After 23 days , LTF 4A on my Squier CV50P has nice broken in woody classic P vibe as expect.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
LaBella LTF-4A Low Tension Flat love thread
- Thread starter Mike Vee
- Start date
That’s what I thought about LTFs for sure. I have tried other brand flats but they don’t really have that real flats tone quite so totally. Woody, plunky, rubbery, reminiscent of double bass.
I’m bad, cause I play flats mainly for the feel on my fingers, and knowing they won’t eat up my favorite basses vintage sized fretwire. And, after that is that warm thump and lack of finger squeaks.
that's why I didn't like EB Cobalts. Might work in a different application, but the 35" BTB was a bit too much with cobalt flats. La Bella Blacks really worked well with that one. Then I sold it because it hurt me....(it was heavy). I can see Flat Cobalts working on a ray or other modern/slap sort of application.
The cobalt flat string end winding area(silk start area) not meet in BTB nut slot actually, especially B and E string. Both string end winding before nut slot.
Dint you found those issue ?
I cant find my notes, but I'm fairly certain I bought longer ones and had no issues with how they fit, other than the memories of fiddling with that wonderful double truss rod some of the BTBs have. I sold that bass in January of 2020. Quite a bit has happened since....
The only issue I remember is they seemed too bright for what I was wanting. Once I put LaBella black tapes on there I was much happier. I hated using the back pickup until I put the tapes on it. It was just too harsh. Course with the tapes, it needed that back pickup.
Edit: I did order the cobalt flat strings as they were not in stock locally. I used a GC gift card I had for them. That strengthens my guess that I ordered a special size.
I just looked it up. If I hadn't have had to buy online, I wouldn't have found it. They were the Ernie Ball 2816 Slinky Flatwound set. I dont remember if the BTB had options for how to string it up with that 2nd iteration of that mono bridge. I do remember I used the little holes in the bridge. I remember it being a sorta fake string thru. I dont remember that much about the EB set. I didn't like them and replaced with Labella Black tapes in a hurry.
But if you're going for flats that sound like rounds... That's your set. They are not near as smooth as LaBella flats, but they are smoother than rounds.
I really dont remember much more than that. I'm sure there is a BTB club that could get more detailed.
EB Sinky Flatwound (aka Cobalt Flats) only come in "long scale", which is 37.25" in winding length (ball end to silk). That should be long enough on a 35" scale as long as they're top-loaded (vs. thru-body).
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,152
- 256,468
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
EB long scale 37.25" strings fit on my through-body '79 StingRay.
'79 StingRay... That's a 34"-scale, isn't it?
37.25" winding = long enough for thru-body on a 34"-scale or top-loading on a 35"-scale. Not long enough for thru-body on a 35"-scale.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,152
- 256,468
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Yes, 34 inch. The silk on the A string just clears the nut.
Took off the TIs and put on the LTFs. AWESOME!!! The overemphasis on the midrange is gone baby gone, and I'm hearing a nice fat balanced low sound, thick and chewy. I'm finding I don't need to roll the tone knob all the way off to get a nice deep rich sound. The lowest notes are less distinct than with the TIs, but I'm also playing at home practice volume (i.e., conversation level), so I will reserve final judgement on that until I'm playing with a drummer. These strings are exactly what this bass needed, and I was worried as both the original rounds it came with and the TIJFs were quite mid-heavy and lacking some bottom ooomph. Solved!!!
I put up for sale my lightly used TIJFs on Kijiji Toronto.
If thump is important to you, the La Bellas are the obvious choice between them and TIs.
Also, getting that warm, creamy La Bella tone right out of the pack is a real achievement on LB’s part. Most of the work is done for you — playing thru different backlines, there’s very little fiddling around with EQ — the strings are doing that for you (if you’re starting from a good sounding bass).
These are the 2 main reasons I use these.
Also, getting that warm, creamy La Bella tone right out of the pack is a real achievement on LB’s part. Most of the work is done for you — playing thru different backlines, there’s very little fiddling around with EQ — the strings are doing that for you (if you’re starting from a good sounding bass).
These are the 2 main reasons I use these.
Even the G?
In my experience the G string's (relative) brightness hangs around for quite awhile. It's not that it sounds "bad", it's just brighter than the other 3 or 4 in the set. I've learned to ignore it.
LTF G string sound fuller and even with EAD string on 51 style P bass.
On my previous Squier CV60 P , LTF G string still sound a bit brighter than others even she well broken in . I believe pickups placement and design are main factor.
