LaBella Flats and through body basses

[BassChuck]

I really like LaBella strings, but I note that they give the warning that their flats are 'no suitable' for basses with through body strings. I'm assuming that they sharper turns that through body stringing requires might cause the strings to break. Is that true? Anyone try them anyway? Any comments?

Anything like LaBella out there that could deal with the through body stringing?

[jobo4]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

I really like LaBella strings, but I note that they give the warning that their flats are 'no suitable' for basses with through body strings. I'm assuming that they sharper turns that through body stringing requires might cause the strings to break. Is that true? Anyone try them anyway? Any comments?

Anything like LaBella out there that could deal with the through body stringing?

I string TI flats through the body of my Jazz. They seem to tolerate it b/c of the very flexible core, but I only string through because it is the only option. If you can go thru the bridge, do that.

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

I really like LaBella strings, but I note that they give the warning that their flats are 'no suitable' for basses with through body strings. I'm assuming that they sharper turns that through body stringing requires might cause the strings to break. Is that true?

I'm not sure that's a good assumption. 'Not suitable' might also mean that the silk at the headstock end would wind up passing over the nut.

[canopener]

I tried a set of LaBella DTFs on my strung thru P and had no problems. I probably had them on for a good 6 months before I switched back to Chromes...

[Mojo-Man]

You need low tension flats for string through body.
TI flats or Lakland flats work.
Labella's work best on standard bridge?

[Fuzzbass]

Yesterday I received some LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass black nylon tapewound strings. There's a warning inside the package:

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE

Wind only the silk end 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.

Again, my strings are nylon tapes, but I assume the same warning is present for their all-metal flatwounds. Either way, I'm confused... seems to me that with top-load stringing there's a greater chance for metal/nylon (rather than silk) to reach the tuning post.... that is, with thru-body, it's less likely that the metal will reach the post. Anybody else have any ideas?

[thebassclef]

Contact Labella. They are going to be the ones with the answers.

[king_biscuit]

Ernieball flats (group III) work fine on string through bridges, and have more of an old school thump like the La Bellas. TIs are cool, but they are not really flats in the traditionalk sense -- more of a hybrid string.

[bongomania]

Crap! I just randomly clicked into the "strings" forum, and here's this thread. I am having a custom bass built, and it is string-through-body, and I sent a pack of LaBella Jamersons to the builder so that the nut and everything would fit those strings perfectly. Dang thing is nearly complete, about to ship.

What about Fender 9050s, do they have a different core tension? I have a set of those around.

Or, I can just play the LaBellas until they break, and then report to you exactly how long they lasted!

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Crap! I just randomly clicked into the "strings" forum, and here's this thread. I am having a custom bass built, and it is string-through-body, and I sent a pack of LaBella Jamersons to the builder so that the nut and everything would fit those strings perfectly. Dang thing is nearly complete, about to ship.

What about Fender 9050s, do they have a different core tension? I have a set of those around.

Or, I can just play the LaBellas until they break, and then report to you exactly how long they lasted!

Wow. The Jamerson's are really cool, but I would NOT string them through the body as they will surely break sooner rather than later.

[bongomania]

Biscuit, I saw in another thread you mentioned a different model of LaBellas that you use... are they a similar gauge set? Do you string through body? What's your recommendation?

[ldervish]

I have a set of LaBella DTBFL on my MIA Jazz (string thru), playing steadily for a few months now, no problems at all. Silk on the post, no metal on the post, no silk on the nut, no broken strings, awesome feel and sound. I have to say though that I also really like D'addario Chromes, it's a tight race between them.

[king_biscuit]

The La Bellas I use, 760FS, are 45, 65, 85, 105. I believe that the core is different than the Jammersons, and they are certainly thinner. I string them through the bridge on my P-bass as it can be strung through bridge or body. I think if you want a nice set of heavy flats La Bella, EBs (group I) and Rotosound Steve Harris are all good choices for old school traditional thump. I would not string any of those through the body though. If your bridge allows through bridge stringing I would string the Jamersons that way. I have a set of EB group III (45, 65, 80, 100) on a Jazz bass strung through body and those have been on a while with no issues.

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by ldervish

I have a set of LaBella DTBFL on my MIA Jazz (string thru), playing steadily for a few months now, no problems at all. Silk on the post, no metal on the post, no silk on the nut, no broken strings, awesome feel and sound. I have to say though that I also really like D'addario Chromes, it's a tight race between them.

What gauge?

[ldervish]

Sorry, should have clarified: 760FL (Light), .043 -.104

Think gauge could make a difference?

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by ldervish

Sorry, should have clarified: 760FL (Light), .043 -.104

Think gauge could make a difference?

Yeah, I am using a set of EB flats (group III 45-100) through body on a Jazz bass with no problems. But I have broken heavier flats pretty quickly running them through body, and those Jamersons are huge! My rule of thumb is that lighter flats through body or bridge, heavier flats through bridge only. The 760FS could probably go either way, but the 760FM I would want to run through the bridge, and the Jamersons for sure through the bridge only.

[bongomania]

Grrr... I like heavy gauge strings, I like flatwounds. The only reason I use the through-body stringing is because I play a 32" scale neck, and there are almost no good strings for that scale. The LaBella "medium scale" DTBs are really for 31" scale.

[bongomania]

OK, a few people have said they really like Chromes. Can any of you with experience stringing them thru-body confirm that a "regular long" set of .050, .070, .085, and 105 is not likely to break? (I understand that they are thick gauge, but I'm hopeful anyway.)

Interestingly, even the light gauge LaBellas come with that warning about "not suitable". I don't know why I never noticed that warning before, I've bought several sets of LaBellas over the last couple years.

Biscuit, do you feel that your EB Group III give you a good amount of low end thump? Aside from feel, the main reason I like thicker strings is because of that strong low end. How do they compare to the Group I?

Thanks!

[Ole Man Blues]

Originally Posted by canopener

I tried a set of LaBella DTFs on my strung thru P and had no problems. I probably had them on for a good 6 months before I switched back to Chromes...

+1 on the Chromes. Good switch. I tried some Groundwounds a couple of months ago for a couple of weeks, but when I got some weird looks from our drummer I switched back to Chromes. No more weird looks, only smiles.......

OMB

[ldervish]

Is swapping your bridge for the dual function type an option? I may look at that for the Jazz so next round I could try the medium gauge....hmm

And thanks for the insight, Biscuit!