High Tension LaBellas on Fretless?

[GonePhishn]

Was just curious and struggling to find much by Googling and searching. I'm buying a real cheap Squier Jaguar that the owner says the neck is shot on, also ordered a Mighty Mite fretless neck that I now have here with the intention of building a cheap fretless.

I have a set of heavy LaBella deep talkins around, .110, .95, .73, .52. Would I potentially run into any issues using these on it/am I better off with normal gauge or light gauge? This will be my first real experience with a fretless. I've had half-wounds on my jazz lately but used to play flats (but standard set) on that as well.

I just don't want to throw them on to immediately pull them off if there's no chance it will work.

 

[Ed Goode]

I have LaBella O760m flat wounds on an acoustic bass guitar, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t work well on a Mighty Mite neck. I only use LaBella flats on my basses, I find there is barely any difference in tension between the standard Deep Talking 760M set (0.109 E) and the original O760M (0.110 E). But they are both high tension sets …

 

[JRA]

am I better off with normal gauge or light gauge?

maybe: it depends on what you want your fretless experience to feel like and sound like given your playing style already, and where you want to go with that ax after you've acclimated a bit.

(i use light gauge stings, but) i'd recommend that you use "normal gauge" to start and then see where you want your experience to go --- there are pros/cons to every string choice you can make. but i'm suggesting that you start in the 'middle' with your new-to-you fretless experience (congrats on your fretless BTW! ) and then go from there.

also: those are great necks! you'll definitely get the fretless experience with one of them --- good luck!

 

[GIBrat51]

I assume you know that your set of La Ballas are popularly known as the "Jamerson Flats". As such, they are both high tension, and very stiff as well. Which is OK, I suppose, if that's what you want to play. Personally? Much as I like flats - particularly pretty stiff flats - the Jamerson's are not on my "put these on your bass" list. As for them hurting your new neck? Well, the possibility is always there, but... I'd say the probability is pretty low. If you decide to use them? Just keep an eye on the neck - and your tuning, until you find out one way or the other. Personally, though? I think I'd go with one of the lighter gauge La Bella sets - if not a set of Fender 9050L flats. They'll definitely be easier to play...

 

[GonePhishn]

Indeed I do know they're known as Jamersons. I bought them ages ago for my jazz and ended up never taking them out of the pack, have kept using Ken Smith Slick Rounds. So they're just sitting around and I'm going to be putting this thing together in a few days. I'm not super worried about them hurting the neck, and if I'm buying flats I'm 95% of the time buying LaBellas. I have played the standard set of these before.

I guess the worst thing that happens is I end up pulling them and buying new strings.