Choosing Bass Guitar Strings

There are hundreds and hundreds of varieties of Bass strings produced today. There are far too many for me to describe the difference between them all, so I’ll just cover some generalities here.

All strings come in different Scales (lengths) and Gages (thickness).

Scale: You want to make sure the length of your stings match the length of your Bass. Most Basses are built in "Full Scale" or "Long Scale". They also have ¾ scale, ½ scale and a few others, but unless you’re a young child or a really short person, you’ll probably have a full scale Bass.

Gage: You’ll want to experiment with different gages to find out which is best for you. Generally, a thicker gage will provide a heavier sound while a thinner gage allows for more flexibility and high-end tone in the strings.

Round-wound vs. Flat-wound: In my opinion, round-wound strings are far superior to flat-wound strings. Round-wound are steel/titanium core strings that are wrapped with an additional round, metal string. Round-wound strings are capable of an incredible range of tones ranging thick, meaty low end to bright, popping, tiny plucks. Flat-wound strings pretty much have one use… making an electric Bass sound like an upright Bass. Luckily for us, the same thing can be accomplished using the tone knobs on the Bass without installing flat-wound strings. That way you can always go back to the bright funky sound of new round-wound strings to play those blistering Chili Peppers riffs.

I prefer light gage strings of various makes, but one of my favorites and the Fodera FOD_VW4N. They’re a Victor Wooten signature set I tried years ago and they sound friggin awesome.

Installing Your Bass Strings

Dave shows how easy it is the change the strings on your Bass. 4, 5 and 6 string Basses are all done virtually the same way. More questions? Contact Dave for more info on string installation.

How To Extend The Life Of Your Bass Strings

Dave explains a few "poor-man's" techniques for extending the life of Bass Guitar strings. Very handy for those times when you're Brizzoke, and can't afford a new set. Caution: only to be used if your strings sound like three year old flat-wounds that are covered in peanut butter!

Some Suggested Bass Strings

Coming Soon