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Dunlop vs La Bella flats?

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basss

Supporting Member
Aug 27, 2001
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NY
#1
I know there's lots of info on these here but I'm hoping for a focused response about sound - especially on the low strings.

I recently put a set of very old La Bella 760FS on a tele (mudbucker) bass for some jazz sessions I've been doing and am loving the sound. They thump of course but there is a growl to the low mids especially on the E and A strings that I love. The tension is a bit high for me though.

I tried some La Bella LTFs and while they have a nice openness on the high strings the E and A were more thuddy and didn't have that growl that the DTFs had.

I currently have 2 more sets incoming (I know, I have a problem): 760FLs and Dunlop mediums. I really like the feel of Dunlop super brights and those strings are certainly growly - maybe the flats will have some of that? Will the Dunlop flats give some of the growl that La Bella DTFs do or are they more smooth sounding like the LTFs?
 
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#2
So I've spent a bit of time with each of these. The Dunlops do growl, feel and sound nice but aren't the right fit with this bass. I think JimmyM described them as something like the flat version Dunlop's Super Brights and I agree. They have that aggressiveness that can sound brash on some instruments. They did settle a bit over the few weeks I used them but not near as fat as the La Bellas. Almost closer to broken in nickels than flats. I may try them on a bass I normally use rounds on - I think they may do better there.

The 760FLs have those smokey mids and true flatwound character that fits this bass much better. They do growl a bit too - not as much the old 760S that I had on prior but more than the LTFs which I found darker. The FL's have a nice feel too.

I gave each of these weeks and not months or years but I assume that they would darken and fatten relative to they're slightly broken in sound. So - not much new information here as my experience jibes with what most say about these strings.
 
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#3
Great review of two great sets. Knowing the Dunlops very well I can see how the La Bellas could be a better fit for the bass you mentioned.

Dunlops will settle nicely over the course of 4-6 weeks and the growl tames down. They develop a really nice and clear thump while retaining some high end but IME won't give you that full on old school thump...a nice hybrid that straddles the line of being both a modern and old school flat. I started with the 45-105 on the Dunlops a couple years ago but have since found that I like the 40-100 and 50-110 sets better. There's a different sweetness to the 40-100 set and the 50-110 provides an extremely thick but clear sound and less growly from the get go and more thump. Plus since the Dunlops are so flexible the heavy set is easier to play than many brands medium sets.

I just ordered a set of 760FS because my initial impressions with the LTF's matched yours and wanted to compare them. The LTF's have balanced out nicely though and am really loving them after putting them back on my Moollon P. But there's something about them that makes me feel like I'm missing something. Looking forward to slapping them on this week and breaking them in. I've also just spent around a month breaking in a set of GHS Custom Medium precision flats so it'll be nice to see how the DTF's stack up to both the LTFs and the GHS PFs. Yeah...I have a problem. LOL. But when I'm done with my Flatwound testing I'll know exactly what each set does for me rather than wondering and relying on conflicting reports!
 
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#5
basss said:
Good luck with the 760FS. I though they sounded the best but were just too high tension for me.
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Yeah...I'm looking forward to them. For whatever reason I seem to easily adapt to high & low tension/stiffness very easily. No problem going from TI's to GHS to Rotos etc. (all flats) and vice versa. Maybe it's because I've tested so many strings in the last four months. Because of that I went with the FS thinking they'd be a little further removed from the LTFs I already have than the FLs would. Plus the 760FS was the set I'd used years ago.

To further highlight my problem I have a set of the ernie ball GroupIV(light) flats landing today which I've never tried before and a set of Chromes in Custom Light. Always been curious about the Group Flats and I played a set of Chromes years ago. Didn't like them at all at the time but my tastes have changed as well as having better instruments to try them on. I like trying string sets that have a lot of polarizing opinions as well as strings I previously didn't get along with. These three sets coming will be the last in line for testing as far as flats go. Somewhere around 15 sets I think if I count em up. LOL
 
#7
I’ve got the La Bella 760FL flats on my Fender 50’s P-Bass and the Dunlop Flats on my Fender Elite P-Bass and I love them both. I probably favor the slightly less tension of the Dunlop’s over all but I’ve got to admit the the La Bella’s sure feel great when playing finger style on the P-bass.
Both great strings.
It’s all good!
 
#8
Selim said:
The LTFs have slightly less depth than any of the DTFs, but otherwise they nailed the La Bella DTF tone & thump — a flexible, easier to play version. IME anyway.
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I agree. La Bella did a great job with the LTFs. After testing I still prefer the Dunlops but both the LTF's and the FS set sounded great. I could easily get along with any of them. Just find a bit more versatility across genres with the Dunlops and why I slightly favor them.
 
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#9
At seven months, La Bella LTFs appear to have hit their sweet spot. There's an unopened set of Dunlop .040 - .100 flats waiting their chance. That's how things are here.

20200619_181132.jpg
 
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#11
GwenOnBass said:
At seven months, La Bella LTFs appear to have hit their sweet spot. There's an unopened set of Dunlop .040 - .100 flats waiting their chance. That's how things are here.

View attachment 3965658
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I guess that I’ll have to give the La Bella LTFs a try. I guess that I’ve hesitated because I was afraid they might be to close to the feel of the TI flats (which are just too loose feeling to me).
 
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#12
JOME77 said:
I guess that I’ll have to give the La Bella LTFs a try. I guess that I’ve hesitated because I was afraid they might be to close to the feel of the TI flats (which are just too loose feeling to me).
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From all I can gather, the Dunlop flats have similar pulling tension to the LTFs, but are more flexible. ...? I find LTFs really easy to fret. They definitely don't roll off from under my fingers, but I also maintain a very light touch. I've not tried the DTFs in any form, and from here don't feel the need to. I found by the six-week, Eucerin-free mark, the LTFs came into their own with daily playing ... and only better since :woot:
 
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#14
So far, nobody in this thread has mentioned these various flats’ performance in a band context. I know my own personal opinions, but would be interested to hear others’ opinions as well. I know my assessments and preferences are drastically different when comparing flats playing solo at home (typically through headphones), and with a band. In a previous (long ago) thread, Selim had captured some differences of flats within band context…have any of the posters in this thread evaluated their choices in a live experience with other various instruments?
 
#15
Yeah, like you say, the band context is key. I had the Jamersons on for a while, and I really loved the sound of them by themselves, and they sound nice for playing jazz standards in a duo situation. But when I put them in a rock context I found them quite boomy in a sense, and I couldn`t get the definition out of them that I wanted. I read somewhere that the FS-set are punchier, and give the differences in stiffness between Dunlop and Labella, I tought it´d be fun to hear of a comparison before going out and trying on my own. Of the flats I`ve tried so far, Chromes and TIs seem to cut through the best in a loud band situation.
 
#16
Onomatopoetikon said:
Hup, currently using Dunlops 50-110 and I like them a lot, however I`m really curious how these would stack up against Labella 760FS. Any experiences? .. on a P-bass.
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Hey...haven't been on here much over the last few months. Flexibility wise those two sets are very close. As with all sets Dunlop and LaBella... in my testing I just always ended up leaning toward and going back to the Dunlops. All my testing was on a Moollon P IV and all basses are different so it's possible on a differently voiced P I might end up preferring LaBella tonally...but in feel and playability Dunlop would always win out. The 50-110 set is a lot of fun and when broken in think they thump every bit as good as the LaBellas with a little added versatility. For what it's worth I didn't sell any of my LaBella sets because they are great strings and could see myself definitely using them for something down the road.
 
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#17
uwrossl said:
Hey...haven't been on here much over the last few months. Flexibility wise those two sets are very close. As with all sets Dunlop and LaBella... in my testing I just always ended up leaning toward and going back to the Dunlops. All my testing was on a Moollon P IV and all basses are different so it's possible on a differently voiced P I might end up preferring LaBella tonally...but in feel and playability Dunlop would always win out. The 50-110 set is a lot of fun and when broken in think they thump every bit as good as the LaBellas with a little added versatility. For what it's worth I didn't sell any of my LaBella sets because they are great strings and could see myself definitely using them for something down the road.
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Great input, thanks for that! Currently on Chromes now, and there´s something about a 50-105 set that sounds nice. Considering trying the same combination of Dunlops .. I agree on the thump, but I do find the A and the E thumping a lot more than the G and D in the 110set.
 
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#18
uwrossl said:
Just find a bit more versatility across genres with the Dunlops and why I slightly favor them.
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I like them both - they are different. But I agree Dunlops are the more versatile string in that they have the thump but maintain a modern quality in the midrange. Both are comfortable sets but again they are different in that you can lay into the Dunlops whereas I think you need to maintain a light touch with the LTFs in order to get the best out of them.
 
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#19
Selim said:
I like them both - they are different. But I agree Dunlops are the more versatile string in that they have the thump but maintain a modern quality in the midrange. Both are comfortable sets but again they are different in that you can lay into the Dunlops whereas I think you need to maintain a light touch with the LTFs in order to get the best out of them.
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Hup, as for me, I was talking about the Deep Talkin´ Flats, not the LTFS :)
 
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