job.

My point is, that phenomenon has a lot more to do with the bass structure than with the particular string.
 
#13
rolleharris said:
But why play high notes on the bstring? Thats what the cstring is for
Click to expand...

THUNDERGODX said:
On every bass Ive ever played, the octave is just two frets and two strings away in the box.
Theres no way Id go above 12th on B for a note.:rollno:
Or even 7th.:scowl:
Click to expand...

And not too many years ago, exactly the same things were routinely said of the "E" string as well.

You guys really need to think outside the box a little more... :eyebrow:

MM
 
#15
rolleharris said:
But why play high notes on the bstring? Thats what the cstring is for
Click to expand...

THUNDERGODX said:
On every bass Ive ever played, the octave is just two frets and two strings away in the box.
Theres no way Id go above 12th on B for a note.:rollno:
Or even 7th.:scowl:
Click to expand...

Refraining from going past the 12th fret I can understand as a guideline, but try playing the lines from Tool's "Forty-Six & Two" without going past the 7th fret and see how much of a pain in the butt it becomes. Or any Lamb Of God, or even some old Micheal Jackson tunes.

Peace,
Greg
 
#17
I just did a gig on my 5 string where I spent a good part of the evening well above the 12th fret on all strings. I was sure grateful my 5er had 24 frets that night. The charts were unplayable on my fender and I was using every fret on my Lightwave. I suppose I could have done it on a 4 string but that would have been considerably more "acrobatic" than necessary.

This tone change phenomenon happens with every stringed instrument. Composers use it to their advantage, why don't we bassists add it to our arsenal of tools instead of avoiding it?
 
#18
Why play above the fifth fret on any of the strings, if we're riding on the close-minded train? Not all of us like to play AC/DC covers.

The B on my Dingwall does not sound clunky and bad like most other basses when played above the 12th fret. Excellent for soloing in the upper register.
 
#19
carlis said:
That's exactly why Todd Johnson shot this video to make your jaw drop:

Invalid Link Removed

jump to 1:35 to see how he describes a B string would sound on a "typical" bass and listen to how his signature bass does the job. My point is, that phenomenon has a lot more to do with the bass structure than with the particular string.
Click to expand...

Cool. Among my three ERBs, the B-pecking order (worst to best) is:

- Tune TWB53. Bolt-on. B string is fat. Bass has a brass nut. Open, the thing sounds like a piano string. But by the 10th fret, the B string is essentially unusable.

- Conklin GT7. Bolt-on. Lighter B string than the Tune. Less piano-like, but sounds good to around the 13th fret.

- Ibanez BTB1206. Neck-thru. The strings are polyweb-coated, so significantly less bright than my other instruments. B string sounds good to around the 17th fret. I will eventually get a brighter string set for it, and see if that still holds true.
 
#20
The sound change is due to string thickness - the thinner the string, the better it will sound up at the higher registers. This leads to certain problems, though.

We consider a bass with traditional parallel frets. In order to keep tension and tone even, one needs to use a thicker B-string than is usually provided with string sets, but this causes the overtone issue at higher frets. In order to make the B-string sound good up there, one needs to use a thinner B-string (likely a little bit thinner than the B-string usually provided with string sets), but this creates a floppier B-string that is lacking in harmonic character as compared with the other strings. The optimal settings are unfortunately a compromise, so it all depends on what's important to you.

This issue is precisely where fanned frets excel - they allow one to keep the tension and tonality as even as possible, while using thinner strings for the better upper-register clarity.
 

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