Who makes the best low B string ?

[Dirk Diggler]

DR or LaBella if you want to stop searching.
Multiscale has limited choices due to scale lengths.

Bottom line there are no absolutes, I've found some basses just work better with certain sets.
Start exploring with single strings and try and match them with your other strings.
Dirk

 

[MattZilla]

If your bass or basses have

woolly, strange

sounding B strings, it's probably not the strings' fault.


Welcome to GAS.

Though the prices have jumped, you can sell a used bubinga&wenge Warwick for what you buy it for. They're free rentals at this point and a great holdover till you can save up for a Dingwall.

 

[Yahboy]

Great sounding B string on poor 5 string bass still sound bad and lost clarity.....

But, base on my opinion, DR hibeam 45-125 , lo rider SS 45-130, Elixir nano SS 45-130T , EB flat 2816 and 2810 able make 5 string bass has great balance bass tone across the board.

 

[Thumpin6string]

So far my favorite B string as well as all the others are my SIT Silencers. The best way I can describe them is sounding very piano like.

 

[G On Bass]

I liked Circle K .136 or .130 B's. They are tapered. The worst B I've played is LaBella DT Flats. 128 gauge also tapered.
These days, I'm into light gauge strings and avoid tapers, and have been very happy with the Dunlop Marcus Miller .125 and the TI Jazz Flats, even though it's a .136

 

[jmlee]

In flats, it's absolutely the B from D'Addario Chromes: focussed with distinct pitch and yet not over-bright. With other preferred flats like La Bella DTFs, I do like an upright player and pair up their E A D G with the Chromes B.

 

[groooooove]

most name brand strings are of a very high quality..

for me, S.I.T. has had the best QC and been my most reliable string.

i really like GHS as well.

for flats, hard to beat thomastik.

in reality: woolly/ bad B strings I would say (assuming no outright string defect) are 95% the instrument and 5% string choice. I can put anything on my carvin 6. it'll sound good. I promise.

I have never figured out what specific quality makes the good B string. I know it when I feel it. i've seen expensive basses with not so great B strings, and i've never seen a carvin that diddn't have a perfect B string, among many other reasonably priced instruments. a great bass (defined by quality, not price!) will have a great B string.

 

[David McIntire]

I haven't met a Bass I couldn't get a B string to work on, and I ain met a B string that didn't work. I don't get folks' issues with B strings. I've owned a lot of 5 an 6 string basses, for a lot of years, and except very early in my experience, I haven't had a bad B string. My basses are nuttin special. Two Leo designs with 34" scale. My B strings play clean and tight with great sustain all the way to my 21st fret. And any B string I put on either bass works great.

I am very meticulous on how I install my strings. I run my action just a bit higher than most, but not much. I prefer a 130 B string for balance and output, and sustain's, sake. My favorite overall string set (output, tone, longevity, consistency, availability and price) are D'addario ProSteels, either in their traditional or Tapered winds. Their custom balanced Taper sets are great, but I prefer traditional winds. I prefer Steel over Nickel, and I prefer a Hex core to a Round core.

I've read a lot about guys here having issues wit B strings on bass guitars. I just haven't had the same issues. My friends an I all use extended range instruments. From 200 dollar Ibanez 6 strings to very high end basses like Elite Smiths, Modulus, Warwick, R Bass, MTD, etc. All our B strings work. I've tried a vast amount of different sets; Steel, Nickel, tapered, traditional, etc.

I just wanted to pass on some positive experience, is all. I wish I could explain exactly what it is I do. I do have a routine. It involves seating a sting to create good witness points at the string contact areas; nut and bridge saddle. I remove the twist created naturally by winding the string around the post in a couple differing ways dependent on the bass. And, over the years, I have had a few strings bad out of the pack. But overall, I've been very happy with my B strings. And I think it is possible to get any B to work.

I have a lot of heroes who use vastly different string sets and bass guitars. All their B strings sound great. It has to be possible fer us normals, too...

 

[micahwc]

A string in the .140 to .145 range

 

[Dragan]

Ernie Ball (green set)

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Is there yet, a general consensus of opinion on who makes the best .125 or .130
34"scale low B string ?
I'm fed up with woolly, strange sounding B strings.

Let everyone know, share your comparisons.

I've been using .125 on my Warwick for years. Yeah, it's a little floppy and not plugged in to an amp, sounds odd. When amped, in the mix, sounds great.

 

[WarwickE36]

Never has an issue on any of my 34" basses with a Dr Hi Beam low B. Using 125s now was a 130 guy before.

 

[logdrum]

Bs are just hard even on standup basses with 42 scale length. I have a 36 scale bass, not a typo 36 6 string. B string is always a challenge and I have success playing lightly or thumb with a slight palm mute. Or maybe just foam the B string.

I think Fodera and Thomastik where the only brands I found that had the right string length. Thankfully it is a top load bridge. The Thomastiks (rounds) are light gauge. Surprisingly the light gauge Thomastik had a better B string. Full disclosure - I thought my bass was 35 scale length until it was time to change strings. I still have the Fodera set and may put them back on. Bass is a Tune Japan BEB-6. When I had an SR5, I remember the DR strings (forgot what series - purple pack) had the B that worked well.

 

[micguy]

Most of the issues with B strings are too low tension. I like low tension strings - my 5'ers wear 35/50/70/95/130's. Yes, a 130B is the same tension as a 95 E string. If you're a fan of 105 gauge E strings, you should be looking at 140 gauge B strings to get something that feels and plays well for you.

There is a whole math diatribe that I'll omit - suffice it to say that most bass guitar string sets are poorly matched on tension, which is a bit of an issue on E strings, and goes all to hell when you get to B strings. A 125 B has ZERO place as a B string if your E is a 105.

A 35 inch bass helps a bit, but it's not because the bass is better - it's because it raises the tension of the B string by 6 percent. A 35 inch scale neck is actually counterproductive - the extra length actually makes it less stiff. A 34 inch scale with a big enough B string (you have to buy the B string separately, the sets are never right) is a better solution to the problem than lengthening the scale.

 

[chadds]

In the package or just in free air it's impossible to determine how good a string is.

I love D'Addarios on some basses and they are meh on others. I have a Fullerton '57 ri that sounded meh for the decades I've owned. It was prepared for sale and I tried Elixirs. They transformed it. Here I was sure that the D'Adds would reveal all. The Elixirs made it fat with smooth treble eq and output nearing that of an active bass. Kept that bass!

Keep your trusted test bass and be open to any string being poor, modest or great on that particular bass.

Specifically there is a distinction between 130 and 125 B in sound. One can have big boom but not be balanced with full set.

 

[MrLenny1]

GHS Boomers work for me. All 4 basses are 34" scale.
One bass in particular has the best sounding Low B.
Happy hunting.

 

[michael_t]

GHS Boomers work for me.

Speaking of the Boomers, I was quite pleased with the Boomer low B when I tried the light set (40-120) on my Yamaha a few months ago despite my initial concern about the relatively small size. Interestingly enough, the Boomer 120B has a nearly identical tension to the Progressive 130B - 31.3 lbs. vs. 31.5 lbs.

 

[Sam Dingle]

On my fender elite I use dr high beam 130 or 135 when I can get them

 

[gregbackstrom]

try these


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I'm very fond of non-tapered stainless steel round wound B's that are wrapped on a hex core. My favorites are the D'Addario Pro-Steel .125 and .130. I also use a .120 on my 34" scale Mike Lull strung through the body.

The others I like are all special purpose: TI JR345 and Acousticore sets, FBass contact-core strings (on FBasses) and A'Daddario Nickel GWB strings (on Gary Willis basses).

Good luck!!

 

[red_rhino]

I was just coming here to ask a question about which B string to pair with a light set of GHS Pressurewounds. I have purchased a set of light Balanced Nickels but not crazy about the idea of pairing a round wound with the pressure wounds. But a flatwound is not right, either. And it has to be light. I don't want anything close to .130.

Not sure what the best string is, but hopefully someone reading this can have an answer that will help both of us.

If you like the light guage Pressurewounds but want a 5 (or 6) string set, you might want to look at Ken Smith Compressors. It's my understanding that these are actually GHS Presssurewounds as OEM for Ken Smith. There's a taper core option available as well.

I really like the light gauge Pressurewounds; have them on two 4-strings. I may try a 5 string set on my MTD 535 since there's a taper core option.