Strings.....

[lungimsam]

I think the most careful way for slotted machine heads is to first Kink the string at 90 degree angle at your calculated string length then cut off the end past the bend about 1/2”, then:

 

[billybass]

Billy, forgive my ignorance… What do you mean by this? I’ve never strung a bass guitar, but if it’s about strings slipping out of their tuning machines, then maybe there’s a different stringing method that would prevent this.

For reference, I use this method for paddle head acoustic guitars, and it never fails. I don’t know if it’d work for a slotted-post bass, but I bet it would:

Both times the strings snapped between bridge and nut.

 

[billybass]

Since i came across the new Starfire I bass i fell for the vintage walnut one , after some research i found out that the wood used differs in this models colours.
The vintage walnut body is all maple and the Cherry red is all mahogany.
By my research and (little) experience i chose the mahogany so i had no choice in color.
(The blue one is a nono for me).
Digging into the specs i found out that this bass is stringed with D'Addario's .
I was in contact with the Guild section of the Cordoba Music Group , but they could not give me any advise about any brand of flatwound strings .
After all your well ment advise i chose to go for the D'Addario ECB81M flats .

 

[Kristo]

I have TI JF324 on both my Starfire 1's and love them!

 

[lungimsam]

We should start a ball end to silks measurement for strings page so people can see which strings will fit their bass.

 

[billybass]

Hi ,
I'm not an experienced bassplayer .
I started 13 months ago at the age of 71 and making progress.
I play along about 10 various tracks and slowly finding my way on the fretboard.
Inexperienced as i am i ask of you ,
What is the difference between
45-100 and 50-105 gauge strings.
I know ..... thickness.
But what about tension and/or sound ?

 

[krysh]

Hi ,
I'm not an experienced bassplayer .
I started 13 months ago at the age of 71 and making progress.
I play along about 10 various tracks and slowly finding my way on the fretboard.
Inexperienced as i am i ask of you ,
What is the difference between
45-100 and 50-105 gauge strings.
I know ..... thickness.
But what about tension and/or sound ?

It depends all on the brand. some thicker strings have a lower tension and vice versa. there is no general rule.

 

[mellowgerman]

If the 45-100 and 50-105 sets are both D'Addario Chrome flatwounds, the heavier set will have slightly higher tension, but since they're going on a short scale bass, they still won't be high tension like a 50-105 set of Chromes would be on a 34" long scale bass.
You can also expect the lighter gauge, lower tension set to have more bassy-ness and the heavier gauge, higher tension set to have more high frequency harmonic content. It's a common misconception that thicker strings = thicker bassier sound. The physics of tension cause the opposite, i.e. (all composition/construction factors being equal between string sets) lighter gauge results in lower tension, which results in looser vibration and more bass frequency.

I actually found that I really like D'Addario Chromes on my 1970 Guild M-85-II bass, but I use the G,D,A from a 45-100 set, paired with a 110 gauge E string. The 110 is only offered in long-scale (available for purchase as a single string) but works fine on the short scale Guild. The heavier gauge results in a tighter, less boomy E string

 

[lungimsam]

Your fretting hand, over time, will tell you which tension it likes best. Your right hand will also tell you which it likes best. If your like me, you’ll have to find a string gauge and tension that is a compromise between the two hands.

Once I had LaBella Deep Talkin 50-110 set on and back by the bridge pickup I could barely pluck the string hard enough to make much sound, the tension was so high.

 

[mellowgerman]

Your fretting hand, over time, will tell you which tension it likes best. Your right hand will also tell you which it likes best. If your like me, you’ll have to find a string gauge and tension that is a compromise between the two hands.

Once I had LaBella Deep Talkin 50-110 set on and back by the bridge pickup I could barely pluck the string hard enough to make much sound, the tension was so high.

I had the 52-110 set on a 57 Reissue P-Bass for quite a while during college. That was a beast! Long scale, fattest P bass neck available, highest tension flats available. That said, the high tension made it possible to set the action super low and it actually played like margarine! Or... wait... butter? Right. That's what they say.

 

[4mal]

One sometimes overlooked thing... larger, stiffer strings are harder on your hands. I deal with some arthritis amd lower tension strings setup for low and light action have helped me extend my career... I went to lighter strings on the advice of an Occupational Therapist who is also a guitarist. Later on, moving to short scale basses has been helpful as well. ... the other thing that has helped with my arthritis in general has been going mostly Gluten Free. For a couple of days after indulging in something gluten, I feel it in my joints... it is pretty rare I indulge these days.