Short scale strings.

[Dazed]

What’s the general consensus on using long scale strings trimmed down? 
Just came across this on FB seems like a good idea if not the prettiest. 
 

Since the selection of short scale bass strings is limited and often hard to find, I have come up with an easy way to use any length string on your bass. 
I went to my nearest home improvement store and bought a couple of electrical copper lugs for 14 ga wire (about $1.50 each). I put them in a vise and ground off the flat lug part so that it was just the cylinder. I put my long scale string on the bass so the silk is in the correct position on the headstock above the nut. The ball end is now sticking out from the back of the bridge since the string is too long. I cut the ball end off the string and slide the copper lug on the cut end of the string up to where it meets the bridge and tighten it down holding onto the lug with some large pliers and using a flat screwdriver to tighten the screw. I snip off the excess string from the back and I’m done. The lugs are reusable when you change strings and I have never had one slip off. It’s fast and easy and has allowed me to use Cobalt Flats on my Hofner Ignition Club Bass and they have made it into a beast. Before I came up with this workaround, I broke an E string and an A string trying to get them to work on this bass since the unwound portion of many strings will not bend sharply enough around these tiny tuners without breaking. I suppose you could also add some super glue to the new “ball end” for added security but I’ve used this method for three years without a failure.

 

 

[Lozz196]

I`m fortunate that on my Mustang basses long scale strings are fine, possibly due to the string-thru maybe.

[BigRedX]

Just buy the correct length strings for your bass.

 

Newtone here in the UK will produce exactly what you want (if they don't already), and especially for short scale strings they are far better than the mainstream competition in tone and price.

[EssentialTension]

To me that seems a lot of trouble to go to when you could just buy the right scale strings.

[Dazm66]

13 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Just buy the correct length strings for your bass.

 

Newtone here in the UK will produce exactly what you want (if they don't already), and especially for short scale strings they are far better than the mainstream competition in tone and price.

Agree 100%. I’ve been converted to these after buying a medium scale ACG from a member here which had them fitted. Really make a difference to your tone in a good way.  Just put a set on my jazz which I’ve always felt a bit ‘meh’ about and it has been transformed. 

[Dazed]

Back when I was playing regularly I started to use Elixirs, I haven’t checked but wonder if they do short scale sets. 

[Osiris]

I've played short scales exclusively for a few years now and have always strung them with long scale strings, mostly because I bought a job lot of strings when they were on offer years ago so I have a surplus to get through! I've never had any problems with using long scale strings on short scale basses, yes you end up with an extra turn around the machine head post and the E sting can sometimes look a bit dodgy as you usually end up with some of the fat part of the string wrapped around the post, but honestly it's never been a problem, IME. That's 6 or 7 different basses with maybe a couple of string changes each. Never had a string snap or any intonation issues either. 

[ped]

1 hour ago, Dazed said:

Back when I was playing regularly I started to use Elixirs, I haven’t checked but wonder if they do short scale sets. 

 

They don't but they fit OK - at least the light gauge ones bend around a tuner without any problem. It would be neat if they did make them though, but the parent company seem preoccupied with other things so for now I'm just glad they make them at all, because I love Elixirs!

[fretmeister]

In my experience long scale strings are fine if the tuning post is a traditional large one.

 

If the post is a mini sized then the coil is much tighter and the string can break there much more easily - especially with flatwounds.

 

As much as the OP's janky engineering approach is quite cool I could not be dealing with that faffing about.

[meterman]

I have a cut down set of the Jamerson La Bellas on my 25” scale precision copy. I cut them down at the tuners end and just hoped they wouldn’t unravel on the tuner posts. The E string slightly unravelled during the fitting but it’s been stable for about 10 years.

 

There’s no way I would have cut down £50 strings if I hadn’t have found them in the pocket of a gigbag I’d bought second hand. But they work 👍

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

In my experience long scale strings are fine if the tuning post is a traditional large one.

 

If the post is a mini sized then the coil is much tighter and the string can break there much more easily - especially with flatwounds.

Exactly this ^^^^

 

I have had issues with flatwounds on longer scale basses with small pegs and none at all with normal pegs on short scales.

 

If the manufacturers did short scale versions of my preferred strings I’d buy those but currently, they don’t.

Edited August 2, 2023 by ezbass

[shoulderpet]

5 hours ago, Dazed said:

What’s the general consensus on using long scale strings trimmed down? 
Just came across this on FB seems like a good idea if not the prettiest. 
 

Since the selection of short scale bass strings is limited and often hard to find, I have come up with an easy way to use any length string on your bass. 
I went to my nearest home improvement store and bought a couple of electrical copper lugs for 14 ga wire (about $1.50 each). I put them in a vise and ground off the flat lug part so that it was just the cylinder. I put my long scale string on the bass so the silk is in the correct position on the headstock above the nut. The ball end is now sticking out from the back of the bridge since the string is too long. I cut the ball end off the string and slide the copper lug on the cut end of the string up to where it meets the bridge and tighten it down holding onto the lug with some large pliers and using a flat screwdriver to tighten the screw. I snip off the excess string from the back and I’m done. The lugs are reusable when you change strings and I have never had one slip off. It’s fast and easy and has allowed me to use Cobalt Flats on my Hofner Ignition Club Bass and they have made it into a beast. Before I came up with this workaround, I broke an E string and an A string trying to get them to work on this bass since the unwound portion of many strings will not bend sharply enough around these tiny tuners without breaking. I suppose you could also add some super glue to the new “ball end” for added security but I’ve used this method for three years without a failure.

 

 

Longscale roundwounds will generally be absolutely fine, used longscale rounds on short scale basses with no issues, it's usually only things like flats and tapes that are problematic and even some of those will be ok but it's much more of a risk 

[msb]

Some short scales have much smaller string posts on the tuners and that can be an issue with longer scale strings. Especially with flat wound strings. 
And short scale basses with a trapeze style bridge will often need a medium scale string. 
 

I just find it simpler to get a string that’s designed for the bass in question.

Edited August 2, 2023 by msb

[Matt P]

i'm very much in the buying the right scale for the bass camp, I usually fit flatwounds to my basses so that's what i've bought, GHS Precisions on my 4 string and La Bela on the 5 string.

 

I do want to try rounds on the 5 string so i had Newtone make me a set, Stainless 5 string set was under 40 quid.

 

Matt

[Dazed]

It seems that part of the issue is a preferred long scale string isn’t often available as a short scale. Then again maybe preferences change on short scale?  Is that a thing. Strings feel and sound different on different scales?

[Dazed]

5 hours ago, ped said:

 

They don't but they fit OK - at least the light gauge ones bend around a tuner without any problem. It would be neat if they did make them though, but the parent company seem preoccupied with other things so for now I'm just glad they make them at all, because I love Elixirs!

That’s very good to know,  they had become my go to. 

[shoulderpet]

10 minutes ago, Dazed said:

It seems that part of the issue is a preferred long scale string isn’t often available as a short scale. 

Yep, this hits the nail on the head, a lot of string manufacturers make only one gauge of short scale strings and often the gauges are not exactly ideal, look at Rotosound swing bass for example, there short scale set is gauged 90-75-50-40!!!! 

Who thought those gauges would be a good idea?

 

[BigRedX]

9 hours ago, Dazed said:

It seems that part of the issue is a preferred long scale string isn’t often available as a short scale. Then again maybe preferences change on short scale?  Is that a thing. Strings feel and sound different on different scales?

 

Absolutely. And IME it's even more important on basses then it is on guitars. I have 4 basses and each is strung with a different brand or gauge of string to get the best out of it.

[BigRedX]

9 hours ago, shoulderpet said:

Yep, this hits the nail on the head, a lot of string manufacturers make only one gauge of short scale strings and often the gauges are not exactly ideal, look at Rotosound swing bass for example, there short scale set is gauged 90-75-50-40!!!! 

Who thought those gauges would be a good idea?

 

IME Rotosound are completely and utterly incapable of making consistently decent strings other than 34" standard gauge 4-string sets. I went through four 36" scale low B strings before I got one that wasn't dead on fitting, and for years I thought there was something wrong with my 30" scale Burns Sonic as I couldn't get a proper note out of the E string. As soon as I switched to Newtone strings, the E string was fine.

[fretmeister]

10 hours ago, Dazed said:

It seems that part of the issue is a preferred long scale string isn’t often available as a short scale. Then again maybe preferences change on short scale?  Is that a thing. Strings feel and sound different on different scales?

 

Definitely.

 

Certainly gauges, but in some cases I change brand as well. Sometimes I even mix and match brands.

 

For my 32 scale 5 string I use a 4 string DR Hi Beams set with a Newtone Platinum roundcore tapered stainless steel for the B.

[shoulderpet]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

 

IME Rotosound are completely and utterly incapable of making consistently decent strings other than 34" standard gauge 4-string sets. I went through four 36" scale low B strings before I got one that wasn't dead on fitting, and for years I thought there was something wrong with my 30" scale Burns Sonic as I couldn't get a proper note out of the E string. As soon as I switched to Newtone strings, the E string was fine.

Yep, there short scale E string is dreadful, shame as the other 3 are ok, I got a set and noticed the terrible E string and wondered if it would settle down but it never did

[ped]

I have found that when using long scale strings on a short/medium scale bass that you have to very deliberately bend the string over the nut and towards the post so that the string runs as straight as possible, where naturally it wants to run in a slight curve to the post. Same with the break angle over the bridge (on any bass)

[Dazed]

I’ve never been a fan of rotosounds so that’s no loss for me. Took me years to settle on Elixirs and still unsettled on which flatwounds so I guess the short scale will just be more time and expense experimenting. 

[fretmeister]

I like EB Group flats on my shortie - they are long scale but work with large tuners. 

I kind of like La Bella DTF but only for specific use really - and always with the tone control down at least 50%. Above that and they lose all their deepness. Bit odd when the old Fender style tone control is just really a LPF.

 

I love Dunlop flats, but the price has doubled over the last year. The do not tolerate even large posts very well, so it has to be the specific short scale set.

Edited August 3, 2023 by fretmeister

[Dazed]

So I have the short scale now, it’s I’m utterly filthy so I’m currently giving it a good scrub and fumigating it. 
 

Its fitted with small tuners, so that’s going to cause me problems with flats i guess?