Find strings that fit your short scale bass - Demo and options for 30”, 28.6” and Hofner
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
- In this unsponsored video, we will discuss the factors that will determine whether or not certain strings will fit your short scale bass (roundwounds and flatwounds). We will discuss the 'string wound length' and how it will affect your string choice. As well, I will provide some suitable string options for 30" scale top load, 30" scale string-through, 28.6" scale and Hofner Beatle-style basses. The second part of the video will describe the strings I currently use on my main short scale basses.
I am not affiliated with any string manufacturers.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Declaration
01:00 String guides and model to be used
02:25 String wound length
04:38 30" scale
10:10 28.6" scale
13:55 Hofner Beatle-style
16:10 My Fender PJ Mustang Thomastik Infeld flats
18:20 My F bass VF4 short TI flats
20:45 My Atelier Z J Bass Dunlop Super Bright Nickels
21:46 My Hofner Contemporary Club Labella Beatle flats
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As a complete and total bass nerd, I really appreciate time and the effort you put into making your videos. You have quickly become one of my favorite sites to check into. Wish you success and hope you get the following you deserve.
Ahh, you’re so kind! You’ve made my day! Thank you for supporting me and my little upstart!
Very helpful with new information that I have not seen elsewhere.
Thanks so much for watching! Glad it was helpful!
This is EXACTLY the information I was looking for. Thank you so very much.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! Hope you find strings that work for you!
rotosound RS 77M jazz bass strings will fit Hofners properly. They're flatwound medium scale standard gauge (40-50-75-90 ).I used them for 40 years before
switching to the more expensive Labellas
That’s so great to know! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Thank you so much, all your videos are so interesting and helpful.
I very much appreciate the encouragement! Thanks for watching!
The takeaway here is that, whatever your string needs, La Bella has you covered.
Yes, Labella does have more ‘specialty’ type offerings! Whether you like the feel or sound is another matter, but they’ll probably custom make you something.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you good sir. Glad I came across your videos, especially this fine installment. You are an incredibly engaging and informative poster. I recently purchased the exact Hofner model as you showcase and have been looking at strings to replace the roundwounds that are included from the factory. Though I have been looking at short scale flatwound strings, I would have quite possibly purchased the wrong set had it not been for this video.
You're so kind! Thank you! I like the tone I'm getting with the Labella Beatle flats on my Club palm muted with a pick, but I'm not totally sold on the finger sound (slightly boring, lacking in character). I'm sure the search will continue at some point!
Thanks so much for watching!
You have put a lot of effort into this video and it's much appreciated. I have a Ibanez Mikro and you have done my homework for me. I'm enjoying all your short scale videos.
Thanks so much for watching and for such positive comments!! The Mikro’s a fun bass!
I play mostly guitar, but also a bit of bass (34" scale). I plan to build a 30" scale bass soon and you've been one of my go-to YT channels to learn the particularities of short scale basses. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks so much for watching!!
Super comprehensive video Jon! great job!
Thanks so much Ted!
Bravo! And thank you, Jonathan. Lots of helpful info I didn't know, including where and when to bend the 'rules'. I hope it was as useful to others
Thanks so much for watching my videos!
I am a guitarist but just started to look at short or medium scale bass for me and my 12 years old daughter to start and I am glad that I found your channel. You've been very helpful sir.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Best to you and your daughter!
Great detailed video!! Thanks
Thanks so much for watching and for the encouragement!
Thanks for the info about the Hofner Beatle bass . I have bought one and was buying a wrong set of strings, and instead I have bought the Labella Beatles short scale strings as you recommanded in your vidéo.Thanks
Right on! The Hofner tuners are a pain, unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
Another incredible video Jonathan, thank you for your time, attention to detail and terrific ability to make the complex simple
Thank you so much for watching and for your encouragement! Much appreciated!
I found the most comfortable and best sounding strings for my short scale basses is the D’Addario Chrome XL flat wounds.
For a mass produced string, D’Addario certainly has quality control perfected! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video man 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thanks for watching! Hope it was useful!
Great info! 🌞
Thanks for watching!
Newtone Strings (UK) for custom length rounds.
Pyramid Strings (Germany) for custom length flats and tapes.
Cool suggestions! Those brands are not very popular around here (Winnipeg Canada). Pyramids can be ordered from a few online retailers but I’ve never tried their custom lengths yet. Hopefully soon!
Thanks for the suggestions and for watching!
Hofner German reissues are strung with Pyramid flats...beautiful woody tone.
@@joycerichardson1810 Awesome! Thanks for sharing the info! I'll have to check them out.
love your content, thank you.
Thanks for watching and for the encouragement!
Thank you very much! These videos are very informative and very helpful especially for someone like me who just got interested in the electric bass guitar and is clueless about the instrument. Excellent work, thanks!
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Thank you for producing this informative and entertaining content. It's helpful and I'm saving it as a reference. You're very good at explaining things clearly, concisely and in a manner that's easy-to-understand. It's appreciated. As an aside, kudos must be given for the excellent t-shirt. All the best!
Ahh, thanks!! You’re the first to comment on the shirt! I definitely live a complicated life, so my wife thought the irony would be appreciated when she bought me the shirt!
Thanks for watching!
Heh, that made me smile. Kudos to her for her sense of humor.@@jonathanwong458music
Good Info!
Hi! Thanks for watching!
As a newbie bass player, but a long time guitarist, thank you so much for a very informative video.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Another highly informative video Jonathan! Think I'm going to order the La Bella flats for my Squier Mustang - Thanks again
Awesome! Labella is pretty clear on their website about which strings fit what and when to not use certain strings. I really like that degree of openness. Many companies unfortunately don't publish their string wound lengths or provide guides or recommendations, which leaves the buyer (experienced or not) with a bit of a 'gamble & roll the dice' type scenario. And good strings aren't cheap!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks, interesting video
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Knowing that Fender used long scale on the JMJ, I tried them on the Mustang through-body. No issues (I replicated stock string length when cutting). I also had a conundrum with my Guild Starfire 1 bass, which is a 30.75” scale. I thought it would be medium scale like the Mustang, but I had to remove some of the silk from the E and A strings on the Jim Dunlop medium scale flats because the Guild bass has an asymmetrical tailpiece and the silks of the E and A went over the nut slightly. In the future, I’ll probably have to go to long scale flats in the future. Another unique thing about the Guild Starfire 1 is that the headstock tuners aren’t in a row like Fender, but 2 per side, so the A and G strings are 2.5” longer than the E and D strings… The Dunlops are expensive, but you might love them on the string-through body Mustang because they sound great and are lower tension than LaBella.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! That knowledge may help a lot of through-body mustang players.
Re the guild's asymmetrical tailpiece. Oh man! Using the long scales on the higher strings is likely less of an issue due to the thinner wraps. Best case scenario is assembling a custom set with individual strings, but that can get pretty expensive very quickly.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
I appreciate the video, thanks! I've been using D'Addario Medium scale half-rounds on my 73 Mustang Bass (String-thru) for years which fit perfectly. The taper winding starts for the E,A and D strings just over an inch beyond the nut. No taper on the G. Current set is approaching 4 years and they still sound great. Which is fortunate because D'Addario has stopped making this set! So like you I may need to break the rule and get a regular scale with full string width wound on some of the tuners. Oh well. I know in the past (I've owned this bass since 1979) I've used regular scales with no problems, like you report. Cheers and thanks.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences!
I have been looking for this exact info. I have a Bronco bass that I want to put flats on. Im a guitarist and flats are way more expensive than strings I am used to. This takes out all the guess work. Im going to get some short scale Chromes and give it a go. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching! The bronco is 30” top load only, so the XL chromes short scale should fit perfectly!
As an aside, I’m currently doing a series on modding a sonic bronco, piece by piece, and later on, I hope to demo different strings on it!
Just found your channel, Jonathan. I am a new subscriber. All of my basses are short scale except one, which is the 32 scale Ibanez Mezzo. I have flats and tapes on all of my basses. RotoSound tru bass RS88M are medium scale tape wounds that will fit the Hofner Beatle bass and the Club bass. RotoSound jazz bass 77 RS77S are flat wound strings that will fit the Ibanez Mikro and the Squier Mini basses.
My next short scale bass will be the Ibanez EHB1000S, which is headless. Apparently it doesn't matter what scale of strings that you put on it, because you will be cutting them off after you put them in the "Ibanez custom head piece".
Thanks so much for watching, subscribing and sharing your experiences! Much appreciated! I have been wanting to try that Ibanez in a 5 string. None available locally, unfortunately.
Thank you for making this incredible video! I wish I had seen it three years ago before all my re- stringing false starts.
I have owned ten short-scale basses, including pretty much every 28.6 on the market. I prefer flatwounds and put flatwounds on every single one, though recently I did put a set of D'Addario short-scale nylon tape wounds on my Jackson Minion and it sounds incredible (so Motown). So here's the skinny on flatwounds because I have used four different kinds.
First of all, DR short-scales do not work on a 28.6 because DRs are 33.5 inches from the bridge end to the silk, which is too long. For a 28.6, length to silk cannot exceed 32 inches. The DRs will probably work on a 30 inch, however. Sadly, Ibanez does not make a set of miKro flats.
Here are the short-scale flats that I have used, all of which fit a 28.6 perfectly:
GHS
D'Addario
LaBella
Dunlop
My favorite are the Dunlops because of how they feel, though I would characterize the D'Addarios as the brightest. LaBellas I found to be too dull, with GHS somewhere in the middle. If you have a five-string 28.6, such as in the Ibanez GSRM with five strings, I found the best five-string set to be the Dunlops. I found that LaBella five set B string to be so floppy that I could not even get a sound out of it. The same discussion may not hold for a 30-inch short scale.
My favorite place to read about strings is on the Fret Nation website.
That’s awesome and helpful info! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!
Boy did i need this video. so professionally presented. I'm a jazz guitar player that just got into bass guitar. I'm also intrigued with lead bass. I just got great deals on a Jackson minion bass and a Gretsch g2220. I have Labella Jazz tapes (Guitar strings) on order for the Jackson. That will become my lead bass experiment. I'm shopping for flatwound strings for the Gretsch. I like D'Adario Chromes on my guitars so I'm leaning in that direction. Any recommendations? Thanks again for a great video. I learned a lot.
Thanks so much! For the Gretsch, here are two links that may be helpful:
th-cam.com/video/yZibmu9dCE4/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/uCqfC09W0XY/w-d-xo.html
I have found the D'addario chromes for bass to be a bit on the tight/higher tension side and they seem to always have a brighter clank to them, even if you let them settle and deaden out. Which can be great if you want a newer school flat sound. They don't sound vintage Jamerson, though.
TI are really expensive and I've been using them for a long time. I am experimenting with GHS precision light flats too. Maybe a video to follow in a month or two.
Thanks for watching!
For short scale strings, I really like Stringjoy.
I've yet to give those a try. Thanks for the tip and for watching and commenting!
Ernie Ball just came out with a set of cobalt flats for 30" scale bass. The gauges run 50 to 110 which yield pretty much the same tension on a short scale as 45 to 105s yield on a long scale. They sound similar to D'Addario Chromes with that bright zing. They are a little gritty and I can feel the difference when I play with a pick. So what I do is take some 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper and sand the area where I use the pick, smooths them out nicely and doesn't affect the sound. Hope this helps fellow shorty low enders.
Sanding some of the finish off with super fine sand paper is such a clever idea! I too, generally find cobalts a bit in the sticky side. Do you get corrosion or rust-like build up?
Thx for watching and sharing your experiences!
@@jonathanwong458music So far no issues with corrosion or rust. I use 2000 grit wet/dry which is pretty high grit, usually used for wet sanding finishes before buffing. All it really does it knock down the roughness. it only takes about 10 to 15 seconds per string. The first time I did it, the strings where still on the bass (I put a paper towel between the strings and the bass itself to keep the residue from getting on the bass. I then clean the sanded area with window cleaner and a paper towel. Keep up the good work.
That’s awesome. Thanks!
Nicely put together video! Back in the 60s my dad put together a kit bass (kinda a Hofner knockoff) which is *super* super short scale - I measured it at about 25"! Needless to say, finding strings for it is an endless struggle (I believe Fernandes used to make a set for their travel basses, but they're no longer in production). Do you have any ideas or suggestions as to what might fit?
Oh man! 25" is going to be a tough one to find off the shelf. I can see how this bass would have sentimental value, though. As finding strings for 28.6" is already difficult, my best suggestion would be to contact a company such as Labella (as they do and can make custom strings) and see whether they are able to make or modify an existing model for you. The bigger companies are likely so automated and economized that custom strings may not be possible.
Best of luck to you! And thanks for watching!
As a bass beginner, already decided on a Short Scale Bass, this is a very informative, well explained video on the 'reality' of short scale/medium scale string lengths that need to be considered in any restringing effort. On 2 of your videos directed at Gretsch Jet Junior Bass 'stringing' examples, it seemed the Thomastik Jazz Flat Wounds (JF344) had packaging labeled- Long Scale, how did you get them to work on your Gretsch? Sorry, keyed this mid-video, you answered later- I like them so much, I didn't care about 'the rules'. ;)
I use the long TI flats on several of my short scales. I didn’t like the short scale set as the gauges are different - 106 E string). If you top load them, which is my preference (vs. string through the body), I still had flat wraps around the tuning post, so there was really no real advantage to the short set for me. I’m sure the folks at thomastik are cursing me, but to date, I have not had any issues with stringing this way. And they sound and feel awesome. But $$$. No string or artist deals here!
Thanks for watching!!
Hi Dr. Wong, I'd like to know what your thoughts are on installing a string thru body bridge on a Squier Mini P. Would you go with a 30" scale string or something else ?
If you drilled through the body, you would need to add the thickness of the body to the string wound length. So the closest would be a ‘short scale’ set.
I have always preferred top load bridges in terms of feel. Some flatwounds also state that they shouldn’t be used on a string through (some Labellas come to mind).
But a string through on a 28.6” mini would potentially give you way more string options!
Thanks for watching!
I've just bought 2nd hand CV Mustang Bass, so I've found so much useful information on your channel, Jonathan. Appreciate it! And I've ordered Chromes 45-100, Dunlop 40-100, Dunlop 45-105 (all are flatwounds). Which of these strings do you prefer? Sometimes, for several songs I will drop the 4th string in D.
In the first sign, in compare with my Coolz Japan Jazz Bass, CVMB is lacking fullness, width of tone (however , I got CVMB with absolutely dead roundwound strings). I hope new strings will do it's job!
Thank you very much! Best regards.
Thanks for watching! the D'addario chromes are a pretty bright sounding flatwound, it's not really a thumpy/vintage tone to my ear. It's more of a smooth sound and there's still quite a lot of sustain. I haven't tried the Dunlop flats myself, but I love their super bright nickels. Those feel great!
If you're dropping the low string to D, you may benefit from the heavier set (the 105). It'll keep the E string from being too flabby and loose.
Good luck in the string hunt!
@@jonathanwong458music Thank you, Jonathan! +1 subscriber.
Did you try 32' scale basses?
Yes I have. I just uploaded a video on the Ibanez mezzo!
Darnit .. i was hoping youd tell me the exact string to use on my 24" scale martin 000cjr-10e to stop the crazy roll that these strings are having. Why isn't everything always perfect???
Hey, good video though thanks. Watched the whole vid.
Sorry, wish i could help out! But the really short acoustic style basses I have very little experience with.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Hey really interesting video, I appreciate your effort! I was wondering at the end if the special light gauge laBella strings for the Club and Beatle Bass were less floppy than the TI strings? The gauge of the laBella strings seems pretty light to me and thus should be more lose right?
What experience did you have in the past with different string gauges on your SC-Basses? From my experience the low E usually misses some clarity and definition due to the shorter scale length and I've heard that you could compensate that with a heavier gauge. Would be interesting to hear your opinion on this :)
Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for watching!
Re strings for Hofner. The gauges for the Labella for Hofner are numerically weird/different (96-77-56-39). But put head to head with the TI flats I had on my Club bass, they actually feel quite a bit stiffer. I think it's in the construction. I have never got on with the Deep Talkin flats on other basses but this set fit on my Club bass without me wrestling it through the tuner hole, so they get to stay. It did, however, bring out a dead spot, which was annoying. I have a separate video on how I mitigated that!
Re low E. To be honest, I haven't really struggled with weak E strings on my basses. I'm not sure why, otherwise I could provide suggestions. I think the setup has a lot to do with it. I did try the TI flat short scale set which had the 106 E string and I gotta say, I actually prefer the feel of the 100 E. I think it would be perfect with a 102 or 103, but I'm not a Thomastik artist!
I have a bunch of play-through type videos earlier on when I first started this TH-cam journey if you want to hear how the basses I typically use sound!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@jonathanwong458music Thanks for your detailed answer! Seems to be worth it keeping the LaBella strings in mind even if they brought out a dead spot on your bass.
I was also thinking about changing my setup to deal with the E string. But good to hear that you didn't have any issues on your basses!
The Labellas on the Hofner sounds more Hofner-esque, especially when played with a pick. It has a deeper, thumpier tone than the TIs. I have a recent video on a danelectro where I play the Hofner with Labella's as a comparison. Here's a link: th-cam.com/video/Osc6YMe48WY/w-d-xo.html
Great all around productions, thank you! What size bass strings for 32 scale Squire jag?
Thanks for watching! If I’m not mistaken, those jaguars were top load only and not string through right? If so, you want ‘medium’ scale strings. (32” scale). The short scale sets will be too short.
@@jonathanwong458music Thanks, for your axe wisdom, grateful appreciation!
Right on! Good luck finding strings you like and enjoy!
Gad, I hate dead spots on basses. I don't keep / buy a bass if it is inflicted. My Squier Bronco and Korean Rogue Violin basses are completely devoid of this scourge as is my all carbon Steinberger XL-2A. My Hofner has a few minor spots, but it's so thuddy, you don't really notice them a whole bunch. My 77 B.C. Rich Mockingbird has one, but it just sits in it's case waiting to be sold someday. I like GHS Pressurewounds for the 30" and 32" (Hofner and Rogue).
Yeah man, dead spots drive me nuts too. I made a video on reducing dead spots on my Hofner Club. Thanks for watching!
So can I put Ernie Ball Short Scale Flatwounds on my Hofner Club Bass? They use the 32" scale, and you said that the Hofner is a 30", but really a 32" because of the tail piece. Thanks.
If they are marketed as a 32” scale, the length should be fine, however, the bigger concern is whether the string end will fit into the tuner hole. On my club bass, the tuner string hole is so small that most flatwounds won’t fit (too thick on the silk end) . That’s why I switched over to beatle bass specific labellas. I would check with Ernie ball before you buy!
@@jonathanwong458music Right, okay. Another question, I know that Hofners can only take so much pressure from the strings. What do you think is the max string gauge for a Hofner, specifically a Hofner Club Bass? I'm thinking of getting .050 .070 .085 .105. Thanks.
@@topps4213 Interesting, I have never heard of a legitimate case of the top of a Hofner bass caving in under string pressure (or the neck joint coming apart). That being said, I might shy away from heavy strings on a Hofner not so much because of the tension, but rather, the string spacing is rather narrow on the typical Hofner bass (~14mm spacing) so heavier strings may feel really close together. Might feel weird.
I'm about to buy my first short scale bass (Harley Benton PB-Shorty for lefty), but there aren't short scale strings available in my country so I'm a little scared in the long term that I can't find strings that fit, would it be too bad if I just use a regular "mainstream" string type? like for example an Ernie Ball or Daddario Regular (50-105) or Hybrid (45-100)?
You can try long scales, as I described at towards the end of this video, that’s what I do. The risk you run is that you snap the core or the windings. The stock strings on the Harley Bentons are passable. Where are you located? Does Amazon deliver to your country? Thomann should be able to deliver you some strings?
@@jonathanwong458music I noticed you did, so I guess I should take the risk when the bass arrives, who knows I guess it works fine, I decided to switch to short scale basses due shoulder pain mostly
I'm from Chile and Amazon does deliver to my country but it is too expensive and not every item can be sent so what I can buy there is more limited (I think in 2024 they will establish a center here so I guess that is a future possibility) and no chance from Thomann, it is way too far and it would be way too expensive between shipping and taxes as there are no branches of Thomann in latin america (AFAIK)
I forgot to mention that I only use roundwound strings, I like flats but they don't cut well in a mix for the music that I play (alternative, punk, metal, shoegaze, grunge, etc)
Thanks for watching all the way from Chile! I have used the D’addario XL long scale 100-45 for sure on a short scale and they seemed ok. Hopefully they will work for you too! Good luck!
I'm thinking of getting a 5 string 27" scale bass (Valiant Mini Bass 5) but I'm afraid I won't be able to get any new strings for it 🤔
Yeah, you likely won't find 27" off the shelf, unfortunately. However....here's a link for a Form Factor Wombik 27" bass and the page states that it uses custom Labella strings. My best suggestion would be to contact Labella and maybe they can sell you, make or modify an existing model to suit your needs. I would be interested to hear that low B in such a short scale!
Thanks for watching!
www.ampshopbassexchange.com/product/woodcraft-wombik-4-special-edition-mini-scale-27-4-string-electric-bass-guitar/
Custom length strings:
Newtone (UK) strings for rounds.
Pyramid (Germany) for flats & tapes
@@1966Graham thanks for the info! I'll look into this :)
what is the difference between a round round and a flat round string?
Thanks for watching! Here is a link to a page that describes the difference:
www.sweetwater.com/insync/flatwound-vs-roundwound-bass-strings/
@@jonathanwong458music thx so much, ... just got my red one, too. Ur videos are good.
Just red the side. VERY good explained with audio examples. Fantastic.
Thanks!!
My martin 000cjr-10e short scale bass is trash cause the nylon strings roll terribly and they say dont use steel strings .
Oh man! Sorry to hear about that….the Martin is a 24” scale? Super short. I can see how steel strings could tear it apart if it’s not braced for that kind of tension. I haven’t tried those yet. Are the strings like those on the Goldtone uke style basses? Fat rubber bands on those.
Thanks for watching. Unfortunately my video was more geared towards solid body short scales.
#92_helpFullAndFun_thanks🇺🇸🇮🇱✝️
Thanks for watching!