Thomastik Jazz Roundwounds for 34" Drop C tuning???

[su_matte]

Hi
I'm a beginner/intermediate level player and I'm looking for a new bass, that will most probably be a Cort B4 Plus or equivalent. I'm starting to think about what set of strings I'd put on it and I'm very attracted by flatwounds but also not sure if i want to make that leap, so that when I found out about TI Jazz Rounds (JR344) I was immediately persuaded that must be my next try.
I play in major C: C G C E. That is the tuning I use and it's not debatable. Please don't come up telling I should just change the tuning.
So my only doubt is concerning the weight of the strings for the 34" scale: .43 .51 .68 .89... That actually sounds very light!! which is not a problem at all. I'm just not sure if that could hold a dropped tuning.... Anyone has any experience of the kind??? All informed opinions welcome!

 

[HaphAsSard]

Hi
I'm a beginner/intermediate level player and I'm looking for a new bass, that will most probably be a Cort B4 Plus or equivalent. I'm starting to think about what set of strings I'd put on it and I'm very attracted by flatwounds but also not sure if i want to make that leap, so that when I found out about TI Jazz Rounds (JR344) I was immediately persuaded that must be my next try.
I play in major C: C G C E. That is the tuning I use and it's not debatable. Please don't come up telling I should just change the tuning.
So my only doubt is concerning the weight of the strings for the 34" scale: .43 .51 .68 .89... That actually sounds very light!! which is not a problem at all. I'm just not sure if that could hold a dropped tuning.... Anyone has any experience of the kind??? All informed opinions welcome!

Get the 5-string set (JR345), don't use the low E, uptune the low B to C.

Or - more expensive but better (as regards tension of the middle two strings) - get a single low B (JR34118)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001633DTA (replace ".com" with appropriate domain if in Europe)
and the super-long scale set (JR364);
uptune the single B to C, discard the low E from the SL set, use the other three.

Tensions would be
25.5lbs (JR36043 @E2 @ 34")
28.6lbs (JR36055 @C2 @ 34")
29.1lbs (JR36075 @G1 @ 34")
30.9lbs (JR34118 @ C1 @ 34")
in other words, they would still be in the ballpark of the standard-tuned set (i.e. G 34.6 - D 30.2 - A 29.5 - E 28), with some strings lighter, others about the same tension or heavier.

Don't worry about the full-diameter part of the superlong strings going directly on their respective tuning posts: by eyeballing the Cort, I believe it will not happen to the A-tuned-G (the tapering point should be before the post) but only to the D-tuned-C (assuming it even has a taper - it may be single-wrap), which is flexible enough not to risk breakage at the post due to the sharp angle.

 

[su_matte]

Get the 5-string set (JR345), don't use the low E, uptune the low B to C.

Or - more expensive but better (as regards tension of the middle two strings) - get a single low B (JR34118)
Amazon.com (replace ".com" with appropriate domain if in Europe)
and the super-long scale set (JR364);
uptune the single B to C, discard the low E from the SL set, use the other three.

Tensions would be
25.5lbs (JR36043 @E2 @ 34")
28.6lbs (JR36055 @C2 @ 34")
29.1lbs (JR36075 @G1 @ 34")
30.9lbs (JR34118 @ C1 @ 34")
in other words, they would still be in the ballpark of the standard-tuned set (i.e. G 34.6 - D 30.2 - A 29.5 - E 28), with some strings lighter, others about the same tension or heavier.

Don't worry about the full-diameter part of the superlong strings going directly on their respective tuning posts: by eyeballing the Cort, I believe it will not happen to the A-tuned-G (the tapering point should be before the post) but only to the D-tuned-C (assuming it even has a taper - it may be single-wrap), which is flexible enough not to risk breakage at the post due to the sharp angle.

Hello
Wow that's a great answer thanks a lot!!
sorry for the super long delay but I've been very busy lately and only now I finally got the bass.
Yeah I had excluded the 36" option after reading somewhere that you shouldn't put that on a 34" scale but after researching here a while I see now that's quite a popular solution. I'll update on the results. I think I'll try the full JR364 set and then if the low E doesn't hold the C I'll look for the .118 string as you suggested. How did you calculate those tensions??
Thanks for the help!

 

[HaphAsSard]

Hello
Wow that's a great answer thanks a lot!!
sorry for the super long delay but I've been very busy lately and only now I finally got the bass.
Yeah I had excluded the 36" option after reading somewhere that you shouldn't put that on a 34" scale but after researching here a while I see now that's quite a popular solution. I'll update on the results.

Please do - it may be useful to other TB members down the line.

How did you calculate those tensions??

We need this (Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Rounds product page, with tension values)

Jazz Round Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

Products in the overview. Orchestral strings, guitar strings, folk strings

www.thomastik-infeld.com

this (a chromatic tension chart)

http://www.ghsrep.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/2/5/22258814/2020-ghs-bass-guitar-tension.pdf

and a calculator.

For the .118 low B, just find the value in pounds (27.55 pounds), already given at 34" scale since it belongs to the JR345 (standard long scale) set, on the TI page.
Then round it to the next decimal (27.6), look up the same value on the GHS chart (it doesn't matter to what note and string it happens to refer on that chart) and note the value to the left of it (one semitone above). That is the tension of the string when uptuned to C1.

For the other three (say for the .075), first we need to calculate their (its) tension at 34" scale, since the value given on the TI website is for 36" scale.
We do it through multiplying the given value (41.22 lbs, rounded to 41.2) by the ratio of scale lengths (with the new, desired one at the numerator), squared.
In our case, (34/36)² = .89197530864, so
41.2 × .89197530864 = 36.749382716
^ (tension of the superlong .075 at standard long scale, tuned to standard A1)
Then, look for '36.7' in the GHS chart (again, it doesn't matter where you find it), and find the value two positions to its right (i.e. two semitones lower). That will be the tension of the .075 when downtuned to G1.

 

[Killing Floor]

Why not just use a 5 string set? The B tuned up to C will be a lot more stable than E tuned that loosely.

No judgement, just that’s a lot of slack on strings that are already low tension.

 

[su_matte]

Please do - it may be useful to other TB members down the line.

We need this (Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Rounds product page, with tension values)

Jazz Round Wound Bass Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

Products in the overview. Orchestral strings, guitar strings, folk strings

www.thomastik-infeld.com

this (a chromatic tension chart)

http://www.ghsrep.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/2/5/22258814/2020-ghs-bass-guitar-tension.pdf

and a calculator.

For the .118 low B, just find the value in pounds (27.55 pounds), already given at 34" scale since it belongs to the JR345 (standard long scale) set, on the TI page.
Then round it to the next decimal (27.6), look up the same value on the GHS chart (it doesn't matter to what note and string it happens to refer on that chart) and note the value to the left of it (one semitone above). That is the tension of the string when uptuned to C1.

For the other three (say for the .075), first we need to calculate their (its) tension at 34" scale, since the value given on the TI website is for 36" scale.
We do it through multiplying the given value (41.22 lbs, rounded to 41.2) by the ratio of scale lengths (with the new, desired one at the numerator), squared.
In our case, (34/36)² = .89197530864, so
41.2 × .89197530864 = 36.749382716
^ (tension of the superlong .075 at standard long scale, tuned to standard A1)
Then, look for '36.7' in the GHS chart (again, it doesn't matter where you find it), and find the value two positions to its right (i.e. two semitones lower). That will be the tension of the .075 when downtuned to G1.

cool stuff thanks that's food for thought

 

[su_matte]

Why not just use a 5 string set? The B tuned up to C will be a lot more stable than E tuned that loosely.

No judgement, just that’s a lot of slack on strings that are already low tension.

cause the other strings for the 34" set are very thin too, the ones for 36" scale are a little thicker. If the .101 E of the 36" set doesn't hold the C i'll look for that .118 for the 34" scale. that's the idea by now, i guess that if the 36" strings really fit my bass it's probably the best option