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5 string - Low B string advice please!


Koldov
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Hi All,

A while ago I bought a second-hand 5 string from ebay due to my new band playing in drop C tuning.
The strings were dull and lifeless as expected, so I swapped the ones I could from my spare 4 stringers, but was obviously missing the low B.

My local shop didn't have a lot of choice but had an old .135 gauge (I think) string out the back (guess there's not a lot of call for them). Well alarm bells rang when the winding at the stopper ring wouldn't fit through the bridge, but a bit of reading on the internet suggested the bridge hole could be drilled out! I seem to remember hammering the winding, but anyway I got it to fit through somehow...

Horrible string, felt like a cable! I was expecting it to be fat but it just felt horrible and was still very dull and a bit flabby.
After quite a bit of research I got hold of someone from Spector (who made the bass - Performer 5 Classic) and although he said it was a very old model, suggested .125's would have been the original B string.

So, I hopped on ebay and found a super bright D'Addario XL prosteel 0.125 Long Scale (as I found a few of my other 4 string spares too short even for the other positions). Unfortunately what I didn't see was 'tapered' and although I thought it would be ok, this means both ends! So even though it is long scale the taper at one end sits in the nut and the taper at the other sits on the saddle... That's not right...

So really all personal preferences about type of string aside, does anyone know what string I need to put on this guitar?!

These mistakes are getting quite expensive now so I just need to make sure the string I get will a) fit through the bridge hole.... b ) not have a taper that sits in the nut or on the saddle... c) will be the right scale length... d) be the right gauge for feel (I know that's personal - but the .125 although totally wrong in every other department 'feels' about right - could I go thinner?).

Many thanks in advance.

Kol.

Edited by Koldov
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A taper should sit on the saddle. but not the nut. I'm sure someone more familiar with Spectors will be along shortly, but I'm guessing you have a 35mm scale length there, so from a D'Addario perspective you need their 'Super Long', or equivalent in other brands.

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Thanks for the prompt reply!

I think you are right with the 35" scale length.

Is D'Addario the only maker that I'd have to watch out for in terms of needing Super Long Scale strings?

And I'm hoping if it doesn't state taper then the bridge end is not tapered (I mean it's not like 'a thing' with all D'Addario bass strings is it?).

Only I've seen this one:

D'Addario XB125SL Nickel Wound XL Bass Strings and Single.125 Super Long Scale

And it states - **PLEASE NOTE** Length of string (ball end to start of taper) - 38" or 96.5cm

I think that's a little long for my low B tuning peg.

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It's not just D'Addario, lot's of manufacturers make an extra long version for longer scale lengths, remembering my Lakland days, I'm pretty sure most normal long scale strings were too short.

A Spector guy would clear this up, but I'd get a tape measure out. Taking into account distance between the bridge end and saddle, and between the nut and the capstan I'd guess super long would be fine.

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Well, overall the string isn't too short as such. Only it's just that the taper starts the wrong side of the nut (and only by maybe 5mm)!

The taper is for winding on the peg, is that right?

I'm a bit new to bass, even newer to 5 string and (a bit naughty I know) vary rarely change my strings.

I'll do the measurements tonight and update.

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Spector uses 35" for their 5 string basses, unless you order from their US shop and choose differently.

Two things to clear up here. The bridge end of a B string can be tapered or non tapared. D'Addario has bot, Elixir has both and a host of other string makers offer this option.
Spector bridges are notoriously narrow for a .135 string to fit unless you use a file or use tapered strings.

The tapering at the tuner end is for the tuner peg having less 'bulk' on it. So if in your case the tapering starts before the nut ( say, over the first position) then the string is made for shorter scale basses, most likely for a 34" Buy a string that is XL, extra long, D'A does it. My Elixir strings fit on my 35" Spectors wi/o issue.

What note do you want to tune the 5th string? (the low "B") I'm not familiar with the drop C. Normally .125 works well for normal B tuning on a 35" instrument. I've used .125 on my Spector and dropped it to A sometimes and it was ok. But to be honest, I lkie my .135 Elixir better.

Anyway, hope this above helps.

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Yes, thanks for the info that helps a lot!

All measured up now:

Saddle to Nut = 35"

Back end of bridge (string ball end) to Low B tuning peg 38 1/2"

So that makes these spot on:

[b]D'Addario XB125SL Nickel Wound XL Bass Strings and Single.125 Super Long Scale
**PLEASE NOTE** Length of string (ball end to start of taper) - 38"[/b]

Strange though because it appears as if D'Addario use XL to mean something else as both the 'long' and 'Super long' scale string are called XL, as well as a whole range of other strings, so it's no guarantee of it fitting if it's a D'Addario XL.

[url="http://www.daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=1"]http://www.daddario....3768&familyid=1[/url]

The 5 string was purchased so I can hit a low C without having to mess around with detuning my 4 string basses, requiring heavier gauge strings and neck tension adjustments etc. Although it's a pain having to sit on 1st fret of the B string most of the song...

I'm not happy with the tapering on the saddle as the string sits way too low, even with the saddle wound all the way up!

Thanks again!

Edited by Koldov
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Did somebody say D'Addario?

To resolve some of the confusion XL is the brand name of our electric guitar and bass strings, not a reference to string length or size.

The majority of our string sets are long scale i.e. designed for 34" scale instruments short, medium and super long scale strings are denoted by an S, M or SL at the end of the product code.

Incidentally tapered singles are denoted by a T at the end of the product code.

All of our bass strings are 48" long

From the ball end the taper starts at:
32" for short scale
24" for medium scale
36 7/8" for long scale
and 38" for super long

Feel free to drop me a PM if you want to chat about any of this in more detail.

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