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LaBella 760FL 43-104. Wow!

Thom Fioriglio

Thom Fioriglio

Oct 24, 2019
1,735
3,848
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Long Island, NY
#1
I tried a set of LaBella Deep Talking 760FL 43-104 flatwounds on my new Vintera II Road Worn 60s Precision Bass, and wow!! I had tried LaBella’s before. I think it was the standard 45-105 set and hated them. The E was too dull and the tension too high. These are perfect and man, do they sound good! It sounds like a P bass should. And I was able to get some low action and it plays so smoothly. I’m really happy with them.
 
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#7
I just had the same experience. I have purchased a few basses in the past with thicker gauge, very dead La Bellas before and couldn't get them off the bass quick enough.

I have been a TI Flats guy forever but now that I am almost strictly recording instead of playing live, I was a little unhappy with the brightness of the D and G, and the low tension when plucking up near the neck. I decided to take a flyer on the .104 set and wow! I am amazed at how playable these things are. Still waiting on the G to break in, but the consistency from string to string is impressive. It's almost like I'm playing a short scale. The overtones aren't as present, but the fundamental is amazing.

Still not 100% sure I will stick with them because of the higher tension, but these are much more versatile than I thought.
 
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#9
NorthTexasBass said:
I just had the same experience. I have purchased a few basses in the past with thicker gauge, very dead La Bellas before and couldn't get them off the bass quick enough.

I have been a TI Flats guy forever but now that I am almost strictly recording instead of playing live, I was a little unhappy with the brightness of the D and G, and the low tension when plucking up near the neck. I decided to take a flyer on the .104 set and wow! I am amazed at how playable these things are. Still waiting on the G to break in, but the consistency from string to string is impressive. It's almost like I'm playing a short scale. The overtones aren't as present, but the fundamental is amazing.

Still not 100% sure I will stick with them because of the higher tension, but these are much more versatile than I thought.
Click to expand...
I have a precision with these, and a precision with TIs, so as to have two different voices. Both are great, but very different from one another.
 
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#14
Similar experience with a short-scale Hofner.

The La Bella Beatle Bass 760FHBB flatwounds are 50-100 in the “standard” set, but felt like fat, stiff, steel cables.

I switched to the 760FHB2 "light" set 39-96, which completely changed the feel of the instrument.

They should rename the "standard" set to "heavy"!

(Note that these gauges are different than the OP's because the Beatle Bass strings are for 30" scale bass with 32" medium-scale string length. My Hofner is a VeryThin, not a violin, but is the same scale length and with the same weird tailpiece.)
 
#15
Thom Fioriglio said:
I tried a set of LaBella Deep Talking 760FL 43-104 flatwounds on my new Vintera II Road Worn 60s Precision Bass, and wow!! I had tried LaBella’s before. I think it was the standard 45-105 set and hated them. The E was too dull and the tension too high. These are perfect and man, do they sound good! It sounds like a P bass should. And I was able to get some low action and it plays so smoothly. I’m really happy with them.
Click to expand...
Once broken in ~~~ HOLY WOW !!!!
 
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#16
andare said:
Those re some puny strings! Try real flats: 52-73-95-110 aka the Jamersons :)

Joking, those have the dull E, are super dark and will make your forearms double in size. The 43-104 are perfect!
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I do use the 52-110s as I wanted to know what James and Donald were working with, with and without mute.

Now I am ready for a change. I have used TIs, Chromes, and Fender flats but might wanna try these 43-104s as I liked the La Bella tone but maybe just a lighter string for my next flats chapter, that Sean Hurley vibe maybe.

It his observation pretty on point here?

 
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#17
smatanovic said:
I have a precision with these, and a precision with TIs, so as to have two different voices. Both are great, but very different from one another.
Click to expand...
This ^^^…. I do the exact same thing—BOTH (760FL 43-104’s and TI’s) are awesome, and serve a different voice purpose equally well. My two “go to” flat’s…

[EDIT/add:] …actually have 3 P’s, and put a set of LaBella IMA Signature Super Polished on the 3rd P bass, which has been a nice additional rw option.
 
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#18
The FS (45 - 105) were my first set of flatwounds, loved them! After a while they became so dead it was hard to hear myself playing live in untreated (or badly treated) rooms. Also the E lost it‘s sustain almost completely.

I tried the TIs, which I didn‘t get along with at all, came right off the bass again. Gave them a second try a while later, same results. Third time was the charm, though. I gave myself a little more time to get comfortable with the lower tension and really like them now! However, I‘d be very interested to try a lighter set of La Bellas.

Can anyone comment on the differences between the 760FL and the TIs? How do the Low Tension Flats compare to these sets?

Thanks in advance!
 
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#19
DJ Bebop said:
I do use the 52-110s as I wanted to know what James and Donald were working with, with and without mute.

Now I am ready for a change. I have used TIs, Chromes, and Fender flats but might wanna try these 43-104s as I liked the La Bella tone but maybe just a lighter string for my next flats chapter, that Sean Hurley vibe maybe.

It his observation pretty on point here?

Click to expand...

Chad is dead on! I watched this and it helped convince me to give these a try. I was playing with them again last night. Still getting used to this new bass and flats and man, it sounds so good.

Again, on paper there doesn’t seem much difference between the 45-105 set these 43-104 but there is.
 
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#20
Nille said:
The FS (45 - 105) were my first set of flatwounds, loved them! After a while they became so dead it was hard to hear myself playing live in untreated (or badly treated) rooms. Also the E lost it‘s sustain almost completely.

I tried the TIs, which I didn‘t get along with at all, came right off the bass again. Gave them a second try a while later, same results. Third time was the charm, though. I gave myself a little more time to get comfortable with the lower tension and really like them now! However, I‘d be very interested to try a lighter set of La Bellas.

Can anyone comment on the differences between the 760FL and the TIs? How do the Low Tension Flats compare to these sets?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I had the same experience with the 45-105. That E string was terrible. I have tried the Fender 9050 which are a really nice middle of the road flat. I liked them. And the Ernie ball Cobalt flats which I really liked! The TI Jazz are way too expensive for me to try and see if I like them. There seems to be a love hate relationship with them. Many love them and others find them too flexible and don’t. If you got the money give them a try. That’s the only way you’ll know for sure.
 
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