I check my action before every rehearsal to be safe.
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So the 54’s must be super stiff!!!
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Help with strings, LABELLA 1954 flats or LABELLA OLINTO FLATS
- Thread starter kungfujeko
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- strings bass guitar
I think if you do the washer trick on the E string it would help.
The trick is, by putting a washer or two on the E string by the ball end of the string before putting it on. It will pull the finish windings of the ball end off the bridge allowing for better intonation.
Keeping this stuff off the bridge...
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I have the same issue. There's nothing wrong with the E.
It sounds just like every other flat wound E but bigger. I hear the same artifacts in 100 gauge Chromes and 9050s. The big 110 E string just makes those more blatant. It's only an issue above the 12th fret.
It's hard to intonate. The saddle needs to go way back.
As for tension, I have them on a Vintera II 60s P bass with the thinnest neck ever, only 19mm / 0.75" at the 1st fret. No truss rod issues.
The nut slots must be widened for sure.
Ya I’ve thought of doing this. It’s just goofy. Aren’t these marketed as the Motown string? You’d think they would fit a standard fender bridge. I really don’t want to spend all that cash on a set then have to try and make them work how they should with hardware hahah
Mine are on a Fender Player precision, no issues. The E string intonation is just a bit more fiddly than average, the D string (I think) took its own time setting into the nut groove, although it tuned/intonated/sounded fine until then.
I’m not particularly enthralled with their sound, nothing Motown about them, but they are interesting and different enough from the lighter gauges and the Olintos to make them worthwhile to me. I use that bass to practice, everything else feels easy after.
I’m not particularly enthralled with their sound, nothing Motown about them, but they are interesting and different enough from the lighter gauges and the Olintos to make them worthwhile to me. I use that bass to practice, everything else feels easy after.
This is how they intonate on my P bass, Nothing weird, just the E is way back, so foam in front of the saddle will pull it sharp. Use foam over the string, at an angle, under the cover.
This bass has a 7.25" radius, relief is 10/1000", string height 5/64-4/64. Pretty standard and easier to play than Jamerson's setup. Truss rod happy too.
A little late to the party.
Longtime (nearly 40 years) of using the Rotosound RS77LE (50-110) set on most of my basses and always on my '78 P. I like high action, high tension, and thick strings. Taking nylon tapewounds out of the picture (Roto guy there, too ...), I can say normal basses can deal with the thicker strings. I've had super high action and slightly more normal action. It all works. You won't break your bass.
That said, what you want largely will come down to possibly two things: how they sound and how they feel (which has different components to it). If you don't like high tension, never put the RS77LE set on a bass if you're stringing it up in standard tuning. Pretty much everything else has lower tension.
I got a new bass a few months ago and they didn't have the Roto set, so I had them put the LaBella 1954 Original (aka the Jamerson set) on. Those feel like TIs to me in comparison to the 77LE set in terms of tension. To me, the 1954s are not bridge cables. Far from it. I have one bass set up with the Dunlop DBFS50110 set and it feels different than either the 1954 or 77LE sets. I have the Steve Harris SH77 set on another bass - it's a variant of the RS77LE set. That feels different as well. If you like smooth feeling strings, the Labellas (any of 'em) will be the smoothest. I would say the Dunlops are smooth, but slightly less than the LaBellas. The SH77 is smoother than the 77LE, but have the same basic feel. Neither the Labellas or Dunlops feel as thick as the Rotos to me even at the same gauges.
I've also tried the Pyramid Gold nickel flats in thick gauges - soncially, they weren't my thing. They are a rougher feel similar to the Rotos and have higher tension. They aren't as supple to me as the LaBella or Dunlop sets. For regular flats, I'm definitely not a nickel/chrome guy.
I tried the Olintos on a bass at NAMM in the LaBella booth and they felt like the 1954s to me in terms of smoothness. The gauges are similar to the 1954 and the 77LE set but definitely not as thick feeling as the Rotos (nor could they be given they are thinner than even the 1954s).
I have one bass set up with a custom Rotosound 77 set (60-80-110-125) in standard tuning. The luthier tried a 65 for the G and a 95 for the D, but those snapped lol Point of comparison: my original Rob Allen Deep 4 was strung up with the bottom four of the Rotosound RS885 black nylon tapewound set (75-100-115-135) - again standard tuning. I'm really consistent in how I like my basses and strings to feel when I play.
At this point I think the only non-Roto 50-110 non-nickel/cobalt set I haven't tried is the Ernie Ball Type I.
If you don't know what you're doing, definitely have a luthier set a bass up with thicker strings (and/or higher action). On the one of the new basses, I have to take it in because the way I play, the E keeps popping out of the nut so that wasn't set up right. Same with the A - it rattles.
Longtime (nearly 40 years) of using the Rotosound RS77LE (50-110) set on most of my basses and always on my '78 P. I like high action, high tension, and thick strings. Taking nylon tapewounds out of the picture (Roto guy there, too ...), I can say normal basses can deal with the thicker strings. I've had super high action and slightly more normal action. It all works. You won't break your bass.
That said, what you want largely will come down to possibly two things: how they sound and how they feel (which has different components to it). If you don't like high tension, never put the RS77LE set on a bass if you're stringing it up in standard tuning. Pretty much everything else has lower tension.
I got a new bass a few months ago and they didn't have the Roto set, so I had them put the LaBella 1954 Original (aka the Jamerson set) on. Those feel like TIs to me in comparison to the 77LE set in terms of tension. To me, the 1954s are not bridge cables. Far from it. I have one bass set up with the Dunlop DBFS50110 set and it feels different than either the 1954 or 77LE sets. I have the Steve Harris SH77 set on another bass - it's a variant of the RS77LE set. That feels different as well. If you like smooth feeling strings, the Labellas (any of 'em) will be the smoothest. I would say the Dunlops are smooth, but slightly less than the LaBellas. The SH77 is smoother than the 77LE, but have the same basic feel. Neither the Labellas or Dunlops feel as thick as the Rotos to me even at the same gauges.
I've also tried the Pyramid Gold nickel flats in thick gauges - soncially, they weren't my thing. They are a rougher feel similar to the Rotos and have higher tension. They aren't as supple to me as the LaBella or Dunlop sets. For regular flats, I'm definitely not a nickel/chrome guy.
I tried the Olintos on a bass at NAMM in the LaBella booth and they felt like the 1954s to me in terms of smoothness. The gauges are similar to the 1954 and the 77LE set but definitely not as thick feeling as the Rotos (nor could they be given they are thinner than even the 1954s).
I have one bass set up with a custom Rotosound 77 set (60-80-110-125) in standard tuning. The luthier tried a 65 for the G and a 95 for the D, but those snapped lol Point of comparison: my original Rob Allen Deep 4 was strung up with the bottom four of the Rotosound RS885 black nylon tapewound set (75-100-115-135) - again standard tuning. I'm really consistent in how I like my basses and strings to feel when I play.
At this point I think the only non-Roto 50-110 non-nickel/cobalt set I haven't tried is the Ernie Ball Type I.
If you don't know what you're doing, definitely have a luthier set a bass up with thicker strings (and/or higher action). On the one of the new basses, I have to take it in because the way I play, the E keeps popping out of the nut so that wasn't set up right. Same with the A - it rattles.
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Man i would love to try those gauges in standard tuning! But singles aren't available in Europe and they'd be pretty expensive. Plus I have no idea how I'd widen the nut slots even more than I had to so the 54s would fit. There are no nut files that wide
They aren't available here in the US, either. Strings Direct in the UK sells singles. That's how I pieced it all together.
Aside - I e-mailed Rotosound recently about a .115 stainless steel flat, and they aren't going to make one or a set with one. Oh well.
Pyramid will sell you a custom set directly. They have various gauges for their cobalt/nickel flats. I did that once (I also did it for a custom length black nylon tapewound set, too). Super nice folks. You can use this PDF on the Pyramid site with their bass strings to see what gauges they have.
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Here's a clip of me playing with the 1954 set in a big band rehearsal. I do like the sound, just not a fan of the feel so they'll probably go. First time playing anywhere with this bass as well.
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Very nice groove you got going.
I just love those fat strings and their dark sound but they are an acquired taste for sure.
uhh!! 60 80 110 125 in E standard tuning? A 110 Roto 77 up to A1 ? That’s 90lbf on that string alone. Never mind the gargantuan tensions also on the D and G with the gauges mentioned. Or are these on a short scale?
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Super taut. Good name for a bandhe he
Here are the humungus stats
Rotosound 77 Jazz Flats
34” scale in E standard
Gauges 60 80 110 125
E1/.125/67.74lbf
A1/.110/90.47lbf
D2/.080/83.03lbf
G2/.060/81.85lbf
TT = 323.09lbf
Steve Harris eat ya heart out he he
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Here's a few more clips on YouTube from my most recent album from July of 2024 for you if you're comparing thick flats (all of these are 50-110). You can also find the tracks on other platforms if that's your preference. Just look for my name (Allan Hirt) and the album Looking Back. I went direct into the board using the D.W. Fearn VT-I/F so you're hearing the bass, not an amp or a ton of processing. I loved that DI so much I want the smaller version of it (the Hazelrigg VDI) but not in the cards at the moment.
Rotosound RS77LE on my main '78 P.
These are probably 8ish years old.
Times Like These
Pretzel Logic (studio version)
Pretzel Logic (live from the album release show)
Same bass, older album (Moving Forward, from 2022):
Bump/Cissy Strut
Rotosound SH77 on my Ulrich BassDesign Retro 57 (see this thread)
www.instagram.com
Dunlop DBFS50100 on my early-mid70s maple neck fretless P
Mr. Roboto
Well You Needn't
The whole of "The Looking Back Suite". It's meant to be one long track but for licensing reasons, had to break it up. It's just bass and Mellotron which I also played.
The Looking Back Suite Part I: And So It Goes
The Looking Back Suite Part II: Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
The Looking Back Suite Part III: Turn the Lights Back On
The Looking Back Suite Part IV: And So It Goes (Reprise)
The Looking Back Suite Part V: Souvenir
Pyramid Gold 640/B on rosewood neck fretless later '70s P I no longer own
Both from the 2022 album
Steppin' Out
Working Man (yes THAT one ... but jazz!)
Maybe at some point I'll do a YT video comparing a bunch of them more directly. The only thick flats I don't have on a bass or sound clips of are the Ernie Ball ones (cobalt or stainless).
Rotosound RS77LE on my main '78 P.
These are probably 8ish years old.
Times Like These
Pretzel Logic (studio version)
Pretzel Logic (live from the album release show)
Same bass, older album (Moving Forward, from 2022):
Bump/Cissy Strut
Rotosound SH77 on my Ulrich BassDesign Retro 57 (see this thread)
Allan Hirt on Instagram: "Another sound clip. This time using the @ulrich_bassdesign Retro 57 with @rotosound_uk SH77 strings and a Harry Haussel P old style pickup through my bergantino Forte D and @grbass_amplifier AT-110 cab."
5 likes, 1 comments - allanhirt on February 14, 2025: "Another sound clip. This time using the @ulrich_bassdesign Retro 57 with @rotosound_uk SH77 strings and a Harry Haussel P old style pickup through my bergantino Forte D and @grbass_amplifier AT-110 cab.".
www.instagram.com
Dunlop DBFS50100 on my early-mid70s maple neck fretless P
Mr. Roboto
Well You Needn't
The whole of "The Looking Back Suite". It's meant to be one long track but for licensing reasons, had to break it up. It's just bass and Mellotron which I also played.
The Looking Back Suite Part I: And So It Goes
The Looking Back Suite Part II: Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
The Looking Back Suite Part III: Turn the Lights Back On
The Looking Back Suite Part IV: And So It Goes (Reprise)
The Looking Back Suite Part V: Souvenir
Pyramid Gold 640/B on rosewood neck fretless later '70s P I no longer own
Both from the 2022 album
Steppin' Out
Working Man (yes THAT one ... but jazz!)
Maybe at some point I'll do a YT video comparing a bunch of them more directly. The only thick flats I don't have on a bass or sound clips of are the Ernie Ball ones (cobalt or stainless).
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How’s the bottom end compared to standard gauge flats? They are light gauge and low tension.
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it will be an upgrade only if you'll like the strings.
I've tried every flat ever, and after 15 years of stringing and re-stringing, I settled with GHS P-flat for the "real" vintage tone, and Rotosound 77 for the british flatwound tone.
La Bella 54 it's a set I've used for years, but it always gave me problems, like stiffness, scooped sound less audible in a mix, glassy feeling that I took lot of time to get used, if I didn't play them for a while.
to ME it's not an upgrade compared to the Roto flats.
however, I'm the first to suggest to try
I have Olinto Flats on my Precision and man do they sound good. This is after playing a set of Labella LTFs for a few years. The increased low end is a welcome change. They don't feel too heavy to play, and the tone is great. They have the tone of a heavier gauge set yet are still flexible and nice to play under the fingers without being floppy.
This might be because they’re new, but they cut in a different way than the standard FS or FL sets in terms of feel and tone. I think there’s something going on in the midrange that’s a little different. They thump, but they also have a nice midrange woody burpy growl. I like them so far, and enjoy them more than the Cobalts, DR flats, Dunlop, LTFs, or the standard Labella flatwound sets. Those were all good strings, but I think I may have found my new favorite flatwound set (for now).
If anything, I wish they were just a tad bit lower in tension. Other than that they’re pretty good.
This might be because they’re new, but they cut in a different way than the standard FS or FL sets in terms of feel and tone. I think there’s something going on in the midrange that’s a little different. They thump, but they also have a nice midrange woody burpy growl. I like them so far, and enjoy them more than the Cobalts, DR flats, Dunlop, LTFs, or the standard Labella flatwound sets. Those were all good strings, but I think I may have found my new favorite flatwound set (for now).
If anything, I wish they were just a tad bit lower in tension. Other than that they’re pretty good.
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That’s exactly how I’d describe the regular Labella sets. They have a scooped sound. It sounds good, but it’s scooped. The Olintos have better mids for sure.it will be an upgrade only if you'll like the strings.
I've tried every flat ever, and after 15 years of stringing and re-stringing, I settled with GHS P-flat for the "real" vintage tone, and Rotosound 77 for the british flatwound tone.
La Bella 54 it's a set I've used for years, but it always gave me problems, like stiffness, scooped sound less audible in a mix, glassy feeling that I took lot of time to get used, if I didn't play them for a while.
to ME it's not an upgrade compared to the Roto flats.
however, I'm the first to suggest to try
