Is there any reason why you shouldn't use standard scale strings with a shortscale bass?

[BusyFingers]

The tension should only depend on the string gauge/mass, vibrating length, and frequency. The string mass or length outside the vibrating part, behind the nut and bridge, doesn't change the tension.

Interesting. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[madidus]

I put D'Addario Chromes long scale flats on my short scale (30.25") Gretsch Electromatic and they are fine.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

The tension should only depend on the string gauge/mass, vibrating length, and frequency. The string mass or length outside the vibrating part, behind the nut and bridge, doesn't change the tension.

Of course. But now the vibrating length is different. So the tension of long-scale strings on a short-scale bass would be lower.

 

[reddesert]

Of course. But now the vibrating length is different. So the tension of long-scale strings on a short-scale bass would be lower.

I'm not sure if we are differing or saying the same thing in different ways. Say I have a 0.100" E string. The tension of this string on a 30" short scale bass is lower than on a 34" scale bass, yes (assuming both are tuned to E). But it doesn't matter whether the string came out of a long scale or short scale package.

IME, short scale strings rarely come in heavy gauges, so short scale basses tend to have light/medium gauge strings at lower tension, but it's not a big deal in practice.

 

[ZenG]

Stiffer flat wounds present the biggest risk of breaking an E string especially on a small diameter post. Round wounds on what appears to be sort of a medium diameter post shouldn't be any problem at all. Fender doesn't seem to think so either. From their website:
View attachment 1015125
Being able to use 34" scale strings is a very good thing as it increases your options many times over. Only short scale basses I've ever had real issues with are Jerry Jones with those teeny guitar tuners and it can be a total pain in the butt. Fortunately GHS and D'addario make pretty usable non body-through 30" scale sets both round and flat.

See in that picture there where the E-string still has slack curve in it even though it's wound on the post.

I've tried that before with that same effect. It never stays in tune and the intonation wanders.

So I had to get that little curved part to hang below the post as straight as it could be before it went over the nut. Which took some work. Even then I still didn't like the results.

I think Fender is trying to promote a load of b.s. on that.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

See in that picture there where the E-string still has slack curve in it even though it's wound on the post.

I've tried that before with that same effect. It never stays in tune and the intonation wanders.

So I had to get that little curved part to hang below the post as straight as it could be before it went over the nut. Which took some work. Even then I still didn't like the results.

I think Fender is trying to promote a load of b.s. on that.

I noticed that too and thought it was careless installation for sure but with a roundwound it's not at all "BS". It's no big deal to straighten out that curve. Take your thumb and push on the string. If you feel it's putting too much side force on the nut lift the string out of the nut. As a tech doing fast string changes for players during a show you learn fast that the strings have to be quickly and completely stretched so the instrument stays in tune when you hand it back. There's no acceptable "settling in" period. Round wound strings can take a lot of stretching and flexing and not come close to breaking.

I've had at least a dozen short scale basses and tried probably twenty+ different sets of strings including several 34" scale sets. My experience is that 34" scale rounds will NOT break when used on 30" scale basses and when correctly and carefully installed have no tuning or intonation issues. There may be exceptions (although I really can't think of any)....the thicker and stiffer the string the more likely it is to break so I guess a high tension .115 might be a problem on a smaller post but the average .105 won't be. Flats are a different story as they are often thicker and stiffer but I think the OP is talking only about rounds here.

Bottom line is that using average med gauge 34" scale rounds on a 30" scale bass is a non-issue.

 

[ZenG]

I noticed that too and thought it was careless installation for sure but with a roundwound it's not at all "BS". It's no big deal to straighten out that curve. Take your thumb and push on the string. If you feel it's putting too much side force on the nut lift the string out of the nut. As a tech doing fast string changes for players during a show you learn fast that the strings have to be quickly and completely stretched so the instrument stays in tune when you hand it back. There's no acceptable "settling in" period. Round wound strings can take a lot of stretching and flexing and not come close to breaking.

I've had at least a dozen short scale basses and tried probably twenty+ different sets of strings including several 34" scale sets. My experience is that 34" scale rounds will NOT break when used on 30" scale basses and when correctly and carefully installed have no tuning or intonation issues. There may be exceptions (although I really can't think of any)....the thicker and stiffer the string the more likely it is to break so I guess a high tension .115 might be a problem on a smaller post but the average .105 won't be. Flats are a different story as they are often thicker and stiffer but I think the OP is talking only about rounds here.

Bottom line is that using average med gauge 34" scale rounds on a 30" scale bass is a non-issue.

That's how I've done 'em whenever I tried it. It works more or less...or not...after you bugger around with them for awhile. Still not as good as the correct strings.

Regardless of whether they break or not. You can pretty well do anything with roundwounds.

I think Fender here is trying to give everybody the impression that you can throw any old string on there and it's all good.

Often it isn't.

A lot of times when I've done that an annoying growl sonically appeared on the E. And the string was as straight as could be made possible, intoned and tuned.

Growl on one string only was not good. And it was not a good growl either.

I'll go with the correct strings. thanks.

 

[zontar]

I can't use long scale strings with my EB copy--the E won't fit in the slot of the tuner.
The others will still fit--as the thread wrapped end will sill show when cut to length--but the E is too long for that

As seen--nto all basses have that issue--so it depends on the bass and how long you have between tailpiece & tuner

 

[335]

I tried D'Addarios which were shortscale, 30 inch, for a 30" bass. They were flapping around a lot and eating up frets. The E was a 105 going to a .047 on the G.

I removed them as soon as I knew they were not going to stiffen up when they settled, preferring to avoid carving the frets away in the middle section of the neck. The Dads were vibrating in a large arc relative to the strings I was using, and had finally snapped.

I would appreciate if anyone knows or has a fair idea what strings I had on it.

They came on a Mustang I had bought and sold after I gave it fresh strings for the sale. I had them tucked away as scrap metal for a few years until one day I set up a shorty bass and used these old strings on it.

They have a dull appearance, with blue wrap on both ends. And they are tense by comparison to the D'addarios round wounds which were the same gage (and made for a 30 inch scale). In my opinion th D'Addario's are full scale strings which they simply shorten to the specified shorter scale, with zero considertion to tension. It does not work for my style and attack.

The gages I had on the blue wrapped, used strings, were 105/88/68/48. I still have the scraps except for the E. Once the 3rd one broke I stopped practicing as it was almost pointless. With 2 strings I found you could exhaust a lifetime exploring possibilities, because there are so many chord positions which are overlooked when you have a full set. Playing a bass with 1 string is bad form and might make others leery of your prospects.

I know this comes across as an odd bit of writing, but these strings were really really nice and tight. I simply will not play with strings that do not match the tension these used junkers had. And they lasted a long time, despite being second hand. I have the action low (at the nut and the bridge) and the neck is laser straight and they only buzz if you want it to. I suspected correctly that they may be difficult to replace so I saved the strings for analysis and am appealing here for expert help.

I have looked over LaBellas, and that is as close as I have gotten. They allow for customizing the sets, offer the odd alloys, and have the quarter rounds, which may be part of the mix, since this equals more tension, all things being equal, over round rounds. Compression rolled is another possibility I suppose, idk. I think GHS has this feature/option, but mainly I want to track down whatever I was using from the Mustang. Also I suspect the strings I am looking for may be stainless or moly, due to the dull sheen, and mass feel they have, and tension.
They are magnetic, both core and windings, but many ss steels have magnetic properties. I will get some picture up asap to save time and effort. To my eyes, even under magnification, the strings I am looking to replace were roundwounds, but I have never seen quarter rounds before so I may be wrong.

Do LaBellas have wraps at both ends? It would seem only 1 end is wrapped, from what I can see in the pictures they show, and this is part of the puzzle. The strings I had were wrapped at both ends. I am assuming that these are sort of premium string brand, not something you're gonna find off the shelf. The only prem. brand I know of is LaBella. Are there others?

I am a guitarist. Once I set up my bass, things really took of with my learning because bass translates 100% to guitar. I have learned chords etc. which I have forever overlooked on the guitar, and I like digging into them. Less is often more.

Truth is I think I'd take bass over guitar if I had to choose for a deserted island stay, because it seems more foundational, as to structure. I don't even have electronics on board, and I can spend all day with it, because I can hear and feel it.

I would be most grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction.

 

[reddesert]

I tried D'Addarios which were shortscale, 30 inch, for a 30" bass. They were flapping around a lot and eating up frets. The E was a 105 going to a .047 on the G.

I removed them as soon as I knew they were not going to stiffen up when they settled, preferring to avoid carving the frets away in the middle section of the neck. The Dads were vibrating in a large arc relative to the strings I was using, and had finally snapped.

I would appreciate if anyone knows or has a fair idea what strings I had on it.

They came on a Mustang I had bought and sold after I gave it fresh strings for the sale. I had them tucked away as scrap metal for a few years until one day I set up a shorty bass and used these old strings on it.

They have a dull appearance, with blue wrap on both ends. And they are tense by comparison to the D'addarios round wounds which were the same gage (and made for a 30 inch scale). In my opinion th D'Addario's are full scale strings which they simply shorten to the specified shorter scale, with zero considertion to tension. It does not work for my style and attack.

The gages I had on the blue wrapped, used strings, were 105/88/68/48. I still have the scraps except for the E.

Post a picture of your strings. Are they flatwound? They might be D'Addario Chrome flats (dull gray, dark blue silk).

In general, shortscale strings are shorter versions of longer scale strings and have lower tension due to the shorter scale, so I don't think that's specific to D'Addario rounds. A 105 E is about the heaviest string you'll find in short scale. If you are getting a lot of fret buzz, you may just need to play with a more gentle attack. Especially if you are breaking strings. It is pretty rare to break a bass string unless it's really old or was bent excessively on installation.

However, flatwounds have more tension than roundwounds, so if your old strings are flats, that would account for the different feel.

 

[335]

I can't change how I play. I am a hack who needs perfect feel in order to put things together musically, and this means low effortless action, no dead zones to make me crazy and other things.
It's hard to accept that I have to change, raise, the action after feeling the perfect set up. I am telling you...you could smack these strings and they were stable. They are definitely rounded, but whether they have a quarter grind, who can say except one who knows. I don't. Oh, and I meant to say Monel, not moly, in above post. Maybe Monel steel? I haven't done a critical analysis such as weight, core diameter and wrap diameter yet. I know they are denser, probably heavier, and def. more tense than the inexpensive D'Addario set, which go around 8 dollars. I can't imagine they are flatwound because I can see a pretty full round. And I only broke the old strings which I had for over a year of constant use, before that someone else used them on a Mustang and they looked pretty oxidized when I took them off that bass and stored them, never thinking I would use them in the future.

There seems a cogent difference between these mystery strings and the roundwounds, even in handling them in their coiled packaged form. It felt like the Dads were less weighty, and they were very unstable once stretched and tuned. I kept hoping I was off by a few tones...so they would become tighter. No luck.
You can find heavier strings, up to around .110 I believe, from custom string suppliers. But I'd rather stick with .105 because that is how the nut is cut, the frets dressed and broken in etc.... And there's no guarantee that a 110 will be as tense as what I had since their makeup may not be the same.

Thanks for the reply. I will get pics in a day or two. I am pretty certain you will see they are roundwound, not flats. I will play whatever it takes to get that tension however. I may be headed for flatwounds in the end as they are more tense, and I probably won't miss the tone zing loss, though I do sort of rely on those sounds in my style. Maybe the flats would help me address the music from a more classical standpoint rather than to rely on effects.