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La Bella Super Polished Ian Martin Set

#21
Got my set today and put them on my Player Jazz. Very impressed with how they sound and feel right out of the package. Smoother than any round I've ever played, and no fresh-string zing or clank. It's like they come perfectly broken-in.

I know they say not to pull these to stretch them out, so obviously I didn't, but I am curious if it's going to do any damage to the strings if you pop them. Slapping seems like it'd be all right, but popping does involve pulling up on the string.
 
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#22
Kyle_S said:
Got my set today and put them on my Player Jazz. Very impressed with how they sound and feel right out of the package. Smoother than any round I've ever played, and no fresh-string zing or clank. It's like they come perfectly broken-in.

I know they say not to pull these to stretch them out, so obviously I didn't, but I am curious if it's going to do any damage to the strings if you pop them. Slapping seems like it'd be all right, but popping does involve pulling up on the string.
Click to expand...
That's probably my favorite thing about them: I don't have to suffer through that "New string sound" that's like, ultra twangy clanky zingy. They sound broken in but still fresh right out of the package.

Where did they say not to pull on them to stretch them out?
I'm pretty sure i pulled on mine (the Superpolished, not the IMA Superpolished) because i ALWAYS do that to new strings. Pull way up at the 12th fret and then pull up and let slap back down.
Slapping and popping while playing has caused no issues. It's specifically on my bass that i use for slap/pop. When i saw Ian Martin Allison do a bass clinic at the La Bella shop in brooklyn, he absolutely slapped and popped on his Olinto with SuperPolished on it.
 
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#23
FullumMusic said:
That's probably my favorite thing about them: I don't have to suffer through that "New string sound" that's like, ultra twangy clanky zingy. They sound broken in but still fresh right out of the package.

Where did they say not to pull on them to stretch them out?
I'm pretty sure i pulled on mine (the Superpolished, not the IMA Superpolished) because i ALWAYS do that to new strings. Pull way up at the 12th fret and then pull up and let slap back down.
Slapping and popping while playing has caused no issues. It's specifically on my bass that i use for slap/pop. When i saw Ian Martin Allison do a bass clinic at the La Bella shop in brooklyn, he absolutely slapped and popped on his Olinto with SuperPolished on it.
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www.labella.com

ASP-45103 Ian Martin Allison Signature Strings - 4-String Set

When Ian Martin Allison approached us about doing a signature set of Super Polished strings, he loved the original recipe: the punch of stainless rounds but the smooth feel of flats. But he wanted a…
www.labella.com www.labella.com

One of the bullet points says: "Do not tug or pull on strings to break them in as they might break."

Guess I took it a little too seriously!
 
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#24
Kyle_S said:
www.labella.com

ASP-45103 Ian Martin Allison Signature Strings - 4-String Set

When Ian Martin Allison approached us about doing a signature set of Super Polished strings, he loved the original recipe: the punch of stainless rounds but the smooth feel of flats. But he wanted a…
www.labella.com www.labella.com

One of the bullet points says: "Do not tug or pull on strings to break them in as they might break."

Guess I took it a little too seriously!
Click to expand...
:oops: I guess i got lucky. 😄

Still, i think slap/pop isn't what they're talking about. I think they're talking about what i do when i re-string.
 
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#25
Well,

Just got a set, super excited, strung ‘em up and was….
Meh…

Will keep them on for a few days and see how they settle, but the TI’s I took off have more high frequencies.
I suspect the Olinto Flats I also use do too.

They also don’t feel particularly balanced to be, which is odd as looking at the gauges I would think they would be well balanced.

They are kind of lifeless, they do tune and intonate nicely, just dull and uninspiring.

I will give them a good go, but pretty disappointed at this stage.
Maybe, I am just a flatwound guy…

Was really hoping to love these…
 
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#26
That’s disappointing, but hopefully after a break-in period you’ll like them more.

I’ve been happy with mine so far. They feel like broken in rounds. Tension is a tad higher than expected, but maybe I’m also too used to my P bass with TI’s.

I will say for those looking something similar to a flat wound string, these are not it. They are definitely as advertised - polished rounds.
 
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#27
witt426 said:
That’s disappointing, but hopefully after a break-in period you’ll like them more.

I’ve been happy with mine so far. They feel like broken in rounds. Tension is a tad higher than expected, but maybe I’m also too used to my P bass with TI’s.

I will say for those looking something similar to a flat wound string, these are not it. They are definitely as advertised - polished rounds.
Click to expand...
Agreed, the original super polished are more flatwound-esque
 
#29
I swapped out some 4 year old Fender Flatwounds for the IMA Signature set yesterday on my recently acquired Fender Roadworn Jazz. Compared to those these strings are an upgrade in every way to me. I personally like the tension/playing feel. I think they bridge the gap between fresh roundwounds and most flatwound strings i've tried. I have been using Cobalt Flats on everything recently. Compared to those I feel like these have more top end and are a little more clanky. They do seem a touch more mellow on the mid presence. But that could be because I'm A/B'ing between a Jazz and a Precision also.

The IMA strings definitely still have finger/string noise but just not as much as a roundwound. So if you are expecting ultra low string noise like a flatwound you will be disappointed in that aspect. Anyway I have no regrets and if these have as much life as Ian has mentioned I'll definitely be a repeat customer.
20250310_154624.jpg
 
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#30
I have a 107-47 set on another bass now, too. The sustain of the fundamental note just keeps going and makes for a unique playing experience. My all-rounder working basses all have had to have rounds on just for the contemporary ballads and things needing sustain. The dead flats sound just doesn't work for everything, but this set gives that flat flavor, but still able to serve material needing longer tones. If you want even more of an exagerated flat vibe just roll back your tone control. This is quite a set!
 
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#31
Jhass said:
I've always used GHS Pressurewound strings. They are made with a different process (flattening the outer winding between rollers rather than grinding down), but they achieve a similar result in terms of tone, if not feel, although they are nicely smooth.
Click to expand...
Can anyone compare the tone and sustain of these specifically to Pressurewounds? I understand the physical differences in the strings, how they’re made, and the different materials used, but how do the resulting tones compare? I don’t like zing or clack, but I love that gritty grindy tone you get from roundwounds (relative to flats), as though they’re naturally saturated. Is one of these better at that?
 
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#32
@bluerosebass I've about 6 months between the two sets on my P... but they are very different. So far I'm feeling that the SP are more authoritative sounding, higher tension and certainly feel stiffer and fatter under the fingers than the Pressures. My general preference is for Thomastik flats, but I am enjoying the SPs far more than i did the pressures. Very different feeling strings, although as always YMMV!
 
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#39
I just ordered a set of these. I recently put a set of the 47 - 107 version on a 70s Jazz Bass that was a bit too zingy for me. The tension is way higher than I like, but I will say I was impressed with the sound. Very similar to a good set of rounds and not dead or "thumpy." For the record, I typically use 40 - 100 rounds and the only flats that I can tolerate are EB Slinky cobalt flats (I've tried almost all of them over the years and other than the cobalts, I've hated the sound of pretty much all of them).

All I can say is that I wish Labella made them in a lighter gauge. If they did, I could almost use these as my regular strings rather than roundwounds--they are that close to having a roundwound sound. I'm hoping that this slightly down-gauged signature set will be a bit more comfortable for me as far as tension.

Just for the record, there is one more flatwound string brand that I sorta liked: Dogal Jaco. They also sound more roundwound-like. They are also made in super light gauges, which I really like. Problem is they are extremely expensive.
 
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