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Flats tension question

jonday30

jonday30

Feb 12, 2011
242
432
Edmonton, Alberta
#1
This could have been covered many times before but I can’t find a specific answer. I switched out my custom shop 51 pbass with its large neck to a 1960 custom shop pbass with a thin neck.

So with my old 51 after hundreds of dollars spent trying different flats I ended up with the stock fender 9050 flats for that bass.

Now my new 60 pbass I put the same strings on it. I love them but my problem is I have adjusted the truss rod probably 4 times now to get the relief/action I want. I just find the tension on these strings keeps pulling the thin neck forward.

My question is what is a lower tension than these fender 9050’s. I have la bella DTF and a set of TI flats on hand. Obviously the TI’s are lower tension but are the La Bella’s lower then the fenders? I just don’t want to keep cranking on the truss rod.
 
#2
jonday30 said:
My question is what is a lower tension than these fender 9050’s. I have la bella DTF and a set of TI flats on hand. Obviously the TI’s are lower tension but are the La Bella’s lower then the fenders? I just don’t want to keep cranking on the truss rod.
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Which specific set of La Bella DTF do you have? Based on my experience, Fender 9050L (45-100) and the 760FL (43-104) are similar in overall tension. I used both of them on my P bass with very little truss rod tweak.

EDIT: By the way, do you have the 9050L set?
 
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#3
Duh yeah I guess that would be some helpful info! So yeah I have the 9050L and the La Bella 760fs. You’re right, both those sets did have very similar tension on my old 51 pbass. I think my only option is to try the TI flats again on this bass. I didn’t really like them on the 51 but I didn’t really like that bass to begin with.

This split pickup pbass is unreal for tone so the Ti flats might just do the trick. Loved the feel of the la Bella 760fs set but again on the 51 pbass I didn’t like the tone on the bass. However if they are the same tension as the 9050L fender flats then I’ll be in the same boat.
 
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#4
jonday30 said:
Duh yeah I guess that would be some helpful info! So yeah I have the 9050L and the La Bella 760fs. You’re right, both those sets did have very similar tension on my old 51 pbass. I think my only option is to try the TI flats again on this bass. I didn’t really like them on the 51 but I didn’t really like that bass to begin with.

This split pickup pbass is unreal for tone so the Ti flats might just do the trick. Loved the feel of the la Bella 760fs set but again on the 51 pbass I didn’t like the tone on the bass. However if they are the same tension as the 9050L fender flats then I’ll be in the same boat.
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The 760FS (45-65-85-105) are definitely heavier than the Fender 9050L (45-80-60-100). I'm talking about the 760FL (43-60-82-104) being close to the 9050L.
 
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#10
jonday30 said:
This could have been covered many times before but I can’t find a specific answer. I switched out my custom shop 51 pbass with its large neck to a 1960 custom shop pbass with a thin neck.

So with my old 51 after hundreds of dollars spent trying different flats I ended up with the stock fender 9050 flats for that bass.

Now my new 60 pbass I put the same strings on it. I love them but my problem is I have adjusted the truss rod probably 4 times now to get the relief/action I want. I just find the tension on these strings keeps pulling the thin neck forward.

My question is what is a lower tension than these fender 9050’s. I have la bella DTF and a set of TI flats on hand. Obviously the TI’s are lower tension but are the La Bella’s lower then the fenders? I just don’t want to keep cranking on the truss rod.
Click to expand...

A possible choice could be Dunlop flats. Can sound modern or vintage, according to EQing, and are low tension for flats. Flexible too.
 
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#12
For some reason I tossed out the Ti flats I had. My wife and I just moved this past weekend. I have ton of random flats that I’ve tried over the years that I kept. I’m pretty sure I tossed the Ti flats because the G string was making a sitar type sound or it kept pulling out of the tuner. That thru body 51 pbass was horrible on strings.

So I have the truss rod another crank with the 45-100 fender flats. As of now the relief and action is exactly where I want it. Let’s see if it moves. I don’t know if all pbasses are the same truss rod nut wise but is this too far in?
80457207-9314-4063-BCCA-FA3F43E5FABB.jpeg
 
#13
jonday30 said:
For some reason I tossed out the Ti flats I had. My wife and I just moved this past weekend. I have ton of random flats that I’ve tried over the years that I kept. I’m pretty sure I tossed the Ti flats because the G string was making a sitar type sound or it kept pulling out of the tuner. That thru body 51 pbass was horrible on strings.

So I have the truss rod another crank with the 45-100 fender flats. As of now the relief and action is exactly where I want it. Let’s see if it moves. I don’t know if all pbasses are the same truss rod nut wise but is this too far in?View attachment 4317510
Click to expand...
String-through bridges are bad news for flats. Plus if you are playing flats, you’re probably not looking for a lot of sustain. Also,FWIW, I have TI flats on a 51 style P bass and they just roar.
 
#14
I really did like the Ti flats on that 51 pbass but I ended up removing them. I’m pretty sure it was because it was like the 3rd G string that came unwound at the tuner. It was a combo of the fat neck and thru body setup. Like you said bad news for any of the flats I had on it.

I ended up selling that CS 51 because I just couldn’t bond with pickup. Stock was a 55 custom shop and I even bought a SD stacked humbucker which sounded identical just way less noise/hum. However I just found that bass did Motown thump really well but getting into the more articulate hotel California bass line, notes just got lost.

This new CS 60 pbass with the split pickup is incredible. It is so articulate and does exactly what a pickup is supposed to do, pick up each strings and it’s well balanced. Now I just have to get used to the thin neck.
 
#15
I just mounted my first set of Dunlop flats. They are lower tension than the 760FL’s, not as low as TI’s. As a bonus, the .125 B-string is well-blended to the set. I’m pleased so far.
 
#17
michael_t said:
Are you referring to the actual tension as in pulling weight based on the way you've had to tweak the truss rod? Or, are you talking about the playing feel as in stiffness/flexibility?
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Both actually. However, I made a mistake. I should have specified FS rather than FL’s, and it’s relevant to note that it’s short/medium scale in this case.
I’m not able to A/B them, but by process of logic it seems to me that the Dunlop flats are about equal tension (pulling weight) with FL’s. They may also be more flexible (playing feel), but I need more time to know for sure. I’m VERY familiar with FL’s which are a big favorite on my long-scale 4-strings.
FWIW, I’m mostly gigging blues, soul & R&B these days so flats work well at the moment.
 
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#18
TomB said:
I should have specified FS rather than FL’s, and it’s relevant to note that it’s short/medium scale in this case.
I’m not able to A/B them, but by process of logic it seems to me that the Dunlop flats are about equal tension (pulling weight) with FL’s. They may also be more flexible (playing feel)...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification.

LB 760FL and Dunlop 45-105 being close in tension (as in pulling weight), but the Dunlop being more flexible in feel... This makes sense to me. ;)
 
#19
michael_t said:
Thanks for the clarification.

LB 760FL and Dunlop 45-105 being close in tension (as in pulling weight), but the Dunlop being more flexible in feel... This makes sense to me. ;)
Click to expand...
I'll post again after some more stage time with the Dunlops. Short scale strings are all just a tad looser than the comparable long scale in any case, so I'll try to compensate for that in my assessment.
 
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#20
Well last night I cranked the truss rod and got rid of the unwanted relief. Checked this morning and it hasn’t moved yet. So hopefully when I get home tonight it’s all good. I just find the fender flats keep pulling the neck. Hopefully I’ve found the balance point in string tension and truss rod tension and it’s now stable.
 

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