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changing string gauge


uncle psychosis
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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1346000176' post='1783954']
Hey folks.

My bass currently has .45 round wounds on it. Thinking about going to .40 flats - do you think this will merit a truss rod tweak? Would I be better sticking with .45?
[/quote]
What kind of rounds, what kind of flats? Even if the round and the flat G strings are both .40 or both .45, they are unlikely to be the same tension. Gauge alone can't tell you the tension.

Expect to tweak the truss rod.

Edited by EssentialTension
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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1346001143' post='1783968']
What kind of rounds, what kind of flats? Even if the round and the flat G strings are both .40 or both .45, they are unlikely to be the same tension. Gauge alone can't tell you the tension.

Expect to tweak the truss rod.
[/quote]

The rounds are DR--- lo-riders, I think, and the flats are Status.

I know its not a particularly tricky job, but it just makes me nervous and I'd prefer not to do it!

I'm kind of torn between .40s and .45s anyway, not sure which to go for... how different from .45 rounds will .40 flats feel?

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1346010498' post='1784122']
The rounds are DR--- lo-riders, I think, and the flats are Status.

I know its not a particularly tricky job, but it just makes me nervous and I'd prefer not to do it!

I'm kind of torn between .40s and .45s anyway, not sure which to go for... how different from .45 rounds will .40 flats feel?
[/quote]
They'll feel very different because one set are rounds and the other set are flats. Most of the difference in feel will not be because of the difference in gauge but will be because of the difference in construction of the strings. I've never worried about or even much thought about gauges.

Also, I've never used DR nor Status strings so I can't help you on the difference between them.

But tweaking a truss rod is easy, there are lots of guides to doing it on youtube and elsewhere.

Edited by EssentialTension
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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1346012112' post='1784151']
They'll feel very different because one set are rounds and the other set are flats. Most of the difference in feel will not be because of the difference in gauge but will be because of the difference in construction of the strings. I've never worried about or even much thought about gauges.

Also, I've never used DR nor Status strings so I can't help you on the difference between them.

But tweaking a truss rod is easy, there are lots of guides to doing it on youtube and elsewhere.
[/quote]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I know flats and rounds physically feel different under the fingers---what I meant was more "in terms of tension and effort to play, how different will they be?".

Bah, I hate buying bass strings. For guitars I'm happy trying stuff out 'cos the strings are only £5 a pop, at £20+ a time for bass strings I'm a bit more circumspect!

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If you're happy with the truss rod setting at the moment, it's unlikely to need tweaking after putting new strings on. I've regularly swopped string gauges, types and manufacturers, but only once needed a tweak. That was when I put Roto James Jamerson flats on which were very heavy and high tension.

Just stick the new strings on, tune up and play. See how it feels and make any tweaks to action / truss if you need to afterwards.

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I`ve found that when trying flats of the same gauge, I`ve had to adjust the truss rod, as the flats had a bit more tension, so it`s possible that going to a gauge down, the truss may not need adjusting. But, as others have said, it really isn`t that daunting a task. The main thing is make small adjustments, and write down what you did. So that if it`s too much, you don`t panic, just simply undo what you just did.

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Thanks guys. I think I'm gonna go with the .40s and see what happens.

Its weird how you get nervous about stupid little things. I used to make high power lasers for a living---a process that was far more complicated and definitely more dangerous than turning an allen key a fraction of a turn---but somehow adjusting my bass is scarier!! :lol:

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