Question about strings for Stanley Clarke Sig.

[lincland]

I just procured a 1990 Stanley Clarke, actually I have friends with the guy who bought it, but I'll be playing it quite a bit.
 
I used to own a long scale model, and I've played lots of different basses since the late 70s especially Fenders and Rickenbackers.
 
I have tried every string over the years, including DRs and a few others that lots of people rave about, but I always come back to Rotosound. I've even tried some lighter gauge which seems to be the trend these gays, but I keep going back to 45-105 or 45-100. Those are the only gauges we had in those days, so it's all I've ever really used.  
 
I'm looking for the perfect string for this 30.75 bass. I'm 99% sure they are going to be Rotosound Swing Bass. It's the gauge I'm unsure about.  
 
Even if I use the 45-105, they are going to be a little looser than I'm used to since the scale is short.  
 
In addition, the only short scales that rotosound makes are 40-90 which are going to be even flimsier.  
 
I don't know if there are any problems with using long scales and cutting off the ends. The only potential one I can think of is that they might start to unwind, but this seems unlikely.
 
Any thoughts on this? What have you guys used? I know there are some other good strings out there that sound good at first, but they all seem to die fast and sound bad before very long. I like Rotosound tone, and they last a very long time.
 
Ok, opine away.

[hieronymous]

I think you should be able to get away with long scale strings on the SC Sig. The distance between the tailpiece and the bridge is significant, so actually some short scale strings might not fit! As long as you crimp the string before cutting it you should be fine. I also haven't had any problems if some of the unwound portion of the string wraps around the post.
 
I will say that on my 5-string Stanley Clarke, I need a bit more tension so I've been using DR Lo-Riders, which have slightly higher tension than Hi-Beams.
 
Good luck and have fun!

[keith_h]

I've always used Alembic CX-3 strings on my short scale, small body basses. They are 45 - 105. As far as tension I don't think they feel that much different than the Dean Markly NPS Round Core medium lights (45-128) I use on my Alembic long scale five string or the GHS Brite Flats I use on my Jazz Bass. I will say that the D'Addario Chromes I have on my fretless have a lot more tension than any of the others above.  
 
Personally I would stay away from light gauge (40 - 90) strings on a shorty. With the lower tension it will be harder to keep the bass setup consistent across weather and seasonal changes.      
 
This thread has a link to some string comparisons played on an Epic and might give you an idea of how some of the strings compare.  
 
Keith

[hankster]

I always use the Alembic CX3 on my Stanley.  I've tried others, and nothing is as good IMHO.
 
Rick

[lincland]

Thanks for the input guys. I got called for a short notice gig, so I'm going to go with what I'm used to for now. I'd like to try the CX3s in the future, but kind of pricey.