I do like to do most things myself, but i think you may be right! Half the battle is knowing what you can and can not do i guess haha.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
La Bella "Original 1954" 760M for BEAD Tuning
- Thread starter Desuh
- Start date
Do you have links to any video/audio recordings of that set of strings? I'd be curious to hear/see them! It looks like I may just have to bite the bullet and spend the $96 to build the TI's set with single bass strings.
I do! I love Ti's 4 string set, although the A string does annoy me that it's looser than the others. Im also thinking of first trying a much cheaper GHS Precision flats set made from singles 55-75-95-126 gauges will only be $32! A third of the price but its a gamble if ill like them
I could get you a few snippets off the album (which has not yet been released officially).
What are you looking for in particular? The tones I can give you:
- clean, with tone rolled all the way back
- clean, tone open, with a lot of flatwound "wood" to the sound
- 3 different dist/fuzz tones in a doom metal setting, a bit of a special beast as I don't use guitars, instead I use three seperate bass recordings (the usual left/right/center though)
In hindsight, these still sound like La Bellas. You can't exactly hear the flop...
3 fuzz tones woah. I mean the most relatable tone to me would be the clean wide open tone, definitelyOne step lighter to the 54ers are the 760FMs, which are .109. When I tried it out, the strings still had a stiffness, but played and sounded flubby.
Something like .050 .075 .095 is light but fine for EAD. .110 for B will be looser and maybe borderline practical for you, but the stiffness of flats may help with reducing floppiness. For perspective the B equal in tension to the .095 E woud be a .130.
A .135 B is not low tension either (equivalent to a .100 E).
This is unsuitable advice for someone who likes low tension, a .140 B is equivalent to a .105 E, so is not low tension at all.
A .135 B is not low tension either (equivalent to a .100 E).
Oh, okay then. Thanks for the correction - it's been a few years since I've purchased them, so I was never quite sure what they actually were.
A "flubby" feel is highly subjective, I reckon - a lot of people can't even handle TIs, I for one am too much of a wuss to play bridge cables. La Bella DTFs in standard tuning are physically painful for me to play, even if they sound great.
I disagree on the flubby sound though, I thought they sounded indistinguishable from normal tuning - OP has since received a recording of this to make up his own mind.
I have TIs strung on another bass. When I down tuned the La Bellas, it was way more loose feeling then the TIs. Like I said in my earlier post, if the bass was set up to play like that, it could have been playable and maybe would have sounded better too. Tension wise it was way too loose even when compared to TIs.Oh, okay then. Thanks for the correction - it's been a few years since I've purchased them, so I was never quite sure what they actually were.
A "flubby" feel is highly subjective, I reckon - a lot of people can't even handle TIs, I for one am too much of a wuss to play bridge cables. La Bella DTFs in standard tuning are physically painful for me to play, even if they sound great.
I disagree on the flubby sound though, I thought they sounded indistinguishable from normal tuning - OP has since received a recording of this to make up his own mind.
All personal preference. Only way to find out is to try for yourself and maybe hear samples if people can provide. Thanks to you
@phangtonpower @Nashrakh:
As I related a number of times here, I wasn't in love with a single short-scale flatwound Rotosound .09 E string (actually two of them) I tried some time ago: beside being a little too thumpy-sounding for my needs, it managed to combine very low tension with inflexibility. The result was a marked bump in pitch on the attack which I found difficult to work with.
Based on that experience, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that, somewhat counterintuitively, the .104 and .105 from the DTB 760FL and -FS respectively may in fact work better, or less poorly if you will, when downtuned a 4th than the .109 and .11 from the -FM and -M (1954) sets because of the latter gauges' higher stiffness making them more difficult to intonate and play without hard-to-control pitch envelopes when they're tuned below a certain threshold. As for where said threshold is, many report on the Jamerson set being a fantastic (long-scale) D standard and short-scale (E standard) option.
If I were in @Desuh's shoes I'd consider putting together a hybrid set made as follows: basically a 5-string set of 1954 gauges but without the .11 in question, IOW .052 .073 .095 .128T, with the caveat that, having not tried it myself, I can't say for certain that the now-detuned, originally G-D-A strings will not exhibit the same behaviour that I've tentatively attributed to the .11 based on reports.
Well, either the above, or just trying the (BEAD available gauges of) Low Tension Flexible flats La Bella makes...
As I related a number of times here, I wasn't in love with a single short-scale flatwound Rotosound .09 E string (actually two of them) I tried some time ago: beside being a little too thumpy-sounding for my needs, it managed to combine very low tension with inflexibility. The result was a marked bump in pitch on the attack which I found difficult to work with.
Based on that experience, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that, somewhat counterintuitively, the .104 and .105 from the DTB 760FL and -FS respectively may in fact work better, or less poorly if you will, when downtuned a 4th than the .109 and .11 from the -FM and -M (1954) sets because of the latter gauges' higher stiffness making them more difficult to intonate and play without hard-to-control pitch envelopes when they're tuned below a certain threshold. As for where said threshold is, many report on the Jamerson set being a fantastic (long-scale) D standard and short-scale (E standard) option.
If I were in @Desuh's shoes I'd consider putting together a hybrid set made as follows: basically a 5-string set of 1954 gauges but without the .11 in question, IOW .052 .073 .095 .128T, with the caveat that, having not tried it myself, I can't say for certain that the now-detuned, originally G-D-A strings will not exhibit the same behaviour that I've tentatively attributed to the .11 based on reports.
Well, either the above, or just trying the (BEAD available gauges of) Low Tension Flexible flats La Bella makes...
That gauge sounds interesting! I think I'm just going to get over filing my nut and use an actual light 5 string gauge. Either Thomastik flats or a light gauge custom set of precision flats
Good luck with the experiments. Yeah, better not to be married to one option.
Or you could just use the La Bella 760FX-B minus the G string so you would get .056 .077 .096 .128T (slightly higher gauge for the E A D strings than the Jamerson set).
I'm currently using the Jamerson flats in standard C with a Jazz Bass in a stoner rock context. While I think the tension is more or less ok (on the looser side for me even though I like like lower tension strings), I somewhat prefer the sound of the "regular" DTF over the Jamersons. So I'm probably getting a set of the 760FX-B soon, though I'm not sure if the B string will fit the nut without replacement (the neck on my Jazz Bass is bound which would make replacement a lot more complicated...). Also, I don't know if the B string will have too much tension. Any experiences with this?
EDIT: Had to correct the name of the set of strings. Thanks HaphAsSard
Last edited:
So you redubbed it "760FX-C" because you plan to tune it that way?
Honestly I think that should work fine. I used the 4 string DTF from Labella and I think the b string is a 118, which seems absurdly low for a b string (I think Thomastik uses a 136 or something for their b, and those are similar gauge strings). If anything, I imagine that half step tune up doing them some good.
So you redubbed it "760FX-C" because you plan to tune it that way?
Fixed, thanks!
I guess you mean the La Bellas are .128, not .118, right?
So I'll probably just order a set in the near future and hope that they will fit the nut without modification...
^
(I haven't tried either it nor the .128T of the normal sets so I can't comment on each one's feel and playability. The lowtow La Bellas have their fans here on the sub-forum, but I'm not sure if the lovefest includes users of the low B.)
If the OP meant the LTF low B (stands for "Low Tension Flexible" as opposed to "Deep Talkin' Flat"), La Bella's traditional-sounding answer to Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats, that one is indeed a .118.
(I haven't tried either it nor the .128T of the normal sets so I can't comment on each one's feel and playability. The lowtow La Bellas have their fans here on the sub-forum, but I'm not sure if the lovefest includes users of the low B.)
Last edited:
Sorry You're right! I meant the low tension.
^
If the OP meant the LTF low B (stands for "Low Tension Flexible" as opposed to "Deep Talkin' Flat"), La Bella's traditional sounding answer to Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats, that one is indeed a .118. (I haven't tried either that not the .128T of the normal sets so I can't comment of each one's feel and playability. The lowtow La Bellas have their fans here on the (sub-) forum, but I'm not sure if the lovefest includes users of the low B.)
I like a good thread resurrection.
My experience with the Jamersons for BEAD tuning is as follows on 34" scale basses.
Forget trying it with the 4 string 52-110 set. The 110 is flubville incorporated. The 110 is much better as D or E if you like high tension in conjunction with stiffness.
The set to grab is the 5iver set with the 52-128T. You set aside the 110 and use the 095 075 and 052 as EAD respectively. For me the 052 075 and 095 are fantastic as EAD. The 052 as D has a deep richness to it that blends much better with the depth of the other strings than as a G or even an F.
The 128 T still feels a tad wobbly to me, but I am used to a Chrome 132 as a B. For this reason I do like tuning up to C# standard a bit.
As far as tension on the neck goes, it's a non issue. For some reason I've read alarmist stuff about E standard with these strings, but as BEAD, the tension is quite low, and you may need to loosen the rod, not tighten it.
Regarding mods. I opened all the nut slots a bit on the two basses I have tried these strings on. No problem. I didn't have to enlarge any bridge holes either, and I just left the saddle notch for B as is, due to the 128 being tapered.
Had no problem intonating the strings at all. Strangely though, on both basses, the low B saddle is fwd of the others a bit. The tapering the reason I presume.
I've read of some folks finding notes slightly sharp to the ears above certain frets high up the fretboard, even if a tuner says otherwise. I haven't found this to be the case.
The versatility of these gauges (052 075 095 128T) is that if you feel you want to tune up from BEAD and do CFBbDb or C#F#BE ( the one I hang around most on) DGCF, you can do so with maybe just a slight truss rod tightening going from B to D standard. I do this so regularly with this string set I can do it blind folded. I haven't had to change any other setup stuff at all. No action adjustments, intonation etc, going up from B standard and stops on the way to D standard. The 128T as D in no way feels over tense. Feels really nice compared to the other strings in D standard.
I can't see me taking these Jamersons off the current bass they are on. The tuning versatility of the gauges and the great tone and feel of these strings ensures that.
A few notes on my setup with these strings.
Nut action: a gap of 0.5mm between bottom of strings and top of 1st fret. ( Strings unfretted)
Relief at 8th fret: .25mm
Action at 17th fret :
B: 2.4 mm
E 1.8 mm
A 1.5 mm
D 1.5 mm
My experience with the Jamersons for BEAD tuning is as follows on 34" scale basses.
Forget trying it with the 4 string 52-110 set. The 110 is flubville incorporated. The 110 is much better as D or E if you like high tension in conjunction with stiffness.
The set to grab is the 5iver set with the 52-128T. You set aside the 110 and use the 095 075 and 052 as EAD respectively. For me the 052 075 and 095 are fantastic as EAD. The 052 as D has a deep richness to it that blends much better with the depth of the other strings than as a G or even an F.
The 128 T still feels a tad wobbly to me, but I am used to a Chrome 132 as a B. For this reason I do like tuning up to C# standard a bit.
As far as tension on the neck goes, it's a non issue. For some reason I've read alarmist stuff about E standard with these strings, but as BEAD, the tension is quite low, and you may need to loosen the rod, not tighten it.
Regarding mods. I opened all the nut slots a bit on the two basses I have tried these strings on. No problem. I didn't have to enlarge any bridge holes either, and I just left the saddle notch for B as is, due to the 128 being tapered.
Had no problem intonating the strings at all. Strangely though, on both basses, the low B saddle is fwd of the others a bit. The tapering the reason I presume.
I've read of some folks finding notes slightly sharp to the ears above certain frets high up the fretboard, even if a tuner says otherwise. I haven't found this to be the case.
The versatility of these gauges (052 075 095 128T) is that if you feel you want to tune up from BEAD and do CFBbDb or C#F#BE ( the one I hang around most on) DGCF, you can do so with maybe just a slight truss rod tightening going from B to D standard. I do this so regularly with this string set I can do it blind folded. I haven't had to change any other setup stuff at all. No action adjustments, intonation etc, going up from B standard and stops on the way to D standard. The 128T as D in no way feels over tense. Feels really nice compared to the other strings in D standard.
I can't see me taking these Jamersons off the current bass they are on. The tuning versatility of the gauges and the great tone and feel of these strings ensures that.
A few notes on my setup with these strings.
Nut action: a gap of 0.5mm between bottom of strings and top of 1st fret. ( Strings unfretted)
Relief at 8th fret: .25mm
Action at 17th fret :
B: 2.4 mm
E 1.8 mm
A 1.5 mm
D 1.5 mm
Last edited:
