35" scale bass -- 45-105's or 45-65-80-100

[grok]

I've got my 35 scale Alembic strung with DR sunbeams, 45-65-85-105, but I was recently reading about string tension and guages, and scale length.  I've never had a shorter scale bass, so I'm guessing the tension I'm now used to is higher than usual just because of the scale length.  I was wondering what others out there string their 35's with?  What could I expect with 45-100's as to the sound?  A touch lighter on the bass side?  I will say that the bass side is pretty strong, so taking some boom out would not be the worst thing.  But before I make a switch I just wondered what you all think about these string things....  Thanks!
 
Mark

[briant]

45 - 125 DR Hi-Beams on my 35 scale Rogue 5 string.  I like high string tension.

[grok]

Do you happen to know what gauge strings 35 4 string basses are shipped with from Alembic?  I bought my bass used, so I never knew, though I suppose it doesn't matter all that much.  I do see that the CX-3 strings from Alembic are 45-65-80-105, which I'm guessing is what they're shipped with.  With DR, I know I can get the sunbeams at 40-60-80-100, 45-65-80-100, or 45-65-85-105 (which I've been using).  Just curious how these different gauges would affect my sound.
 
(Message edited by grok on April 10, 2008)

[David Houck]

Mark; as you may have surmised, string gauge and string tension are not necessarily related.  For instance, you could have two strings of the same gauge but with different tensions.  If I recall correctly, the primary difference is found in the core wire.  Thus, a string with a thin core and thick wrap could possibly have a lighter tension and thicker gauge than a string with a thick core and thin wrap.  Some manufacturers list string tension and some don't, which can makes the search a bit difficult.  But the first spec you should be looking at is string tension if a lighter tension string is what you are after.

[grok]

Thanks, Dave.  I'm not really looking for lighter string tension, as I'm ok with it as is.  I guess I was wondering if going from 45-65-85-105 would balance the sound just a little less on the bassy side.  I've just adjusted the pickup heights to be a bit further on the bass side, and I'm giving that a try but it'll take a bit of playing to decide if I like it better that way.  I'm guessing that going from 105 to 100 and 85 to 80 won't make much of a difference, but thought I'd ask here.

[David Houck]

I think as a generalization, thinner strings are cleaner and thicker strings are dirtier, thicker, punchier; but that's a generalization and lots of stuff goes in to how a string will sound.  I'm really not much help here; I don't have any experience with 35 scale, I've played the same strings for a while now, and I have little ability to remember stuff.  I play TI Jazz Rounds 344, 34; .043, .051, .068, .089.  TI makes this same string in a 36 scale, JR364; .043, .055, .075, .101.

[foth]

The American distributor for TI insists that a 36 b string exists as an addition to the JR364 set, but I've never been able to locate one.  Can anyone recommend a brand of 35 low tension round wounds other than TI?  I'm currently using the JF365 set, but I'd like to find a low tension round wound alternative.  Thanks for any suggestions.

[bob]

I just blew an hour or so writing this ridiculously long post on the effects of gauge versus tension. The gist of it was that I agreed with Dave that thinner strings generally sound cleaner (etc.), but I also felt that was true of higher tension strings. Which led to the interesting thought that switching from a 105 to 100, or 85 to 80, would possibly make the string sound less bright due to lower tension, but also perhaps less deep because of the lighter gauge. Maybe the reduced gauge is a bigger factor, since we're concerned here with an electric instrument, but I eventually concluded that all of this would pale in significance, compared to lowering the pickups a little bit.
 
Which is what Mark apparently figured out for himself already. But at least now I can stop thinking about it.
 
Meanwhile, this question about TI's appeared, and since my tension spreadsheet is still open I might as well comment on that.
 
If you really like the TI's, I would suggest you simply try a JR345 set. For the same scale length (either 34 or 36), the rounds are lighter tension than the flats. In fact, if you put a 34 set of rounds on a 35 inch scale, the tension increases by only about 0.8 kg/1.75 lbs. That still ends up at lower tension than 34 flats on a 34 scale.
 
You have a slightly different case, with 36 flats loosened down to a 35 scale, and I don't have the exact numbers for that (and what they have posted online is a little confusing at the moment). But it looks to me that a set of 34 rounds will still come in as less tension than the 36 flats you are currently using.
 
Now, having written all that (I'm not having a good day here), I finally remember that the B string probably won't be long enough. I went through exactly this exercise on my own Rogue. It would have been really close if I shaved off most of the silk, but I think the winding was going to start tapering off somewhere within the nut slot.
 
Still, it was so close that it might be worth asking someone to measure one for you, in case they've changed slightly, and it's also possible your tailpiece is in a slightly different location than mine. Or, you might consider using a string extender. You'd only need it for the B, the others should be fine.
 
Or I could just be quiet and try to find something more productive to do...

[grok]

So I just put on a set of DR sunbeams 45-65-80-100, and things are settling down.  I found that the string tension is just about the same, just maybe a hair lower.  The truss rod on the bass side needed a touch of adjustment.
 
The effect on the sound is apparent, though, with the bass side less boomy and more clear.  At least I think so -- hard to tell since the effect of new strings alone could account for the difference.  I'll have to play it for a while to detect any real differences.
 
Mark