String gauge options on a status headless?

[Musicman666]

Is it possible to experiment with various string gauges on a status headless bass or are you constricted by some form of nut slot size?

I was hoping a status headless bass might be a good platform in which to easily swap between bead and eadg string sets without having to get any work done on the nut. So is this the case or is there more to it than that assuming the bass would be initially set up for the wider gauge bead tuning? Thanks.

[Lfalex v1.1]

You might still have to adjust (slacken) the truss-rod when you switch to BEAD.

Also, I've a feeling the slots are cut for (roughly) EADG gauges, with the larger B slot only appearing on the fives. You could always take a file to it, I suppose...

[Musicman666]

So presumably if the bass is natively set up for bead then other than a slight truss rod adjustment it should be a straight swap on a lighter string set to go to eadg?

ps ...just noticed that status use a zero fret ...so i guess thinner strings shouldn't really be an issue in this case.

Edited May 14, 2021 by Musicman666

[itu]

http://web.daddario.com/StringTensionPro/

Depending on the tension values / gauges, there can be very little difference between the B and the G strings. This equals that if you change one to another, there's practically no need to adjust the truss rod.

[Lfalex v1.1]

7 hours ago, Musicman666 said:

So presumably if the bass is natively set up for bead then other than a slight truss rod adjustment it should be a straight swap on a lighter string set to go to eadg?

ps ...just noticed that status use a zero fret ...so i guess thinner strings shouldn't really be an issue in this case.

Nearly every headless I've  encountered that uses DBE strings or has the ball-ends at the bridge uses a zero fret. Allied to the tension, the slots in the "headpiece"  keep the string straight,  but don't accurately control it's height, making action adjustments (as though filing a nut slot deeper) impossible.

Enter the zero fret- this can easily be ground to give the desired action. They're often hardened or stainless to resist wear and tear from the strings constantly being in contact with them. An added bonus is that "open" notes supposedly sound more like their fretted counterparts as technically they're still over a fret and not a nut of a different material...

You'd need a clean signal chain, new strings and golden ears to notice that,  I reckon.