Question about bass strings

[Superhuman]

Hi All,
I've recently discovered the benefits of downtuning my 7 string guitars to low A and am running into a little probel with my 5 string bass. Currently it's tuned to low B which is pretty buzzy on the fretboard - downtuning it to A makes it sound like someone mumbling into a can of dried peas. No definiton on the notes and the Low A and D strings are just flopping around the fretboard. Can anyone reccommend a specific set of strings that manage to stay bright and tight on low tunings? Is such a thing possible? Also, I need light guage, big thick chub battery sized strings kill my mojo.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I honestly don't think you can get from here to there with light strings. That "floppiness" is all a function of mass & the tension it's under. Not enough tension, and the strings get floppy. So you need more mass.

I use (and love) DR Hi Beams on my 5 string. They're medium (45-125) and I don't tune down at all. It's pretty good as it is, but there's no way I could go to lights and then loosen 'em...

 

[rayc]

If it's already buzzy you're in trouble to begin with.
You'll just have to work around the fretboard more.
The Low B 5th is trouble enough (I've only just come to a 5th string after 35 years with 4's). I tried tuning up so the strings were E A D G C but that extra tension was murder on my arthritic fingers & I have played around with other tunings but, in reality, for me it's about working out how to play a given sequence while getting the best the extra low notes that makes it a challenge and a useful tool.

 

[EddieRay]

The low B is already at about 30hz and one of the catches about 5 string bass is getting a good low B. Your bass player may just have to play in whatever key that equates to for a standard 5 string tuning.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Also, I need light guage, big thick chub battery sized strings kill my mojo.

Either low A or mojo is gonna have to go. A majority of 5-strings have problems with B, let alone A.

Forget the 5er and learn to play 4 string bass.

 

[ggunn]

Either low A or mojo is gonna have to go. A majority of 5-strings have problems with B, let alone A.

Forget the 5er and learn to play 4 string bass.

I wouldn't say that, exactly. I have had four 5 stringers and they have all had decent B strings, but they have to be really fat to play right.

On a guitar you have a wide window of usability on a typical string, so tuning down doesn't make much difference in tension. The lower you go, however, the narrower that window gets, so that by the time you get down to a low B on a 5 string, it can't really tolerate downtuning very much. A decent B string will be all floppy if you downtune to an A.

If you are set on doing this, the only possible solution is to get the fattest B string you can find, and even that may not work to your liking.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I wouldn't say that, exactly. I have had four 5 stringers and they have all had decent B strings, but they have to be really fat to play right.

On a guitar you have a wide window of usability on a typical string, so tuning down doesn't make much difference in tension. The lower you go, however, the narrower that window gets, so that by the time you get down to a low B on a 5 string, it can't really tolerate downtuning very much. A decent B string will be all floppy if you downtune to an A.

If you are set on doing this, the only possible solution is to get the fattest B string you can find, and even that may not work to your liking.

In your experience, how fat is fat enough for that low B?

 

[ggunn]

In your experience, how fat is fat enough for that low B?

I use a .130 or .135, which works pretty well for me on my 34 inch scale basses.

The thicker the better, IMO; the thicker it is the higher the tension, and the higher the tension the less the "flop factor".

 

[Whale Bone]

I agree with everyone saying that you need enough tension for the low B, let alone the low A, to work. Longer scale helps that too, but that's obviously harder to change.

While gauge is often a good indicator, you should get the specs for different sets of strings and find the lightest, highest tension string you can find. Juststrings.com publishes a fair amount of this info (double-check with the manufacturer). There are certainly discrepencies in tension among different materials and core-thicknesses and shapes.

For example, I have Thomastik Jazz flats that are lower tension, yet larger guage than some of the LaBella flats I use.

Also, I've found Ernie Ball Slinkies to be lower tension (at least perceived) than the Ken Smith's I use, or Rotosounds of the same guage (.045-.105).

Also, bear in mind, that a heavier guage at normal tension may bug you, but at reduced tension may be fine.