Floppy B String

[Chienmortbb]

I bought a Yamaha 5 string and it has unidentified strings fitted. The B string seems too floppy for me to use so I haft thdcfollowing questions. 

Is it just the string? It is 130 thou. thick. 

I read about pushing the string hard down on the nut and bridge, Does this work and how is it done. 
 

Is a particular brand/type of string better than another?

Thd Bass is a Yamaha and has a scale length of 34”

[itu]

If you do a comparison on similar strings (SS RW as an example), the thickness defines tension. Thicker needs more tension and vice versa. If that 130 is too sloppy, try a 135.

Pushing the string is just pushing or bending it over the nut or bridge.

There is a difference in sound between SS and nickel strings. You need to try them and find your preference.

I play strings that are made in the same factory the name represents: Rotosound, GHS, D'Addario... they are reliable. Many of the brands come from few factories. If your hands sweat alot, you may try coated ones (Elixir etc.).

[pete.young]

2 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

I bought a Yamaha 5 string and it has unidentified strings fitted. The B string seems too floppy for me to use so I haft thdcfollowing questions. 

Is it just the string? It is 130 thou. thick. 

I read about pushing the string hard down on the nut and bridge, Does this work and how is it done. 
 

Is a particular brand/type of string better than another?

Thd Bass is a Yamaha and has a scale length of 34”

Some strings are higher in tension than others for the same external diameter. This is frequently due to them having hexagon cores rather than round cores.

Some manufacturers publish string tension information - D'addario and GHS do, and probably others too.

GHS Boomers and DR Low RIders are generally reckoned to have higher tension than other alternatives. And then there are flatwounds - Chromes are high-tension, TI Flats relatively low.

[Chienmortbb]

17 hours ago, pete.young said:

Some strings are higher in tension than others for the same external diameter. This is frequently due to them having hexagon cores rather than round cores.

Some manufacturers publish string tension information - D'addario and GHS do, and probably others too.

GHS Boomers and DR Low RIders are generally reckoned to have higher tension than other alternatives. And then there are flatwounds - Chromes are high-tension, TI Flats relatively low.

Four lines of sanity after trawling through years worth of rubbish on the "other place". Thank you.

[BigRedX]

The other thing to realise is that on nearly every set of bass guitar strings the highest tension string is the D. Then as you move higher or lower from this, the tension reduces with each string. The result is that the B string is by far to lowest tension string in a 5-string set and for anyone without the lightest of light touches when playing it is very noticeable. For me 130 is the thinnest low B I would consider and usually I would want a 135 minimum to go with the feel of a standard 40-100 4-string set.