Opinions on La Bella Supersteps 5 Strings

Miesside · #1 12-21-2008, 01:53 PM

hi guys out there, been wanting to try out these strings recently.I'm currently using DR'long necks on my 55-02, so... before i change them, i need both negative and positives review on the strings. like tension wise? what kinda of tone it produces? more mids?. Yea help!!

steve4765630 · #2 12-21-2008, 04:24 PM

Fisrt of all, I think Longs Necks are horrible. Super STeps are better, but still get some of that out of phase, warbly sound. The best tapered strings I've ever used are Pedulla. I've never had a bum set.

frankie5string · #3 12-22-2008, 08:31 AM

The last set of Supersteps I bought were nothing like the set I bought in 2003... They are contact core strings. Half the set was dead - and I got strange overtones across all of the strings on my fretless 6. Ended up taking them off and replacing them with Ken Smith Bass Burner tapercores - which are much better. The cores also had burnishing marks on them - as if someone ham-fistedly put the ball-ends on them and slightly burned the cores near the ball end.

They were very scooped - with nearly no mids to them...

Back in 2003 I put SuperSteps on an Ibanez SoundGear 5... They had windings on the core... I'm not sure why they decided to change as there's a major difference using a string with a "naked core" over a wrapped one.

SebbyNC · #4 01-09-2009, 10:26 AM

A little late to answer, but I think it's an interesting topic, and it could help other users.

Like others said above, they tend to produce quite weird overtones. I installed a 5-string set on my Lakland 55-94, and the A and G strings had a sound like if were playing through a chorus effect. This sound was more pronounced in the middle of the neck (around the 12th fret position). It was so annoying that I had to put the strings off.

Otherwise, I really liked the sound of the low B, it was the clearest one I had tried so far. Very piano-like.

At first I thought it was a manufacturing problem specific to my set or couple of sets in this production batch, but if others report this problem, it's likely a general design issue.

As a side note, my seller told me a couple guys here buy exclusively SuperSteps, it seems they like them so much...

Anyway, I'd say stay away from this set, unless you have money to risk, and time to spare for installation (because these bare cores imply that you change your bridge saddle positions for correct intonation, or it will be very off!).

greenboy · #5 01-09-2009, 10:51 AM

If you want more mids the last thing you need is exposed cores, or even taper core except for maybe the low B.

The general sonic difference between nickel-plated and SS strings in fact is that SS (generally, remember) has more of its spectrum in the treble range compared to NP which puts more of it in the mids. Tapered SS, a little less mids yet, unless you are looking for UPPER mids... go to exposed core SS and you really get scooped.

greenboy · #6 01-09-2009, 10:55 AM

The huge diameter difference between the exposed core and the general string diameter does tend to make them intonate funny and get inharmonic overtones as you play them up the neck, an issue which is considerably milder with tapercore strings.

In either case, another issue is how close the taper or exposed area is to the bridge barrel - if the full diameter of the string is too far from the barrel all these problems are greater than if it is fairly close. I've had to use spacers on the bridge end of tapered B strings before to really get them sounding great.

bad_andy · #7 01-09-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenboy

If you want more mids the last thing you need is exposed cores, or even taper core except for maybe the low B.

+1 Except that I'd stay away from tapers even on the B unless something in the design of the bridge dictated otherwise. I experimented with tapers a lot in the 90s and finally admitted to myself that fully wound strings just sound better to me. Fuller and tauter to my ears and fingers.

greenboy · #8 01-09-2009, 11:04 AM

Thus my use of "maybe" : } ...Some basses and sonic preferences seem to favor the tapercore B, some, the solid.

frankie5string · #9 01-09-2009, 11:14 AM

I don't think my issue was specifically with the type of string... it has more to do with the specific quality issues behind the Labella Supersteps. I have Ken Smith tapercores on my MTD and they're lively, and consistent. I had Labella Supersteps on my Ibanez 5 string in 2003 with a shaller bridge and they did well.

What ticks me off is that they decided to go from singular windings on the core to bare core - and it's plainly obvious on numerous packs that there's significant burnishing and tarnishing on the core ends - as well as sloppy crimps of the wrap at the taper to the core. So at one point they were really taper-core like... then they decided to remove that coil wrap and go bare - which IMHO changed the character and usability of the string dramatically - but they still intonated the same.

You'll also get to "enjoy" crimps in the wrap on some strings and some sets will go on with a dead D or A string and never recover...

For fretless I find the Ken Smith Burner taper-core strings help with sustain and voice (ie:mwah) because you get a more flexible string with a narrower witness point. This was not the case with the Labellas...

So unless there's a specific formula to a bass that can use these, I'd think the LaBella slappers would be a better choice if you have to go with Labella...

greenboy · #10 01-09-2009, 11:27 PM

Slappers used to be taper cores. I still have a set around and really liked them. Do you know if they still are?

frankie5string · #11 01-10-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenboy

Slappers used to be taper cores. I still have a set around and really liked them. Do you know if they still are?

About a year ago I looked at them and the B and E were tapered... but they're not contact core, they have a winding on the core...

There's not specific on the webpage...