Yep same here on my Club bass. I also put a piece of foam between the bridge and the bridge pickup as a string damper. That might be something to try if you’re playing bluegrass. You still get the thump but the decay is gone.
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String suggestions for Epiphone Voila bass
- Thread starter dhudson
- Start date
GHS Precision flats - medium scale.
Smooth fudge. My 2 cents
THE godsend for short scale bass players is the GHS Balanced Pure Nickels. They are specifically engineered for short scale bass. They are not simply cut down versions of long scale strings. As the name suggests, they are balanced in tone and tension string-to-string and up the neck. They don't flop or twang or thump, and they have solid intonation and stability. I put a set on last fall to get ready to rehearse with my short scale travel bass to get ready for my band's annual trip to Mexico in February. Through personal practice, steady rehearsals, and the gigs, I still have the same set on the bass. A friend of mine who has played short scale basses for 40 years says they are the best strings he has ever played. I wish there were a way to get them to fit the Epi/Hofner setup.
I’ve got short scale roto77’s on my club bass copy and the silks stop just before the nut. Not sure what the distance between the bridge and the tailpiece is on the viola, though.
If you're looking for the classic Hofner Violin/Beatle bass sound there's only one set of strings that will give you that: Pyramid Golds. The Pyramid Gold short scale sets are specifically designed for short scale basses with a tail piece and should fit this bass nicely. The winding lenght is comparable to medium scale from most other string manufacturers. No other "Beatle bass" strings will give you THAT classic violin bass tone, not even close.
Whether this is a good tone for bluegrass is a different matter of course. I don't play bluegrass so I can't really comment on that. Also be aware that the E-string with Pyramid Golds is extremely dark&thumpy but if you're used to double bass I'm sure you can handle that just fine.
The LaBella "Beatle bass" flats that others have mentioned are great strings too but with a different tone. Personally I prefer Pyramids Golds on violin basses but I love LaBella flats on other basses. They're both great strings and I don't think you can go wrong with either if you're looking for a dark thumpy tone from your violin bass.
Be aware that with the exception of the insanely dark&thumpy Pyramid E-string both these sets will be quite bright and metallic sounding out of the box and will need some breaking in before they deliver the fat thump they are known for. The LaBellas will have a more evenly balanced break-in period. The Pyramids will have a HUGE difference in timbre from E to G before they mellow out. The first couple of weeks with the Pyramids will sound THUMP-thud-clank-ZING going from E to G. But once they've mellowed out they're absolutely gorgeous on a violin bass!
Whether this is a good tone for bluegrass is a different matter of course. I don't play bluegrass so I can't really comment on that. Also be aware that the E-string with Pyramid Golds is extremely dark&thumpy but if you're used to double bass I'm sure you can handle that just fine.
The LaBella "Beatle bass" flats that others have mentioned are great strings too but with a different tone. Personally I prefer Pyramids Golds on violin basses but I love LaBella flats on other basses. They're both great strings and I don't think you can go wrong with either if you're looking for a dark thumpy tone from your violin bass.
Be aware that with the exception of the insanely dark&thumpy Pyramid E-string both these sets will be quite bright and metallic sounding out of the box and will need some breaking in before they deliver the fat thump they are known for. The LaBellas will have a more evenly balanced break-in period. The Pyramids will have a HUGE difference in timbre from E to G before they mellow out. The first couple of weeks with the Pyramids will sound THUMP-thud-clank-ZING going from E to G. But once they've mellowed out they're absolutely gorgeous on a violin bass!
When you told him to measure the E string you didn't specify if he should take it off the bass prior to measuring. If the distance is 33.25", a string with an unstretched length of 32.75" should work.
I thought it was illegal under international law to put anything but Labella Beatle flats on any violin style bass.
I'm only halfway being sarcastic.
I'm only halfway being sarcastic.
You own that bass for the Macca vibe. No other reason. So put LaBella Beatle flats on it. Done.
It's quite possible... But when the string needs to stretch a full half inch on a short scale just to be barely long enough, that's what I would call "too close for comfort". I try not to make recommendations based on "possibly", "maybe" or "should work".
The reason I mentioned 32.75" is that's the length GHS uses as a sort of universal short scale now, with the idea that it works for violin type basses and other short scales.It's quite possible... But when the string needs to stretch a full half inch on a short scale just to be barely long enough, that's what I would call "too close for comfort". I try not to make recommendations based on "possibly", "maybe" or "should work".
If I'm going to measure for the winding length I need i think it's better to mark the string at the nut, loosen the string and then measure from the ball to the mark I've made. That's always worked for me. And I don't think a half inch stretch when tuned to pitch is much at all.
I used to believe that the LaBella thing for violin basses was a joke, and now it's all I use on my violin basses.
3/30/21 update: Thanks for all the input. After looking at several options, I ordered the D'Addario Chromes ECB81M medium scale. They were the right length; unfortunately the ball ends were too large to fit in the slot. So back to looking. Sweetwater has recommended the LaBella Beatle Bass flatwound, product 760FHBB. Guess I get a set of those and check.
The La Bella "Beatle Bass" Flats are thinner at the tuner end (ie silked part), but according to the info I have, the ball ends are the same size as any other, including D'Addario.
One thing I should point out is D'A Chromes are silked at the ball end, which can be a problem on some basses, but the La Bella Flats are not.
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So, are you saying it's the actual size of the ball end that's the main issue, not the extra thickness of the string itself before the ball end due to the silk?