Quicky question - RD - required string length for through body - flatties

[Highlander]

I was using Roto 66's - yes I know, a heinous crime on a fretless, but this is the new caring me... (honest...! why do you doubt...?)

I screwed up on my Jazz and bought 35" flatties (Roto 77's 45-105) and had issues with the E and A but I'll live with that until I need to replace them...

Any ideas or recommendations...?

[Dave W]

I'm not quite sure I understand the problem, but install a string, mark it right at the headstock side of the nut, take it off, then measure from the ball end to the mark. That's how much winding length you need. Whether you need extra long or not depends on the what brand you want, it really can vary a lot.

[PhilT]

Someone's trying to document winding lengths for string brands over on Talkbass, not getting much help though.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10008240

[uwe]

Regular Rotos are too short on a string-through RD, the D will then cross the nut with the part of the string where there is not yet silk, but the windings already spread out - not an issue in sound as the fully wound part starts immediately after the nut so the first fret meets a fully wound string.  Looks crappy though.

Warwick and DR strings are long enough for an RD without being extra long scale, Elixier, D'Addario and Roto need extra long scale.

Uwe

[Dave W]

FWIW, Carvin carries the LaBella Tapewounds in an extra-long winding length because their AC40 string thru acoustic/electric bass has them as standard equipment.  IIRC the winding length on these is 38". Other stores I've seen only carry them in standard winding length. Here's the info for UK.

[Highlander]

The problem was this, Dave - as some of you know I'm only back into gigging again the last couple of years - haven't had a short scale since '78 and the two that had the most use are regular 34" and double ball - the RD had been case-bound for far too long to remember - I went to the Rotosound (pretty much the only strings I have ever used) site and they have a link for scale lengths - this is the first Jazz I've ever owned and knowing she has a 35" scale I wanted to be sure I got the right strings, so... the list shows extra long being suitable for 33.5" to 36"  and long being 32" to 34" but I had to cut off all the silk and into the string itself to get it onto the machine, so their own guidlines for XL are junk and I know that I've weakened the string... don't want to do that again with the RD... I thought the XL rotos would do but I wanted to be sure...

Ta Uwe and cheers for the links gents...

[Dave W]

I understand now. Still, even if you don't have the right string now, all you have to do to measure the winding length needed is to pull a string through the body, run it over the nut, mark it there and measure. Then check with the manufacturer of your preferred string if no one here knows or your local store doesn't know.

I never accept generalizations like "fits 34 to 35 inch scale" because I've found out the hard way too.

[PhilT]

Do Rotos have longer silks at the ball end than everyone else? Whichever bass I've had them on the E string silk always goes onto the saddle.

[Highlander]

That end is ok on the Jazz - I looked at the oldest pics of my PC and the silks are the same length as far back as '77 - about 25mm/1"

How close does the saddle sit to the retainer and on what instruments...?