• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

*** la bella!?

so i bought i set of la bella deep talkin flats FL260s or something.. the ones that are 43 thru 104. anyway, i'm putting them on my new p/j and i get to the a string.. i'm winding it on.. and i'm noticing that the strings a little long. the silk ends way to soon and i'm having to wind the full width portion of the string round the post. not a whole lot, maybe an inch at most. then i get to the e string.. same problem, only because the tuning post is that much closer to the nut i'm having to wind about 2 inches of non-silk around the post.

naturally the string breaks... :bawl:

i check out the packaging, and it actually says on it: "warning: do not wind non silk portion of the string round the tuning peg, the string may break"

so *** am i supposed to do? extend my bridge or something? i don't get it. anyone else had this problem?
 
Labellas are great strings, but it does sound like you got the wrong length for your instrument. I've used a number of labella sets and never had this problem.

It's possible that some strings got in the wrong package - I agree, contcat the company - explain the situation - hopefully they'll ask you to send the strings back with the packaging and see if they'll help.
 
The gist of it is that on the fattest strings in a set you aren't supposed to have the final wrap wire going around the tuning peg (wrap wire is set up to taper the string for the peg and the hole on E and B strings usually). Strings break really easily when you do. The "silk" is immaterial.
 
I just checked both my P basses with Labella's; one with FL and one with FS. On both basses the silk on the E string completely wraps on the tuner. I have no silk left, but I also have no bare string touching.

What bass are you using?
 
Are you sure you have the standard long scale and not extra long scale? If you have the standard long scale I would contact Labella. A '76 P bass should be a perfect fit!

And I am not jealous that you have a '76 :spit:

EDIT: What colour are the silks? My FLs are red and the FS black. Not sure if the scale changes this.
 
Not a brand-specific issue BTW. A few years back I ordered a couple GHS Pressurewound low B strings that were advertised to have a 36.5" winding length, but though the string envelope print indicated 36.5", the strings themselves took the outer wrap all the way out to 38" or so, which resulted in too much non-flexible mass attempting to wind around the tuning shaft. The string broke right at that juncture. I contected GHS and the rep I got assured me that the string should have dropped the final wrap by 36.5". They sent me a replacement which supposedly was right - which also took the final wrap out to 38"! Smack!

Fortunately, some brands and models of strings have fatter strings available with several final wrap lengths - you just have to buy the right ones for your bass, being aware of the distance from ball-end to tuning peg when doing so.
 
so i bought i set of la bella deep talkin flats FL260s or something.. the ones that are 43 thru 104. anyway, i'm putting them on my new p/j and i get to the a string.. i'm winding it on.. and i'm noticing that the strings a little long. the silk ends way to soon and i'm having to wind the full width portion of the string round the post. not a whole lot, maybe an inch at most. then i get to the e string.. same problem, only because the tuning post is that much closer to the nut i'm having to wind about 2 inches of non-silk around the post.

naturally the string breaks... :bawl:

i check out the packaging, and it actually says on it: "warning: do not wind non silk portion of the string round the tuning peg, the string may break"

so *** am i supposed to do? extend my bridge or something? i don't get it. anyone else had this problem?

I bought these strings for my acoustic bass. When I got them, I found that they were to large in diameter to fit on my bass. I realized this only after I busted the nut...but, I glued the broken part of the nut back on, filed out both the bridge and nut grooves, aand they work fine.
 
Fortunately, some brands and models of strings have fatter strings available with several final wrap lengths - you just have to buy the right ones for your bass, being aware of the distance from ball-end to tuning peg when doing so.

Ain't that the truth? I've purchased more than a couple of used basses (yes, right here on TB) that arrived with the wrong strings installed...more specifically, 34" strings on 35" scale basses which results in the taper / silk wrap not clearing the nut. Impossible to set-up correctly. Ideally, the full diameter should fully clear the nut and then immediately taper to a post-compatible diameter.

The most difficult case I encountered was a 35.5" scale 5 banger whereas the the B string crosses both a zero fret and string guide, then fully tapers within a distance of 1-1.25" before contacting the tuner. The DR's (forget which type) work perfectly.

Riis
 
Ain't that the truth? I've purchased more than a couple of used basses (yes, right here on TB) that arrived with the wrong strings installed...more specifically, 34" strings on 35" scale basses which results in the taper / silk wrap not clearing the nut. Impossible to set-up correctly.

To think that some of these people might also make fun of guitards ; }

Ideally, the full diameter should fully clear the nut and then immediately taper to a post-compatible diameter.

I'd probably amend that to "just as long as the taper happens early enough for the tuning shaft string combination to work well and with no outer wrap too close when brought to tune." Reason? A string maker would have to provide many more lengths yet to accomodate all the variations in bridge design, string through ferrule geometry, and headstock tuner placement if it were indeed important that the fatter strings go to taper right after the nut.
 
I'd probably amend that to "just as long as the taper happens early enough for the tuning shaft string combination to work well and with no outer wrap too close when brought to tune."

That is a better definition. I've noticed that when the outer wrap comes close or in contact with the tuner, it also creates an ungodly lateral displacement at the nut.

Riis
 
That is a better definition. I've noticed that when the outer wrap comes close or in contact with the tuner, it also creates an ungodly lateral displacement at the nut.

Yep, and when you have headstock tuner placement that offsets the "line" of the string considerably that becomes more obvious. Usually one can do similar to what one should always do at the bridge barrel witness point - put an appropriate bend there so things are fairly aligned.
 
I just experienced the same exact thing! What happened with the OP? Did you contact the company or just bite the bullet?

as i remember i went to their website but couldn't find the contact email so i said **** it.

I just checked both my P basses with Labella's; one with FL and one with FS. On both basses the silk on the E string completely wraps on the tuner. I have no silk left, but I also have no bare string touching.

What bass are you using?

it was an SX 62P/J

I have a '76 Fender P-Bass. I had the string on for about 10 seconds before it popped, it felt so good for those 10 seconds!

didn't it? :) same here

Are you sure you have the standard long scale and not extra long scale? If you have the standard long scale I would contact Labella. A '76 P bass should be a perfect fit!

And I am not jealous that you have a '76 :spit:

EDIT: What colour are the silks? My FLs are red and the FS black. Not sure if the scale changes this.

the silks were definetly red. i measured the length from silk edge to ball and it was 37 1/2 inches :eek: