EXL220BT Balanced 040-095

EXL220BT Super Light/Long Scale, 040 060 075 095, Balanced Tension.

D'addario's most popular electric bass strings. Nickel-plated steel provides a strong magnetic output signal and a comfortable smooth playing surface that reduces premature wear of the fingerboard frets. The EXL strings have a distinct and clear sound and a perfect intonation.

The set consists of:

• XLB040 G.
• XLB055 D.
• XLB070 A.
• XLB095 E.

D'Addario balanced tension strings are exactly what they sound like, strings with balanced tension, balanced resistance. Simply explained the opposite of what we string players have always had before, unbalanced resistance.

In a normal string set, all strings are different hardness, have different tension, different amount of resistance to play with. For example, the A string in a regular 0.010 set tuned in A 440hz has a tension of 8,840kg, the B string 6,980kg, thin E 7,350kg, etc. Since you previously had nothing to choose from, it is not entirely obvious that you thought about it before, you just took it for "this is how it is". So that you had to compensate with different finger strength for bends and vibrato every time you change strings.

With D'Addario's BT strings, these differences have been evened out and it is basically the same resistance on all strings throughout the set. In a BT 0.010 set, the A string has the tension of 7.810kg, the B string 7.530kg and the E string 7.360kg. The equalization is done by using mathematical formulas to calculate which string thicknesses are needed to reach the same tension on all strings when they are tuned to pitch. The small change in thickness not only makes a string set that feels smoother, more balanced to play on, vibrato and bends become better and safer because the hand does not have to compensate for different hardness in the strings when playing. It also makes for a string set that sounds more balanced between the strings, making chord playing in particular sound smoother without notes sticking out or drowning out.

Scale:
Which length (Scale) of strings should I choose? Most electric basses have Long Scale, but of course there are exceptions. Measure on the bass side when the string is in pitch, the distance from the inside of the ball to the saddle.

• Short Scale: Up to 32".
• Medium Scale: 32" up to 34".
• Long Scale; 34" up to 36".
• Super Long: 36" up to 38".