Question about larger strings reducing the amount of "flappage."

[Firedwarf]

My band plays in standard D flat. I play bass.

I was growing very tired of my strings flapping around and clicking and hitting the pickups, so I asked my guitarist what I should do.
He told me to get bigger strings.

I also asked a few people when I got home, and they told me to do the same thing. Since bigger strings = lower pitch, right?

I talked to a bassist from a local ska band (I know...) and he tells me that it won't work, and bigger strings only reduce tone and not pitch.

He says the only way to fix this is to raise my action.

Suggestions? O_O

 

[minDthEgaP]

Here's a article about guitar strings http://images.onstagemag.com/files/46/0202Setuptxt.html

Some of it doesn't apply to bass but the beginning of the article with the "four essential facts" are the same for both bass and guitar.

For lower pitch you need thicker stings to get the right tension. The tone comes more from how well the string is made than how thick it is...

 

[Sunbane]

Bigger strings do not equal lower pitch. Pitch is about how much you turn the tuning heads. Heavier strings = higher string tension. This is why they are used for downtuned playing, because they won't flap as much as a lighter string would in the same situation.

The ska guy sounds a bit clueless IMO. While it's possible that heavier strings have tonal tradeoffs, they will let you go to a lower pitch without having to raise the action. You'd probably have problems with them if you'd want to tune them back up to E though, in which case they would be too tight.

'bane

 

[Firedwarf]

Thanks a lot, guys.

 

[Sunbane]

I should also mention that you will have to re-intonate the bass once you've put the fatter strings on.

'bane

 

[FrostGiant]

Obviously tonal qualities will change with different strings. Play the same note on two different strings and you'll hear the difference. Thicker strings tend to give a duller sound.