Flatwounds with Thru-Body Stringing???

ElMon · #1 02-29-2008, 10:54 PM

I was looking into putting a Jamerson set of LaBella Flats on my USA Bob Glaub, when I came across this on juststrings.com's website:

Quote:

Important note: La Bella flatwound strings are not suitable for use on instruments that require through-body stringing.

http://www.juststrings.com/labellael...djamerson.html

Any thoughts on why? I've got TI Jazz flats on it now, and they are having no troubles with the thru-body stringing. I'm going to tune down the Jamerson set to DGCF, and was just checking with my TB brethren to either substantiate or obliterate the notion that LaBella flats would NOT work on my bass.

Oh, and here's an obligatory, "I mentioned a bad ass bass and must now give up the goods" pic:

T-Bird · #2 03-01-2008, 12:48 AM

Hi, ElMon.

I don't use flatwounds regularly, but I'd imagine that disclaimer is because the structural difference between rectangular and round outer layer of the string.

IOW the break angle(s) is (are) too tight on a normal string-through for the strings top wound to handle.

There's some problems with roundwounds as well if the bends are too tight IME.

Just a guess.
Sam

Drucocu · #3 03-01-2008, 01:15 AM

I thought the labellas would be too short?

spade2you · #4 03-01-2008, 07:52 AM

Rob Allen basses feature his own custom versions of the LaBella tapes and are string through.

Slowgypsy · #5 03-01-2008, 08:05 AM

I have strung Labella flat wounds and D'adario Chromes thru the body of my MIA Fender P without any problems. Check out the Labella website because my memory (poor) is that only the Jamerson set might have thru the body issues... mainly because the gauge on those strings is very heavy and might not like the bend. FWIW, the Chromes Medium gauge are what I use exclusively now on this bass and there are no problems at all.

biff malibu · #6 03-01-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slowgypsy

I have strung Labella flat wounds and D'adario Chromes thru the body of my MIA Fender P without any problems. Check out the Labella website because my memory (poor) is that only the Jamerson set might have thru the body issues... mainly because the gauge on those strings is very heavy and might not like the bend. FWIW, the Chromes Medium gauge are what I use exclusively now on this bass and there are no problems at all.

do you use 34 or 35 inch scale chromes for stringing through the body?

i bought reg 34 scale chromes for my thru body jazz and they were too short. so i guess i need 35?

ElMon · #7 03-01-2008, 11:26 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I checked LaBella's website, and it didn't mention anything about this at all. Either way, I'm going to get a set and just try it both ways. A little scientific test of my own. I was just suprised that Juststrings indicated all of LaBella's flatwounds as having this problem. I've been able to string TI flats, which of course are a lot smaller and lower tension than LaBellas, but I've also strung GHS/D'Adarrio flats through the body with zero problems in the past. The other factor to this is that I'll be tuning the Jamerson set down to DCGF, so therefore the tension should be a lot less than normal. I'll definitely report back on what happens.

BobaMosfett · #8 03-01-2008, 11:46 AM

There will be a note with the strings saying the same that Juststrings is saying...
I tried using LaBella's on my Jazz through-body, and eventually the E-string broke. So I tend to believe the warning.

On a positive note: I'm sure I read somewhere that LaBella is developing a flatwound string suitable for through-body stringing!

envika · #9 03-01-2008, 11:58 AM

Hey, the first Precisions were through-body-strung, and flats were the only kind of string around back then. I don't see the problem.

ElMon · #10 03-01-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by envika

Hey, the first Precisions were through-body-strung, and flats were the only kind of string around back then. I don't see the problem.

Very good point. The 52 I played in OKC had HUGE flatwounds, strung thru the body. I asked the owner how long they'd been on there, and he told me "about 30 years now". Sounded great to me.

biff malibu · #11 03-01-2008, 12:47 PM

so do i need "super long" chromes in order to go through the body?

Slowgypsy · #12 03-01-2008, 02:13 PM

I've been using Chromes that are meant for 34" scale because that's what's readily available in my local music shop. Yes, the blue silk windings travel over the nut by about 1/4", so I do take a razor and trim them back... but the length is just fine for thru the body. I do have one thought, however, about the Jamerson set going thru the body. There's a chance it won't work. My medium set Chromes do make it through the string ferrules in the body, but just. The Jamerson set is a very heavy gauge string so there's a chance they might not fit. Just a thought.

jk3 · #13 03-01-2008, 03:47 PM

dont most string-thru bridges allow for top-loading as well?

bongomania · #14 03-01-2008, 03:58 PM

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

1) There have been several threads on this before.

2) LaBella puts that warning on every pack of every model of their flatwound strings.

3) They are not saying "flatwound strings should not be strung through body", they are saying "OUR flatwound strings should not be strung through body". Big difference.

4) I've seen a couple of posts from people saying they had no trouble stringing LaBella flats through body, but I've seen a larger number of posts from people saying their larger LaBella flats did in fact break when strung through-body. It's specific to the Labella design.

5) The problem is not whether they are too thick to fit through the hole. The problem is not that they are too short. The problem is that the way they are constructed, the thicker strings are prone to breaking when bent over such a sharp angle.

nubs · #15 03-01-2008, 04:09 PM

Lakland brand flats post the same disclaimer. too much of an angle i figure as well

biff malibu · #16 03-01-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jk3

dont most string-thru bridges allow for top-loading as well?

i have a 97 MIA jbass. the bridge on it does not have a topload option.

Thangfish · #17 03-01-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

The problem is that the way they are constructed, the thicker strings are prone to breaking when bent over such a sharp angle.

...and on a related note:

On my pack of La Bella 760N tape wounds, it says:

Wind only the silk portion of the string into the machine head post. If you wind the metal wound portion of the string into the machine head post, the string will almost certainly break.

When installing these on a certain med scale fretless, (hint: med scale + string through does not = long scale) thinking that it just missed the silk part by a hair, I'd try it.

Wrong.
It snapped immediately, before even getting up to pitch.
I now have a single E string on order.

bongomania · #18 03-01-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thangfish

...When installing these on a certain med scale fretless...

Sorry to hear about that. When I had that bass built I initially told Dolan I wanted it strung with the Jamerson LaBellas, but then I read the warning label and I told him to use Chromes instead. I have read many times that Chromes are fine strung through-body. However that does leave you in a bit of a pickle as far as choosing other strings. I'm not sure what else to recommend, except I already know LaBella's medium-scale Deep Talkin' are too short to fit properly. Hmmm....

FenderP · #19 03-03-2008, 04:58 PM

Rotos don't snap with body through basses. The RS88 set is on my Rob Allen Deep 4 and when I had my 70s MusicMan, I had the RS77LE set on with no issues. So this is purely a LaBella problem and they put the warning for a good reason.

Try the Rotos.

willieG · #20 04-04-2008, 10:28 PM

I have just installed a set of EXTRA LONG SCALE 760N black tape wound on my body thru 51 P bass reissue......before the chromes I had on it didn't fit.

The extra long scale fit perfect.

I will post later if the strings break.......I took a chance but really like the La bella.

BillyB