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LaBella Low Tension vs TI Flats
- Thread starter Marcury
- Start date
My favorite strings are TI Jazz flats, though I have LaBella flats on one bass. I like the LaBellas, but I like the lower tension of the TI strings more.
I recently picked up a Rick Turner Renaissance fretless, and it came with TI Acousticore strings. I didn't think I would bond with them, but I was wrong. They provide the low-tension feel that I love, and their brightness is somewhere between flats and rounds. I am really enjoying them.
https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/...b2/images/items/750/AB344-large.jpg.auto.webp
They use a bronze wind around a nylon core. Similar to what you would find on a nylon-string guitar, but fatter.
You may like them on your acoustic bass. They are "optimized for piezo" pickups. Not sure how they would sound on a solid-body bass.
I recently picked up a Rick Turner Renaissance fretless, and it came with TI Acousticore strings. I didn't think I would bond with them, but I was wrong. They provide the low-tension feel that I love, and their brightness is somewhere between flats and rounds. I am really enjoying them.
https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/...b2/images/items/750/AB344-large.jpg.auto.webp
They use a bronze wind around a nylon core. Similar to what you would find on a nylon-string guitar, but fatter.
You may like them on your acoustic bass. They are "optimized for piezo" pickups. Not sure how they would sound on a solid-body bass.
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I enjoy paying less for the LTF than the TIs.
To me, they are close enough to perfect (either set).
I have LTF on 2 of my 4 basses. TIs on one, and rounds on my P (currently experimenting)
To me, they are close enough to perfect (either set).
I have LTF on 2 of my 4 basses. TIs on one, and rounds on my P (currently experimenting)
I have used both on my fretless. I like them both but I think the TI's get it by a nose as they are still on it. Easy to recommend both. They do have different sounds to my ears but neither are "wrong".
Choosing the right flatwound is an important decision,becasue they may outlive you.
I was fortunate enough to load up on TI JF's a few years ago when they were $36 a set on Amazon. I'm probably set for life (granted I'm 61 years old).
I agree, neither is wrong but I do prefer the more modern TI sound to the LTF's. Even with a pick and the two G&L MFD's the LTF's just didn't do it for me. I haven't had a ton of experience with flats in general but to me they are very different and I would imagine there must be another brand of flats that better bridges the difference between the two. I just know that it would take an awful lot to get me to remove the TI JR's that are currently on my L2000 but I'm always open to suggestions.
I tried the Rotosounds and they sounded good but they were very high tension I took them off my 66 P Bass I was worried about that tension on a bass over 50 years old. Still the tone was good.
Tried LaBellas on my Lakland short scale hollowbody and, while they sounded great, I thought they were too dark. Switched to TIs and am very happy. In a pinch I would have no problems going back to LaBellas.
Both work great for me. The biggest difference on my basses is the tone--LTFs are thumpy and old-school while the TIs thump less but produce a cello-like midrange that's very sweet.
Very different strings. The TIs do not have a typical flats tone, whereas the Labella LTFs sound like you would expect from a flatwound.
My precision is strung with LTFs and has a great “P-bass with flats” tone. Classic, thump, lots of fundamental… pretty much exactly what you would expect. My experience with TI flats is that they are a lot more complex. They still have the main “bullet points” of a flatwound string covered, but there is a lot more going on that makes them unique.
I like them both. I agree with the people stating that LTFs feel a bit stiffer regardless of overall tension. They are both great options and I’d recommend both, but TIs are also like $80 a set.
Choose your own adventure.
My precision is strung with LTFs and has a great “P-bass with flats” tone. Classic, thump, lots of fundamental… pretty much exactly what you would expect. My experience with TI flats is that they are a lot more complex. They still have the main “bullet points” of a flatwound string covered, but there is a lot more going on that makes them unique.
I like them both. I agree with the people stating that LTFs feel a bit stiffer regardless of overall tension. They are both great options and I’d recommend both, but TIs are also like $80 a set.
Choose your own adventure.
I've been using LTFs for years and just put TIs on my short scale. I really like the voicing of the TI flats. LTF was thumpy and old school and that's it. TIs I can go from thumpy and old school to more mid-heavy with a twist of my passive tone knob.
It's been hard for me to find strings that bring back the lost midrange of a short scale bass and the TI jazz flats did it.
It's been hard for me to find strings that bring back the lost midrange of a short scale bass and the TI jazz flats did it.
As far as I can tell gauge choice is - unfortunately - limited to what comes standard in the among TBers ever popular set: 43-56-70-100.
Interesting topic. I've been A/B testing flats on two identical P-style fretted basses I own. I discovered that for feel and tone I prefer GHS Precision flats (Light) which, at 163.2 are higher tension than the TI's or LaBella LT's. Between the TI's and the LaBella LT's I preferred the tone of the TI's but the feel of the LaBella's. The TI's are too rubbery and sticky for me. The LaBella's less so, but their tone is less well defined than the TI's to my ears. But, for me, the GHS Precisions hit the spot in terms of tone and touch. YMMV.
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As someone who uses Thomastik Infeld strings on my 2 upright basses and on my cello (yes I just got one) and on my 2 electric guitars. I DO NOT LIKE them on my electric basses. Too soft and the tone is just okay. La Bella or GHS for the EB flat sound FOR ME. Of all the La Bella Flats and tapes, the LTFs are what I prefer less but I like them better than TIs.
I had TI's on my 75' Precision but ultimately preferred the traditional tone of the La Bella Low Tension flats. TI's are great, but more similar to rounds sonically to my ear.
I’ve played a lot of flats and have both TI flats and LaBella DTF on several basses but never tried LaBella LTF or GHS flats. Need to. Threads like this get me thinking about it again.
For the six string players among you out there, what do you do for a C string with the La Bella Low Tension flats?
I've been meaning to try them, but apparently they don't make a six string set, which is exactly the bass I want to try them out on. I could just leave the TI c there, but it may sound weird.
I've been meaning to try them, but apparently they don't make a six string set, which is exactly the bass I want to try them out on. I could just leave the TI c there, but it may sound weird.
