What Strings

GSPBASSES

In the New Year I'm going to be building 2 short scale basses (30"  scale). They are going to be used at Chickenshed for youngsters between 8 to 10 years to learn on.  I was wondering if anybody could recommend what sort of strings to use,  as I think they might need  low tension flat wounds. Any recommendations  will be helpful.

  I will write a build diary of the construction of these. As they are going to be freebies I'm planning  on using any B grade bodies and necks that I have. As I've only got top of the range hardware in stock I'm going to try some budget machine heads and bridges from Northwest Guitars.

robinbowes

[amusing post pointing out that @gspbasses had written "Stings" rather than "Strings" no longer relevant as he corrected the mis-typing]

Wasps, bees, nettles, etc.

GSPBASSES

robinbowes said:

Wasps, bees, nettles, etc.

Thank you for pointing that out to me.

Bridgehouse

Either Thomastik jazz flats or La Bella low tension flats.

Might also be worth considering some tapewounds as they feel pretty good too. 

Bridgehouse

Shame they are short scale - I have a set of thomastiks you could have had but they are full scale. 

MattBanshee

Why low tension flatwounds? On a 30" scale, the strings will be floppier than an overcooked frankfurter anyway, so I'd suggest using a more standard tension to at least give the kids a fighting chance at actually being able to play the things.

Bridgehouse

MattBanshee said:

Why low tension flatwounds? On a 30" scale, the strings will be floppier than an overcooked frankfurter anyway, so I'd suggest using a more standard tension to at least give the kids a fighting chance at actually being able to play the things.

Low tension flats cut for short scale will be no different to long scale flats.

ICBM

I would use standard Rotosound Roto Bass 45-105. They're cheap, sound great, are softer on the fingers than the Swing Bass, last a long time and work perfectly on my 30"-scale Mustang Bass.

They will fit better if you use through-body stringing like the Mustang - which adds an inch and a half to the string path - but they're OK without that if the machineheads will take the thicker part of the winding.