Strings for tenor bass

[Spoilers!]

Hi All,

In trying to get to just the right setup on my '95 Stanley Clarke, the thought of giving it a go as a tenor to use for chord melodies kept crossing my mind.  Now I'm on the hunt for an .080-.030 string set, which has not been easy to find.  CX-3s were my first thought, but I don't believe Alembic sells a .030 in short scale.  A high C 5-string set of Optima Golds was next, but I can't find anybody with them in stock in the US.

I've been emailing with Curt Mangan and he can make a custom set at the right scale and the gauges I want.  The question at this point is down to nickel vs. stainless steel.  I understand that stainless can be fret-eaters, but I play finger style (zero slapping) with low action and I've developed a soft touch since discovering Alembics.  Aside from a set of CX-3s on a Spoiler and a very old set of Optima Golds on a Distillate, all of my basses have been strung with flats for the past ten years.

Anyway, to my question: Does anybody here have thoughts on whether there would be a clear advantage to either stainless or nickel?  I'll be using this mostly (I think) for playing chord melodies on jazz standards, and possibly accompanying either myself or another singer.  I'm thinking the higher frequencies are going to be the most important part of the tone.

Thanks,

Ken

[adriaan]

The eating of the frets is mostly an old wive's tale. Steel or nickel will sound different, but then again some of the finest strings come in nickel only (TI Jazz Flats and Jazz Rounds).
To me, for jazz standards, tuning the neck filter to the very lowest frequencies with a Q boost adds a certain woodiness to the sound (rounds or flats, steel or nickel - same difference). Set the bridge filter where it adds the most pleasing kind of brightness.
Having just replaced the TI Jazz Rounds (nickel) on my 6 string with DR Fat Beams (steel) my ears are still adjusting to the relative harshness of the DRs, but that harshness will wear off soon enough. At the next string change, I'm thinking of trying the nickel DR Sunbeams - but that may start pushing 2024, to be honest.

[gearhed289]

The eating of the frets is mostly an old wive's tale.

I have to strongly disagree with that. SS strings can and will destroy frets faster than nickel. I always use SS, and for my next re-fret I'll be going with SS frets because of the strings.

My first thought for "jazz" would be nickel for the slightly mellower tone. But as you speak about chords and melodies, I think the clarity of SS might be good. Sorry, that's no help at all, but good luck with your quest!

[Spoilers!]

To me, for jazz standards, tuning the neck filter to the very lowest frequencies with a Q boost adds a certain woodiness to the sound (rounds or flats, steel or nickel - same difference). Set the bridge filter where it adds the most pleasing kind of brightness.

That's pretty much my approach to playing in a band setting - often just the neck pickup, filter turned down and Q switch on.  Then again, that's most often on a fretless Spoiler with an ancient set of flats.

But as you speak about chords and melodies, I think the clarity of SS might be good. Sorry, that's no help at all, but good luck with your quest!

That's actually very helpful.  Not having shopped for round wounds in many years, the relative sounds just aren't in my ears anymore.  I think I might give stainless a shot.  If they're too bright of a starting point, it won't break the bank to replace them with a nickel set.  That is, assuming tenor works out for this the way I'm hoping!

Thanks,

Ken

[dannobasso]

I've found DR to be very helpful. They made up custom light gauge Hi Beam sets for my 10 string Alembic. They are in Northern Bergen County NJ.