For first Flats: LaBella LT vs Deep Talkin'

[AObando2002]

Thinking of trying flats for the first time. My luthier recommended LTs over DTs because the DTs have much higher tension. These would on a 34" P bass.

Would you guys also recommend the LTs over the DTs? I also use dirt pedals, so I don't want something so dark and mellow that it would sound weird with pedals.


Thanks!

 

[onda'bass]

I'd try chromes or EB cobalt flats

 

[Fishface]

I just got the LT Flats and really like the tension. Not dark at all, and with the tone open all the way gives a descent slap tone, and with tone rolled down to taste also sounds very good. I'd say they are a good string for transitioning to flats.
The TI Jazz Flats also have similar tension, but darker with a mid bump compared to the LTs. I like them both for different uses.

 

[butterfingers1]

The Labella Deep Talkins are perfect for dirt pedals, including the heavy gauge 760M 1954 Vintage. MBD3, Darkglass Vintage Microtubes, SolidGoldFX BetaV, Lusithand, bunch of Broughtons, Barbershop, Xotic Bass BB, etc bring it on.

 

[tonym]

Both sound good, but I prefer the DTFs overall.

 

[MrAB4003]

It depends on how much tension you prefer, the sound you want from your bass, and what tuning you use.

 

[winston]

I'd go for the lightest DTF set, the 760FX. Not sure of the tension #s but I've swapped between 760FX, LTF and other light flats like GHS Precision 45-95 and Ernie Ball Group IV without having to tweak the truss rod. I would recommend the 760FX and Group IV as great first-time flats.

I've tried LTFs on a bunch of different occasions and they're probably my least favorite flatwounds, though many love them. I always feel like the LTF G string is too bright even as they age, and the lower strings sound a little flabby in comparison to DTFs.

 

[FullumMusic]

The LTs over DTs is gonna be a personal thing. I absolutely love my bass with the thick-a$$ Jamersons DTFs on it. And playing it is counterintuitively effortless. I can use the lightest touch on my Olinto with the DTFs and my Olinto 5 with the Olinto Flats (they fall somewhere between the DTFs and LTFs in stiffness, with a little more airy brightness than the DTFs.) And i have some basses with Tapes, and one with rounds and two with Super polished (the 105s, not the IAMs).

You might hate the stiffness. You might love it. For me, on a properly set up bass, the stiffness means means my light-touch fingers just quickly roll and glide over the strings, both left and right hand. I know it's a bit expensive to give two types of flats a try, but if you find flats you like, they'll last pretty much forever.

 

[R&B]

Thinking of trying flats for the first time. My luthier recommended LTs over DTs because the DTs have much higher tension. These would on a 34" P bass.

Would you guys also recommend the LTs over the DTs? I also use dirt pedals, so I don't want something so dark and mellow that it would sound weird with pedals.


Thanks!

Reading between the lines, I wonder if your luthier thinks the lower tension will give you a better setup. If your truss rod is close to maxed, higher tension flats will give more bow—that is, more relief and higher action.

Chromes and heavy gauge LaBella DTFs (mentioned by others) are super high tension. I prefer the lighter gauge DTFs myself. YMMV.

 

[bluesblaster]

Depends on what your neck will tolerate, I have 760 FL's on my old P bass and LTF's on a more modern jazz that at one time also had 760 FL's , I think your good with either. I personally prefer the sound and feel of Labella over chromes and a few others but thats me.

 

[Todd Hamby]

DTFs were just to uncomfortable for me to play.

 

[Grapevine921]

I prefer the LTs over the deep talkin flats but I think every bassist should try DTFs at least once. It's a classic sound and feel that is specific to that particular string and is a big part of bass guitar history for good reason.

 

[BassicJazzy]

LTF are much lower tension than Chromes, and if you have your bass strung through body instead of through the bridge they are the correct choice. DTFs aren't recommended for that due to the stiffness and the break angle. Likewise, Chromes cannot be strung through body.

If your truss rod is close to maxed you want LTFs, though you might also consider GHS Pressure Wounds. Those are a little more flexible than the LTFs, and have similar tension.

Another thing to consider might be tape wounds. More percussive sounding but easier on the fingers, even than the LTFs.

I have no experience with other flats, other than Fender standard flats, which I did not like.

 

[Ric Vice]

There was a time when all we had was LaBellas and GHS. I’m partial to Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flatwounds. Thomastick Jazz Flats are great but ridiculously expensive.

 

[TomB]

LTF are much lower tension than Chromes, and if you have your bass strung through body instead of through the bridge they are the correct choice. DTFs aren't recommended for that due to the stiffness and the break angle. Likewise, Chromes cannot be strung through body.

If your truss rod is close to maxed you want LTFs, though you might also consider GHS Pressure Wounds. Those are a little more flexible than the LTFs, and have similar tension.

Another thing to consider might be tape wounds. More percussive sounding but easier on the fingers, even than the LTFs.

I have no experience with other flats, other than Fender standard flats, which I did not like.

Over the years I strung Chromes through-body many times, though not currently. Nobody ever told me I couldn’t .

 

[Rayjay]

Tension is a big factor, but keep in mind flexibility is another different consideration. They often correlate but not always. LTFs are made similarly to Thomastiks, although certainly not identically. But both feature a wider gaps between the ribbon windings to accommodate more flexibility.

As far as which ones to buy....tricky for us to say. Lots of things influence note choice for me....notably for myself, its 1) how easy or hard strings are to play, and; 2) the overall tone of how those note choices cut through the mix. If you want the least intrusion on your style as far as what currently works for you, probably the LTFs. It's a complicated dynamic because maybe something a bit harder to rip on will actually positively influence your note choices, or how the string's tone influences what I play because it cuts through (or doesn't) a certain way. That's a long and convoluted way of saying maybe Billy Sheehan or Flea would need to pick their battles wisely if they had Jamerson's Funk Machine or Jaco's Bass of Doom on a gig. Sometimes having less options is better, if you dig what I'm saying get the DTFs.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

It’s going to be something you’ll have to play around with, and a long slow process to find your favorite for that p bass.

Over the years I’ve tried:
EB Group 3, EB cobalt flats, Fender 9050L, D’Addario Chromes, D’Addario half rounds, GHS precision flats, and Rotosound 77s. They all sounded great on some of my basses, but none have sounded great on every bass.

 

[funkinbottom]

Both sound good, but I prefer the DTFs overall.

Same here.

 

[Jimmy Cote]

What is it about flats that interest you? Is it a tactile thing, as in, you like the sound of rounds but would like a smoother string? Or are you also interested in the old-school tone as well?

As others have pointed out, it's hard to give suggestions because a lot of it is suggestive, but:

• If it's option A, look at D'Addario, Ernie Ball, Fender, Dunlops, etc.
• If it's option B, look at La Bella, Pyramid, GHS Precision Flats, etc.

I've tried most flats out there — the only flats I haven't tried on Strings By Mail are the Curt Mangan, Dogal, SIT and the La Bella Olinto — and my advice is:

• Go for the lightest set
• Don't buy the La Bella Low-Tension Flats — the E, A and D strings are probably my favourite old-school sounding flats. The G string does not sound like the rest of the set. It sounds much brighter, and it never settles. Someone took a set apart and found out the G string was constructed differently than the rest of the set.
• La Bella has the worst QC and their customer service is mostly atrocious. My favourite old-school flats are the 760FL (because the G LTF string makes the LTF a no-go), and I love their tapes, but I'm done with La Bella because of QC and customer service.

If I were to buy strings Group A, I would buy Dunlops 40-100 — however, I've had a sort of intonation issue with the G string (see this thread). I don't know if it's an issue with the 45 G, and I don't recall if I mentioned it in the thread, but when I brought up the issue with Dunlop, they sent me 2 full sets free of charge. Both had the same "issue," though.

My choice for Group B would be the Pyramid.

At the end of the day, though, I wouldn't put too much thought into it besides choosing from group A or B. As others have pointed out, some strings are stiff AF. Others feel like noodles. You'll need to experiment.

 

[michael_t]

My luthier recommended LTs over DTs because the DTs have much higher tension. These would on a 34" P bass.

Would you guys also recommend the LTs over the DTs? I also use dirt pedals, so I don't want something so dark and mellow that it would sound weird with pedals.

DTF's come in various sets gauges and not all of them are "much higher tension". It's a matter of you deciding what would feel good under your fingers in terms of stiffness/flexibility. Don't let your luthier discourage you from trying DTF's just because they're "much higher tension", which is not necessarily true.

You say this is your first time trying flats. What specific brand/type/gauges of strings have you been using?