Elixir Strings Too Short?

[PsyBean]

I've discovered a bit of an anomaly with Elixir strings on a Fender Jazz V American Elite.

I noticed a buzz/overtone on the E string so took a closer look and it turns out the string diameter is not consistent for the whole length of the string. This is in addition to the obvious diameter change between the nut and tuning peg. There is a second drop in diameter about 10mm before the obvious size change and when stringing the bass through the body at the bridge, means that this additional small diameter change occurs before the nut on the E string and on the nut on the B string. I've measured the E string accurately with a micrometer and the diameter is 0.1042” for the length of the string from the bridge, reducing to 0.0930” just before the nut then 0.0687” for the last length to the post. The string is described as being 0.1050” so is marginally under size but I guess within tolerance. You can just make out the diameter change in the photo and appears to be the cause of the overtone. Clearly this will have the effect of lowering the action on the E string but the overtone is not fret buzz. The overtone does disappear if I apply light pressure to the E string at the nut.

The strings are normal long scale and purchased from a very reputable source. I used Elixirs on a Stingray 5 to great effect so decided to fit them to my Jazz V but they don't seem to fit properly when stringing through the body. The overtone makes them unusable for anything other than practice and they're not cheap! Other strings, such as Ernie Balls are fine.

Has anyone else come across this?

Thanks. 

[PsyBean]

So, bit of experimenting; restrung the E string through the bridge which results in the small diameter change being about 30mm closer to the peg and past the nut. The overtone has gone! Obviously will have to restring all the others through the bridge and a bit concerned that this will stress the saddle kink created from having been strung through the body. There is about 30mm more string length required when stringing through the body. Think I've now probably ruined this £50+ set for any serious use.

Moral of the tale appears to be; Don't string Elixirs through the body of a Fender Jazz V, they are too short!!! Possibly same for other through-body bridges.

Edited August 16, 2019 by PsyBean

[ped]

Yes going through the bridge is the way to go. Shouldn’t think the strings will be affected at all 👍🏻

[PsyBean]

One of the selling points of the American Elite Jazz is the through-body roving but have to conclude Elixirs are not suitable for this. Restrung all 5 strings through the bridge but there is an obvious kink on every string just past the bridge. You can just make it out on the E string in the pic above. This must affect tuning and integrity so this set will have to go. I have to be able to trust my strings!

[ped]

1 minute ago, PsyBean said:

One of the selling points of the American Elite Jazz is the through-body roving but have to conclude Elixirs are not suitable for this. Restrung all 5 strings through the bridge but there is an obvious kink on every string just past the bridge. You can just make it out on the E string in the pic above. This must affect tuning and integrity so this set will have to go. I have to be able to trust my strings!

Only one way to tell - tune it to pitch, play it a bit then re check. Reckon it’ll be back to normal in no time. Unless the core or covering is damaged, which I doubt, it’s very elastic and stretches a long way (you can sometimes see it at the tuner end over the windings)

[TheGreek]

Copy the CS dept at Elixir in on this thread and ask for their input...hopefully they can learn something from this and make the required changes.

BC contributing to product development!!

[PsyBean]

Dropped Elixir people a line, hoping they’ll look into this, only a slight mod required. Tuning holds fine, it’s the damage I’m worried about. The core will never be truly straight again and integrity must be compromised to some degree. 

[PsyBean]

So full marks to Paul at Strings Direct for responding really positively on this and offering to help me out and speak to Elixir. Many thanks.

[hooky_lowdown]

So, what you're saying is you brought standard length strings, put them on a through-body and they were too short. And you didn't buy longer length strings (for through-bodies) because? Or did I miss something?

[PsyBean]

On 21/08/2019 at 20:58, hooky_lowdown said:

So, what you're saying is you brought standard length strings, put them on a through-body and they were too short. And you didn't buy longer length strings (for through-bodies) because? Or did I miss something?

Thanks for that. Ernie Ball long scale strings fitted fine when roved through-body, Elixir long scale strings did not. Elixir don't appear to give the distance from ball-end to taper of their long-scale strings so I wouldn't realistically know that they would be shorter than the Ernie Ball strings. An extra-long scale Elixir string would be too long as there would be no taper before the tuning peg, not ideal. There's an excellent article here https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/blog/how-to-measure-bass-scale-length/ so while I may not have properly understood scale and speaking length, I'm satisfied that I've bought the right length of strings. Elixir don't sell an extra-long scale 5 string set anyway so I'd be having to make up a bespoke set, which seems a bit strange for pretty common Fender Jazz. Despite my woeful ignorance, the folks at http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/ have been excellent.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Is the jazz V 35" scale by any chance?