GHS Precision flats in 40 - 95, standard tuning. Not too tight, surprisingly bright tone, but I do change them about once a year. Tuning these up to A - C tuning would probably not be a good idea. Use your favorite strings and order a custom set, starting with the A string. If you call them and explain what you want, I'm sure they could easily put that together for you.
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Who plays 40-95 set?
- Thread starter TheArchitect
- Start date
I’ve never tried rounds that light but I use Ernie Ball Group IV flats (40-95) on some of my basses. Standard tuning at 34” scale.
I’m pretty interested in the Pressurewounds in that guage now that I’ve read others here recommend them. I used them (and the Ken Smith equivalent, Compressors) in medium gauge for quite a while but decided I didn’t like the tension. Maybe I just needed to go down a gauge. Gradually, I’m starting to gravitate towards lighter strings all around.
I’m pretty interested in the Pressurewounds in that guage now that I’ve read others here recommend them. I used them (and the Ken Smith equivalent, Compressors) in medium gauge for quite a while but decided I didn’t like the tension. Maybe I just needed to go down a gauge. Gradually, I’m starting to gravitate towards lighter strings all around.
I tend to prefer .045–.105 strings on my 5-string and recently I started bumping my low B to a D'Addario .145 because I got real sick of how much floppier stock .125 or .130 B strings are compared to the other 4 strings.
Regarding the OP, I've never been able to make any roundwound E string lighter than .105 work for me due to what I perceive as excessive buzzing; I don't think I play with a super heavy right hand, but I don't play with a feather-light touch either.
If you take a bass that's set up well for your playing with a 45-105 set, and put a 40-95 set on it, the neck relief is gonna flatten out a bunch, and the action is gonna come down a bunch, due to the reduced tension. It'll buzz a LOT. You really need to set the thing up after changing strings - with a lighter set, you probably want a bit higher action, not lower.
I like the D'addario Balanced 40-95 set on some of my basses. Especially nice for slap, not good for detuning, and too light for really aggressive pick playing with super low action, but I have other basses with thicker strings for that. Tuning them up to ADGC would be a bad idea unless you like ridiculously high tension and have enough adjustment left in your truss rod to compensate for it.
EB Group IV Flats (40-95) are what's on my P bass right now and I like the way they sound and FEEL, ie comfy but not floppy.
I've used the GHS PW 40-96 for the last few years and like them a lot, again comfy but not floppy. I also use the KS Compressors 40-58-80-102-125T and like them as well. A bit firmer than the PW 40-96 but not uncomfortably stiff.
Try TI Jazz Rounds. They are very smooth feeling for round wounds as the outer wrap wire is smaller in diameter than the usual for rounds.
Same here! I just got a set of 40-100 Rotosound 55 pressurewounds for my P Bass (34" scale) and they're great. I also have a set of 50-105 La Bella White Nylon tapes on my main Ric 4003 (33.25" scale). They're basically a 40-100 set of stainless steel rounds under the clear tape. I definitely prefer medium-light strings, but 40-95 is a little too light for me in E Standard.
Alternatively, you can try the Rotosound 66s that are 30-85 gauge. Another TB-er mentioned this earlier and it's a great idea. If not, maybe try a Bass VI or a baritone guitar?
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I have a set of 45-105 Rotosound 55s on my second Ric 4003 (33.25" scale) that's tuned in D Standard (a whole step down). In Drop C, the 105 is quite floppy, but I only tried the 105 C1 string as an experiment. In D Standard, the 105 is similar to a 100 or a 95 tuned to E1.
I’ve been tempted to try these but the cost is astronomical. I can easily justify the high price tag of TI flats because I know they’ll last me for years but I can’t see spending that much on rounds when I already know there are quite a few rounds that I like for less than half the price.
The lighter pressure wounds are intriguing to me because I like them as a slightly different option than rounds. It was only the tension that turned me off but I never bothered to look for them in a lighter gauge. A little brain lapse, I suppose.
There is a set of TI JRs on a Rick 4001 that A friend bought from me a few years ago. I put those strings it in '08 and they still sound good, maybe mellowed a bit but not dead sounded by any means. Relative bargain, price-wise, for me.
I've got a Yamaha it had been strung with this GHS set for more than a decade, then I put roundwounds, I was satisfied with the sound but they became harsh and dead.
Today I put those used GHS again and they sounded good !
