Well...
As far as the La Bella LTF-4A Low Tension Flats go? Other than the Dogal "Jaco" CarbonSteel Flats, I can't think of any flat wounds that have less pull-to-pitch tension than they do. Even the TI Jazz Flat have more. Not
much more, but... more. And, as for the La Bella 760FX DTF's? Yes, they do come in a short scale set. I have them on my '17 Dano Longhorn right now, in fact. The only real difference between them and the 760FD set ( the ones made for the Longhorn) is a
slightly heavier E String (96
vs. 89). I had the FD's on my Longhorn for a short while, but I found the lighter E string just a wee bit too... flexible... for my pick-playing style. Other than that? Really nice strings. The 760FX's are also available in a long scale set, but I had to do some searching to find a dealer that had them. They're on one of my '98 1st gen, MIK Dano DC59 Pros. I'm very happy with them on that bass, too...
Regarding strings that come on a new bass (or a guitar, for that matter)? Sad to say, most companies just buy strings in bulk, and put them on pretty much every bass/guitar they make. It's hard to find a brand new bass that
doesn't come from the factory with D'Addario ECB61 rounds on it (even my Longhorn had the things on it). And, trust me - ECB61 rounds are
NOT the best strings for every bass; no string is. They're perfectly decent, serviceable light gauge rounds, but... not everybody wants to play the string equivalent of a Ford Focus....
So, when you do change strings? It's always a good idea to at least
check your setup, when you do. Maybe everything will need adjusting; maybe nothing will. But, it's always a good idea to check...
