I've never used La Blella's before so this is new territory to me. I thought I'd give them a shot on a modded guitar as I'd heard good things about them. This set it a .45 to .100 SS rounds but when taking them out of the packet I see little plastic cubes by the ball ends numbered 1 to 4. I do know that some folks use little washers between the ball ends and bridge to set the witness points, is this the function of these, or is it just to tell folks which string in each order to put on their guitar? Forgive me if I'm a bit stupid, but I've never see this before.
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La Bella Plasticky Things?
- Thread starter TeeSee
- Start date
and that's all it is? Thanks mate.
I kinda suspected that. Well, fair play to LaBella for idiot proofing their strings. 
As if we couldn't tell which string is which by their thickness...Well, fair play to LaBella for idiot proofing their strings.
The obvious was too obvious, I thought I was missing a trick. Well at least it helps those out who've never owned a bass and have the daunting task of restringing one. "Where does this string go"? But I asked the question, so where does that put me? 
^^ All true ^^
Also note, it saves them a ton of paper sleeves and printing / sorting strings to their properly labeled envelopes. Gauges are printed on the outer label once. Kind of genius, in a way.
BONUS: If you have a crafter in your family, like my wife is, you can "gift" these little cubes for them to use for jewelry making.
Also note, it saves them a ton of paper sleeves and printing / sorting strings to their properly labeled envelopes. Gauges are printed on the outer label once. Kind of genius, in a way.
BONUS: If you have a crafter in your family, like my wife is, you can "gift" these little cubes for them to use for jewelry making.
You could still put them on backwards. It's not entirely idiot proof.
Someone is always willing to build a better idiot.
I vaguely recall a mixup once with an A or D string. Fortunately I had left enough at the end to wrap it around the correct tuner
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and that's all it is? Thanks mate.
D'Addario uses colored ball ends for the same reasons.
I have to ask, how would washers between the ball end and bridge set witness points? I ask as an honest question, Google returned nothing. I've been playing since 1975 and it's a new one for me.
I could possibly see washers helping ball ends to rotate against certain bridge holes, maybe preventing weird twists possibly affecting tone? But witness points aren't at the ball end, they're at the breakover. Thanks!
Maybe pulls the string far enough back so the end wrap on the string doesn't ride over the string saddle? Like the spacers Duck Dunn used?
BBB
Labella flats have had colored ball ends for a while. I can't be bothered to unscrew the bridge cover to check if my 2024 Jamersons have them but I distictly remember a thread here where someone was surprised by the colored ball ends and a user purporting to be from Labella berated them for lying. Weird PR move if true.
They’re for making a long scale low B string fit your medium scale acoustic bass guitar, as it turns out.
That makes sense! I just googled that and it's interesting. I appreciate how TB can show me new stuff.
Thanks again!
I have to ask, how would washers between the ball end and bridge set witness points? I ask as an honest question, Google returned nothing. I've been playing since 1975 and it's a new one for me.
I could possibly see washers helping ball ends to rotate against certain bridge holes, maybe preventing weird twists possibly affecting tone? But witness points aren't at the ball end, they're at the breakover. Thanks!
I'm sure I read something on here once when I was researching setting witness points, but I maybe could have got confused with people saying what you've just said that washers will keep the string from rotating/kinking THEN set the witness point? Anyway what @Bar Band Bassman says makes a lot of sense but if that's the case why don't all string manufacturer's include these little gizmo's. Anyway mystery cleared up sort of.
Been there, done that. Felt like an idiot. Learned 2 things: Double check the damn strings and a too-short cut string will stay wound with only a half-turn winding.I vaguely recall a mixup once with an A or D string. Fortunately I had left enough at the end to wrap it around the correct tuner
The only bass string I have ever broken was when I put the wrong Labella flatwound string on, and tuning it up it snapped.
I think they have more recently moved to color-coded ball ends rather than the dice, but I think more important than anything they could do is, I have to be paying attention!
I think they have more recently moved to color-coded ball ends rather than the dice, but I think more important than anything they could do is, I have to be paying attention!
Okay, I put the ball end in the tuner. Got it! Now what? Do I tie the plain end to the bridge?
Unless you count from the wrong side!and that's all it is? Thanks mate.
