String noise on E and B

[slystewart]

I have just started playing bass I have a Lakland 55 02 and have just changed the strings to Ernie Ball Cobolts putting the strings through the body rather than just feeding them in from the end..as the old strings were.
I noticed as the new strings went through nut the E and B string seems to tapper down in size...this seems to cause a fre buzz on these 2 strings.
The strings seem to tapper down about 1/2 inch from the nut.....am i doing some thing wrong with fitting the stings thanks for any help

[KiOgon]

[quote name='slystewart' timestamp='1347125767' post='1797254']
I have just started playing bass I have a Lakland 55 02 and have just changed the strings to Ernie Ball Cobolts putting the strings through the body rather than just feeding them in from the end..as the old strings were.
I noticed as the new strings went through nut the E and B string seems to tapper down in size...this seems to cause a fre buzz on these 2 strings.
[color=#ff0000]The strings seem to tapper down about 1/2 inch from the nut..[/color]...am i doing some thing wrong with fitting the stings thanks for any help
[/quote]
Which side of the nut?

Sounds like the strings are not long enough to string through, you might be better trying them through the bridge, top mounting.

Edited September 8, 2012 by KiOgon

[BassBus]

I would agree with this. It is common for thicker strings to taper but it should be past the nut. Are they medium or long scale strings? Also, check how you have wound them onto the tuner. Start the winding from the top of the post and work it down. This will give a greater bend at the nut and hold the string down onto the nut better.

[Grand Wazoo]

Is your Lakland a 35" scale neck or greater? It could be that by the time the strings have extended all the way to the back of the body and the extra neck scale length (provided it is a 35" scale) could be the reason for it, I couldn't explain it otherwise, I actually have Ernie Ball cobalts on my American Standard Fende P Bass which are fed similarly trough the body past the bridge but with the bass being a 34" scale there is plenty of string to go round the post before it starts to taper down, and you know what? I am pretty sure that the cobalt are only offered in long scale they do all the gauges under the sun but I think the string length you get is one for all types of basses. Worst case scenario, fit them normally from the top of the bridge.

[ikay]

This post from TB mentions the same problem - http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f16/new-cobalt-strings-878280/

"How does the length of the cobalts stack up against their other sets? I'm digging my new EB 5 string slinkys, but had to string the B and E strings through the bridge on my 35" scale 55-02. It would be cool if the Cobalts were an extra 1/2" longer or so, but I'm guessing that's not the case."

"They are not long enough to go through the body on a Lakland. I love the Cobalts on my Warwick, but for whatever reason they did not sound good at all on my Lakland. I have a 5501 though with Barts/Audere, so yours might sound different."

[Grand Wazoo]

So that means these Lakland basses have longer scales then. let me google them ..... (be right back)

... later that evening.....

Right... it is a 35" scale jobbie, so that's why the strings become short if you feed them through the body, so your only alternative is to string the E and the B top loaded instead of through the body.

Either that or go for some DR strings which cater for longer scales but not in cobalt. (you'll pay about the same for the priviledge)

Edited September 8, 2012 by Grand Wazoo

[Dingus]

Lakland recommend DR strings as an alternative to their own -branded strings that the basses ship with, which are in fact re-branded GHS Super Steels, if I remember correctly.

[slystewart]

Thanks to all who answered this the Lakland is i believe a 35 inch scale a friend of mine has a Iceni Zoot Funkmeister 5 ...he to got the same stings and has them through the body with the same result of being only slightly short on E and B so looks like the short answer is re string from the back and not through the body