Japhet Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Personally, I string through the body when possible simply because it makes more sense to me to have the pressure pulling through the whole body of the bass rather than pulling on the screws that hold the bridge in place. Probably makes no difference to the sound though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I've had couple of string-thru body Fenders. One was string-thru only so never gave it much thought, the other had a top load option (Fender HMV bridge). I prefered that bass top load only actually as the bass sounded more alive acoustically with a clearer fundamental which was great at home. Amped up with the band it mattered not a jot which way it was strung in my experience. For the record I have used TI, Chromes and Roto flats strung thru body and they were fine, no probs. Also, to stop the string-thru ferrules falling out if you go top load, a wee bit of super glue sorts that one out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 The main benefit of basses that have both options is that you can change how tight the strings feel without having to use a different gauge of string, which WILL alter the tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 BTW - I restrung the bass yesterday and, yes, it does feel tighter and more responsive! Of course, that could be partly because I have used stiffer strings (DR Low Riders) but it certainly does have a different feel to it... No idea if this will influence the sound in any way, but I have a rehearsal with one band on Tuesday an two gigs with another next weekend so I shall see then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Some say it will increase the sustain of the instrument, which might have scientific foundation or merit to it (more downward pressure on saddles - less vibration absorbed by saddle). Although if you really want more sustain, there are far more effective ways to get it - changing the bridge would be my first and possibly only step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1389430113' post='2334046'] Is every B string the same on every bass for the same string, pitch and scale length? No it isn't. This is because the structure of the bass itself and it's readiness to move under stress (strain) is a real issue that can't be ignored. I've owned American basses with one piece quartersawn maple necks and bridges made of bent steel and the B string in particular (the highest tension string) has been 'floppy' and unpleasant to use. The same strings and scale length put onto my ACG with a 7 piece wedge and bubinga neck, Hipshot bridge and very rigid neck joint are very different and the string feels much more taught (the tension however is the same). This is compliance, or relative lack of it in the case of the ACG. [/quote] Jesus do people really pluck the strings of their bass hard enough to structurally stress it and "bend" bits ??. I must be doing it wrong. Anyway cant say I have noticed any difference between my status (graphite neck) and any other of my basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1389430113' post='2334046'] Is every B string the same on every bass for the same string, pitch and scale length? No it isn't. This is because the structure of the bass itself and it's readiness to move under stress (strain) is a real issue that can't be ignored. I've owned American basses with one piece quartersawn maple necks and bridges made of bent steel and the B string in particular (the highest tension string) has been 'floppy' and unpleasant to use. The same strings and scale length put onto my ACG with a 7 piece wedge and bubinga neck, Hipshot bridge and very rigid neck joint are very different and the string feels much more taught (the tension however is the same). This is compliance, or relative lack of it in the case of the ACG. [/quote] Do you really mean the B string? Looking at the tension figures (for those manufacturers that actually give them) the highest tension string is usually the D followed by the G and then the others in order of thickness. This IMO is partly why it's difficult to get a decent sounding B string on many 5-string basses as the standard strings used simply aren't heavy enough for the tension to match the E string let alone any of the others. And why none of the manufacturers making "balanced tension" strings are making sets with low B. Therefore the basses with the best sounding and feeling B-strings are using tricks (like through body stringing) to decrease the compliance of the string to make it feel as stiff as the others even though the tension is lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389635862' post='2336388'] No you are right. It's not the B that has the highest tension. That's why a bass with less rigid structure causes problems as low tension plus greater compliance leaves you with a floppy B. The difference is relative and you don't need to dig in to notice it. Do you really mean the B string? Looking at the tension figures (for those manufacturers that actually give them) the highest tension string is usually the D followed by the G and then the others in order of thickness. This IMO is partly why it's difficult to get a decent sounding B string on many 5-string basses as the standard strings used simply aren't heavy enough for the tension to match the E string let alone any of the others. And why none of the manufacturers making "balanced tension" strings are making sets with low B. Therefore the basses with the best sounding and feeling B-strings are using tricks (like through body stringing) to decrease the compliance of the string to make it feel as stiff as the others even though the tension is lower. [/quote] Edited January 13, 2014 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Smartphones can be great, but not when you're trying to sort quotes while at work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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