All my 5 string basses have gauges D'addario Pro steels round wound 45 - 130 and they have been my standard since migrated from guitar to bass. Over the years i've noticed that I tend to avoid the G-string for anything below the 7th fret as I don't feel the weight and warmth in tone as compared to playing those same notes on the D-string.
The other strings i'm ok with the sound. So on my next string change of my maple 5 string Europa I'm thinking of trying a thicker G- string but I don't really want to open up the nut or bridge slots in case I don't get what I want in terms of tone, and string feel from the change of gauge and have to revert back.
So my question is, how far could I go up in gauge and not need to open the slots?. Would going from 45 to 50 be ok and is that enough to make a difference to the heft in sound? I'm pretty restricted in opening up the nut of some of my other basses as they have plated hardware.
I don't think an extra .005 would matter in the bridge or nut slots Jazzy. Remember, the string gauge is a diameter, so only a fraction of that clearance is needed around the string. Going from a .045 to .050 should be fine. Might get some binding if you were to try a .055. By then you're getting into light gauge D strings. It might still work, but feel odd tension-wise with your other strings though.
Give it a try with a 50 G... might be just what you need.
I'm with Ed, most smart builders leave a little 'wiggle room' in the nut slots, and barring a BIG change in gage, you'll probably be alright.
One way to find out . . .
I have found, on some basses, if I raise the action of the G string I'll have a more "pronounced" tone of that string. Or, you may change the G to a flatwound and see how that sounds. Has been a common thing in my experience as well to have G strings not behaving..lol
Has anyone else found this to be a little less pronounced on a 32" scale instrument?
Quote from: Nova Constellatio on July 12, 2026, 08:14:03 PMHas anyone else found this to be a little less pronounced on a 32" scale instrument?
I haven't taken delivery of my medium scale bass yet. But my short scale doesn't seem to be lacking in the G string volume. When I get the new bass in I'll check back and report on the G string.
My experience on my medium scale has been that it doesn't suffer from the G string issues I have with 34" necks, and doesn't have the floppy/weak E string issues I find on short scales. I use relatively heavy gauge pure nickel strings, which might be part of it.
I'm not a great bassist, so my opinions about this might not be as accurate as some other people around here.
I think my entire perspective is warped by having grown up playing upright bass. Every Alembic I've ever owned has been medium-scale and immediately it just felt right. I have a couple other basses that are either long (34") or extra-long (35") but the biggest challenge isn't the scale, it's finding the right gauge strings so the tension feels right. I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a bass with a dead spot.
My upright bass - the one I call my my gig-bass... that thing has more weird little eccentricities in it than you can keep up with. But I just know them. It would drive somebody else crazy.
Quote from: edwardofhuncote on July 13, 2026, 12:20:24 PMthe biggest challenge isn't the scale, it's finding the right gauge strings so the tension feels right. I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a bass with a dead spot.
As someone who played guitar for years, the variety and differences between bass strings blows my mind. Since I've been playing, I've probably tried 15 different types (maybe more). It's an adventure.