Reddit reviews D'Addario ETB92 Tapewound Bass Guitar Strings, Medium, 50-105, Long Scale

Try the D’Addario ETB92 nylon wrapped flatwounds. They are a fantastic string with a nice mid range, normal gauge and lower tension then most flats. I have a 5 string set on my fretless gwb-35 they are wonderful. These strings are my sound!

D’Addario ETB92

20 - Fender's take on it.

30 - Rotosound's

30 - D'Addario's

25 + S&H - GHS's

45 - LaBella

So you have a fender p bass with the standard roundwound strings. Based on what you've said about your physical abilities, this might be the worst combination for you and it's what I was afraid you were going to say tbh. A precision bass has a thicker neck and a wider width near the nut than many other basses. Not only that but you're playing a full scale bass with no offset body on high tension roundwounds. If you've had it for a week, it might still be possible to return it from where you bought it and look into a short scale, but anyway, I'm going to link you some products to look into. Starting with strings and working into different guitars that might be a better fit for you. If you have a squier P, I'm assuming you don't have a huge budget, so we're going to keep it relatively affordable. Keep in mind a luthier could also help you set the action and stuff on your bass to make it easier to play.


First some different strings. These nylon strings have a lower tension than roundwounds and offer an old school thumpy sound. The best part is that unless you break a string, you will never need to replace a string and these will get better with age.

D'Addario ETB92 Tapewound Bass Guitar Strings, Medium, 50-105, Long Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046XSEA0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yltMDb6RM28A4

Now I'm going to show you some basses. Most of these will be available at guitar center or a similar music store and I'll give you some quick bits to help you out.

If you want to soldier on with full scale I'd recommend at least getting something with a smaller neck that will be easier for your hands to handle. Jazz basses have smaller necks, and typically any of their PJ basses and jaguars do too. This might make it easier and is worth a shot
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-basses/jazz-bass/classic-vibe-70s-jazz-bass/0374540506.html

Now we're going to get into short scales.

The bronco bass is one of the cheapest new basses you can buy, but they sound pretty good and have pretty decent build quality for the price. It's possible to upgrade the factory pickup with a blade stole guitar pickup. It's cheap, looks good and plays well too. Most importantly, it's short.
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric-basses/other/bronco-bass/0310902506.html

The squier Jaguar short scale is the next step up. Two pickups, really killer looks, a more contoured body, a skinny neck and a short scale. These are pretty rad but I don't know if they still make them, you might have to buy a used one.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier/Vintage-Modified-Jaguar-Bass-Special-SS-Short-Scale.gc

The hofner violin bass is known for being used by Paul McCartney, but what's really important here is that this bass has a small body, a short scale and a teeny tiny neck. Idk if you've seen paul but he's just a really tiny dude making that bass look normal sized. I'm fairly certain very young kids could play it comfortably. They sound really cool. It's a little pricy but they are much cheaper used, and rogue makes their own version that's very affordable and decent. They sound killer with flats.


https://www.guitarcenter.com/Hofner/Ignition-Series-Vintage-Violin-Bass-Sunburst-1389832990308.gc

Gretsch isn't a brand I'm super familiar with but I've never picked one up and thought it felt like a cheap piece of shit. They're very nice instruments all around with their own unique sound. Plus their short scale has a really awesome distinct tone and it looks fantastic. I'm seeing these used for less than 200 bucks all over the place.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/G2220WLN--gretsch-g2220-junior-jet-bass-ii-walnut-stain?gclsrc=aw.ds&&mrkgcl=28&mrkgadid=3248788516&product_id=G2220WLN&campaigntype=shopping&campaign=aaShopping%2520-%2520Core%2520-%2520Bass&adgroup=Bass%2520-%2520Bass%2520Guitars&placement=google&creative=226299461018&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAjw_uDsBRAMEiwAaFiHaypsPGR43zSFRp7B1nXIFg0ezcT6VmgmoQr4Ltd3VoMIuTBlspgwRxoCRjMQAvD_BwE

Edit: forgot to add the kala u bass. I've heard tons of great things about these. They sound awesome and they're tons of fun to play. And they're tiny. They actually are the size of a ukulele but with the sound of a big boy bass. I had a blast with one when I tried it and playing them is so easy.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Kala/Sub-Series-U-Bass-Electric-Bass-Guitar-115685455.gc?source=4WWMWXGP&gclid=CjwKCAjw_uDsBRAMEiwAaFiHayaTtC2W2Ih9bZAMKM59tU7mADV6bC7WXV3STG3q6P-jfRRmghk1UxoCfY8QAvD_BwE

Anyway, go to your local big music store and see what they have, and ask about these specific guitars. I don't want you to give up on this, especially since the first week is the hardest part anyway. I spent my first week playing "come as you are" over and over and telling myself I was cool. You're already off to a great start. As far as playing comfortably, my other advice is to make sure to have your thumb on the back of the neck, not on top, and to try to keep your wrist perpendicular to the fretboard instead of at a weird angle. If you do decide to take lessons, it's very possible that your teacher will work with you adjusting your technique to your body's limitations. But until then, look at some short scales and stuff, have fun and don't hurt yourself.