30” short scale Strings

[Tony baloney]

I bought a cheap Ibanez TMB-30 short scale bass to jam with but it sounds too tinny with little sustain - I’m used to messing on our bass players  fender jazz - 
Should I go for a heavier set of half rounds to get a bassier sound? Anyone else got a similar setup can recommend what they’ve used?

[wrinkleygit]

L’abella low tension stainless flats, every time, normally available from Bass Direct .

[Bigguy2017]

What kind of sound are you after and what kind of tension do you like?

Sustain is not really a string thing, more down to the bass - check all the neck, bridge and tuner screws are nipped up tight...  😉

Strings for shorties vary a lot - more so than on long scales.

[Matt P]

I fitted ghs precision flats to my short scale aria and they work great for me, it's got a great p-bass tone and the strings feel right under my fingers. 

Matt 

[Tony baloney]

I bought a cheap Ibanez TMB-30 short scale bass to jam with but it sounds too tinny with little sustain - I’m used to messing on our bass players  fender jazz - 

Should I go for a heavier set of half rounds to get a bassier sound? Anyone else got a similar setup can recommend what they’ve used?

[casapete]

Not tried your model Ibanez, but on a couple of the short scale basses I’ve had I always use D’Addario EXL170S strings. Nickel wound with a nice even tone, and the 45-100 gauge suits me fine.

[naxos10]

I have Newtone Platinum nickel round core 50-110's on my basses and they work extremely well in giving each string the tone you would expect. Tension is spot on.

[naxos10]

Newtone Nickel -see my full answer in your other thread😁

[Grahambythesea]

I had GHS Brite flats which I found to be a great comprise between old school thud and zing. Felt really nice too.

[Maude]

Did you buy the Talman new? 

The Talman sounds just like a Precision using the P pickup so shouldn't sound tinny compared to a Jazz. 

I bought a new one and put GHS Boomer piccolo strings on and put the strings that came on the Talman onto my crappy old Kay that I restored. The Kay has about the most clear, bell like sustain of any bass I've owned and doesn't lack bottom end with those strings so it shouldn't be them, if they're the originals. 

That aside I've got D'addario short scale half rounds on my Danelectro Longhorn and it sounds and feels great. Plenty of bottom end but enough bite in the top end. I have the long scale version on my Rick and they sound amazingly similar. 

[Paul S]

And, just for variety, I always use TI Flats.  The short scale ones are actually 32" but have always fitted OK.

[shoulderpet]

On 14/02/2021 at 19:31, Tony baloney said:

I bought a cheap Ibanez TMB-30 short scale bass to jam with but it sounds too tinny with little sustain - I’m used to messing on our bass players  fender jazz - 
Should I go for a heavier set of half rounds to get a bassier sound? Anyone else got a similar setup can recommend what they’ve used?

Someone on another bass forum sold a set of the Ibanez Dynamix p/j pickups which is what is used on the Talman, Mikro and Mezzo basses and he measured the DC resistance and they measured around 6.5k for the P pickup and just under 5k for the J pickup so they are underwound compared to pretty much every p/j set out there which may be why they sound tinny, I am swapping out the pickups on my Mezzo when I get the chance as they are not the fullest sounding pickups

[Killed_by_Death]

 

pure Nickel: