Roundwounds with lower tension

[alstocko]

Hey guys,

I'm making a partial return to roundwounds after 2 years of only playing flats. I used to have high tension flats but for the last six months I've been loving the TIs that I have on my P bass.

So, I have a Lakland JO5 with D'Addario 135-45s nickels on it. Lovely tone straight out of the packet (been on there for over a year now) and I find them too high tension now.

Any suggestions for lighter tension on this 35" scale with nickel windings?

Thanks,

Alec

[EssentialTension]

TI Jazz Rounds

[MiltyG565]

Normal D'Addario XL Nickel tension chart. EXL170-5 has a total tension of 197lb

http://www.daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=16

A similar set of D'Addario EFX Flexsteels has a total tension of 187lb (EFX170-5)

http://www.daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=63

so that's 10lbs less tension between the 2 sets, which is not an inconsiderable amount. They are steels, though, and maybe you prefer nickels?

[PauBass]

Dunlop Super Bright Nickels, or stainless steel, might be what you are looking for...I have just put a set of their nickels in my P bass and they are definitely very low tension, closer to the TIs than any other brand I have tried.

Edited August 12, 2014 by PauBass

[AntLockyer]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1407843617' post='2524506']
TI Jazz Rounds
[/quote]

This is the obvious answer. +1

[TheSiberian]

If I remember well; the longer the bass'scale the higher the tension. (this means a lighter gauge of strings 130 -40 will have a lower tension compared of your actual 135 -45 set.)
Considering this and the fact that ( for ex.) the D'Addario steels have lower tension than the same gauge of D'Addario nickels, I think the D'Addario Pro Steel EPS 170-5 SL could be a good choice for your 35" bass.
Best

Edited September 2, 2014 by TheSiberian

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='TheSiberian' timestamp='1409641992' post='2541694']
If I remember well; the longer the bass'scale the higher the tension. (this means a lighter gauge of strings 130 -40 will have a lower tension compared of your actual 135 -45 set.)
Considering this and the fact that ( for ex.) the D'Addario steels have lower tension than the same gauge of D'Addario nickels, I think the D'Addario Pro Steel EPS 170-5 SL could be a good choice for your 35" bass.
Best
[/quote]

Good shout, but the Flexsteels have a lower tension across the set, and are brighter than the pro steels too

[TheSiberian]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1409647433' post='2541752']


Good shout, but the Flexsteels have a lower tension across the set, and are brighter than the pro steels too
[/quote]

Thanks MiltyG for the information...this must be new and I will give them a try.
Best

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='TheSiberian' timestamp='1409652953' post='2541825']
Thanks MiltyG for the information...this must be new and I will give them a try.
Best
[/quote]

They are brand new! They only came out a month or 2 ago. They're about the £22 mark, so roughly similar price to the standard nickel wounds

[TheSiberian]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1409654334' post='2541843']


They are brand new! They only came out a month or 2 ago. They're about the £22 mark, so roughly similar price to the standard nickel wounds
[/quote]
Thanks man,
I love this forum, never stop to learn new things... Keeps me young ":0)
Best

Edited September 2, 2014 by TheSiberian

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='TheSiberian' timestamp='1409641992' post='2541694']
If I remember well; the longer the bass'scale the higher the tension. (this means a lighter gauge of strings 130 -40 will have a lower tension compared of your actual 135 -45 set.) ...
[/quote]
Yes, the longer the string then, for a particular pitch, the higher the tension. However, that is a separate issue to the gauge of the string.

[url="http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/tension.htm"]Tension is dependent on three things only[/url]:

(1) Pitch of note
(2) Length of string
(3) Mass per unit length of string

Mass per unit length is dependent on the construction of the string such that if two strings are differently constructed then they can be the same gauge but have different tensions because they have different masses per unit length.

... and [url="http://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm"]tension is not compliance[/url].

[TheSiberian]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1410077392' post='2545795']

Yes, the longer the string then, for a particular pitch, the higher the tension. However, that is a separate issue to the gauge of the string.

[url="http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/tension.htm"]Tension is dependent on three things only[/url]:

(1) Pitch of note
(2) Length of string
(3) Mass per unit length of string

Mass per unit length is dependent on the construction of the string such that if two strings are differently constructed then they can be the same gauge but have different tensions because they have different masses per unit length.

... and [url="http://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm"]tension is not compliance[/url].
[/quote]

Ok I understand your technical background but I was speacking about the same brand and type of string set.
For ex: the tension of the D'Addario EXL 165 nickel strings set is higher on a 35" than on a 34".
Now, if you want to lower this tension on the 35" ( we are speacking of the same brand and EXL strings) you should use a lighter set like EXL 170 nickel.
If you want however a lower tension, then you can replace the EXL 170 nickels with the EPS 170 Pro Steel set.
Why? ...because the EPS 170 Pro Steel has lower tension thst the EXL 170 nickels.
For the rest of technical detail I believe you know better but that was my point.
Best

Edited September 7, 2014 by TheSiberian

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1410077392' post='2545795']
Mass per unit length is dependent on the construction of the string such that if two strings are differently constructed then they can be the same gauge but have different tensions because they have different masses per unit length.
[/quote]

This is why the flex steels have the same gauges as the pro steels, but are lower tension, I suppose.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='TheSiberian' timestamp='1410079194' post='2545824']
Ok I understand your technical background but I was speacking about the same brand and type of string set.
For ex: the tension of the D'Addario EXL 165 nickel strings set is higher on a 35" than on a 34".
Now, if you want to lower this tension on the 35" ( we are speacking of the same brand and EXL strings) you should use a lighter set like EXL 170 nickel.
If you want however a lower tension, then you can replace the EXL 170 nickels with the EPS 170 Pro Steel set.
Why? ...because the EPS 170 Pro Steel has lower tension thst the EXL 170 nickels.
For the rest of technical detail I believe you know better but that was my point.
Best
[/quote]

You're quite right. D'Addario are quite consistent - they have one construction, and many variations, like the EXLs, which go from a set of .008 on a guitar, to a set of somewhere around .155 for a 5 string bass. They're all round-wound, nickel plated, on a steel hex core. If you want to use a set of EXLs, but with a lower tension, simply get the next set down.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1410104451' post='2546135']
You're quite right. D'Addario are quite consistent - they have one construction, and many variations, like the EXLs, which go from a set of .008 on a guitar, to a set of somewhere around .155 for a 5 string bass. They're all round-wound, nickel plated, on a steel hex core. If you want to use a set of EXLs, but with a lower tension, simply get the next set down.
[/quote]
And D'Addario are one of the few manufacturers who consistently quote tension figures.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1410109847' post='2546211']
And D'Addario are one of the few manufacturers who consistently quote tension figures.
[/quote]

Yes, that's why I used them as an example earlier in the thread. They also make a really good set of strings.

[machinehead]

I've recently discovered the D'Addario ELX220BL balanced tension strings.

I like these strings so much that I've fitted them to two of my basses, a USA '75 reissue jazz and a MIM 70s classic jazz. I have a third set waiting to go on my 2008 US Precision.

They just feel so lively. Bending and vibrato seem somehow easier to accomplish and overall, I think my playing is a little better due to these strings. Yummy.

Frank.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1410124476' post='2546452']
I've recently discovered the D'Addario ELX220BL balanced tension strings.

I like these strings so much that I've fitted them to two of my basses, a USA '75 reissue jazz and a MIM 70s classic jazz. I have a third set waiting to go on my 2008 US Precision.

They just feel so lively. Bending and vibrato seem somehow easier to accomplish and overall, I think my playing is a little better due to these strings. Yummy.

Frank.
[/quote]

Try a set of ProSteels for a nice, crisp, piano ring

[machinehead]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1410127971' post='2546487']
Try a set of ProSteels for a nice, crisp, piano ring
[/quote]

Next string change, I'll give them a try. Thanks for the advice.

Frank.

[TheSiberian]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1410124476' post='2546452']
I've recently discovered the D'Addario ELX220BL balanced tension strings.

I like these strings so much that I've fitted them to two of my basses, a USA '75 reissue jazz and a MIM 70s classic jazz. I have a third set waiting to go on my 2008 US Precision.

They just feel so lively. Bending and vibrato seem somehow easier to accomplish and overall, I think my playing is a little better due to these strings. Yummy.

Frank.
[/quote]

This is a very intersting set the new balanced tension strings...but I have a problem ( I hope only me...lol)
You know, after more than 30 years of bass playing with 130.100.80.65.45.32 ( six and five strings much later) I feel this gauges setup like they belongs to my fingers. Of course I tryed all the existing strings' gauges sets on the market but I feel really "at home" only with my usual combination (D'Addario EXL 170)
It's also interesting that I find myself more sensitive to the gauges than to tensions of the strings, so it's easely to use different brands as long as they have my favourite gauges.
I always thought that the best bass set up is when you forget about the bass itself and when you are 100% in the music.
Changing now for a better tension oriented set (with other gauges of course) it's kind of weird feeling and I should do a real effort...but now, if I already find long ago my "perfect gauges" is it any better to change?
Interesting question.
However I want to believe the new balanced tension ones are very very good.

Best

Edited September 8, 2014 by TheSiberian

[machinehead]

[quote name='TheSiberian' timestamp='1410163949' post='2546604']
This is a very intersting set the new balanced tension strings...but I have a problem ( I hope only me...lol)
You know, after more than 30 years of bass playing with 130.100.80.65.45.32 ( six and five strings much later) I feel this gauges setup like they belongs to my fingers. Of course I tryed all the existing strings' gauges sets on the market but I feel really "at home" only with my usual combination (D'Addario EXL 170)
It's also interesting that I find myself more sensitive to the gauges than to tensions of the strings, so it's easely to use different brands as long as they have my favourite gauges.
I always thought that the best bass set up is when you forget about the bass itself and when you are 100% in the music.
Changing now for a better tension oriented set (with other gauges of course) it's kind of weird feeling and I should do a real effort...but now, if I already find long ago my "perfect gauges" is it any better to change?
Interesting question.
However I want to believe the new balanced tension ones are very very good.

Best
[/quote]

Yeh, I know what you mean and I would be sensitive to string guages as well but in a different way. I kept playing other players basses over the years and often they felt somehow better set up than my own bass. I came to realise that I prefer a lighter guage.

These D'Addario EXL220BT sets are light guage, smooth feeling and just seem nearly perfect for me.

I might try the ProSteels out of curiousity but I'm more interested in the feel so I won't go chasing a different sound as I'm happy with how the ELX220BTs sound.

Frank.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1410208184' post='2547208']
I might try the ProSteels out of curiousity but I'm more interested in the feel so I won't go chasing a different sound as I'm happy with how the ELX220BTs sound.
[/quote]

They feel "drier", if that makes sense? EXLs are very sleek and silky, but ProSteels are much different. I've never had anyone complain about that, though. In fact, I've put people onto ProSteels and they've come back to buy more - both guitar and bass.

[TheSiberian]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1410251758' post='2547432']


They feel "drier", if that makes sense? EXLs are very sleek and silky, but ProSteels are much different. I've never had anyone complain about that, though. In fact, I've put people onto ProSteels and they've come back to buy more - both guitar and bass.
[/quote]
I was using before only the EXL and I tryed the ProSteels for a different reason; I needed lower tension on my Smith fretless...and gues what; not only the fretless started to sing but the feel to my fingers was so good that I begin using them also on my fretted basses.
Now I am 50/50 nickel/steel on my basses.
Best

Edited September 9, 2014 by TheSiberian

[pfretrock]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1410109847' post='2546211']
And D'Addario are one of the few manufacturers who consistently quote tension figures.
[/quote]

They also quote mass per unit length, I wish others would do this. It was useful for stringing a short scale. Starting with a light set, I raised the string pitch to get an rough idea of tension, then worked out a similar tension for a heavier string at correct tuning.

[url="http://www.daddario.com/DAstringtensionguide.Page?sid=78c369c1-fdb7-44ed-9af2-d1724874466b"]http://www.daddario....f2-d1724874466b[/url]

Note: Do the calculation, I found some errors in their columns, some figures were in the wrong column.