Drop D-flat strings?

[JLG]

Hey,

I've just had a Hipshot Xtender fitted on my Spector Euro.

It's tuned to Eflat and set up to drop to Dflat.

 

When dropped, the E-string flaps a little.

I'm using a .105 gauge E-string.

What string gauge should I use to minimise the flapping?

I'd like to keep it as light as possible.

 

Also, I've been told that it's not string gauge but string tension that matters.

Is there a high tension string available, maybe as close to .105 as possible?

 

I'm new to this stuff so any advice and/or recommendations is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 23, 2024 by JLG

[Lozz196]

I think DR do strings designed for drop tunings. The highest tension roundwound strings I’ve used are Rotosound steel rounds, Warwick Red Label steel rounds, and Fender nickel rounds. 

[asingardenof]

2 hours ago, JLG said:

Hey,

I've just had a Hipshot Xtender fitted on my Spector Euro.

It's tuned to Eflat and set up to drop to Dflat.

 

When dropped, the E-string flaps a little.

I'm using a .105 gauge E-string.

What string gauge should I use to minimise the flapping?

I'd like to keep it as light as possible.

 

Also, I've been told that it's not string gauge but string tension that matters.

Is there a high tension string available, maybe as close to .105 as possible?

 

I'm new to this stuff so any advice and/or recommendations is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks in advance.

I don't think it's string gauge that's the issue. I use .105 for my E strings and haven't had any flapping with D'Addario or Newtone strings when I drop to D. How new are the strings on it and what brand are they?

Edited May 23, 2024 by asingardenof

[Lfalex v1.1]

I purchased a G&L SB-2 Tribute (s/h) whose strings were way too non-compliant (stiff) for my taste. 

To soften the feel, I dropped it to D standard and use a capo as required. 

it'll easily  go lower without flapping. 

Vendor says they're 50-110, but can't recall if they're DR low-riders or Dean Markley Blue steels. 🙃

 

Either way, I'd like to replicate the feel it's got at the mo', but with brighter strings. 

Tempted to try DR DDTs...

[uk_lefty]

I used to do the same on my Stingray and just used my standard Ernie Ball Slinky strings, whatever the guage is in the pink packet. No issues with excess flop or flap.

[danbowskill]

Would it no be a case of having to raise the 105 action slightly

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I used to use a 110 for drop C, but I liked the resulting grunt and rattle.

 

I know @Wolverinebass uses DR DDTs for lower tunings, they're excellent.

[Wolverinebass]

I use DR DDT 105-45 on a Rick for C# standard tuning. They're great. String tension is same as E flat. At least to my feel.

[JLG]

5 hours ago, asingardenof said:

I don't think it's string gauge that's the issue. I use .105 for my E strings and haven't had any flapping with D'Addario or Newtone strings when I drop to D. How new are the strings on it and what brand are they?

The bass and the strings are brand new. I bought the instrument 1 week ago.
Strings are D’Addario XL-170 Nickel.

And, my mistake, the E-string is .100

[JLG]

2 hours ago, danbowskill said:

Would it no be a case of having to raise the 105 action slightly

I do like the low action so I'm reluctant but I will try it.

Thanks

[Wolverinebass]

11 minutes ago, JLG said:

I do like the low action so I'm reluctant but I will try it.

Thanks

The action on my Rick is stupidly low. You won't have a problem with the DR'S.

[asingardenof]

14 minutes ago, JLG said:

The bass and the strings are brand new. I bought the instrument 1 week ago.
Strings are D’Addario XL-170 Nickel.

And, my mistake, the E-string is .100

Might be worth trying the EXL 165 set then, that's what I use and the E string handles drop D just fine for me.

[JLG]

Thanks everyone who has commented so far.

 

My mistake, the strings are D’Addario XL-170 Nickel, so the set is 45, 65, 80, 100.

The tension on the E-string (.100) is 15.782kgs, so that explains the flapping.

On heavier gauges, this (obviously) increases.

• the .105 has a tension of 17.31kgs
• the .107 has a tension of 17.931kgs
• the .110 has a tension of 18.795

It appears I have some string testing to do.

 

[JLG]

6 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

The action on my Rick is stupidly low. You won't have a problem with the DR'S.

They're expensive. Almost £20 more than D'Addario

[Wolverinebass]

Just now, JLG said:

They're expensive. Almost £20 more than D'Addario

Yeah, because they're great and you won't have to file the nut. That's the whole point of them. Wound at higher tension so you can downtune and not get enough flop to necessitate giving the strings viagra.

[JLG]

5 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

Might be worth trying the EXL 165 set then, that's what I use and the E string handles drop D just fine for me.

I'm tuned down a semitone and the E is dropping to D flat.

Do you think that gauge would work?

 

[JLG]

1 minute ago, Wolverinebass said:

Yeah, because they're great and you won't have to file the nut. That's the whole point of them. Wound at higher tension so you can downtune and not get enough flop to necessitate giving the strings viagra.

File the nut?

 

[Wolverinebass]

Just now, JLG said:

File the nut?

 

To accommodate the wider string gauge.

[JLG]

2 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

To accommodate the wider string gauge.

Of course.

But the gauge difference is minimal.

I suppose it depends on how the nut "grooves" are at the moment.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

16 minutes ago, JLG said:

They're expensive. Almost £20 more than D'Addario

Totally worth it, DR are incredibly high quality and last a very long time.

[JLG]

Just now, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Totally worth it, DR are incredibly high quality and last a very long time.

Do they maintain the brightness of new strings?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Just now, JLG said:

Do they maintain the brightness of new strings?

Better than any other string I've ever played. I use Hi Beams which are very bright and I get several months out of a set before needing to change them. The do lose that fresh out of the packet zing like all strings, but they remain bright and aggressive.

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, JLG said:

I'm tuned down a semitone and the E is dropping to D flat.

Do you think that gauge would work?

 

As long as you don't play too hard, but that might be pushing it otherwise. Possibly worth investigating a set with a .110 lowest string, it maybe just buy just that string by itself?

 

Or just buy a 5 string and be done 😎

[JLG]

5 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

As long as you don't play too hard, but that might be pushing it otherwise. Possibly worth investigating a set with a .110 lowest string, it maybe just buy just that string by itself?

 

Or just buy a 5 string and be done 😎

I had a 5-string years ago.

Tried for a long time but couldn't get on with it.

I'm happy with a 4-string.

[NancyJohnson]

I have an extender on my Euro-X, fitted recently.  Ahead of the curve, it's strung with Elixir Nanowebs, 40/60/80/100.

 

Interestingly, it hadn't seen much use since I left my old band and was still tuned to DGCF when I fitted it, so I was dropping to C.  I didn't actually realise I wasn't tuned to what quantifies as standard pitch, no flappy strings or anything.  It was only when I did a studio session a couple of weeks back that the producer questioned my tuning.

 

Flappyness just seems a bit hit and miss all round.  The Spector seems fine, another of my basses is the opposite with the same guage strings/scale length.