Quick Answer
5-string and 6-string basses need string sets built for their extra range, not a standard 4-string set with one string swapped in. A 5-string bass most commonly adds a low B below standard E A D G, while a 6-string bass adds both that low B and a high C above the G. The added string sits at a different pitch than anything on a standard 4-string set, so it’s typically gauged differently, and the right gauge and construction depend on the feel and response you’re after rather than one universal correct setup.
We make dedicated 5-string and 6-string configurations across nearly all of our standard bass lines, along with dedicated sets for extra-long and multi-scale applications. This guide covers how extended-range tuning works, how gauge, scale length, and winding length interact, and how to choose or build a set for your bass.
| Configuration | Common Tuning | What’s Added |
|---|---|---|
| 4-String (Standard) | E A D G | — |
| 5-String (Standard) | B E A D G | Low B |
| 5-String (Alternate) | E A D G C | High C |
| 6-String | B E A D G C | Low B and High C |
How 5-String and 6-String Bass Tuning Works
A standard 4-string bass is tuned E A D G, low to high. Extended-range basses build outward from that same core.
The most common 5-string tuning adds a low B below the E, giving you B E A D G. This is by far the more common of the two 5-string configurations, and it’s the one most 5-string basses and string sets are built around. A less common alternate 5-string tuning instead adds a high C above the G, giving you E A D G C. Since these two layouts add different strings at different pitches, identify which tuning your bass actually uses before ordering strings rather than assuming.
A 6-string bass combines both additions: B E A D G C, low to high. This gives a 6-string bass the widest stock range of the three configurations, with an extended low end and an extended high end on the same instrument.
| Bass Type | Strings | Standard Tuning |
|---|---|---|
| 4-String | 4 | E A D G |
| 5-String | 5 | B E A D G |
| 5-String (Alternate) | 5 | E A D G C |
| 6-String | 6 | B E A D G C |
Is This Guide for Your Bass?
This guide covers standard 5-string and 6-string basses tuned as described above. If you’re tuning a standard 4-string bass down to a lower pitch (Drop D, Drop C, or Drop B) rather than adding strings, that’s a different topic covered in our bass tuning guide. If your 5-string or 6-string bass uses an extra-long scale or a fanned-fret, multi-scale design, most of this guide still applies, but you’ll want the scale-length and winding-length sections below before choosing a set.
5-String B E A D G vs. Drop B on a 4-String Bass
A standard 5-string bass tuned B E A D G and a 4-string bass tuned to Drop B (B F# B E) both reach down to a low B, but they aren’t the same thing. On a 4-string in Drop B, all four strings are lower than standard E A D G, and the interval relationship between the lowest two strings changes. A standard 5-string keeps E A D G intact and simply adds a low B below it.
If you’re deciding between the two approaches rather than buying strings for a 5-string you already own, our Best Bass Strings for Drop B Tuning guide covers the 4-string drop-tuning approach in more detail.
Extended-Range Bass String Construction
Our 5-string and 6-string sets use the same fundamental construction as their 4-string counterparts: a wound string uses a wrap wire over a core, most commonly a hex-shaped steel core in our bass lines, with the wrap available in nickel-plated steel or stainless steel depending on the line. A few of our lines use a different wrap process or wrap shape, covered in the options section below.
Extending a line to 5 or 6 strings doesn’t change this fundamental construction. It adds a string, or two, gauged for a different target pitch than anything in the standard 4-string set.
Low B and High C: Pitch and Gauge
A low B sits a perfect fourth below standard low E. Lowering pitch reduces string tension when gauge, scale length, and construction stay the same, which is why low-B strings generally use a larger gauge than the E within a comparable set: increasing the gauge helps bring tension back up at that lower pitch. This isn’t a rule that produces one correct gauge. Players target different feel and response, and scale length and construction affect the outcome too.
The same logic runs in the other direction for a high C on a 6-string set. It’s higher in pitch than a standard high G, so it generally uses a smaller gauge than the G within a comparable set.
How Scale Length Affects Tension
Scale length is another variable in the same equation. At the same pitch, gauge, and construction, a longer scale length increases string tension. That’s the relationship behind multi-scale (fanned-fret) basses using progressively different scale lengths across the strings, with the low B typically on the longest scale: it lets a manufacturer or player reach a given tension and feel using a different gauge than they’d need at a standard scale length. It doesn’t mean multi-scale is required to make a low B work, or that a standard-scale low B is somehow deficient. It’s one more variable, alongside gauge and construction, that affects tension and feel at a given pitch.
Winding Length vs. Scale Length
Scale length is the vibrating length of the string from the nut to the bridge, but it isn’t the same thing as winding length or overall string length. On a bass string, the wound portion, any taper, and the section that reaches the tuning post all need to fall in the correct places for the instrument. A string can have the right gauge for your tuning and still be the wrong length for your bass.
This matters more on extended-range and multi-scale basses than on a standard 4-string, because the low B’s scale length, headstock geometry, and tuner placement vary more between instrument models. Buying a string based on scale length alone, without confirming its winding length and taper are correct for your specific bass, can leave you with a string that’s the right gauge and pitch but doesn’t fit the instrument’s geometry correctly. If you’re unsure, checking your bass manufacturer’s specifications, or comparing against a string that already fits properly, is more reliable than assuming scale length alone determines fit.
Does a 35-Inch (or 34-Inch, or 37-Inch) Bass Need Different Strings?
Not necessarily, and not based on the number alone. Scale length is only one measurement involved in string fit. Two 35-inch basses can have different bridge, tailpiece, headstock, and tuner layouts, which changes the winding length a string needs to fit correctly. The same applies to 34-inch and longer-scale instruments. Don’t choose a bass string based only on the advertised scale length; check the required winding length and taper position for your specific bass.
The same principle applies to multi-scale basses. A 37-inch low-B scale on a multi-scale bass doesn’t mean the entire string set has a 37-inch scale. Each string has its own scale length, and the set has to be built to accommodate that geometry across the whole neck.
Standard, Extra-Long, and Multi-Scale Construction
Most 5-string and 6-string basses use one consistent scale length across every string. Some use a longer-than-standard scale length that’s still consistent across every string, generally called extra-long scale. Others use a multi-scale, or fanned-fret, design, where the low B sits on a longer scale length than the higher strings and the frets angle across the neck to accommodate it.
What actually matters when choosing strings for any of these designs is whether each string’s winding length and taper location fit your instrument’s geometry, covered above, not simply whether the package is labeled “4-string,” “5-string,” or “multi-scale.” A set labeled for your bass’s configuration is a reasonable starting point, and our dedicated multi-scale sets, Power Wound Bass Extra Long Multi-Scale Strings and Power Steel Bass Extra Long Multi-Scale Strings, are built specifically for fanned-fret 5-string basses. But the underlying requirement is fitment, not the label.
Low B Gauge: .120 vs. .125 vs. .130
Within comparable construction, pitch, and scale length, moving from .120 to .125 to .130 generally increases tension and produces a firmer feel under the fingers. There isn’t one universal best low-B gauge, since scale length, construction, tuning, and personal feel preference all factor into what works for a given player and instrument.
Across our lineup, .120 typically appears in Custom Light configurations, .125 in many Light configurations, and .130 in several heavier 5-string options, including Power Wound Nickel and Power Steel Stainless Medium sets and Fusion Wound’s Lowend Custom and Medium sets. That gives players multiple starting points depending on scale length, construction, tuning, and the amount of resistance they prefer under their fingers.
Gauge Availability Across Our Bass Lines
Here’s how the standard-scale 5-string and 6-string gauge options break down across our lines. Gauge affects tension and feel, not tone in a fixed, predictable direction, so treat this as a map of what’s available rather than a ranking from worse to better.
| Configuration | Power Wound Nickel | Power Steel Stainless |
|---|---|---|
| 5-String Custom Light | .040–.120 | .040–.120 |
| 5-String Light | .045–.125 | .045–.125 |
| 5-String Medium Light | .045–.130 | — |
| 5-String Medium | .050–.130 | .050–.130 |
| 6-String Custom | .030–.120 | .030–.120 |
| 6-String Light | .030–.125 | .030–.125 |
| Line | 5-String Options | 6-String Options |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations Nickel / Stainless | Custom Light .040–.120, Light .045–.125, Light Extra Long .045–.125 | Custom Light .030–.120, Light .030–.125, Light Extra Long .030–.125 |
| Fusion Wound Nickel / Stainless | Custom Light .040–.120, Light .045–.125, Lowend Custom .045–.130, Medium .050–.130 | Custom Light .030–.120, Light .030–.125 |
| Silencer Nickel Semi-Flat | Light .045–.120 | Light .030–.120 |
| Power Flat Flat Wound | .045–.130 | .030–.130 |
Foundations also offers a Light Extra Long variant in 5 and 6-string, sized for basses with an extra-long scale length rather than a standard long scale, distinct from the fanned-fret multi-scale construction covered above.
How to Choose 5-String or 6-String Bass Strings
- Identify your bass’s tuning and string count. Confirm whether your 5-string uses the standard B E A D G tuning or the alternate E A D G C layout, and whether you’re stringing a 5 or a 6-string, before ordering.
- Confirm your bass’s scale design and check fitment. Standard, extra-long, and multi-scale (fanned-fret) basses need strings with the correct winding length and taper for your instrument’s geometry, covered above, not just a matching gauge.
- Choose your material and construction. Material and construction are additional variables that affect tone and feel. Nickel-plated steel, stainless steel, semi-flat, and flatwound strings can respond differently even when gauges are similar. Choose based on the response you’re after.
- Choose your gauge. Use the comparison tables above as a starting point. A heavier gauge generally means more tension and a firmer feel, not a guaranteed tonal outcome.
- Consider building a custom set. If a stock 5-string or 6-string set doesn’t give you the gauge, construction, or length combination you need, our selection of bass singles gives you more flexibility to build around your instrument and tuning.
Our 5-String and 6-String Bass String Options
Power Wound Nickel Bass Strings — nickel-plated steel wrap over a steel hex core, using S.I.T.’s LevelWrap winding process.
Good starting point for: players already using a 4-string Power Wound set who want the same construction extended to 5 or 6 strings.
Available in 5-String Custom Light, Light, Medium Light, and Medium; 6-String Custom and Light.
Power Steel Stainless Steel Bass Strings — the same hex-core construction with a stainless steel wrap instead of nickel-plated steel.
Good starting point for: players who want a brighter, more aggressive response than nickel-plated steel typically produces.
Available in 5-String Custom Light, Light, and Medium; 6-String Custom and Light.
Foundations Nickel Bass Strings and Foundations Stainless Bass Strings — nickel-plated steel or stainless steel wrap over a hex core, without the named LevelWrap process listed on the Power Wound page.
Good starting point for: players who want a standard nickel or stainless configuration, or who need the Light Extra Long variant for an extra-long scale instrument.
Available in 5-String Custom Light, Light, and Light Extra Long; 6-String Custom Light, Light, and Light Extra Long.
Fusion Wound Nickel Bass Strings and Fusion Wound Stainless Bass Strings — a phosphor bronze under-wrap fused to the core using S.I.T.’s Fusion Winding process, with a nickel or stainless final wrap.
Good starting point for: players who want the widest gauge selection for the low B, including a dedicated 5-String Lowend Custom option.
Available in 5-String Custom Light, Light, Lowend Custom, and Medium; 6-String Custom Light and Light.
Silencer Nickel Semi-Flat Bass Strings — a nickel-plated wrap processed with S.I.T.’s Inverse String Winding, which compresses the outer part of the wrap while leaving the internal structure intact. We describe this as giving a smoother surface and a feel and tone positioned between a standard roundwound and a flatwound set. It’s often chosen for fretless basses, though that’s one application among several.
Good starting point for: players who want a smoother playing surface without moving to a full flatwound set.
Available in 5-String Light and 6-String Light.
Power Flat Flat Wound Bass Strings — a stainless steel ribbon wrap, polished smooth, instead of a round wrap wire.
Good starting point for: players looking for a smooth playing surface and a warmer, more fundamental-focused response than a roundwound set. If you want more background on flatwound construction generally, our flatwound bass strings guide covers it in depth.
Available in 4-String, 5-String, and 6-String.
Power Wound Bass Extra Long Multi-Scale Strings and Power Steel Bass Extra Long Multi-Scale Strings — nickel-plated steel or stainless steel wrap over a high-tension hex core, with winding length and taper built for fanned-fret basses.
Good starting point for: 5-string multi-scale (Dingwall-style) basses. Not offered in 6-string.
Building a Custom Set with Bass Singles
If one of our pre-gauged 5-string or 6-string sets doesn’t match what you’re looking for, we make individual bass strings across multiple materials, constructions, gauges, and lengths. That gives you more flexibility to replace an individual string, change the gauge of your low B or high C, or build a complete custom combination around your bass and tuning.
When building a custom set, don’t look at gauge alone. The target pitch, scale length, winding length, taper location, material, and construction all need to work with the instrument. This is especially important with heavier low-B strings and with extra-long or multi-scale basses.
If you’re changing only one gauge within an existing set, it’s also worth considering how that change affects the balance in feel between adjacent strings. A heavier low B, for example, may give you the firmer response you’re looking for without requiring you to move the rest of the set to heavier gauges.
Browse our Bass Single Strings to see the available gauges, constructions, and lengths.
Setup Considerations for Extended-Range Basses
Setup for a 5-string or 6-string bass isn’t primarily about the presence of a low B or high C. A bass built for 5 or 6 strings is already designed and set up around that string count. Setup becomes relevant when you change gauge, tuning, construction, or overall set tension from what the instrument was originally set up for, the same as it would on a 4-string bass.
Nut width. If you’re modifying a 4-string bass to accept additional strings, rather than stringing a bass already built as a 5 or 6-string, the nut needs slots cut for the added string or strings. That’s an instrument or luthier consideration, not something a string choice solves on its own.
Pickup spacing. Some bass pickups use individual pole pieces aligned to each string, and a mismatch between string count and pole spacing can affect how those pickups sense each string. Other designs, including blade, bar, rail, and soapbar-style pickups, don’t rely on individual pole alignment the same way. Check your bass’s specific pickup design rather than assuming pole alignment is always the deciding factor.
Truss rod and relief. Changing gauge, tuning, or overall string tension, on a 4, 5, or 6-string bass alike, can change the tension load on the neck. If you’ve changed any of those from what your bass was set up for, it’s worth having the truss rod and action checked rather than assuming the existing setup will still hold.
Final Thoughts
Choosing 5-string or 6-string bass strings starts with identifying your bass’s tuning and scale design, since those determine what the added string or strings need to do, and confirming that a string’s winding length and taper actually fit your instrument’s geometry. From there, material, construction, and gauge come down to the feel and response you want rather than one correct setup. Power Wound Nickel, Power Steel Stainless Steel, Foundations, Fusion Wound, Silencer Semi-Flat, and Power Flat Flat Wound all offer dedicated 5 and 6-string configurations, and our multi-scale sets cover fanned-fret 5-string basses specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 5-string bass tuned to?
Most commonly B E A D G, low to high, adding a low B below standard E A D G tuning. A less common alternate tuning instead adds a high C above the G, giving you E A D G C. Confirm which your bass uses before ordering strings.
What is a 6-string bass tuned to?
Most commonly B E A D G C, low to high, combining both the low B and high C additions found separately on the two 5-string tunings.
Is a 5-string bass tuned B E A D G the same as a 4-string in Drop B?
No. A 5-string adds a low B below E A D G while the other four strings remain in standard tuning. On a 4-string in Drop B (B F# B E), all four strings are lower than standard E A D G, and the interval relationship between the lowest two strings changes. Both reach a low B, but the tuning layout and available range are different. See our Best Bass Strings for Drop B Tuning guide for the 4-string approach.
Can I put 5-string strings on a 6-string bass?
No. A 6-string set includes both an added low B and an added high C. A 5-string set only accounts for one of those, so it won’t cover all six strings correctly.
Do I need special strings for a 5-string bass, or can I just add one string to a 4-string set?
No. A standard 4-string bass isn’t built to accept a fifth string without changes to the nut, bridge, and typically the pickups. A single low B or high C string is useful for replacing a string on a bass already built as a 5 or 6-string, or for building a custom set, not for converting a 4-string into a 5-string.
What gauge should my low B string be?
There’s no single correct gauge. Within comparable construction and scale length, heavier gauges like .130 generally carry more tension and feel firmer than lighter options like .120, but the right choice depends on your scale length, construction, and preferred feel. See the Low B Gauge section above for how our .120, .125, and .130 options compare.
Does a heavier low-B gauge mean more low end?
Not on its own. A heavier gauge changes tension and feel, and can affect output and response, but it isn’t a guaranteed way to get more low end. Pickups, technique, setup, and the bass itself all factor into how much low end you actually hear.
What’s the difference between a standard 5-string bass and a multi-scale 5-string bass?
A standard 5-string bass uses one consistent scale length across every string. A multi-scale, or fanned-fret, bass uses a longer scale length for the low B and progressively shorter scale lengths toward the higher strings. At the same gauge and pitch, the longer scale increases tension, which is one reason multi-scale designs exist. The deciding factor for string compatibility is whether the winding length and taper fit your specific instrument, not simply matching a “multi-scale” label.
What is winding length, and why does it matter?
Winding length is how far the wound part of a string extends, separate from scale length. If the winding is too long or too short for your bass’s tuner and nut geometry, the string may not fit correctly even if the gauge and pitch are right. This matters more on extended-range and multi-scale basses than on a standard 4-string, since headstock and tuner geometry vary more between those instruments.
Can I use regular long-scale bass strings on a 35-inch 5-string bass?
Sometimes, but don’t assume they’ll fit based on the “long scale” label alone. The string needs enough winding length to reach the nut and tuning post correctly, and any taper needs to fall in the proper location for your bass. Check the string’s winding length against your instrument rather than relying only on the scale designation.
Are multi-scale bass strings available in 6-string?
Not in our lineup currently. Our multi-scale sets, Power Wound and Power Steel, are offered in 4-string and 5-string only.
Do I need a different bass to go from 4-string to 5-string, or can I just change strings?
You can’t turn a standard 4-string into a 5-string simply by changing strings. Accommodating a fifth string requires an instrument designed for it, or significant modifications to components such as the nut and bridge, and potentially the pickups and neck. For practical purposes, a purpose-built 5-string bass is the appropriate solution.
Can I get flatwound strings for a 5-string or 6-string bass?
Power Flat Flat Wound is available in 4-String, 5-String, and 6-String configurations, so yes.
Does adding a low B require a truss rod adjustment?
Not because of the B string itself. A bass built for 5 or 6 strings is already set up around that string count. A truss rod or setup check becomes relevant if you change gauge, tuning, or overall tension from what your bass was originally set up for, or if you’re modifying a 4-string bass to accept additional strings.
What’s the difference between nickel and stainless steel on a 5 or 6-string set?
Material is another variable that affects tone and feel, alongside gauge and construction. Nickel-plated steel and stainless steel are both available across our standard 5 and 6-string lines, so the choice comes down to the response you’re after rather than the string count.
What strings should I use on a fretless 5-string or 6-string bass?
We describe our Silencer Nickel Semi-Flat sets, available in 5-String and 6-String, as well suited to fretless basses because of their smoother wrap surface, though that’s one application among several, and a standard roundwound set will still function on a fretless bass.
What’s the difference between Foundations, Fusion Wound, and Power Wound or Power Steel?
All are roundwound bass strings using a wrap over a hex core, but they differ in specifics. Power Wound and Power Steel use S.I.T.’s named LevelWrap process. Fusion Wound uses a phosphor bronze under-wrap fused to the core with heat and electricity before the final wrap is applied. Foundations uses a comparable hex-core construction without that named process, and its 5 and 6-string range includes a Light Extra Long variant for extra-long scale basses. All are available in 5-String and 6-String.
What’s the difference between an extra-long scale set and a multi-scale set?
An extra-long scale set is designed for an instrument that uses a longer but consistent scale length across the strings. A multi-scale, or fanned-fret, instrument uses different scale lengths across the strings. In either case, the important thing is choosing strings with winding lengths and taper locations that fit the instrument’s specific geometry.
Can I build a fully custom 5-string or 6-string set?
Yes. We make bass singles across multiple materials, constructions, gauges, and lengths, so you’re not limited to the combinations in our pre-gauged sets. This lets you adjust an individual string or build a complete custom set around your tuning, scale length, and preferred feel.
When building a custom set, make sure each string has the appropriate gauge, winding length, and taper location for your instrument. This is particularly important for low B strings and extra-long or multi-scale basses.
