Strings for 5 String bass tuning E to C. Any recommendations please.

[John The Bassman]

I have just acquired a 5 string bass. Can anyone recommend strings for 5 String bass tuning E to C. They seem hard to find. Thanks. John.

[Merton]

Get Newtone to custom wind a set for you. They’re ace.

https://newtonestrings.com

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, John The Bassman said:

I have just acquired a 5 string bass. Can anyone recommend strings for 5 String bass tuning E to C. They seem hard to find. Thanks. John.

 

Use a six-string set and ignore the low 'B'..? 

[Boodang]

I play 5 string bass and have always strung them high C, including my double bass. After hearing Eberhard Weber I was instantly a convert to high C. For some reason makes me play more melodically. 

 Quite often I just buy 6 string sets, LaBella do sell individual C strings, but my fav at the moment are the Galli Synthesis strings (they have nylon cores) and I just buy the 6 string set. For DB it's Innovation strings and they do individual high C's.

[ambient]

D’Addario, buy a four string set and a separate high C, I generally use either a .028 or a .032, depending on the gauge of the other strings.

[ordep]

i just went for a 4 string Ken Smith Burners from Bass Direct, then bought a separate Ken Smith high C from them as well. 

[thodrik]

I used to say get a set of four string Elixirs in your preferred gauge and the buy the high C string. However I have found it difficult to source the said high C string for nearly a year as they seem to be permanently out of stock at Strings Direct.

[itu]

That German T-store seems to have at least two high C sets by Fodera.

[deepbass5]

I'm with Merton and Newtone strings they make bespoke sets to your requirements, great for 32" / 30" basses and the guage, i prefer a heavy guage C almost the same as the G string but even this was too guitar like for me. So have now gone back to B-G

[TheLowDown]

You could buy cheap(about £13) 6 string sets such as the HQS from Harley Benton and then keep the B string in case you ever decide to make the switch to B-G.

[John The Bassman]

Thanks to one and all for your comments. The guitar sounding C string does seem to be a problem. Strings are becoming an expensive hobby 🙂 Cheers. John.

[John The Bassman]

Feedback on my research so far: GHS Bass Boomers do a 5 string set with a high C. I got one but the tone is a bit guitar like and the high C does not quite match the rest, although its wearing in – I was disappointed. RotoSound do a high C (thanks to Joe D'Silva for this) in their Solo Bass range, so I am going to match this with a Solo Bass 45 – 105 4 string set and see how it sounds. Using a D-Addario 6 string set would give a 100 gauge low E string which seems light to me but may be its not an issue. Is there a 'try before you buy' scheme out there for strings somewhere? Cheers. John.

[Crawford13]

20 hours ago, John The Bassman said:

Feedback on my research so far: GHS Bass Boomers do a 5 string set with a high C. I got one but the tone is a bit guitar like and the high C does not quite match the rest, although its wearing in – I was disappointed. RotoSound do a high C (thanks to Joe D'Silva for this) in their Solo Bass range, so I am going to match this with a Solo Bass 45 – 105 4 string set and see how it sounds. Using a D-Addario 6 string set would give a 100 gauge low E string which seems light to me but may be its not an issue. Is there a 'try before you buy' scheme out there for strings somewhere? Cheers. John.

If you are having this issue, I would try using a 0.32 gauge C string.

[Stingray64]

DR hi beams! Easily the best strings for high C in my opinion. Strings direct helped me get a single since I already had a 4 string set.

[BigRedX]

IME it's the long scale length that makes the higher strings sound like bad jazz guitar rather than a high bass guitar note. Certainly I was never happy with the sound of high C on any 34" scale bass when I was dabbling with it. High C does work for me on bass VIs with a 30" scale, but that be because I tend to use that and the high E for more "guitar"-like parts...