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.
Chromes - Why choose over LaBella?
- Thread starter Mike Vee
- Start date
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,074
- 9,790
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
It's kinda tricky to talk about. Labella's are smooth to the touch, but can feel sticky, in the way that slick tires stick to the road. I find Labella's with a little fast fret to feel really nice.
Yea if you have any moisture on your hands they can feel grippy. Luckily in LA that's rarely an issue, as it's very dry here.
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,074
- 9,790
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
I guess I'd describe playing with Chromes a bit like talking with "brain fog." They make me stumble. I prefer strings with lower tension and/or more flexibility. TI worked great, LTFs worked great, DTFs also felt great as far as flats are concerned. The LaBella 1954's were too much, and same situation as the Chromes - too much work, caused pain, missed notes like I had a stuttering problem. I get the same thing on upright bass, if the strings require too much effort I can't get in the pocket which is why I love gut strings.
The 54's in E standard are said to be tough. Tuned down to D standard is another matter though. I wish I could say I have used TI's and be able to compare with a Chrome, but I haven't. I hear good things about them.
TI's on my P bass made me feel like I was driving a big old Cadillac. That's the best description I can think of.
Where as Chromes made me feel like I was driving a clunker stuck in 2nd gear and the power steering doesn't work.
Ha ha.TI's on my P bass made me feel like I was driving a big old Cadillac. That's the best description I can think of.
A chrome 100 in D has pretty much the same tension as a TI 100 in E on a long scale bass. That same 100 would only have around 25lbs on my Mikro. I dunno if I could play something that low tension. A 132 Chrome on my Mikro has the same tension as that TI 100 on a 34" and is right at the bottom end of playable for my tastes. I don't mind less tension on the higher pitched strings, but the low string I can't do too low tension. I know, I know, tension and feel aren't the same but.. Have you tried downtuned Chromes?
Currently I have a set of .045 gauge DTFs on my 30” 5-string. Actually that’s the only bass I own at the moment. And they are incredible. The absolute perfect string / bass combo.
As far as tension, that is a factor but so it flexibility.
Hershey's makes a CARAMEL syrup??? I had no idea! I generally prefer caramel to chocolate.Strings choices are a matter of personal taste based on one's perspective on what sounds good and feels good. If you prefer La Bella over the Chromes, so be it. Nobody needs to convince you otherwise.
I do like vanilla ice cream, provided it has Hershey's caramel syrup on it.
Sorry, back to your regularly scheduled string debate!
Brent
I have been using the Chromes all week, and I’ll tell you what they are really really growing on me. When I go back to LaBella, they feel so sticky and resistant to sliding. Plus I can get the chromes a lot lower.
Can't stand chrome's tbh, lots of boom and treble, no mids, once they break in they don't even have the treble going for them they somehow manage to be both dark and scooped at the same time.
To be perfectly honest? I'm not a huge fan of the usual gauge La Bella DTFs. I do use the lighter gauge DTFs; the 760FX's and 760FD's. But, while I'm a big fan of "Old School Thump", the usual gauge DTFs are just a little too much of a good thing. On my '78 Fender P-Bass - with the foam mute in the bridge cover? The GHS Precision Flats, which are a close copy of the original, Squier-made Fender Flats, give me the late '50s-early '60s tone I want. But I really like the La Bellas that I do use...
As for the D'Addario "Chromes"? I'm not a fan of D'Addario strings in general (why is a long story, and not germane here), and while I avoid them as much as possible? I did have a set of Chromes on one of my basses for a while. They were well broken in when I took them off a project bass, and put them on a shelf for later use - maybe. Years later, when trying to decide what to replace the rounds on a new-to-me G&L ASAT Bass with, I decided to try the old Chromes. I was quite surprised by them; especially considering the shade they get from a lot of people here. I liked them well enough - on that bass - to leave them on it. However, they started to die, about a year later; and, by then? I had a pretty good idea which flats I'd really like on that bass - and they weren't D'Addario Chromes. They were Fender 9050Ls... Still, I could see why people do like Chromes; on the right bass they could certainly sound good. But, for me? Other flats - like the Fenders, or the GHS P-Flats - or any of the many other flats I use - just sound better...
Last edited:
Interesting. Fender flats are made by D-Addario.To be perfectly honest? I'm not a huge fan of the usual gauge La Bella DTFs. I do use the lighter gauge DTFs; the 760FX's and 760FD's. But, while I'm a big fan of "Old School Thump", the usual gauge DTFs are just a little too much of a good thing. On my '78 Fender P-Bass - with the foam mute in the bridge cover? The GHS Precision Flats, which are a close copy of the original, Squier-made Fender Flats, give me the late '50s-early '60s tone I want. But I really like the La Bellas that I do use...
As for the D'Addario "Chromes"? I'm not a fan of D'Addario strings in general (why is a long story, and not germane here), and while I avoid them as much as possible? I did have a set of Chromes on one of my basses for a while. They were well broken in when I took them off a project bass, and put them on a shelf for later use - maybe. Years later, when trying to decide what to replace the rounds on a new-to-me G&L ASAT Bass with, I decided to try the old Chromes. I was quite surprised by them; especially considering the shade they get from a lot of people here. I liked them well enough - on that bass - to leave them on it. However, they started to die, about a year later; and, by then? I had a pretty good idea which flats I'd really like on that bass - and they weren't D'Addario Chromes. They were Fender 9050Ls... Still, I could see why people do like Chromes; on the right bass they could certainly sound good. But, for me? Other flats - like the Fenders, or the GHS P-Flats - or any of the many other flats I use - just sound better...
This weekend I had some time to try the following strings on this same bass:
- TIs
- Fender 9050L
- LaBella 760FX
- LaBella LTF
- Cobalt 95s
I will eat my own words, because Chromes sound better than all of these on this bass. LTF was a second best, they actually sound slight better, but are just too floppy om this wide board. Chromes are staying on this bass. They get a lot lower and are easier to play because of it.
I just ordered a custom super light set with a less tense D. Can't wait to break them in for a few years.
I get this, and this was my opinion at first too. However, I cranked the mids a bit on the SVT and I am getting great mid tone now. The one thing still bothering me is a metallic overtone on the D and G with a mute, but it goes away as I lower the tone, which I usually do with a mute. Just a bit does the trick.
Yes, D'Addario has made Fender strings - not just the 9050 flats - for several years, now. But, the thing is, there aren't all that many companies that make strings in the USA any more; D'Addario makes strings for lots of companies. Rickenbacker, for example. They also get their strings from SIT, but you get my point. For various reasons - not having to do with tone, particularly - I prefer the Fenders over the Chromes. Chromes worked... OK... on my G&L ASAT Bass, mainly because the active controls allowed me to get rid of the more annoying parts of their high end. The Fenders? I don't have to do much of anything with any bass's - or the amp's - tone controls, to get what I want. In fact, I've had the 9050's on some basses with no discernable tone control at all, and they still sounded like I wanted...
But... I do believe that the bass chooses the strings, as far as what you want from that particular bass. And, IME? D'addario Chromes aren't bad strings - by any means. They just haven't been the strings for any of my basses, or for what I want to hear from them. But, if that should change? I have 2 sets of them in my Big Box 'O Strings, just waiting for their chance to shine...
So, after a couple weeks with the Chromes, I just couldn’t get down with them. Too stiff, too metallic, don’t sound good with a mute. Very sterile tone, like they are metal made to hold a bridge together, instead of actually having sweet tone for an instrument. The hand feel on them is really good though. I can definitely see the love for people that play with a pick, but don’t want to use rounds, something like that. But for that woody, retro Indy rock style precision tone, it’s just not the string for me.
I decided to revisit GHS Precision Flats. Lights. It’s one of the only flats I never really gave a chance before. I tried them once on a Stingray, but that was a terrible match unless you really want to remove tons of the Stingray tone.
It’s only been two days, but so far I am liking them much, much more. They are somewhat similar, but are also much more flexible, have a warmer and old-school tone, and are seemingly a really great alternative to LaBella if you’re looking to get into that same realm of sound, but want something different. They’re pretty much exactly a middle ground between Chromes and LTF. They also remind me ever so slightly of cobalt flats in the way that they feel. Most of all they don’t have the weird metallic overtones of the Chromes. I get the feeling these are going to break-in pretty quickly just like low tension flats.
Also, being on a vintage reproduction Precision bass, I like the idea of having the strings that are supposedly the closest to the originals back in the day.
I decided to revisit GHS Precision Flats. Lights. It’s one of the only flats I never really gave a chance before. I tried them once on a Stingray, but that was a terrible match unless you really want to remove tons of the Stingray tone.
It’s only been two days, but so far I am liking them much, much more. They are somewhat similar, but are also much more flexible, have a warmer and old-school tone, and are seemingly a really great alternative to LaBella if you’re looking to get into that same realm of sound, but want something different. They’re pretty much exactly a middle ground between Chromes and LTF. They also remind me ever so slightly of cobalt flats in the way that they feel. Most of all they don’t have the weird metallic overtones of the Chromes. I get the feeling these are going to break-in pretty quickly just like low tension flats.
Also, being on a vintage reproduction Precision bass, I like the idea of having the strings that are supposedly the closest to the originals back in the day.
Last edited:
