Piccolo bass strings.

[Maude]

Afternoon all. 

Being at home bored at the moment, as most of us are, I've taken a fancy to trying out a piccolo bass. I've watched a few vids of short scale basses with piccolo strings and that's the route I'm taking. D'addario do a set for around £15 and being my go to string manufacturer seems cheap and logical. 

The question of tension is where I'm in the dark. Does a set of piccolo strings put more or less tension on the neck? I know they're thinner (20,32,42,52) but being tuned an octave higher makes me think there'll be more tension. 

I'm not worried about setting the bass up, just that the three short scales I have are all either old, hollow or substandard materials, or a combination and extra tension might kill them. 

I have been looking at the Ibanez Talman short scale as I've always liked those basses and they're only £150 new, but I really shouldn't be buying any more basses. 

Sooo, any thoughts on the tension front. 

🙂

 

[itu]

http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf

[Maude]

10 minutes ago, itu said:

http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf

Thanks, I think. 🤔

I'm trying to navigate that on a phone so have to zoom in and then can't see all the different headings. 

Are piccolo bass strings even on there, or should I be looking at the guitar strings section? None under the bass strings section will be tuned an octave above the bass register. 

[itu]

Guitar strings are far shorter. Please stay with bass strings.

The piccolo tensions are followed with a .45 set.

G (20) - 41.8 lbs / (45) - 42.8 lbs

D (32) - 49 lbs / (65) - 51.3 lbs

A (42) - 46.7 lbs / (85) - 48.4 lbs

E (52) - 41.7 lbs / (105) - 40.3 lbs

Total 179.2 lbs / 182.8 lbs

The difference of 3.6 lbs is really small, isn't it?

[Maude]

Thanks for that, without being able to see it without zooming in massively, I couldn't work out what I was looking for. As you say, barely any difference, no more so than changing to flats or between light or heavy gauge strings really. 

I'll buy a set and try them on an existing bass and maybe if I like them I'll treat myself to a shortscale Talman, I've been watching some reviews and it sounds great as a shortie P, but then that's not what I want it for. 

[Maude]

I might try and put together a custom set as the d'addario one have a plain G (20) string and I'd rather have a wound one really, just for consistency in feel if it's possible, I'm assuming it is as a D in a Ernie Ball set of extra slinkie guitar strings is a wound 22.