For black tapewound flats users - comparison among brands?

[bherman]

Hi all - I currently use LaBella deep talking black tapewounds, need a backup set and am curious about the comparison between GHS, Da'Adarrio and La Bellas.

Love the LaBellas but GHS are quite a bit cheaper.

Anyone with experience comparing these three strings?

BTW, am using them on a P-bass and also a fretless G&L ASAT bass.

Thanks!

[SLaPiNFuNK]

There are also Rotosound Black Nylon Tapes.

From what I think, they go brightest to thumpiest in this order:

LaBella
D'Addario
GHS
Rotosound

I havent used the Fender tapewounds yet, and I have a set of their older more rigid style tapewounds on my desk waiting for me to try on my P as well...

[bherman]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

There are also Rotosound Black Nylon Tapes.

From what I think, they go brightest to thumpiest in this order:

LaBella
D'Addario
GHS
Rotosound

I havent used the Fender tapewounds yet, and I have a set of their older more rigid style tapewounds on my desk waiting for me to try on my P as well...

Jason, should have known you'd pitch in on this thread! Just so I am clear, are you saying that LaBellas are brightest and Rotos the thumpiest?

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

There are also Rotosound Black Nylon Tapes.

From what I think, they go brightest to thumpiest in this order:

LaBella
D'Addario
GHS
Rotosound

I havent used the Fender tapewounds yet, and I have a set of their older more rigid style tapewounds on my desk waiting for me to try on my P as well...

I've tried those and the Fender...I'll stick with Labella.

Carvin sells the 4 string set of Labella tapes $21 on their website.

[JimmyM]

Fenders are pretty bright, too. I was really shocked that they sounded like rounds with a plastic coating on them. I was expecting them to be more like Rotos when I first got them. OTOH, it made me realize that tapewounds aren't for me regardless...too thick...I like my wuss gauges

[SLaPiNFuNK]

From my experience at least... yes.

[bherman]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

From my experience at least... yes.

Thx - I've ordered 2 sets of LaBellas from you and like them but thought that I'd see what others thought about the alternatives....

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Sorry, hope you don't feel I was getting in the way!

[bherman]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Fenders are pretty bright, too. I was really shocked that they sounded like rounds with a plastic coating on them. I was expecting them to be more like Rotos when I first got them. OTOH, it made me realize that tapewounds aren't for me regardless...too thick...I like my wuss gauges

Jimmy - fwiw, I was surprised when Jason put the LaBellas at the top of the list for "bright" strings. I always use flats (don't like the zingy sound of rounds) and found the LaBella tapes to sound really warm and mellow - on my fretless they can get a bit close to an upright sound (close, but no cigar). The Rotos, etc must be really dark sounding.

They definitely are thicker (which I like) as I have found most flats to be too thin for my tastes. BTW, no such thing as wuss gauges - to each his own!

[bherman]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Sorry, hope you don't feel I was getting in the way!

Not at all, your input is always on the mark and valued....especially if you have had experience with the other brands by comparison.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I have pealed the Black Nylon off a few different brands and I was surprised by the findings.

One of them I was told were a certain way under the tape, but ended up being a different way...

At NAMM I am going to talk with them about my findings and see if its OK to post on mysite... Not sure how sensitive they are about that stuff...

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Fenders are pretty bright, too. I was really shocked that they sounded like rounds with a plastic coating on them. I was expecting them to be more like Rotos when I first got them. OTOH, it made me realize that tapewounds aren't for me regardless...too thick...I like my wuss gauges

Which is weird, as the Roto's are steel round(Swing 66's, seemingly) under the tape. They sound really warm and woody though.

Also, Daddario and GHS do the wussy guages.


The Fenders are a little weird to me, almost more brittle, and you can easily feel the windings... sound great though.

[bherman]

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Which is weird, as the Roto's are steel round(Swing 66's, seemingly) under the tape. They sound really warm and woody though.

Also, Daddario and GHS do the wussy guages.


The Fenders are a little weird to me, almost more brittle, and you can easily feel the windings... sound great though.

Thanks, sounds like I should stick with the LaBellas.

Jimmy, sounds like the GHS tapes might work for you - lighter gauge. They're pretty cheap, so might be worth a try if you are still curious about tapewounds. Sounds like the Fenders are just wierd.

I have yet to find a set of strings that sounds better on my Precision bass than the LaBella tapes. Really beautiful sounding strings (IMO).

[HuncTuCaveto]

How does tension differ between the previously mentioned sets? Specifically, which is lowest??

[fuzzy beard]

I can only speak for my self. I had a set of rotosound tapewounds on a stock Ibanez jet king and they were very thumpy! I then istalled a set on a custom Ibanez Mikro fitted with a fender 62p pickup and them seem very bright and punchy. Really wish they would dull out some.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by bherman

Jimmy, sounds like the GHS tapes might work for you - lighter gauge. They're pretty cheap, so might be worth a try if you are still curious about tapewounds. Sounds like the Fenders are just wierd.

Ya, they are (these are the old Fender tapewounds, not the new ones...don't know if there are any differences, but it doesn't sound like it from what I've heard). I guess some might get into them but I didn't. I think I'm done with tapewounds, though. Flats work well enough for me.

[Luckie]

I can't speak for other tapes, but my GHS 3060s are low tension, with great thump and rich harmonic content.

[dexter.nl]

The main reason why I got rid of my Fender 9120 strings was the low tension. Also, I found them a bit too bright, loved the gauge though!

[CapnSev]

Is the low B on the LaBellas tapered like all their other Bs?

[bherman]

Originally Posted by CapnSev

Is the low B on the LaBellas tapered like all their other Bs?

I don't know, I play a 4, but I will bet that Jason would know (bassstringsonline)