Ive got Dogal Jaco Flats on my Cutlass (P), a bit of an outside choice, but they are a ‘modern’ design flat thats a little less modern than CF. Very smooth feel.
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Cobalts or LaBellas on a Precision
- Thread starter TheArchitect
- Start date
I’ve played both. I recommend EB Cobalt flats 100%.
They definitely are not strings that feel like flats but sound like rounds even if EB markets them with that statement. They are brighter than most flats, but their tone is a lot more complex than just “the sound of a round wound string”.
First of all, they don’t ever sound like new rounds. They do sound a little like broken-in rounds, but with more high mids than most rounds.
Second, when you roll off the tone, they sound and feel like old school flats.
The best part is they sound about the same after a year or more. I’m not saying they don’t change at all, but the change is slow and subtle. The high mids stay present for a very long time.
The only negatives I’ve encountered is rust / tarnish on the outer windings of the earliest sets I bought. That seems to have been eliminated. The other negative is that the outer windings seem to be easier to deform / separate than most stiffer flats if the strings are bent too sharp, but that is easily avoided, however, I have done it. It didn’t ruin the tone of the string I could tell, but you can feel the spot where the outer winding was deformed.
I think EB just figured out how to make a string that has a flat ribbon outer winding, but remains almost as flexible as a round wound. The flexibility provides the extra brightness, but is likely why the outer winding is easier to deform. They aren’t Thomastik Jazz flat flexible, but close. I have a couple sets of TIJFs, but I prefer the EB Cobalt flats over them.
They definitely are not strings that feel like flats but sound like rounds even if EB markets them with that statement. They are brighter than most flats, but their tone is a lot more complex than just “the sound of a round wound string”.
First of all, they don’t ever sound like new rounds. They do sound a little like broken-in rounds, but with more high mids than most rounds.
Second, when you roll off the tone, they sound and feel like old school flats.
The best part is they sound about the same after a year or more. I’m not saying they don’t change at all, but the change is slow and subtle. The high mids stay present for a very long time.
The only negatives I’ve encountered is rust / tarnish on the outer windings of the earliest sets I bought. That seems to have been eliminated. The other negative is that the outer windings seem to be easier to deform / separate than most stiffer flats if the strings are bent too sharp, but that is easily avoided, however, I have done it. It didn’t ruin the tone of the string I could tell, but you can feel the spot where the outer winding was deformed.
I think EB just figured out how to make a string that has a flat ribbon outer winding, but remains almost as flexible as a round wound. The flexibility provides the extra brightness, but is likely why the outer winding is easier to deform. They aren’t Thomastik Jazz flat flexible, but close. I have a couple sets of TIJFs, but I prefer the EB Cobalt flats over them.
Cobalts are nice, I’ve used them on my MM Stingray before. Ultra clear, and crisp. Really liked them for rockin with a light distortion.
On the complete opposite flip side…
P-Bass with LaBella flats is the absolute bees knees and my personal favorite combo. It’s deep, round, and thumpy. Solid stuff to hold down the low end in almost any setting. It’s simple and classic.
On the complete opposite flip side…
P-Bass with LaBella flats is the absolute bees knees and my personal favorite combo. It’s deep, round, and thumpy. Solid stuff to hold down the low end in almost any setting. It’s simple and classic.
Funny you say that! I went to GC and I played an Ibanez SR1305 5 string tonight (that cost $1,500 - almost as much as an MIA Fender and as much as an MIK Spector). I liked it better in passive mode, but it was just OK tonally. It had rounds on it like I'd expect on an Ibanez. I also played a Spector NS Pulse II 6 with rounds and I liked it much better than the Ibanez. My only complaint was that it had too many strings. 5 is my limit!
Well...
My A-necked '78 Fender P-Bass had Roto 66's on it when I bought it from the original owner in 1988; he said he'd always used them. And, since it no longer had much in the way of frets? I believed him. When I went to bed that night, it was wearing a set of Roto RS77LD Monel Flats - and it's worn flats ever since. I tried several flats on it, over the years; the Roto 77's; La Bella 760FS's; Fender 9050L's; I even had a set of TI Jazz Flats on it - for about 15 minutes. I wouldn't recommend them on a P-Bass... All of them but the TI's, sounded really good on that bass, but... about 6 years ago now, I decided that the sound I wanted from that bass, wasn't necessarily a versatile one (I had about 25 other basses for that); what I wanted was a '78 P-Bass that sounded like it did when it was brand new. With Fender's own Squier light gauge flats, under the foam mute in the bridge cover. Turns out, I could get that sound with a set of GHS #3025 Precision Flats. So, that's what it's worn for the last few years. The mute does kill most of the sustain, but the tone is pretty much unaffected; good low end; lots of low-mids and mids; and an actual high end, too. So, it turned out to be fairly versatile, after all... I would play it a lot more often than I do - if my 73 y/o back wasn't so worn out, and the bass didn't weigh 11+ lbs...
So... IMO, you need to decide which end of the flat wound tone spectrum you want your P-Bass to occupy, and choose your strings accordingly...
p.s. Don't get me wrong; I do like TI Jazz Flats - a lot. But, not on a P-Bass, and not for what I play on it. That set I tried, swiftly found their "forever" home on my '95 Alembic Epic. A bass that can take advantage of all the harmonics and overtones TI's are famous for; and that suit what I play with the Alembic, down to the ground...
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This page shows the comparison of a P bass with many flats:
www.bonedo.de
My favourite is the Optima RB, closely followed by La Bella 760FL and Rotosound. YMMV, but I prefer La Bella for "versatile P bass with flats", and Rotosound for "bright rock flats" (John Deacon, Roger Waters), to the EBCF. In fact, I'm thinking of buying a P bass specifically to put some 760FL on!
Vergleichstest: Flatwound-Saiten für E-Bass
✅ Direktvergleich: 15 Sätze ▶ Flatwound-Saiten! In diesem Artikel erfährst du alles über ▶ geschliffenen Saiten für den E-Bass! ♫
www.bonedo.de
La Bella’s = Classic, mellow flatwound thump.
EB Cobalts = Bright, aggressive more “modern” punch.
Both are good. Just depends on the needs and preferences of the player.
EB Cobalts = Bright, aggressive more “modern” punch.
Both are good. Just depends on the needs and preferences of the player.
I put La Bella 760T White Nylons on my 70s fretless P. Best decision ever. Played with a pick it's even better. Can't recommend them enough.
Buying more to put on a few fretted basses that see what they're like.
Buying more to put on a few fretted basses that see what they're like.
When talking about the LaBella"flatwound strings, which strings are we talking about exactly? The Deep Talkin Flats, the Low Tension Flats or the Olintos ?
I thought as much. That's a polar opposite in terms of tone once played in and settled down. I've never experienced flats with a lower bassy thump than the DTF's and many players claim the Cobalts are the brightest flats you can throw on a bass.
Cobalt flats all the way for me.
I was never a big P-player…..owned a few, always let them go as I didn’t ‘get’ them.
A while back, I picked up a used AV2 ‘60…..got some Cobalt flats……OMG, that’s the P sound I’d always envisioned. It goes from face-melting rock, to Motown thump…..it covers everything.
Now the band go mad when I don’t bring the Ricky (also wears Cobalt flats) as I just want to play that P all the time….
I was never a big P-player…..owned a few, always let them go as I didn’t ‘get’ them.
A while back, I picked up a used AV2 ‘60…..got some Cobalt flats……OMG, that’s the P sound I’d always envisioned. It goes from face-melting rock, to Motown thump…..it covers everything.
Now the band go mad when I don’t bring the Ricky (also wears Cobalt flats) as I just want to play that P all the time….
Something in the middle for me... GHS Precision on all my basses. Eucerin orig formula if need break in,
I tried both on one of my p bass and the Cobalt won.
On my p bass with 5% overwound Fralins pickups, the La Bella’s were warm, soft, bass rich but lacked punch so they would have been a perfect match to play some Motown or retro songs that were originally played with a double bass.
The Cobalt are more midrangy, punchier and cuts more in the mix when played with many musicians including saxophones and other midrange sounding instruments. They also work extremely well when playing punk rock making them the best flats for that type of music IMO. Very close to round wounds but with a bit less of burping.
On my p bass with 5% overwound Fralins pickups, the La Bella’s were warm, soft, bass rich but lacked punch so they would have been a perfect match to play some Motown or retro songs that were originally played with a double bass.
The Cobalt are more midrangy, punchier and cuts more in the mix when played with many musicians including saxophones and other midrange sounding instruments. They also work extremely well when playing punk rock making them the best flats for that type of music IMO. Very close to round wounds but with a bit less of burping.
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Really you just gotta try them to see which you'll like better. Tone is arbitrary and contextual. If there was only one correct string/pickup combination, those would be the only strings and pickups in anyone's bass, on any recording, or on stage.
Also, if you pick one set of strings and then change the pickup after, try the other pair of strings again. You might prefer one set of strings on the original pickup, but not with the other pickup.
I'd probably just try both strings for a month with the first pickup. Record some samples of each as a reference for later. Then swap out the pickups and try both strings again. Then pick one of the four combinations. If you're comfortable soldering, might be a fun experiment.
(And if you find yourself agonizing of which you like the best, that just means the differences are so minute it doesn't really matter, just pick one arbitrarily and then get another P bass to put the other set on.)
Maybe give La Bella Super Polished a bit of consideration too? I have a set on one of my PJ basses and they sound fantastic with the P pickup solo’d IMO.
I loved La Bellas on one of my fretlesses, but am going away from the old school sound for now. Dang it. I bought a couple of sets as a twofer. Now I've got to off this extra pack of Lo tensions.
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