LaBella LTF-4A Low Tension Flat love thread

[Selim]

I'm trying to rectify somehow ending up with Chromes on three basses: one was put on by a shop after a setup, the second came equipped from a bass I bought on the classifieds, and the third was actually put on by me on a five string after some recommendations.

I had LTFs on a Lakland Decade and loved them, but I no longer have the bass nor the strings. Thinking about putting them on a p bass and on the five string. I know this thread is about the 4A but I was wondering if anyone had experience with LTFs on a fiver? I'm remembering that mellow thump and how easy they felt on the fingers but have no clue how that would be translate to a B string. Current gauge I have is .132 and that may be too thick.

I had them on a Fender AP jazz 5 with Alleva Coppola pickups for awhile.

2 separate engineers liked the sound but said the same thing: that the bass sounded like a P bass. Don’t know for sure if it was the strings, but any other strings didn’t do that.

The B is light, like .118 or something, and it feels light and less stiff than the other 4 (I prefer something a bit more substantial), but it did have the best intonation of all the other flats I’ve used on that bass, we’ll past the 12th fret. I may put them back on when I get back home.

They have the La Bella tone, if you’re familiar with it.

 

[arepa_funk]

I had them on a Fender AP jazz 5 with Alleva Coppola pickups for awhile.

2 separate engineers liked the sound but said the same thing: that the bass sounded like a P bass. Don’t know for sure if it was the strings, but any other strings didn’t do that.

The B is light, like .118 or something, and it feels light and less stiff than the other 4 (I prefer something a bit more substantial), but it did have the best intonation of all the other flats I’ve used on that bass, we’ll past the 12th fret. I may put them back on when I get back home.

They have the La Bella tone, if you’re familiar with it.

Thanks for the word! Interesting that the engineers hears p bass tone. Yeah I'm familiar with the Labella tone. They're definitely distinctive, I had the LTFs on a four string with Lakland Chi-Sonic pickups, and really dug them.

Appreciate your insight! Will see what more info I can find out before putting them on the five string.

 

[BASS YODA]

La Bella 760F-MUS vs. LTF-4A-M for 'Stang lovers (sensations, tension...) ?

 

[insomehonkytonk]

I remember trying these out on a Jazz and not liking them but I recently strung my Precision with them and have been enjoying them even as someone who likes higher tension flats. Thinking about buying another set!

 

[Holdsg]

The bass often “tells” you which strings…if you listen very closely

 

[NinjaPyrate]

Anyone know where to get LTF singles?

 

[MdC64]

Anyone know where to get LTF singles?

Call La Bella. A while back I came across a couple new LTF E and D singles and needed the A and G strings to complete the set. They had the singles in stock.

 

[NinjaPyrate]

Call La Bella. A while back I came across a couple new LTF E and D singles and needed the A and G strings to complete the set. They had the singles in stock.

Thanks - Fret Nation had one.

 

[Yahboy]

An old set of LTF4A which i loaded on Squier CV50P previously, now put it on my new parts P bass ~ Squier Mattfreeman Sig P neck + Fender 70s ri pbass body. Love the tone and low action playing feel.

 

[Jeb]

So I put the ltf-4a on my Peavey Patriot today and I really them. They really take the bite out of this bass but the bark is stll there. Love the way they feel and play.

 

[biguglyman]

I'm a mostly 5 string guy now. Just sold a precision (vintera 50's model) to buy a 5 string suitable for flats. Since my accountant (wife) won't let me spend enough for an actual Fender precision 5 string, I ended up with a Sire P5R. Put a set of LTF's on as soon as I unboxed it. SUCCESS!!! The neck on this bass is incredible and the electronics are close enough to actual Fenders that I can't hear any difference. 5 string thump on the cheap!...and oh, so comfortable.

 

[woodyng2]

I'm a mostly 5 string guy now. Just sold a precision (vintera 50's model) to buy a 5 string suitable for flats. Since my accountant (wife) won't let me spend enough for an actual Fender precision 5 string, I ended up with a Sire P5R. Put a set of LTF's on as soon as I unboxed it. SUCCESS!!! The neck on this bass is incredible and the electronics are close enough to actual Fenders that I can't hear any difference. 5 string thump on the cheap!...and oh, so comfortable.

View attachment 4943555

Congrat! That’s amazingly great-looking!
Great sunburst, and love the roasted maple neck/fretboard.

 

[biguglyman]

Great sunburst, and love the roasted maple neck/fretboard.

Fretboard is actually Rosewood. Edges are rolled too. Love this bass!

 

[unclebass]

Just got a set of LTF's to replace a set of GHS Precision Flats custom gauges (45-55-70-90) on my Fender MIM jazz bass. Even though the GHS's were about 10 lbs more tension than the LTF's, the Labellas feel pretty similar since they are slightly stiffer than the GHS's. Didn't care for them when I first put them on, but after playing them for about an hour or so, I'm starting to come around. Considering replacing the GHS Flats on an Eastwood Classic 4 which uses medium scale strings. Want to try the LTF medium scale strings on it, but I can't find any tension numbers on anything but the long scale LTF's. Does anyone here have any experience with the short scale and medium scale LTF's? Do they feel more loose as the scale gets smaller like most other strings, or does the construction of the strings change with the shorter scale sets?

 

[HaphAsSard]

Want to try the LTF medium scale strings on it, but I can't find any tension numbers on anything but the long scale LTF's. Does anyone here have any experience with the short scale and medium scale LTF's? Do they feel more loose as the scale gets smaller like most other strings, or does the construction of the strings change with the shorter scale sets?

Other posters will be quick to categorically state that the short- and medium-scale sets are always their own thing, designed from the ground up to magically fit their intended platforms.
I for one, for this and most cases (but not necessarily all, I concede), very much doubt it: they're most probably identical to the long-scale version, only wound shorter. If I'm right, in order to know their tensions, just take those for the l-s set and multiply them by the ratio of scale lengths squared, with the shorter one at the numerator.

Tensions for long scale as quoted on the official product page for the LTF-4A set:
G - 36.2
D - 34
A - 30.5*
E - 34.2
B - 28.3
* [Note: when they bumped up the A string gauge from 070 to 075 they didn't change the tension figure; a La Bella rep claimed that tension was unchanged, only diameter was. Somewhat unlikely, but this the only figure available. In reality, tension should be closer to those of the E and D strings.]

(32/34)^2 = .8858 (and so forth)
tensions for medium scale
G - 32.06596
D - 30.1172
A - 27.0169
E - 30.29436

(30/34)^2 = .7785467
tensions for short scale
G - 28.18339054
D - 26.4705878
A - 23.74567435
E - 26.62629714

 

[Doug4321]

Just got a set of LTF's to replace a set of GHS Precision Flats custom gauges (45-55-70-90) on my Fender MIM jazz bass. Even though the GHS's were about 10 lbs more tension than the LTF's, the Labellas feel pretty similar since they are slightly stiffer than the GHS's. Didn't care for them when I first put them on, but after playing them for about an hour or so, I'm starting to come around. Considering replacing the GHS Flats on an Eastwood Classic 4 which uses medium scale strings. Want to try the LTF medium scale strings on it, but I can't find any tension numbers on anything but the long scale LTF's. Does anyone here have any experience with the short scale and medium scale LTF's? Do they feel more loose as the scale gets smaller like most other strings, or does the construction of the strings change with the shorter scale sets?

Strangely, I found the LTF worked nicely on a Guild Starfire, but too loose on a Gibson EB-0. Guild uses the medium scale strings due to the long tailpiece but has 30 3/4” scale. Gibson used short scale strings and 30 1/2” scale. Go figure…. You wouldn’t think a quarter inch would be a big deal.

They sound lovely on the Guild. I put some thick GHS brite flats on the EB-0.

 

[LennyJ]

These are all I use now on my 2 SS basses. Love them

 

[AaronBass4]

Just put these LTF on a part P with Geezers. I have another one with DTFs already so I wanted to try something different . . . going for a little less thump and a little more growl. I tried a set of TI flats and wasn't getting enough thump. Just a couple hours in, but I feel like the E, A, and D are going to get there (growl is there, not quite enough thump yet) . . . but my G is really bright and thin sounding. Has any one else thought their G started way thinner/brighter than the others but came in after some playing?

 

[Mastermold]

Just put these LTF on a part P with Geezers. I have another one with DTFs already so I wanted to try something different . . . going for a little less thump and a little more growl. I tried a set of TI flats and wasn't getting enough thump. Just a couple hours in, but I feel like the E, A, and D are going to get there (growl is there, not quite enough thump yet) . . . but my G is really bright and thin sounding. Has any one else thought their G started way thinner/brighter than the others but came in after some playing?

Not that I recall, but I'd give it time. Flats of every brand take time breaking in, and usually the lighter strings take the longest.

 

[woodyng2]

Just put these LTF on a part P with Geezers. I have another one with DTFs already so I wanted to try something different . . . going for a little less thump and a little more growl. I tried a set of TI flats and wasn't getting enough thump. Just a couple hours in, but I feel like the E, A, and D are going to get there (growl is there, not quite enough thump yet) . . . but my G is really bright and thin sounding. Has any one else thought their G started way thinner/brighter than the others but came in after some playing?

I had the ltf set on my JB2 for a couple of years, and found the G string exactly how you mentioned.
It didn’t seem to change much over time. A real shame, as I really love the other 3 strings.
(My set was the earlier one with the lighter A string).