OK, sometimes play guitar. String gauges are pretty regular. 9’s are standard. 10’s are a little thicker, 11’s are getting pretty darn thick, SRV played 13’s were were classified as “Ropes”. BB King played 8’s because why work so hard?
So I have a Fender J-bass that came with 45’s (45-100), but looking at the sizes not all 4 strings are the same gauge as other 45’s out there with some of the strings being thicker (45-105, etc.).
Is there a standard gauge for bass? I know on guitar if you change from 9’s to 10’s etc. you have to set up the guitar for that gauge of string, so what about the bass when just one or two of the strings are a different gauge? I found the same gauge strings from Fender, but the model number has changed (original strings from 1996!) but still same gauge for all for strings. Used GHS on my guitars and it looks like GHS makes the same gauge for all 4 strings, so I’m probably safe, but just curious if, and what a standard bass string gauge might be?
Hands are small and finger are short, so I figure lighter is probably better for me.
Thanks
40-100 light
45-100 medium light
45-105 med
50-105 heavy-ish
All the basses I’ve bought came new from factory with either 45-100s or 45-105s. Not sure which one is considered standard.
Yeah I would agree that 45-100 or 45-105 are the standards for rounds. 45-130 for 5-string. Flats may be different, no idea.
For guitars I am 10’s all the way 
Thanks to everyone. Sounds like mine came with a nice compromise size. I would assume that 45-105 or 40-100 probably doesn’t need another set-up as the sizes are similar?
It may need slight tweaking of truss rod and intonation.
There is not a single standard gauge to my knowledge. 45-100 and 45-105 are common. Lighter strings have less tension, but heavier strings like the Steve Harris strings (50:75:95:110) have higher tension, so you can set them up with low action and they’re easy/non tiring to play.
There’s hybrid string sets, like someone took the D and g from a 45-100 set and paired it with a E and D from a 50-105 set.
I have arthritis and a trigger finger so I find the D’Addario ECB84 Chrome Flats good from tension and sound perspective. But I will say that this is a highly subjective area and you might go through a few sets before you know your likes/dislikes.
Good info. Now I know what to hunt for. I know what I like on 6 string, but bass is a whole new animal.
Your troubles just got started, lol.
Yep. SWMBO frowning or worse, selling surplus elderly relatives, draining the kid’s college fund, all of it.
I’d say that standard is more 10/46 than 9/42, on a guitar. (I use 10 to 12 depending on the use, but mostly 10/52).
I use and prefer (by a lot) 10/46. Most people do I think, yeah. But a lot of guitar companies do ship with 9’s though. My Revstar came with Elixir Nanoweb Light 10’s, which made me happy; not just 10s, but good ones 
excellent strings actually.
I’m in 10/52 because I’m always in Drop-D on all my guitars (almost) and it’s a more balanced tension to me. but yeah 10/46 is the standard way to go in my opinion.
I put 11 on Gibson scale length and 12 on acoustics with down-tunings. Still, 10’s are the standard to me.
Yeah I really like them! Not bad for “came for free”
Ok I know they were factored in to the price, but still. They are lasting a long time too, considering how much I am beating on them.
strangely enough I even prefer the oldest Polyweb, that’s what I put on my '02 Larrivée.
Classify 9’s as standard because that’s the gauge that seems to come standard on every new electric guitar. Only time I ever remember a guitar coming with other than 9’s was on a Signature guitar, but even the SRV didn’t come with really heavy strings. I think it might have come with 10’s.
You know I just realized that guitar players think gauge 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s
bass player think type of strings. Round, Flats, tapewound
Yeah that’s because with guitar the winds only matter for half the strings, and the percentage of people using flats is possibly even lower. Guitarists care a lot more about the gauge.