Hi, folks. Bought a bass with some very nice strings - but previous owner wasn't sure what they where. Can you help? I would call them flatwounds, but they have a texture to them that other flats don't. Medium tention, light green wraps, golden balls. Previous owner suggested La Bellas, but could not be more specific. Thanks!
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Can you identify this string set?
- Thread starter Btone
- Start date
Interesting the way the silk has a striped look with light and dark greens. Very unique. In fact, so unique I've never seen anything like them before. No idea what they are. Sorry.
Fender flats have solid green silk at both ends with colored ball ends.
Internet record holds that light gauge Labella Quarter Rounds used to have red silk, but Labella flatwound strings have different colors of silk for different gauge sets. Could plausibly be an old medium set of Quarter Rounds??
I thought of the LB QRs, but the last time I checked (maybe 3 yrs ago), they no longer came with silk at all.
That is true, the most recent sets did not have silks. But before that, the light set used to have red silks. I posit it is plausible that the medium set also had silks, and could have been a different color.
Thanks for your replies! Sidenote: If we can't figure this out, what strings that you know of suit the description? I would describe them like flats with a grippy feel to them (but more like flats than rounds), well balanced, big fundamentals, very flatwound-sounding (not zingy at all), tension in the Fender 9050L (45-100) ballpark.
I would suggest the GHS Brite Flats, which are Alloy 52 (nickel-iron) half-rounds (= groundwound). Semi-flat in their tonal character - punchy and full-bodied without being too thumpy or thuddy like traditional flats, or overly zingy like rounds.
The light set (L3075, 45-56-77-98) is very nicely balanced without being too stiff or too loose. In fact, I have a brand new set in my stash waiting to be put on my P bass when it's time for a string change.
And yes, they do start out rather sticky and grabby when new, but the stickiness will wear off eventually.
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I would normally tag Slapinfunk, but it appears he's banned from the forum... You can likely still ask him via Fret nation, which I think is his new site. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!
Could they be Rotosound Solo Bass 55's ? I had them on a Jazz Bass that I sold 3 years ago and the OP'S description mostly fits. Being elderly I could be way off.
I suspect not, mainly because, I do not find the 55s all that smooth... at least, not smooth enough to be in the ballpark of flatwound-like.
I think they are the ones indeed:
For Sale - Rotosound 55 (5-String)
See the pics, look real similar to me.
The silk on the Solo Bass 55 is darker shade of green, and they have silk at both ends, while the ones in the OP's pic only have silk at the tuner end.
