Gauges?

What string gauges does everyone use? I use mostly 50's or 45's

I've always used 45-65-85-105, but lately I've been considering going to a smaller gauge, since John of Raven manages to get some really extreme drops from his trem by using smaller strings. The reason for this is because smaller gauge strings have less tension on them than regular gauge do, so the trem has less tension to overcome to get the note to drop.

All of them, including higher, and I've been lower.

On 4 string basses I use 0.95 E strings so the G is usually 0.35

I put a set of Roto 66sin .40-.95 on my Blitz the other week. SO much nicer than the .45-1.05 sets I've been using. That much more articulate. On a 34" scale bass, though, I don't think going any lighter would feel better for me. They do lose their newness a bit faster, but the brilliance that they have due to being a little lighter shines through. And I love the increased flexibility for vibratos and whatnot as well. I haven't noticed much of a difference in the trem action, but they feel so much better as far as playing as concerned that I don't care.

On my Destroyer, I've really enjoyed having .30-.90 strings. It feels right to have lighter strings on a shorter scale bass like that.

Wow, Jeff! That's a light gauge you use!

Do you use this gauge on your Hipshot bass? And if so, how much drop can you attain with your trem? I am now of the belief that the lighter gauge strings you use, the further down a trem will drop because the amount of tension that the trem has to fight against in order to drop the note is less. In fact, I am going to experiment with a lighter gauge set to see if this is true.

Give the .40-.95 Roto SS set a try. I think you will find them most satisfying.

Thanks, Martin! I see if I can find them around here.

What have you got around there for music shops?

If no one carries them, you can always check on eBay. I know that this is how amimbari gets his strings. With a little bit of searching, you can find some phenomenal deals.

http://bassguitarstrings.us/store/home.php

Eric, I use that gauge on all 4 strings, hipshot trem or not. I think the trem works more easily in general, much less resistance to start out with. You don't have to attack the strings as hard as you normally would with heavier strings. I think playing stamina is increased, less tension = a lighter touch to achieve the same voicings.

Great input, Guys!

Martin, I believe that the lighter gauge strings are readily available at our local music stores, but I do think that the Roto's you suggested would be a superior choice.

Jeff, I also agree with your assessments, and I am looking forward to experimenting with the lighter gauges to see what kind of results can be had.

EricHaven wrote:

Wow, Jeff! That's a light gauge you use!

Do you use this gauge on your Hipshot bass? And if so, how much drop can you attain with your trem? I am now of the belief that the lighter gauge strings you use, the further down a trem will drop because the amount of tension that the trem has to fight against in order to drop the note is less. In fact, I am going to experiment with a lighter gauge set to see if this is true.

Yes, lower the tension, more range in the trem, I know from going from super heavy guages, to the lightest, lowest tension string you can get, with TI rounds, I had more range than most any guitar, barring Floyds.

On non trems, I use fairly high tension strings, that added to a medium, maybe light attack, equals supah low action, and if I dig hard, I get that metal snap, clank and buzz. Makes slapping a treat too.

I use ernie ball 0.45 set on my ministar but I am tuned in C# natural.

Low tension plus drop tuning = BOOM SOUND.

Mo Beach wrote:

http://bassguitarstrings.us/store/home.php

Eric, I use that gauge on all 4 strings, hipshot trem or not. I think the trem works more easily in general, much less resistance to start out with. You don't have to attack the strings as hard as you normally would with heavier strings. I think playing stamina is increased, less tension = a lighter touch to achieve the same voicings.

Oh yeah. And when you do dig in, you get that much extra response out of them. The lighter your strings are, to a certain extent, the more vocal they feel.

And I've been playing with the trem and the lighter strings more...oh yeah. Even with just -.05 on the top and -.10 on the bottom, a noticeable difference in tremolo manipulation. I really dig the lighter sets.

I have GHS strings on my Destroyer right now. I think I'm going to have to give the new Roto Funkmaster set a try on there. I think that's even lighter than what's on that bass at the moment.

for the standard, I'll use 40-100 or 45-105, but I tend to use my basses tuned to DGCF, and the 40-100 are a real lesson in "technique", as they are light to begin with, and although I like the sound for sure, I must play ultimately softer to avoid string rattle.

The fact that you tune lower with lighter strings would indeed produce a greater chance of what I call "character noise". But I love that in a recording! Like Steve Harris' signature clankity-clank. It makes the recording sound more human, and not as if a machine did it.

You've touched on a very important aspect of playing technique, Mike. Attack and dynamics are extremely important, and I can tell you this from years and years of doing studio work. Many times the engineer would ask me if I could use a pick, since using fingers while recording tends to produce more uneven dynamics. But I would tell them that I have a good sense of even attack while recording, and I always ended up using my fingers.

Guys, this is a good thing to practice on for recording. Working on your technique so you are hitting each note and string with as even an attack as possible.

Of course, in my world, anything goes when performing live!

Eric when I play with a pick it is harder to control the dynamics, the fingers have much more control since there is less HAND motion to keep under control with 2-3 fingers compared to an alternating motion with a pick. I am like MMike and anyone else who likes the clank...I hate dull lifeless tone, and for what I do ( even the demo videos on youtube ), I prefer the nasty growl and clank much more than the dull "flatwound" sound, and MOST IMPORTANTLY:

p.s. those 66 cent junk strings are NOT junk. I put them on my red P bass, and they sound fine. The old strings were on there for almost 6 months ( it don't get played enough ), but in the case, they were not rusted, but the brightness difference of new strings made me happy.

I use GHS BASSICS ML6000 - 44-63-80-102 which is a weird combo, but if I use a 45-65-85-105 it just makes too much of a difference ( to the negative ) on my TBX-NT and my 3b NT, but all the other basses get "whatever", as they are not as important in the "food chain" .

I see so many threads saying "what strings do you use for drop C, and these people telling them to buy a 115/120 E string and gauges so fat they have to file a nut... NOONE asks these people what they play, how they play, just "oh for CGCF you need a 120 E and a 55 G minimum" USE THE AMP-DON'T BEAT UP ON THE STRINGS
p.l.e.a.s.e

funny thing, all my CHEAP Charvel basses are fine at DGCF/CFA#D# with the 45-105's

BEAD is a no-go

Now that you mention it, Mike, I also have much better control using my fingers than I ever did when I used a pick. Of course, I haven't used a pick on bass (or guitar, for that matter) since about 1983.

I dunno...using my fingers just feels more...organic to me, I guess.

less wrist motion like any great shredder guitarplayer shows you when they are speedpicking the strings and all you really see is the pick(hand) moving quickly not the whole wrist and arm.

I posted some forth of july american rock songs tonight for the board using my lefty which I just threw a set of those 66 cent strings on, since I didn't change them since I got the thing..the strings were pretty old when I got it, and new ones made it very passively bright, but turning the treble down on the mixer solved the major clankyness to a nice tick.

amimbari wrote:

USE THE AMP-DON'T BEAT UP ON THE STRINGS

What was that you were saying about dynamics?



You know that no matter how you turn up your amp, it'll never sound the same as digging in, some people want that sound.

Darkstrike wrote:

amimbari wrote:

USE THE AMP-DON'T BEAT UP ON THE STRINGS

What was that you were saying about dynamics?
You know that no matter how you turn up your amp, it'll never sound the same as digging in, some people want that sound.

tone dynamics DS, not volume. Your right, and I don't impose "my" sound on anyone. I have run a good compressor/sustainer of some brand ever since I got my first EMG bass and Mesa amp back in 92, cause I hated the fact that amp had so much headroom to be WAY louder I just had to hit the strings harder and god forbid I would pop the A or G string and almost pop my eardrums from the bang thru the speakers

( as a step back, for the first few years I played a junk Silvertone bass using a 100 watt amp/2-15 cab from the "Plush" company out of N.Y. ) -- my point being that thing had an awesome sound, and it wouldn't get "louder" just start to growl, which was perfect for the hair junk back then ----- here's a pic.



for straight speedrock I couldn't stand the guitar/bass volume wars.. I wanted to be in the mix no matter how energetic or lethargic I wanted to play on the strings that night and the compressor solved it.

Since my fingers hitting the strings control the tone, not the volume for the most part, I can stay at a level the mixing guy can appreciate and still hear enough difference from lightly touching to all out banging.

So going back to the OP, using xxx gauge strings never mattered to me, unless the nut was not filed for the set, which I never really changed..usually the 40-110's in some combination always worked.

I'm the exact opposite, I never touch compressors, all my amps have them...... turned off, espcially with more headroom, gives me more control over volume, tone, dynamics.

Different strokes/differen folks, all that.

can't say it any better than that.

Actually, I've never been a huge fan of compressors myself. My playing and tone isn't meant to be all pretty and streamlined, so anything that limits my signal gives me headache.

funny you guys are discussing this. i just got home from practice ... the new drummer is comming along nicely. he's a real loud player! i've needed to adjust my sound to compensate.

as well as eq (eric talked about cutting thru with a mid boost. thanx dood; that was very effective today) and gain / drive balances, the compressor or lack there of was a used element.

there were some places where i opted to turn off the compressor. just needed the pop, slap or chord to cut thru. there are other places i was using the gain of the compressor to cut thru the mix. there are still even places where a compressed streamlined sound is necessary to get the levels even (compressed and boosted) with all the different wild stuff i'm doing on different places on the bass.

so yeah, i use compression. i dont use it exclusively. i dont look at it like a rack filtering processor that gives me my tone or sound ... nor do i have a rack compressor. i use the compression on my boss effects processor and it does the job like an effects pedal would. turn it on, turn it off with a flick of the toe ... just provides me more control and options on the fly.

suprised to hear eric say he doesnt use compression. eric, you strike me as a guy who models billy sheehan in certian ways ... not this one? billy is a heavy compression user ... a bit too much for my taste sometimes.

and you guys talking about lighter gauge strings with drop tuning?

eh ............ no thanx.

i guess its just growing up as a finger / non pick player. i need for those strings to be tight as they can be. i love the response of 55 - 110's but they chew up my fingers and my basses. yeah, sure, they have less of that, as you guys have said "human character", but the attack and response is quicker. i just cant play as fast on noodley feeling strings. i guess this is why i replace them about every 2 to 3 weeks. with 45 - 105's in dadg, its a happy medium .... good attack and response, good "piano string plucked" sound and i still can play harder and push it for good pop and slap and /or growl sound.

madmike wrote:

suprised to hear eric say he doesnt use compression. eric, you strike me as a guy who models billy sheehan in certian ways ... not this one? billy is a heavy compression user ... a bit too much for my taste sometimes.

Remember Mike, never compare Eric to Billy Sheehan. He'll kill you for it.

I understand your question, MadMike. Let me clarify a bit, if I may.

While it is true that Billy has had an enormous influence on my playing style, and technique, I don't automatically do anything simply because he does. It's kind of like how John Gallagher, while being a good friend and my biggest bass influence, uses 12er's. I won't ever do that, because it's not for me. Or, as much as I think Jaco Pastorius was the greatest bassist ever, I don't think you'll see me with a fretless anytime soon.

Obviously, I got a lot of playing technique, and for certain, the concept of running a stereo rig from Billy. But I don't keep a laundry list of everything he does so I can mirror him. I would rather be me, than someone else.

So my decision not to use compression is the same as my decision to use or not use any particular effect, technique, bass, strings, etc. It all boils down to whether or not it works for me. So, either I come up with an idea, or others give me ideas, and I take what works, and toss out the rest. And if something works for all of you, no matter what it is or where you got it from, more power to you!

gotchya.

i gain tremendous influence from chancellor. i have learned lots from his style. not just him tho ... theres les, flea and harris mixed in there too, so i dont sound like him.

... as well as the trial and error stuff i do on my own with my gear.

but i'de wonder if i ever got a hold of chancellors bass and rig? i cant NOT use that! then would i sound too much like him? probably not. i'm sure ide find things that i wouldnt use and things i would add on.

Forgive my ignorance, but who is Chancellor?

Justin Chancellor, bassist for Tool. Total beast of a bass player.

mmm. he has wal basses.

Playing with a pick? I love the sound that playing bass with a pick can give you. John Entwistle, Lemmy, or Malmsteen's playing (there's an example of using lighter strings and tuning down ) really speaks to me and there just isn't any other way to get that sound...but man, I hate playing with a pick. I just love the feeling of the strings on my fingers far too much. It feels too good to not use a pick and I feel that I can play more expressively and faster than with a pick. Sometimes, I yearn for that pick sound and I'll try it, but eww....it just doesn't feel right. Playing with my fingers is just in my bones at this point, I think.

just my opinion.

if the rig is set up correctly or designed for that playing style, a pic sounds ok. lemmys ric thru a marshall rig ... has a guitar - esk sound. ampeg's standard sound works well with a standard p and a pick.

most cats i hear playing with a pick dont have the right setup. theres no warmth to it. theres just the attack and the chunk, chunk, chunk of them hitting the string. some people i've heard, the chunk is louder than the note (example, ibanez low end soundgear thru a swr rig). sure, metal and punk sound i can understand, but i've heard it with other rock music and even emo type stuff and ... ew.

i continue to fiddle around with it and still continue to find no reason whatsoever for me to use a pick. i have no problems with attack or speed. and plus, like you, it just feels ... unnatural ... uncomfortable ... cumbersome ... weird ... icky.

Yeah I know. Every once in a while I get a jones for a little pick playing when I'm really deep into some types of black metal (kinda hard for me to imitate how Erik Danielson from Watain slams on his bass without using pick at times) or pick-rock, I try it, but it just isn't me. I wind up using my fingers and playing a little closer to the bridge (over the P pickup) while picking more side-to-side instead of hitting the strings to try and emulate that pick-like bite.

I just love playing with my fingers. Especially when strumming on the strings. It's so easy to just fill the air with a triad when raking your fingers up and down in a flamenco-y way. I just can't pull that off with a pick...

IMO, Chowder, to sound more picklike, you'd be better off playing near the neck, and hitting hard, real hard, get you some loud notes bangin' out, and some fret clack, should cop the vibe. Won't get the brightness, but the attack, and volume.

I completely agree with you, Bill.

And thank you for clearing that up, Kugelspot! I really like Tool, and Justin Chancellor has an amazing technique and tone!

Darkstrike wrote:

IMO, Chowder, to sound more picklike, you'd be better off playing near the neck, and hitting hard, real hard, get you some loud notes bangin' out, and some fret clack, should cop the vibe. Won't get the brightness, but the attack, and volume.

I've played around with it a lot. I'm always concentrating on what sound's coming from my right hand. The only thing that's as important to me is what sound's coming from my left hand.

There's a spot between the P pickup and the 21st fret where with the way I play, I get the most low end. I play on the fretboard, I get a more clanky, warm, hollow sound, I play towards the bridge from there (my fingers above the P pickup), I find that I get a more focused, tight sound than in the other two places. That's just how it seems to work for me, at least. That has to be different with everyone.

And that's exactly what's missing. You're slamming the strings with flesh, not grinding a piece of plastic into them. So you're going to hear the clank as opposed to the pick attack and clank at the same time.