Different sounds from different gauges?

[TGEvans]

Looking to try out some new strings on my L2500. Thinking about a 40.60.80.100.120 set! At the moment im using 45.65.85.105.125. How much difference can the extra.5 make? Less bottom end? Any tips before I order some strings would be good, thanks. T.

[ikay]

My experience of 40-125 gauge (I've not gone down to a 120 on the is that they ring longer and with more harmonic content. Perhaps somewhat less 'weight' in the bottom end but depends how you play. Good for slapping, although I don't (mainly because I can't) and generally easier to play as less resistance and softer on your fingers. I've found that lighter gauge suits some basses more than others. I used to use 40s on all my basses but over the past year have moved up to 45s just to get a little more old school 'solidity'. It's just a phase I'm going through! Still use 40s (DR Sunbeams) on my 72 Jazz which really sings. Worth experimenting, good luck


[quote name='TGEvans' post='787134' date='Mar 26 2010, 04:17 PM']Looking to try out some new strings on my L2500. Thinking about a 40.60.80.100.120 set! At the moment im using 45.65.85.105.125. How much difference can the extra.5 make? Less bottom end? Any tips before I order some strings would be good, thanks. T.[/quote]

[TGEvans]

Thanks for that. What are the best DR's for rock type stuff. They have got too much choice!!!! T

[lee650]

Id say the High beams!!!

[Nostromo]

Yep - DR High Beams are really good . . . they are my first choice, (I play in a 5 piece blues/Rock Covers band and also in a 10 piece latin/jazz/reggae outfit). DR are my first choice of string, I've also found D'Addario strings are very good too.

I'm tending to use heavier gauge strings than I used too, not sure how the physics works out here ? . . . some people say heavier strings should equal more bottom end . . but on the other hand you have a higher tension for the same note, which, maybe, cancels out that extra bottom ? . . . I really dont know how it works out exactly ? . . . can anyone else offer a scientific view on this interesting subject ?. . . .

Anyway, my experiance is, medium heavy gauge DR's are great for the stuff I play ?

Good luck !

[velvetkevorkian]

I've gone from using heavy guage strings to as light as I can with my preferred brand (Elixirs). I didn't notice any loss of bottom end but playing up the dusty end sounded noticeably sweeter to me. YMMV.

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='TGEvans' post='787134' date='Mar 26 2010, 09:17 AM']Looking to try out some new strings on my L2500. Thinking about a 40.60.80.100.120 set! At the moment im using 45.65.85.105.125. How much difference can the extra.5 make? Less bottom end? Any tips before I order some strings would be good, thanks. T.[/quote]
Heavier tighter strings have more harmonic content is generally accepted. This would mean thinner softer strings have more fundamental but I find this obvious conclusion meets resistance since it would mean thicker strings have less fundamental. But the math is pretty simple

I like thinner strings and find they have plenty of bottom. I do find they are less forgiving of playing them to hard whereas a thick string will let you bash away. My current fave set is DR Sunbeams 40-120 so if you put them on your G&L I would like it.

[ikay]

Hmm, seems that my comments on lighter gauge strings above are completely wrong - so much for my ears

This article [url="http://www.tyquinn.com/2009/string-gauge/"]http://www.tyquinn.com/2009/string-gauge/[/url] explains it pretty well. It refers to six string guitars but the physics are the same


[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='791453' date='Mar 31 2010, 02:54 AM']Heavier tighter strings have more harmonic content is generally accepted. This would mean thinner softer strings have more fundamental but I find this obvious conclusion meets resistance since it would mean thicker strings have less fundamental. But the math is pretty simple

I like thinner strings and find they have plenty of bottom. I do find they are less forgiving of playing them to hard whereas a thick string will let you bash away. My current fave set is DR Sunbeams 40-120 so if you put them on your G&L I would like it. [/quote]

[brick]

tbh i stuck a light gauge set on my 5 string and they were a total pain in the arse, in fact i think i replaced them after a couple of days.

Gary Willis talks about string gauge in his 101 Bass Tips book, in which he strongly recomends against light gauge low Bs

hope this link works

[url="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jGwTXP1PRx0C&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&dq=gary+willis+string+gauge+for+5+string&source=bl&ots=kZly04oAT5&sig=Kt_GRzxS7gTJ1eu6g2WLDVBkyzI&hl=en&ei=CnGzS4S3JpP00gS_lZSqBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false"]http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jGwTXP1...;q=&f=false[/url]

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='ikay' post='792004' date='Mar 31 2010, 07:04 AM']Hmm, seems that my comments on lighter gauge strings above are completely wrong - so much for my ears [/quote]

Well I can still be totally wrong, don't discount your ears yet My comments were geared more towards the breaking the laws of nature by claiming thicker strings have more overtones and more fundamental which I often hear.

[quote]This article [url="http://www.tyquinn.com/2009/string-gauge/"]http://www.tyquinn.com/2009/string-gauge/[/url] explains it pretty well. It refers to six string guitars but the physics are the same[/quote]

From the above link:
[quote]HARMONIC CONTENT

Another factor affecting your choice of string gauge has to do with the harmonic content of the string. Heavy strings need to be tighter than light strings for a given pitch, and its also the case that tighter strings produce stronger harmonics than lighter strings. Overall this means that heavier strings have a ‘brighter’, ‘clearer’, more ‘lively’ tone than lighter strings, which tend to produce more of the fundamental.[/quote]

So here is an example of someone claiming thicker strings produce more harmonics [b]and[/b] more fundamental. Of course he gets around the mathematical impossibility by saying thicker means louder. But then there should be no reason to say it increases one part of the equation in the first place if it increases all parts.

I've long considered science from musicians to be rather suspect If there are only harmonics and the fundamental, increasing the percentage of one must reduce the other. But anything that decreases fundamental is seen as bad and therefore doesn't happen in good gear choices.

Edited April 1, 2010 by Vibrating G String

[Vibrating G String]

Hmm, now I think I'm reading that quote wrong, is he saying lighter produces more fundamental and my reading skills are shot?

[lightbulbjim]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='792844' date='Apr 1 2010, 02:09 AM']Heavy strings need to be tighter than light strings for a given pitch.[/quote]
Does the guage really affect the tension? My understanding was that it was purely down to scale length. Following on from that the different string thicknesses across a given set of strings is to match the tone between various string tensions.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='792845' date='Apr 1 2010, 02:16 AM']Hmm, now I think I'm reading that quote wrong, is he saying lighter produces more fundamental and my reading skills are shot?[/quote]
I think you have misread that one, sorry.

[quote name='lightbulbjim' post='792870' date='Apr 1 2010, 07:23 AM']Does the guage really affect the tension? My understanding was that it was purely down to scale length. Following on from that the different string thicknesses across a given set of strings is to match the tone between various string tensions.[/quote]
There are a whole host of factors which affect tension. All else being equal, a longer scale will mean more tension; increasing guage will do the same thing. This is why low strings are bigger than high strings- to try and achieve balanced tension at increasingly lower pitches.

That said, there are many variables in the equation, so strings of brand X may have more tension than strings of brand Y at the same guage because of the way they're made.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='793566' date='Apr 1 2010, 06:17 PM']There are a whole host of factors which affect tension.[/quote]
Only three factors affect the tension of a string: the pitch the string is tuned to, its vibrating length, and its mass (weight) per unit of length.

[url="http://www.liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm"]Lutherie Myth/Science:
Human Perception of String Tension and Compliance in Stringed Musical Instruments[/url]

[quote]The tension of the string of a stringed musical instrument is defined completely by the pitch the string is tuned to, its vibrating length, and its mass (weight) per unit of length. This is a matter of basic physics. But there are all sorts of other quantities and qualities that are said to affect string tension. They do not, but (and this is a big but) some of these may indeed affect the compliance of the string, and this will affect how tight the string feels to the player.[/quote]

[velvetkevorkian]

D'oh! I should have thought that through more, especially since I read that link last time you posted it!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='803431' date='Apr 12 2010, 09:44 AM']D'oh! I should have thought that through more, especially since I read that link last time you posted it! [/quote]
You're not the only one though, I've been there myself.

I've posted that link several times now; it ought to be compulsory reading before anyone talks about tension.