Help me ID some strings

fookgub · #1 10-25-2005, 03:46 PM

I was in GC the other day, and one of the sales guys was playing a jazz with black strings. It sounded great... deep and warm, but with enough treble to keep things interesting. When I asked him what they were, he told me LaBella Jazz Rounds. As far as I've been able to find LaBella doesn't make a string string called a Jazz Round, nor any black coated strings at all. TI makes jazz rounds, but they don't seem to be coated either. I guess they could have been bootzilla's, but I didn't think those strings had a reputation for the type of sound I was hearing.

Anyway, if anyone has any idea what strings these might be (and where I could buy them), please let me know. I think they'd be perfect for my fretless p-bass.

Low E Louie · #2 10-25-2005, 04:17 PM

DR Black Beauties?
http://www.drstrings.com/colors.htm

Maybe you have to go back and ask again...

Dan1099 · #3 10-25-2005, 05:59 PM

Maybe the nylon-wound labellas?

fookgub · #4 10-25-2005, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Low E Louie

DR Black Beauties?

Oops... forgot about those. Could be them, since I'm pretty sure GC sells 'em. Then again, I don't know how the sales guy would get DR and LaBella confused. I've heard those are good strings in their own right, so I may try them out (I liked the clips at basstasters, too).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan1099

Maybe the nylon-wound labellas?

As in tape wound? Forgive me, but I still haven't figured out what they're about. I know round, flat, and ground but, despite all my searching, I can't seem to pin down what tape wounds or nylon stings are or what they're good for. FWIW, the strings I saw looked like coated roundwounds to me.

Dan1099 · #5 10-25-2005, 07:28 PM

Tapewound strings are basically flatwounds with a wrap of nylon "tape" wrapped all the way around them, as if it were the outer layer of the string. They certainly have a very warm sound. At more than a few feet, they wouldn't look any different than coated roundwounds.

If you are positive they were coated rounds, though, I would say black beauties or Black Diamond strings. Those are the only two black strings like this I know of.

fookgub · #6 10-26-2005, 11:26 AM

I think I'll give the DR's a shot. I'm curious about tapewounds, though. Do they have a more upright-ish sound? Where can I read more about them?

KSDbass · #7 10-26-2005, 09:15 PM

fender accs 9120 nylon tapewound bass strings? sounds like GC....

**bassman314** · #8 10-27-2005, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fookgub

I was in GC the other day, and one of the sales guys was playing a jazz with black strings. It sounded great... deep and warm, but with enough treble to keep things interesting. When I asked him what they were, he told me LaBella Jazz Rounds. As far as I've been able to find LaBella doesn't make a string string called a Jazz Round, nor any black coated strings at all. TI makes jazz rounds, but they don't seem to be coated either. I guess they could have been bootzilla's, but I didn't think those strings had a reputation for the type of sound I was hearing.

Anyway, if anyone has any idea what strings these might be (and where I could buy them), please let me know. I think they'd be perfect for my fretless p-bass.

If it's a Fendr J-Bass, it's likely the Fender Nylon Tape-wounds...

fookgub · #9 10-27-2005, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassman314

If it's a Fendr J-Bass, it's likely the Fender Nylon Tape-wounds...

I think you're right. It was a fender jazz, and from the pic on the Fender website, they look exactly the same.

MichaelScott · #10 10-28-2005, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fookgub

I think I'll give the DR's a shot. I'm curious about tapewounds, though. Do they have a more upright-ish sound?

Yep. They sound great.