Help Me Choose My Next Set of Flats

DavePlaysBass · #1 09-11-2007, 07:06 AM

I have a bright ash / maple G&L l-2000 Tribute that I have tried TI flats and EB heavey flats on it (50-105). The TI flats were sort of OK. I have a jazz with these on it and I am looking for a more deeper traditional flat sound. I am going for the Sultans of Swing or Santana's Europa. The EB flats just don't have a lot of character. They seem to have quite a few highes. The tension does not seem to bother me, but I would call these not too tight for their gauge. Also the EB flats have more finger noise than I would have thought.

My choices are narrowed to the Fender 9050ML (50-65-86-100) and Labella 760FL (43-60-82-104). The Fenders I have read on this board are pretty tight. Also wonder if the Fenders have more mids than the Labella and are they as smooth. The Labella some say are rather scooped. I am looking for that P bass vintage tone coming out of the neck pup with a bit of tone rolled off. G&L pickups have a lot of mids so maybe a scooped Labella would be good. But it seems like I never like scooped sounds in a mix because they get lost.

Also are the Sadowsky flats the same as Labella but a more traditional gauge (45-65-85-105). The Labella 760FL do not look like a balanced set with a 60 for the D. Some say they are made by Labella, but it also sounds as though they have more highes and may not have the traditional Labella tone.

Thanks,

Dave

Bushmaster · #2 09-11-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

Also wonder if the Fenders have more mids than the Labella and are they as smooth.

I remember Fender as more on the soft side, maybe also with the mids even being a bit "dirty" depending on the instrument they're used with.

Quote:

The Labella some say are rather scooped.

Maybe more of a twangy cut, which admitteldy I find a plague in most flats, especially with light-to-medium gauges.

It's only that strings of equal length, tension and density will have gauges in the same ratio as their frequencies. That only applies to plain steel strings. Wound strings vary somewhat due to core diameter, number and diameter of wraps etc. etc.

La Bella often tends toward a lighter top/heavier bottom type of balance which I thinks feels and sounds very much more pleasurable than the other way round.

I'm not sure how you came up with these two alternatives -? I've mentioned a few others earlier that day. In an ash/maple bolt-on I'd recommend to avoid twangy FWs.

**BFunk** · #3 09-11-2007, 09:12 AM

No experience with Fender.

I've had the LaBella's on a couple of different basses. I still have them on my '73 P. To me they have a characteristic low-mid bump which I like very much.

One Drop · #4 09-11-2007, 11:58 AM

The LaBellas only sound a bit scooped when new; very soon they fill out and there's a LOT of mids and low mids, with a real rich character. They sound quite balanced as a set in the gauges you mention, and on a fender J or P they nail the trad flats tone.

The Sadowskys are made by the makers of LaBella to Sadowsky's specs- they are a stunning string. I don't think of them as brighter, like Chromes are, but more aggressive and with a bit less thump than the LaBellas. Kind of like what the Sadowsky is to a Fender: same basic voice but jacked up a bit for modern ears and tastes.

markdavid · #5 09-11-2007, 02:17 PM

I have been having trouble finding a decent set of flats , I have also tried the ernie ball flats and the roto jazz flats and the daddario charomes but have found them all way too bright , I have given up on flats and I have gone back to roto tapes as they sound good and thumpy from the moment they are on the bass and dont have that horrible metallic sound that some flats have.

Bushmaster · #6 09-12-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdavid

... the roto jazz flats...

Uh..., this was a string I really disgusted

It lacked character, sounded profane, was unpleasurably twangy and had a miserable sustain (even on a bass which had really great sustain with all other strings I ever had installed on it).

In short, if you like nylon, then stay with it.

robgator · #7 09-12-2007, 09:26 AM

No experience w/ Labella but +1 on the Fender 9050MLs. I've had these on my fretless jazz, just about since day 1 and I'm really pleased w/ the tone.

RobK.

professor_bills · #8 09-12-2007, 11:37 AM

I have the Fenders on my Squier P Bass and Love them compared to the rounds that it came with. I have n't tried any others so I cant say if they're the best sound or not. How ever they are a couple years old and seem to be losing tone in the mids and uppers. So yesterday I ordered a set from Webstrings just to see what a $16 set of flats sound like and will let you know when they get here. I am also taking my bass into get a some work done on the electronics and might have the action checked while there. My main thing is the G string sounds off.

John Wentzien · #9 09-12-2007, 11:51 AM

I've got webstrings 105-45 stainless flats on my fretless jazz. Not as "ringy" as rotos or Fenders. Medium tension (&cheap). very smooth feel.

funkybassplayer · #10 09-12-2007, 11:55 AM

try some D'Addario Chromes. shiny finish, good tone Just wipe off the stings before install because they have an odd lil film or something on them from the factory. once you wipe it off then you are good to go

00Funk · #11 09-12-2007, 11:56 AM

I really like the DR highbeam flats

FidgetStone · #12 09-12-2007, 04:29 PM

The Fenders did a nice job of taking the super bright edge off of my recently sold MM Stingray. They also added some very welcome fundamental thump which I never had with rounds on that bass.

I tried chromes on my G&L ASAT and really loved them for the nice fundamental. I went back to rounds on the ASAT because I now have TI flats on my fretless L-2500 and I wanted to have more contrast between the two basses.

That being said, the Fenders would an inexpensive experiment in the worst case, and based on my experience, I think that you will like them.

Peace . . .

kevinmoore73 · #13 09-12-2007, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkybassplayer

try some D'Addario Chromes. shiny finish, good tone Just wipe off the stings before install because they have an odd lil film or something on them from the factory. once you wipe it off then you are good to go

+1 on all of this. I don't know the details of your bas, but be sure to check the scale length before buying. (http://daddario.com/DADFaqAnswer.aspx?ID=762)

I use their 5-string super-long scale set, ECB81-5SL

DavePlaysBass · #14 09-12-2007, 09:11 PM

Thanks the suggestions. I found a good deal on a set of Labellas 760FL. But the Sadowskys, Fenders, and Chromes will probably be on my short list of next to try. I am still trying to figure out if I can be happy with flats in a Modern sounding band context? In the past, I have gotten lost with the TI flats. But I think I am smarter with EQ these days and I really do not care for all the string noise. My 61 Jazz with TIs is a GAS to play in the right setting.

Dave

One Drop · #15 09-13-2007, 08:03 AM

Careful with Chromes- they have a lot of high mids that sound wonderful on some basses and very odd on others.

To people experimenting with flats, you must play them a while to get the most out of them if you don't want that metallic twang or slightly hollow tone. I hear about people putting them on a bass for 5 min and whipping them off and it makes me sad...

Re: a modern band setting, I had been playing a Fender J with Sadowsky flats very convincingly in a pop/punk cover band, getting a lot of grit and overdrive. But in the end I decided to switch to a P with Rotos to nail the basstones on a lot of the recent stuff we play, as well as some of the '70s punk covers. That metallic clang and those overtones work great in this context, but I hate it anywhere else. So I guess I'm saying it depends on the music you're playing and how much you're looking at recreating those tones rather than finding your own that work as well.

professor_bills · #16 09-13-2007, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

I've got webstrings 105-45 stainless flats on my fretless jazz. Not as "ringy" as rotos or Fenders. Medium tension (&cheap). very smooth feel.

John,
BY cheap do you mean the good cheap (inexpensive) or the bad cheap (junk)?

towsonbassist · #17 09-13-2007, 04:10 PM

Bah! I bought a set of Fender Flats for my Fretless P Bass copy and they were horrible (Medium-Light gauge about). I currently have on D'Addario Chromes and I gotta admit, while I never put anything but Rotosounds on my G&L I like the chromes on my fretless (As opposed to the Rotosound Flats which were great too).

markdavid · #18 09-13-2007, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by towsonbassist

Bah! I bought a set of Fender Flats for my Fretless P Bass copy and they were horrible (Medium-Light gauge about). I currently have on D'Addario Chromes and I gotta admit, while I never put anything but Rotosounds on my G&L I like the chromes on my fretless (As opposed to the Rotosound Flats which were great too).

What was wrong with the fender flats , ive heard only good things about them until now ?

NorCal Dog · #19 09-13-2007, 04:28 PM

+1 La Bella 760FL's simply one of the best out there imo

professor_bills · #20 09-13-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdavid

What was wrong with the fender flats , ive heard only good things about them until now ?

I've read some complaints on other postings that fenders were sticky. And I kind of remember mine were a little when I first got them. But any flat fan will tell you "you gotta break em in before you decide if you like em"