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Ernie ball strings on a Mustang: Impossible?
- Thread starter Makten
- Start date
Any reason you are stuck on Ernie Ball 2.5 flats? Labella makes excellent Mustang fit strings. I run their flats. If I wanted something brighter, but still not round I would do the Labella Super Polished Mustang Bass set.
If you like EB strings just cut the long scale down ,that's what I have done.......no problems . 
For what it's worth, the Fender JMJ Mustang is factory-equipped with the long scale 9050L flats. They don't seem to cause any issues. EB Group Flats are very similar in construction, so you can always try the long scale and see...Just realized that EB don't do medium scale strings, and their shorts are too short for the string-through Mustang. And the long ones are too long.
Or am I missing something? I'd want the Group 2.5 flats.
I have LaBella DTF's on my Musicmaster, so I want something a bit less dark for the Mustang (that I haven't received yet though). And I have EB Cobalt flats on an Acinonyx and I suppose the Group flats would be somewhere in between those extremes.
The JMJ has larger tuning posts than the Vintera II that I'm getting though. So that would both require more turns (if I can't cut the strings before the silk, which I think I can't) and also bend them to a smaller radius. Not sure how good idea that is.
I see what you're saying. I wasn't aware of the difference in the size of the tuner posts. Maybe the long scale flats are too risky on smaller posts.
It will probably work, but flats are expensive. And you never know what happens when/if you have to take them off the tuners to do some maintenance or similar. E is also most prone to sound crap even when everything is optimal.
I have LaBella DTF's on my Musicmaster, so I want something a bit less dark for the Mustang (that I haven't received yet though). And I have EB Cobalt flats on an Acinonyx and I suppose the Group flats would be somewhere in between those extremes.
If I were after an in between on those two, I would go with the super polished. 760SP-MUS La Bella STANG - Super Polished
I have not tried the Mustang scale version, but I have MTD Super Polished (by Labella) on another bass. Brighter than DTF, but not roundwound bright (which the Cobalt flats are near).
Didn't know about those! Will investigate... But I doubt they are available over here.
However, to me, flats are not about brightness or lack thereof, but about the attack and smooth feel when playing. I've tried a few different halfrounds, groundwounds and so on, and none of them feel like flats. So not sure if these Stang ones are any different...
Edit: The Cobalts are the only ones really breaking the rules IMO. They feel (and are) like flats, but sounds like something else. Not really rounds either. I could probably be happy with them on the Mustang too, but, wrong length.
I would argue flats have a pretty wide range of feel too. As an example, I absolutely hate D'Addario Chromes (stiff/tacky/sound too bright). My favorites are TI Jazz Flats (which do come in a 32" scale version that should work on a string through Mustang Bass). I run Labella DTF on a Vintera Mustang Bass and a Player II Precision bass. Cobalt Flats are on a G&L Tribute Fallout bass. All three sets feel a little different, but play/sound great.
I have tried some other groundwound/halfround strings and never been a fan. I find that I like that Labella Super Polished. That does not guarantee that you will like them. Just mentioning that to me the Super Polished is different in a good way.
The long scale Cobalts definitely work on a Mustang... I read about it on here and tried it myself. No problems, except that they pinch my arm hair like crazy, and so I hate them for that.
Yeah, I just mean that all flats still have something in common that rounds/grounds/halfrounds don't. Even the Cobalts sound like flats if you don't dig in too much.
Saw a few videos on the Super polished, and they definitely seem like nice strings. But too "round sounding" for my purposes this time.
If it wasn't for the silly floppy A string, I'd get Thomastiks right away. I still don't understand why on earth they use the same .70" A for long and short scale, while E is thicker for the shorts. Incredibly stupid.
I mean, it's too floppy even on long scale basses.Edit: I think the Cobalt flats 50-70-85-105 on my Acinonyx (30.7" scale) has close to perfect tension. A smidge higher would be even better.
Maybe. I’ve gotten long scale flats on short scale basses but I broke E and A strings figuring it out. Gentle massaging to pre bend the string onto the post as you’re putting tension on is the key. But I only got it to work reliably with more flexible strings like TI flats. And only on big posts like a Fender. Stiffer strings or smaller posts can work but it’s a crapshoot. 100’s are more reliable than 105’s and 110’s just break.It will probably work, but flats are expensive. And you never know what happens when/if you have to take them off the tuners to do some maintenance or similar. E is also most prone to sound crap even when everything is optimal.
If you do get them to work leave them on. Straightening the string to get it through the body greatly increases the probability of breakage when you reinstall. And you may already know this but anytime you take flats off a through body take extra care to line up the bend at the ball end. Getting it sideways can easily break inner wraps and make the string go dead.
I’ve learned all this stuff the hard way.
Safer to go with the Labella 760 Mustang set, medium scale Chromes or even GHS Pressure wounds and wait for them to die. Pyramid used make a Mustang set too but I don’t know if they still do.
Hmm. Middle-of-the-road flats that work on a short scale. Flats on a short scale have a tendency to have a crap E string. Not just thumpy, but actually warbly sounding. In my experience, the only flats I have found satisfactory on a short scale, without the low strings sounding like poopie, with none of those bad overtones, were the following:
- LaBella DTFs extra light. They work better than the thicker gauges. Very nice tone, lots of mids.
- Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. They're flexible enough to sound good.
- TI flats. They sound even and precise across the whole range.
I haven't tried LaBella LTFs (but what I've heard gives me the impression that they are even "thicker-sounding" - or maybe duller-sounding - than DTFs). Italian-made Dogal strings are all the rage in certain circles but they cost ludicrously too much. Dunlop Legends are supposed to be a good middle-of-the-road flat set, and I think they do come in short scale sets (I've seen an Acinonyx being fitted with them), but they cost a lot in Europe. If you are in Europe, I would tell you to try Thomann/Harley Benton flats, because even though they only come in long scale sets, they cost little enough to be worth experimenting with, and they are the definition of "middle-of-the-road" for flats. Otherwise try Alice strings (from China/AliExpress).
- LaBella DTFs extra light. They work better than the thicker gauges. Very nice tone, lots of mids.
- Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. They're flexible enough to sound good.
- TI flats. They sound even and precise across the whole range.
I haven't tried LaBella LTFs (but what I've heard gives me the impression that they are even "thicker-sounding" - or maybe duller-sounding - than DTFs). Italian-made Dogal strings are all the rage in certain circles but they cost ludicrously too much. Dunlop Legends are supposed to be a good middle-of-the-road flat set, and I think they do come in short scale sets (I've seen an Acinonyx being fitted with them), but they cost a lot in Europe. If you are in Europe, I would tell you to try Thomann/Harley Benton flats, because even though they only come in long scale sets, they cost little enough to be worth experimenting with, and they are the definition of "middle-of-the-road" for flats. Otherwise try Alice strings (from China/AliExpress).
How about the Dunlop Flats? They're one of the more flexible flats but not too floppy. And they do come in medium scale with 34" winding length. They're also fairly close to the EB Group flats in terms of their tonal character with a nice midrange clarity.
The only thing about the Dunlop, though, is they're twice the price or the EB Group Flats.
Yeah, I had some leftover Fender flats I tried on a Player Mustang neck. A-D-G were fine, but the E string wrap didnt go well.The JMJ has larger tuning posts than the Vintera II that I'm getting though. So that would both require more turns (if I can't cut the strings before the silk, which I think I can't) and also bend them to a smaller radius. Not sure how good idea that is.
I would also like to see Group flats, if anyone from EB happens to be tallying votes, here
There are strings I would like to try, where the price is just too high to take the risk. Dunlops fall into that category, unfortunately.
A few of the latest commets also confirm my suspicion that you definitely risk destroying flats if using a too long string. It might work, it might not.
Two options that I have considered and that exists in medium scale:
– Chromes: When I'm listening to examples online, I quite like the "woodiness" of them. But from what I remember when using them, they are too bright. Probably because breaking in strings take ages for me (my hands don't sweat).
– DR Legends: I hated these on my P, but after several months, they start to sound good. Initially they were as bright as the Cobalt flats, and they still have some of that character. I don't understand how anyone could place them in the same category as DTF's.
I love the DTF's on my Musicmaster, so that is a safe bet if nothing else works (edit: those are 105's, so the Stang set is probably a bit less mellow). A bit more upper mids and "growl" (without zing or clank) would be optimal, though.
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Edit: I actually found the Dunlop 45-105 flats in medium scale at an almost reasonable price on Amazon.
Maaaaybe...
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