La Bella Slappers - comparable string?

[pickles]

Blue steel **nickels**

 

[Mdad]

Dunlop SuperBright Nickels.

As a side note...Carvin has dumped LaBella and is now using SuperBrights on all their basses

Hey all, I'm sure I actually met some of you at namm. Nice to be on here finally. Interesting comments about La Bella vs Dunlop. I never was a LaBella guy, but I always played Carvin stings. Didn't even know who made 'em, but I always loved them. Picked up some super brights after I learned that Dunlop would be making carvin's new strings. Man - what a disapointment and waste of money!! The strings were dead within 3 days and honestly they didn't intonate very well. I'm now all about the LaBella RX nickle strings. I got em in the mail last week and absolutely love them. Funny timing that I'm seeing this thread today. Anyway, good luck to you all!

 

[Mdad]

Hey folks, I recently purchased a Brubaker Brute (5 string, 34" scale, MM/J config, maple FB). It came strung with a set of La Bella Slappers 40-60-75-95-118. My first inclination was to strip these strings off and toss them, I am not a big fan (or so I thought) of extra light strings ( I normally use 45-65-85-105-125 DR Low Rider Nickels)....but, I started to play them and wow - I was impressed.

I guess I never gave lighter gauge strings a chance or is it because these La Bella Sappers are awesome? They have an excellent mid range burpiness that really cuts through well, they also have a nice low mid thing going.

Here is my problem, I can't find these strings locally. If I switch to a common brand (probably D' Addario nickel plated) will I still get this tone? Any recommendations?

Thanks

I just received my order from labella via their website. Wish it was easier to find them in my local guitar store, but after a terrible experience with Dunlop strings I will happily wait for my snail mail

 

[phillybass101]

I love my Dunlop Super Bright Stainless Steel Strings!!!! And they are not a waste of money. All you had to do was contact them and they would have replaced the set instead of slamming them. It would be the same as me hearing you play one time and saying you can't play. (you could have been ill, or a new replacement and just learning the songs, or a fill-in for that day and not have been too familiar.) I really get discouraged when folks talk in absolutes, especially about strings. IMO a brand new set of EB super slinky's still sound great to me LOL!!!!!!!!

 

[winegamd]

Actually, Juststrings and Bassstringsonline are both pretty speedy at shipping.

 

[mmbongo]

Hey all, I'm sure I actually met some of you at namm. Nice to be on here finally. Interesting comments about La Bella vs Dunlop. I never was a LaBella guy, but I always played Carvin stings. Didn't even know who made 'em, but I always loved them. Picked up some super brights after I learned that Dunlop would be making carvin's new strings. Man - what a disapointment and waste of money!! The strings were dead within 3 days and honestly they didn't intonate very well. I'm now all about the LaBella RX nickle strings. I got em in the mail last week and absolutely love them. Funny timing that I'm seeing this thread today. Anyway, good luck to you all!

lol! I literally threw my LaBella Rx's in the garbage after 2 days of trying to make them sound good. No crunch, no grit, very stiff.

 

[pickles]

I like both labella rx and dunlop superbrights. They are different from each other, and from slappers

 

[Toptube]

I haven't played the superbrights yet.

The most mid nasty, punching nickels I have played; are Rotosound Swing Bass 66 nickel plated version (blue package, beer can blue silks). Those things will bark all day and have the best low mid I have heard in an NPS string. I love the tone. But nowadays I'm into more flexible designs.

Dean Markley's nickel plated blue steels are a pretty close tonal match for Carvin's old Labella made strings. If ordering Labella is a hassle for you, Maybe you can try some NPS blue steels from a local store. They are more flexible like the Labella RX strings, too. Lower core to wrap ratio. (all of Dean Markley's strings are like that.).

Dean Markley also has the NPS Helix string, which has a more complex tone than the NPS Blue steels. I like them a lot and I don't usually use NPS strings (I use them on a bass with stainless frets, which is not a good match for stainless strings). They are probably the second best NPS low mid I have personally experienced and they are overall quite punchy and responsive. Not as barky as the Rotos, but more flexible.

If you really want something with lots of deep punch and low mid complexity: Dean Markley Helix Stainless Steel are great. They have been my overall favorite string for about a year.

Fodera's steels are interesting, as well. They are the warmest, most un-steel sounding steels I have played. Lots of mids and warm high mids with an airy quality (if that makes sense). Good lows, though not particularly punchy. Low mid shy. A peculiar steel.

 

[mmbongo]

I haven't played the superbrights yet.

The most mid nasty, punching nickels I have played; are Rotosound Swing Bass 66 nickel plated version (blue package, beer can blue silks). Those things will bark all day and have the best low mid I have heard in an NPS string. I love the tone. But nowadays I'm into more flexible designs.

Sounds like you'd definitely like the SuperBrights. Crisp, clear, crunchy, and very flexible.

Funny thing is, a while back I tried a bunch of nickel strings and Roto Nickels, Blue Steel Nickels, and the old Dunlops were almost identical to me. All kinda dull/generic sounding. Any of them could have been swapped for the others and you'd never know the difference. That was just me though

 

[Toptube]

superbrights nickels are on my shortlist for next order. These stainless frets are a whole new ball game. But these Helix NPS are aging really well on the stainless frets. Still too bright new. But, Just about when strings would be on their way out with nickel frets......they are on their way in, with stainless frets. So it seems!

 

[jhfishn]

I have been a Sunbeams user for several years now and prefer the 45-100 guage

I recently tried a set of the Labella Rx Nickels in the same gauge and for the life of me can't see where they can be said to be stiff in any manner.

They may have a very slight bit more resistance than the Sunbeams .... and I mean extremely slight .... but not the slightest bit "stiff" in my experience.

I'm thinking of moving to use just the Labella's because I was so impressed with the feel and tone.

I get a great full range sound with plenty of cut and clarity out of them.

I'm using a USA Lakland Bob Glaub with Alder body and Maple neck with Fralin P/J's and an Aguilar AG500 with 2 DB112's just to put the scenario into perspective.

They seem to last quite a reasonably good amount of time too.

I will be putting another set on so we'll see if they are consistent but really .... I am very pleased so far in all areas.

If not ... I still have my Sunbeams!