Has anybody tried the LaBella Gut strings ?

A search on the forum gave me these threads:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72822
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176326
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204876

(I told the search engine only to look in the title, so there may be much other ones)

 

My opinion:

A set of Labella guts will cost you about $200.

A set of Gamut guts will cost you about $400

The extra $200 is well worth it for the Gamuts. Why?

The Gamuts have far superior tone for pizzicato and they are the most bowable of any traditional gut set, they are available in different gauges, they have balanced tension, they will not be potentially old and dried out and they will have longer life.

If you must get a cheaper gut set, I'd recommend the Efrano set from Lemur Music over the LaBellas, but save your money and get Gamuts.

 

+1 everything he said.

 

i actually like the La Bella set, i've been using the 980 set for several months now, really enjoying all 4 strings, the feel, the evenness of tone across the bass, the sustain to thump ratio, even bowing (with the right rosin and some right hand adjustments). as much as i like them, if the Gamuts are really twice as nice, i'm in for a real treat some day...

but for now, count me as someone who does use and enjoy pretty much everything about the La Bella guts, that's the plain G/D and wrapped A/E. i've compared them to the Chorda set which is all out of balance from string to string and hard to play on. i think i had a Efrano or Lenzner G once, wasn't impressed.

btw, i use the La Bellas with a really old ply. and a underwood and a GK MB150.

 

Yep...I just switched over and I'm very happy with the sound and level of sustain. AND they're less than 1/2 the price of Eudoxas or Olivs! Thanks go to Paul Dilley, bassist for the smokin' alt/country band from Boston Girls Guns & Glory, for turning me on to these strings. I had been using Pirastro Jazzers. These are SO much warmer. A good investment...