String gauges for a 5-string fan-fretted bass - SRFF805

ToneControl · April 2022

I just bought one, with fan frets
Bottom B is 35.5 inches

bottom B feels floppy (compare to E) and rattles a bit. Action is 3mm

fitted strings are
DR Strings HI-DEF NEON™ - WHITE coloured Bass Strings: 5-String Medium 45-125

Would 135 be better on the Bottom B?

If I replace them, it will be with flatwounds

ICBM · April 2022

It depends on the construction of the string - it's hard to say one gauge will necessarily be better than another. Flatwounds especially can seem to be 'smaller' gauges than you would expect.

Given the different scale lengths for each string, you might even be better having a custom set made by someone like Newtone. If not, you probably just need extra long scale, which limits you to something like these...

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34#t926:t945:t1023

fretmeister · April 2022

DR Neons are awful no matter what the gauge.

ToneControl · April 2022

factory spec is:

PRODUCT CODE: SRFF805
901.7MM/35.5 INCH; SCALE AT 5TH STRING:
864.0MM/34.0 INCH SCALE AT 1ST STRING:
STRING GAUGE: .045/.065/.085/.105/.130

stratman3142 · April 2022

The spec on my Sire M5 says it has a scale length of 35 inches. It still has the roundwound strings it came with so I don't know the make. But having measured them with vernier calipers, they appear to be equivalent to the Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 5 string bass gauge, meaning a 0.130 inch low B.

I raised the action a bit so it's about 3.5mm measured to the bottom of the low B at the 12th fret, without any obvious rattles at normal playing strength. It feels OK to me.

ICBM · April 2022

ToneControl said:
factory spec is:

PRODUCT CODE: SRFF805
901.7MM/35.5 INCH; SCALE AT 5TH STRING:
864.0MM/34.0 INCH SCALE AT 1ST STRING:
STRING GAUGE: .045/.065/.085/.105/.130

It's impossible to tell what the equivalent tension in a set of flatwounds is though - it's perfectly possible to have two wound strings of the same gauge but very different tensions, because the tension is carried by the core which can be different gauges, but the outer diameter is made up of the core plus the wrap. With flatwounds, most have at least two wraps so it's even more complicated.

Unless you can find tension charts for the strings in question on those scale lengths, you're going to have to guess really.

ToneControl · April 2022

I think the DR set is 045 .065 .085 .105 .125
Why is the bottom string thinner than normal?
Even on this fan-fret, it's noticeably lower tension, and flaps around

fretmeister · April 2022

Thinner has nothing to do with tension.

DR pick a 125 for a B string for all their standard 45 sets.

Unless you buy a custom set or a set of specifically Balanced Tension strings then the tension across the fingerboard starts high with the G and gets lower to the E and B.
Thats just the way string makers have done it for decades.

I’ve never liked DR for B strings irrespective of gauge. I’ve always gone back to D’addario steels for 5 strings. You can see tension charts on the d’addario website if you want to go down that rabbit hole.

But if you are looking at flats then it gets even more complicated. Rotosound Monel flats are very high tension for the same gauge as other strings because the core is different. At the other end the wonderful Thomastik Ti flats are very flexible. Everybody else is in between those two.

Just don’t get hung up about the thickness of the string when deciding. Gauge has nothing to do with it.

Dogal and Galli make some non-metal core bass strings and they are so flexible you could use them as shoelaces even though they are still a 45 gauge set.

Do not buy Rotosound flat B strings though. Awful things. Such a dead sound and not in a Jamerson way either.

Winny_Pooh · April 2022

Flat wounds on a 5.... are you sure? I like the growl of a roundwound especially on the E & B. Either way souds like you may want a .135 on there or a .130 and jack up the action a tad.

Tried the Daddario groundwounds? A 125 on the B there would feel stiffer for sure.

fretmeister · April 2022

Thomastik flats on a 5 are excellent.

This is a 32-30 scale fan fret.

Starts with both pickups and then goes to the bridge.

https://youtu.be/ffRoKksKSD0

ToneControl · April 2022

Winny_Pooh said:

Flat wounds on a 5.... are you sure? I like the growl of a roundwound especially on the E & B. Either way souds like you may want a .135 on there or a .130 and jack up the action a tad.

Tried the Daddario groundwounds? A 125 on the B there would feel stiffer for sure.

I put flatwound Fenders on my 4 string, which I like
Maybe this one should have roundwound for a change, I dunno, not very knowledgeable on basses.
Some reviews say this bass is too dull with flatwounds

this DR set is messed up though, the B is far looser than all the others, even though its scale length is longer

ToneControl · April 2022

Maybe I should buy some strings for this in the USA in the summer when I'm there. Are they any cheaper there?

ToneControl · April 2022

fretmeister said:

Thinner has nothing to do with tension.

DR pick a 125 for a B string for all their standard 45 sets.

Unless you buy a custom set or a set of specifically Balanced Tension strings then the tension across the fingerboard starts high with the G and gets lower to the E and B.
Thats just the way string makers have done it for decades.

I’ve never liked DR for B strings irrespective of gauge. I’ve always gone back to D’addario steels for 5 strings. You can see tension charts on the d’addario website if you want to go down that rabbit hole.

But if you are looking at flats then it gets even more complicated. Rotosound Monel flats are very high tension for the same gauge as other strings because the core is different. At the other end the wonderful Thomastik Ti flats are very flexible. Everybody else is in between those two.

Just don’t get hung up about the thickness of the string when deciding. Gauge has nothing to do with it.

Dogal and Galli make some non-metal core bass strings and they are so flexible you could use them as shoelaces even though they are still a 45 gauge set.

Do not buy Rotosound flat B strings though. Awful things. Such a dead sound and not in a Jamerson way either.

This DR 125 B on 35.5 inch scale length is very floppy compared to the shorter E 105. I think DR must have messed up

fretmeister · April 2022

ToneControl said:

fretmeister said:

Thinner has nothing to do with tension.

DR pick a 125 for a B string for all their standard 45 sets.

Unless you buy a custom set or a set of specifically Balanced Tension strings then the tension across the fingerboard starts high with the G and gets lower to the E and B.
Thats just the way string makers have done it for decades.

I’ve never liked DR for B strings irrespective of gauge. I’ve always gone back to D’addario steels for 5 strings. You can see tension charts on the d’addario website if you want to go down that rabbit hole.

But if you are looking at flats then it gets even more complicated. Rotosound Monel flats are very high tension for the same gauge as other strings because the core is different. At the other end the wonderful Thomastik Ti flats are very flexible. Everybody else is in between those two.

Just don’t get hung up about the thickness of the string when deciding. Gauge has nothing to do with it.

Dogal and Galli make some non-metal core bass strings and they are so flexible you could use them as shoelaces even though they are still a 45 gauge set.

Do not buy Rotosound flat B strings though. Awful things. Such a dead sound and not in a Jamerson way either.

This DR 125 B on 35.5 inch scale length is very floppy compared to the shorter E 105. I think DR must have messed up

Unless you’ve got a faulty string it’s not messing up, it’s just a different choice / approach.

fretmeister · April 2022

DR do 2 different Medium versions of their sets. The choice is a 125 or a 130.

Just different choices.

ToneControl · April 2022

fretmeister said:

DR do 2 different Medium versions of their sets. The choice is a 125 or a 130.

Just different choices.

aahhhh
I could buy a 130 then

Except can't see any above 125 here:
Neon Bass Strings | DR Strings | Official Site

ICBM · April 2022

Interestingly I thought my 5-string Ibanez sounded best with DR nickel Lo-Riders for the top four and a stainless steel Lo-Rider 130 for the B, which I got by mistake but tried anyway. The stainless string was tighter-sounding and better balanced tonally with the nickel higher strings - although it did feel odd.

fretmeister · April 2022

ToneControl said:

fretmeister said:

DR do 2 different Medium versions of their sets. The choice is a 125 or a 130.

Just different choices.

aahhhh
I could buy a 130 then

Except can't see any above 125 here:
Neon Bass Strings | DR Strings | Official Site

Neons are basically made in limited numbers with fewer choices compared to the other DR strings because

1: more people want normal strings
2: Neons are crap in every way and the coating starts coming off after about a week.

ToneControl · April 2022

fretmeister said:

ToneControl said:

fretmeister said:

DR do 2 different Medium versions of their sets. The choice is a 125 or a 130.

Just different choices.

aahhhh
I could buy a 130 then

Except can't see any above 125 here:
Neon Bass Strings | DR Strings | Official Site

Neons are basically made in limited numbers with fewer choices compared to the other DR strings because

1: more people want normal strings
2: Neons are crap in every way and the coating starts coming off after about a week.

Looks like I'll be buying a new set soon

I'm mostly a fan of the dub bass sound, like Bill Laswell, and most Reggae bassists in terms of what I'd want to record myself
Of course I am a big fan of Pino and Tony Levin, but don't expect to ever sound like those guys, I'm essentially a guitarist dabbling with bass

I put tapewounds on my Nanyo Japanese 4 string, which I like.
Fender 9050 4-String Stainless Steel Flatwound Bass Strings - 45-105, I got them for about £12 years ago. I've been surprised to see current bass string prices

Some reviews for my new bass say that tapewounds are too dull for it. I have no experience on which to base opinions for different bass strings. Maybe I should just get normal roundwounds and use the EQ. Are any cheap bass strings worth considering? Am I likely to be trying several types of strings, or is there a vanilla solution that I'm bound to find acceptable?

fretmeister · April 2022

Levin almost always uses Ernie nickel rounds in a very heavy gauge 55-110 I think, and the Ernie Group flats when needed.

Pino uses Thomastik Ti flats mostly, but will use pretty much anything else depending on the need for the song. He used EB Cobalt Flatwounds for The Who, and also uses Roto steel rounds. His signature Fender comes with Thomastik flats.

Strings make a massive difference on bass. Far more than on guitar so I’m afraid it’s just trying some to see what you like.

however, people do buy and sell used bass strings because they last. Many varieties come up on Basschat. So you can save a few quid while you are trying.

Bass strings are expensive, but as long as you are not looking for that brand new clank all the time, then they will last for years.

Ive never got less than 5 years out of a set of Thomastik flats.

fretmeister · April 2022

Just remembered, Pino also used the 1954 / Jamerson La Bella flatwounds for his stuff in D’angelo’s Voodoo album. Everything on that is tuned a tone down.

Those La Bella flats might be the highest tension string in the universe at concert pitch. I bailed out of putting them on a bass when the neck was already moving badly with only 3 strings on!

Ultimately though, Pino has been around for decades and has used everything.

Winny_Pooh · April 2022

You already have flats on one bass. Get a set of Daddario 5's for the 5 string. Having both options is nice. (I keep rounds on my 5 and groundwounds on the fretless P)

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/daddario-exl170-5-nickel-wound-45-130-5-string-bass-guitar-strings-long-scale-p861

ToneControl · April 2022

Winny_Pooh said:

You already have flats on one bass. Get a set of Daddario 5's for the 5 string. Having both options is nice. (I keep rounds on my 5 and groundwounds on the fretless P)

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/daddario-exl170-5-nickel-wound-45-130-5-string-bass-guitar-strings-long-scale-p861

why do they call them "Regular lights"?

fretmeister · April 2022

ToneControl said:

Winny_Pooh said:

You already have flats on one bass. Get a set of Daddario 5's for the 5 string. Having both options is nice. (I keep rounds on my 5 and groundwounds on the fretless P)

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34/daddario-exl170-5-nickel-wound-45-130-5-string-bass-guitar-strings-long-scale-p861

why do they call them "Regular lights"?

Every brand has their own descriptions.

But 45-105 would be regular. But these are 45-100 so 2 strings are regular and 2 are lights. Plus the B.

Blueingreen · April 2022

When I played 5 string bass I came to the view that a floppy B string wasn't really fixable. I moved to 35" scale and it was a smidgen better but the B still felt looser than the other strings. My eventual solution was to accept that musical instruments often involve compromises so I'd just have learn to live with it and not let it bother me. Which more or less worked.

fretmeister · April 2022

Of course it’s fixable. Just put a 135 or 140 on it. Or use a string with a stiffer core material.

Or perhaps play more gently.

Ive got non floppy B strings on my 2 5 string basses and they are both 32 inch scale.

ToneControl · May 2022

Current shortlist is:
(I assume these all long enough for the Bottom B which is 35.5 inches)
NB: this guitar uses top-loaded strings

Ibanez IEBS5C E-Bass String Set 045 - £19

Gauges: .045, .065, .085, .105, .130
Material: Coated Nickel Wound
Scale: Long Scale
Light Top Medium Bottom

Ernie Ball 2836 Regular Slinky - £20

5-String
Gauges: 045 - 065-080 - 100-130
Round, crisp allround sound

ToneControl · May 2022

Now I'm more confused, I've realised that the existing strings taper down once over the nut, and the slots and holes in the machineheads aren't wide enough for the larger gauges

How can I know which string set will have the tapering in the right place?