I've ordered some Fender 5090s...

5F6-A · #1 04-29-2007, 12:33 PM

I wanted some old schooltone strings for my 1980 G&L L1000 bass and I had some types in mind:
a) Thomastik infeld flatwounds
b) Labella 1954 Jamerson
c) Labella Deep talkin' set
d) Fender 5090s

In the end I've ordered the Fenders. This is why.
I live in Europe and liking thomastik strings I thought about getting some. The problem is that I tune down a semitone and I don't like floppy, rubbery strings so TI were out of the question.
Then I checked the Labellas. The Jamerson set was virtually impossible to get and the deep talkin' were very expensive ; 60 € a set ( about $82 !!! ) plus p&p and the people at Elderly in america didn't have them in stock....
So I went for the Fender 9050s.... avaliable, well priced and with a good reputation.

What do you reckon? I'll let you know my impresion when I get them.

BTW, my music style is soul, rootsy rock, gospel and blues.

Jim Carr · #2 04-29-2007, 08:26 PM

Reasonable choices. What gauge did you get? I would assume ML or M. I think you might like ML better. M is pretty high tension, then again you are tuning down, so M may be a better choice. Let us know!

BetterBottomEnd · #3 04-29-2007, 10:46 PM

If you want high tension flats you can't beat LaBella's Jamerson set. I'm glad they don't to be replaced very often because even at US prices I don't like paying for them.

5F6-A · #4 04-30-2007, 01:47 AM

Jim,

Thank you for your reply. I ordered the in-between set; 50-100.

BTW, my wife's grandma was from Newcastle in the North of England and was called Carr as well.

BetterBottomEnd,

I don't like low tension but I equally dislike really high tension. Please remember I'm primarily a guitarrist although when I play bass I think completely differently than when I play guitar.... the Jamerson set was not avaliable as I mentioned before anyway.

Jim Carr · #5 04-30-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5F6-A

Jim,

Thank you for your reply. I ordered the in-between set; 50-100.

BTW, my wife's grandma was from Newcastle in the North of England and was called Carr as well.

Those are the ML's I think. Let us know how you like them. Are you having them sent to Spain?

BTW, my Carr (Kerr) family are all decended from the Scots border Kerrs of Jedburgh, and came here in the early colonial period. A tough bunch, but with an interesting history. Best leave any more for a PM. Cheers!

5F6-A · #6 05-08-2007, 10:09 AM

the Fenders are finally here..... well, IO have to say that I had rotosound swing 45 - 105 strings before ( about 3 years old ). I put the new Fnder set and first I felt a extremely smooth feel. i almost missed the coarse feel of the rotos for a second. It felt a bit like playing a fretless... LOL. Then I noticed that they sustain slightly less that the Rotos... I was expecting some loss at the sustain department but I noticed it a bit more than I expected. Then I noticed that although they are flatwound they are fairly bright without the big booming bass I got with the Rotos... Is this normal?
Do they need to break-in a bit? I catch myself ltwisting the tone knob a bit more often than I did before. What do you think?

All in all the strings feel nice, sound bright and they need to be plucked a bit harder to get a similar amount of signal as with the Rotos Swing 66....

Any info will be greatly appreciated....

BetterBottomEnd · #7 05-08-2007, 10:41 AM

Those are high tension flats for you. Darker sounding high tension. Definitely need some good break in time to mellow out and fill out some.

5F6-A · #8 05-08-2007, 10:46 AM

cheers!!

I belive Fender flats are fairly neutral in tone.... not too much of a problem as the ancient G&L has loads ov character.... the ting is th e strings sound after a couple of hours of use still very stiff and constipated : not much thump or life out of them but I guess those aspects will blossom out eventually.... I hope

BetterBottomEnd · #9 05-08-2007, 10:55 AM

Hopefully I've never played a set of Fender flats so no promises. My Labella's took a month or so to break in to my liking.

5F6-A · #10 05-08-2007, 10:59 AM

ok..... Some think that La Bella make Fender flats so the month break in period could be right....

anybody else?

Baryonyx · #11 05-08-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5F6-A

BTW, my wife's grandma was from Newcastle in the North of England and was called Carr as well.

Geordies ftw!

Toon toon black and white army!

5F6-A · #12 05-08-2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2112

Geordies ftw!

Toon toon black and white army!

absolutely... as Dr Jim said my family were "a tough bunch" as well ....
anyway...back to the point , please....

david fitch · #13 05-08-2007, 09:32 PM

The Fender Flats are made by Fender in Mexico.They are kinda remind me of the La Bella's. But cost less. I do like them and they will "mellow out". Kind of "Boomy" on my P-Basses. I like the Chromes better.

5F6-A · #14 05-09-2007, 05:27 AM

Thanks... I've started a new thread to find out especifically about the time that flatwound strings need to break in.

It seeems to me that flatwounds and roundwounds are worlds aprat and not just in terms of tone but nearly every other aspect....