Bass strings on DHB-5F are too short! Any suggestions for super long scale strings

So, I finished my DHB-5F build a little while ago, about a month.

I bought a set of typical Ernie Ball 5 String packet and the strings were about an inch TOO SHORT. By that I mean that the bit where the string gauge starts to narrow, as all bass strings larger than the D string do, was about an inch in front of the nut on the fingerboard side.

With the help of my local Guitar Shop, I found Ernie ball Super Long Scale strings but these are still slightly too short (hopefully, you can see that in the photo)
Attachment 34195

So my questions are:

1. Has anyone built the DHB-5F before?
2. Did you have the same length problem?
3. What strings did/do you use?

I did do a mock build before I fully constructed the guitar. Everything fit into place. The one thing I think that may have been the problem is where the string feed-in holes in the body are placed - they may be too far back. See next photo:
Attachment 34196

The only other way to mitigate this is to have shortened the neck - of course I could not have done that after having received the kit - truss rod and all.

Right now, the Bass plays really well. I'm a bit concerned about the bottom B and that it might be a bit too "clangy", but plugged-in it seems fine.

Also, I set it up for 34" scale length - which it is especially given the movable bridge.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is very common with the string through basses. I bought 3 or 4 sets for my steampunker before I found some that fit. I eventually went with D'Addario Chrome Flat Wound Super Long Scale. they aren't cheap, but they are beautiful to play.

Thanks for that Sonic. The set I got is designed for 35" scale length - but I suppose they don't factor in the length taken up by inserting them through the body. That would've been part of the design of the bass itself, I would've thought.

Can I ask, with the Steampunker (a great looking bass I must add), what is your scale length and how long is it from the holes in the body to the nut? Also, how long is the fingerboard itself - mine is just under 24". I notice yours is a 24 fret - mine is fretless but fretted would be 22 frets.

I normally prefer round wounds even on fretless, but I'm willing to try flatwounds. D'Addario may even have the same length in roundwounds - anyway, it's worth a look. Thanks again.

Cheers,
BJTC,

It's 34" same as a Fender Jazz. I have approx 880mm from the string thru holes to the nut. Obviously the thickness of the body adds to the length required. I compared against a mates Jazz bass and his ferrules were much deeper and the body thinner than mine. It also had the string through holes on the top coming up much closer to the saddles.

Fret board is approx 655mm long. I guess you could lop yours off as you can reposition the bridge.. and its fretless. Any side markers wouldn't be accurate any more though.

I was trying to find round wounds but didn't come across any. Highly recommend Strings and Beyond, its a bit of a wait for shipping but worth it in the money you save.

I guess the extra string might limit the available sets as well.....

Thanks heaps for that.

Yes the body on mine is quite thick, I'd say that if I was able to make the ferrules deeper, that might make some difference, but not much I'd say.

Lopping off some of the neck would help, but, you're right, of course, the side dots would be inaccurate. Although, the bridge is floating, so I might be able to compensate.

The neck came with no side markers, so maybe that is why(?) I actually calculated and measured up the side markers myself, but perhaps I should've added them afterwards.

In any the string-through-body design for this bass needs some reworking.

Alternatively, and to be honest, I'm more likely to do this, is to modify the bass so that the strings are not through the body, unless I can find some extra-super long strings.

Thanks for your advice and I will check out Strings and Beyond (they may be able to help me with string for a saz similar to linked one, that I have lurking around - actually that link has accessories so...).

Thanks again, Cheers.
BJTC

If you can get them, I'd try some Peavey Cirrus Bass strings. I have some on a Peavey Cirrus bass with rear string-through, and I have about 22mm of full-width bass string past the nut bottom E, with more length on the other strings. Though the Cirrus is supposed to be 35" scale, mine measures at a 34"scale. It's 35" from the fretboard side of the nut to the string-through hole on mine.

Your string-through ferrules appear to be only slightly further back than mine, so if the body isn't too deep (which will add to the overall string length required) you should probably be OK with them.

Thanks Simon,

I'll definitely look into those as well. It'd be nice if string specs included actual length from ball to where the gauge narrows, then we'd be able to check.

Thanks again.
BJTC

How long is a piece of string?

cheers, Mark.

edit: O.K. it's my first day of 'social distancing'

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king casey

How long is a piece of string?

cheers, Mark.

edit: O.K. it's my first day of 'social distancing'

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Pftt, that's an easy one. It's twice the distance from the middle to one end.

But if you fold the string in half to find the middle to measure it, then it's only half as long as it was and you need to measure it again. And then you keep repeating the exercise and it gets smaller and smaller. So really, you're limited by the Planck length as to how small you can fold it. So 1.616×10^−35 m.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

So really, you're limited by the Planck length as to how small you can fold it. So 1.616×10^−35 m.

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Simon, so ya HAD to go all nerdy on us! Geez! ;)

I'm sorry, it's what I am. :cool:

I had the same problem with a string-through four-string. I ended up using these:

Ernie Ball, Super Long Scale* 38.25 or 38.5

I like them reasonably well and they are decently priced. Still, one night I tried to figure out what other strings might fit. Sorry that all lengths are in inches. Here's what I found based on published lengths

DR, Extra Long Scale 40.7

Fodera, Extra Long Scale 39.25

Ken Smith Extra Long 40

Rotosound, Extra Long 39

Sadowsky, Extra Long 39

Thomastik-Infeld, Super Long 39.75


*** 38” Strings:

D’Addario, Super Long

DR, Long

Elixir, Extra Long

GHS, Long Plus

Ken Smith, Long

La Bella, Extra Long

SIT,* Extra Long

Spector, Long



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But what you don't want are the strings being too long, so that the main part of the string starts wrapping round the tuner post. It's a tricky balancing act!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

But what you don't want are the strings being too long, so that the main part of the string starts wrapping round the tuner post. It's a tricky balancing act!

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My bass has a very similar "problem" to BJTC's...string through, semi hollow with a two point bridge. The problem is especially on the low string (low E in my case) where the tuning post is closest to the nut.

Attachment 34244

The Ernie Balls that are on now are just about in the Goldie Locks zone. Long enough for the full sized string to sit on the nut, but short enough so that the taper begins before the post. But this was my 3rd try. My first try was with standard length strings for a 34" scale that I had hanging around the house. The second try was with a set of D'Addario Super Longs, that I bought because they said they were "super long." They were 38"...which might technically be long enough BUT these strings had silk on the ends. The taper began at 38" but the silk started a bit before that. So, the part with the silk was sitting in the nut. These were tape wound strings so I could not just cut off the silk...which is actually pretty hard to do even on a steel string.

I got the Ernie Balls because they were a little longer than the D'Addarios, and because the MFG told me they did not have silk. That's also when I compiled my list. I did not want to get fooled again by a "super long" "38". And I wanted to have an idea about about what other strings might actually be long enough for my bass.

The string MFG may help but you probably have to ask them...Where does the taper begin? Is there silk? Where does the silk begin?

I guess I'm preaching to the converted here but flat wound strings don't like being cut down but I have found rounds to be fine.

I always use rounds on my basses and because I want the heaviest they have I often have to cut 34" strings down for my 30" Yamaha bass.