Going down a string gauge

[DaveMuadDib]

Hey guys,

Just bought a Squier vintage modified jazz bass and I love it to pieces, but I'm finding it a little bit hardgoing to play, even with the action down low. It's not unbearable, and it's still a beautiful instrument, but it's put a bit of a damper on my mobility.

Obviously, the answer is to practice more and get used to the difference, but for the time being at least, especially with gigs on the horizon, I'm considering using some lighter strings.

The question is - what gauge should I be looking to go for? I don't know what gauge change really entails, but i'm guessing the intonation will need to be adjusted. As it happens, I've never changed a bass string in my life - still got the factory strings on all 3 of my basses!

Any advice/info would be appreciated!

[bass_ferret]

Have you looked at the [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:strings"]basschat wiki[/url]. It could probably do with a bit more on guages but i'm hoping somebody else will chip in with some useful info. Has been a long wait!

[DaveMuadDib]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='227056' date='Jun 26 2008, 12:53 AM']Have you looked at the [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:buying:strings"]basschat wiki[/url]. It could probably do with a bit more on guages but i'm hoping somebody else will chip in with some useful info. Has been a long wait![/quote]

Cheers for the link, it's helped quite a bit, but I'm still a little bit lost

I really need someone to spell out to me what they think I need, I've never even BOUGHT bass strings before! I'm looking for strictly all-purpose, I play everything from Bach to RATM to Jaco to Slayer. But a bit of emphasis on the high end growl would be nice. Any suggestions?

[warwickhunt]

As a complete noob to the whole string thing you need to step back one step further and consider whether you want... actually forget that! I could be on forever more describing differences between roundwounds/groundwounds/pressure-wounds/flat wounds before we even touch upon stainless steel and nickel (we'll not even touch upon Maxima golds and nylon wounds). THEN you have the difference between the string cores and different manufacturers and only THEN can we even consider string gauge

Tell you what, the best place to start is down your nearest bass retailer and ask to play a couple of basses strung with different strings. If they have the foggiest notion what they are doing they should be able to give you some info to assist your purchase (just don't do it on Saturday).

[bnt]

Have you thought about going to a Bass Bash, meeting up with other BC-ers? Some of the more experienced players might be happy to check the bass out, adjust it if necessary, help you get some hand-on experience with string selection and training.

I mean, strings are to an instrument like tyres are to a car: where the rubber meets the road!

[tauzero]

[quote name='Dave_MuadDib' post='227051' date='Jun 26 2008, 12:48 AM']The question is - what gauge should I be looking to go for? I don't know what gauge change really entails, but i'm guessing the intonation will need to be adjusted. As it happens, I've never changed a bass string in my life - still got the factory strings on all 3 of my basses![/quote]
Well, the first thing to do is to find out what gauge you've currently got on. Just get your digital micrometer (invaluable for those string measuring moments), set it to inches, and whack it on. Measure all the strings. See if any feel particularly heavy to you or whether they're about the same. Measure the strings on a bass which you think has strings of the correct tension for you.

If you're reducing tension, you'll probably need to adjust the truss rod tension. Have a look at the [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]Gary Willis setup pages[/url].

[fretlessguy]

If you are going for a classic mwah sound like Jaco's, then you need roundwounds. For more of an upright bass fiddle tone, you need flats.
Some time ago, when I first started having arthrits and joint problems, I decided to go to a light gauge string set. My local guitar tech (who is also a bassist) told me that lighter gauges have a more pronounced "mwah" sound. I think he is correct.
If you are not sure you are ready to change strings yet, then take it to a reputable guitar repairman.
Doug

[rmorris]

Can you tell us what guage you have on there atm ?

There's lots of other variables but let's start there - I assume they are roundwounds ?