5 string - A string 80 vs. 85, why?

What is the reason 5-sring sets seem to offer differning A strings at .080 and .085?
I get the B string variations, and the ‘light’ or ‘heavy’ overall, but in a set of:
130-100-85-65-45 or
130-100-80-65-45 … why is this difference a thing?

One of the reasons I am asking is that in playing my 5er last night every time I hit the A string I went “hmmm, don’t like that tone much” and realized the set on there has a .080 A string. Now the connection could be complete rubbish, but as I noted it to be different, it just seemed odd to me.

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Lots of string sets have different gauges, this is not just a 5-thing. The 4 string set on my TRBX right now is 105-85-65-60. Massive G string :slight_smile:

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I am sure you will get a slightly different tone, and you will also have slightly differing string tensions on them. With the lighter string, you may have more string tension, and with the heavier, you might have a little less.
Not a large amount in the realm of things, but It could be enough to make the difference you are hearing.
But, It almost sounds like your A string might need an adjustment, I can see a string in a set sounding slightly out of place on a personal level, but to not ring out and or hum, or rattle, this could be the bridge, nut, tuner, or a dead string. All of which I doubt, but they are things you can check pretty easily to rule each one out.

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Its more of a ‘out of place on a personal level’ sorta thing.
Going to order a set of labella’s rounds with an 85 (and also a 105 vs the 100 on the E) to see what happens.

Guess this is a good of an excuse as any to finally order nut files!

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+1 to what @howard said.
Too many options!!
Or, just the right amount of options? I remember doing some deep dives on string gauge years ago and almost buying some Tomastiks because their gauge rating was strange and specific - not rounded to the nearest hundreth…
But then I didn’t.
And I’m still happy with the D’Addario round wound, nickel sets I get.

(And I also need the .085!)

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Not sure if people have talked about them here or not, but I just tried a set of Labella RX stainless steel roundwounds on my TRBX305 5-string and they are night and day vs. what was on there. Can’t remember if they are the orginal D’Addarios or if I swapped them with Ernie Ball Slinkys (I think I had at some point.

In any event, it really changed the tone of the strings that I did not like. I like the feel of them, and I love supporting LaBella as they are in my hometown of Newburgh, NY.

I really like the B string much better, fuller tone, deeper thump. The upper strings have a much more rounded tone vs. what I felt to be missing something. They do have the 105 E and the 85 A, not sure if that helped or the stainless or just how they make strings.

I now have Labella rounds and flats on every bass except my PJ, which has MJC Ironworks stirngs and I am happy with them on there so why change.

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are those the strings that Lobster puts on all his basses? I think I saw Bully put a set on one bass, do a demo, then take those strings off, put them on another bass and demo it, so he could do a side by side comparison, where he used the same string set (exact set, not two of the same sets) when comparing two basses to each other.
I had never seen or heard of them until I started watching Lobster (if those are the same strings), where do you even get them other then on their website? I like the round canister they come in, if they are the same strings I am thinking of.

Yes they are.
I think you can only get them from Mike’s website.

I came across him cause Rocco Prestia used them, and I have an ESP Rocco signature bass.
Rocco and Mike, became close friends later in life and so I figured I’d give them a shot. They are great strings. Mike is a good guy. Strings were back ordered for a long time cause he couldn’t get wire so he sent me two sets to compensate.

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I am guessing, Mike is the M or MJC Ironworks?
sounds like a good story, I would be happy to give them a try sometime.

Michael J Connolly

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Not to be an ass, but I wanted to mention that you have it backwards @T_dub. Given the same scale length and tuned to the same pitch, a thicker string will have more tension than a thinner string.

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I can’t remember what you had on there before, but stainless steel roundwounds have a really bright tone, they are the preferred weapon of choice for most slappers.

Always nice to find strings that both sound and feel good :smile:

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Yes, even on the site they say “bright” but I find them to be a fuller, rounder tone overall. I liked the demo video sound over the nickel ones, so took a chance.

I guess if I ever learn to slap…on a 5-string, I will be all set!

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Yeah, I say things backwards sometimes, just testing you out.
No, seriously, it is the principle that I was getting across, even if backwards, the same thing would apply.

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I just checked the NYXL45105 set I haven’t put on yet and it includes the 85 string too.

I happened to find this rather thorough commentary on string weight.

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