Going down a guage

[Kevin Dean]

I'm about to try going from 105-45 guage to 110 -50 guage can I expect to have to re set the neck & everything ?

[gjones]

It depends on how high your action is. If you have a low action you may need to give the trussrod a tweak anti clockwise. If you're not sure how to do it there's plenty of info on basschat or youtube.

Edit: You don't even need to detune your bass to tweak the trussrod (something I recently learned from resident experts on basschat).

Edited February 17, 2013 by gjones

[chris_b]

Do thicker strings always have higher tension?

I've changed strings and never had to alter the neck.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1361102753' post='1981002']
Do thicker strings always have higher tension?
[/quote]

Only if they are the same make, type and construction as the thinner ones.

Looking at various manufactures' tension charts going up a gauge generally adds about 12% more tension overall.

[brensabre79]

Yep, I have to tweak mine every time I change brand even with the same gauge. You'll probably have to give a very minor tweak to the truss rod and intonation going up to 110 (I use 110, 85, 65, 50).

[iiipopes]

If you want to know how the heavier 50-110 strings will feel, tune your bass with the current 45-105 strings up a half step, or one fret, to F-Bb-Eb-Ab. This will show you about how much your neck will need to be adjusted, if any, and if you care for how the added tension feels under your fingers.