As you know, Mike, I play bass alongside Ian McCutcheon in “Shazam.” We did
Stingray and
Scarlett O’Hara at Lakeside 2014 and Ian used a Squier Bass VI. He’s not on this site so I put your question to him. This was his reply:
I have used the D’Adario Bass VI sets mainly and I have made up (very expensively) a set of similar string gauges in Elixir which lasted a lot longer.
My main concern using heavier gauge strings would be the likely effect on the neck relief and general set up. Also where I’m concerned it would make it more difficult to play - but that may just be me!
Where I’m concerned I would prefer to use the D’Adario string gauges
but made up from a set of coated strings that would last much longer.
Hope this helps - Iain