LaBella White Gold Tapewounds. Wow!

[Water buffalo]

I've been looking at these for awhile. Like others, I am not a fan of the black tapewounds But after hearing good things about these, I pulled the trigger on a set.

I've been plaing a lot of acoustic based music, I have several instruments that I can use in this genre. My current favorites are a beat up MiJ Fender P Bass lyte Deluxe (somone pulled the frets out and forgot to put them back in. It sounds incredible), a completely stock vintage Harmony H22 hollowbody, a really different Samick Greg Bennett solid body acoustic/electric, and this bass.

This is a Morgan Monroe ABG. I don't know much about it, other than it's beautiful and has a really full sound acoustically. I added a Fishman active preamp/controls. Plugged in, it sounded okay. I went through a number of strings, roundwounds and flatwounds (no tapewounds). It sounds good but it always needed something.

I put the LaBella's on a couple of days ago. I stretched them out. Acoustically, the bass immediately sounded brighter. The strings sounded nothing like the old black tapewounds, instead they sounded like a really smooth sounding round wound. Plugging it end, the amplified sound duplicated the acoustic tone. It has a really cool top end, not brittle in the least.

I can't wait to try them on the Fender P bass Lyte and the Samick Greg Bennett. I'm sold.

 

[bholder]

They're just as unique on solid-body electrics, too, especially fretless.

 

[Rayjay]

Do you primarily play acoustically or amplified? I only ask because I used to own an ABG (Tacoma Thunderchief FWIW). I was immediately sold on how powerful it sounded compared to others. It came with Elixirs. In the name of experimentation I tried other brands of strings but there was something magic and immediate about the Elixers. I primarily played that bass without amplification. I could see how the white tapes would be very match with amplification for you.

I have used these LaBella white tapes on a fretless 5 and on a P bass and they really were wonderful. I especially liked how twangy they were new, I guess I was expecting the opposite end of the spectrum but they were giving me the same snarly grind as a set of steel strings. Really fun and expressive. Enjoy!

 

[BassicJazzy]

I have D'Addario black tapes on my Ibanez SR1350, love them, but never even thought about putting anything other than bronze acoustic strings on my '91 Ovation Elite Acoustic 4 string. I didn't even think that was possible, given the relatively short scale of the bass, and the piezo pickup? Has anybody else tried putting tapes on an acoustic? That's wild! Ovation would have a cow, if they were still active (they do respond to inquiries from Germany, takes a few months though). If it works, that could be a very interesting sound.

 

[Water buffalo]

Do you primarily play acoustically or amplified? I only ask because I used to own an ABG (Tacoma Thunderchief FWIW). I was immediately sold on how powerful it sounded compared to others. It came with Elixirs. In the name of experimentation I tried other brands of strings but there was something magic and immediate about the Elixers. I primarily played that bass without amplification. I could see how the white tapes would be very match with amplification for you.

I have used these LaBella white tapes on a fretless 5 and on a P bass and they really were wonderful. I especially liked how twangy they were new, I guess I was expecting the opposite end of the spectrum but they were giving me the same snarly grind as a set of steel strings. Really fun and expressive. Enjoy!

I play amplified (or through the mains), but occasionally acoustic on small gigs/jams. I'm going to get a couple more sets to try on my fretless and other basses.

The Tacoma Thunderchief sounds great and acoustically, it's one of the loudest ABGs out there.

Thanks!

 

[woodyng2]

Big fan of Labella tapewounds, especially the white and white/copper varieties. Comparing those 2, I like the copper ones for a bit more thump, and a warmer twang to the top end. The white set sounds a bit more like a regular (but very smooth) roundwound string.

 

[ErnieD]

Wonder if these are the same as some older white 5 strings I just found in my big bin of used strings I keep. I bought these and put them on my Godin Ultra Frtless 5. Only kept them on a short bit before I replaced them w D'Ad Black Nylon Tapes. Love em. Have those on a few fretted/Frtless basses.
I was looking to replace the strings that came on my just bought MB Gloxy GV5, cream. I've been rehearsing/gigging several days a week w a few bands lately. My fingers were trashed even w the nickel strings on most my basses. The strings that came on the new Gloxy look like D'Ad XLs to me. I thought they came w some type of MB brand strings?.
Anyway, these white coated strings, I believe they are white flats, they play w similar tone to nickels on my other basses. But feel so darn nice on my fingers.

I ordered Labella LT flats 5 that arrive tomorrow. But just wanted to try something new on this Gloxy after I found them today. I'll gig this bass a few times this week to know how they sound in a live band sitch. I'll now try the new LT flats on a Yam TRBX605 I recently bought. Love that neck but again, factory strings trashing my fingers.
I know, I'm a puss.

 

[MrAB4003]

I love these strings! I used to have them on one of my main Ric 4003s. But they're only good for standard tuning because they're such low tension. I can't play them anymore because I tune to D Standard and they will go out of tune.

 

[WG Plum]

I really like the La Bella Gold White tapes on my old Music Man Sabre fretless, but I found the E string really quiet in comparison to the other strings. I've since switched to Magma flats. The Magmas are much more even string to string volume-wise, but they definitely do NOT sing like the La Bellas. I may go back to the tapes, but I need to let the Magmas really break in first.

 

[ThudThudThud]

Many years ago a TBer (the name eludes my CRS brain - but thank you, whoever you were!) suggested I put tapes on my ABG. It was a revelation.
Congrats on finding your combination.

 

[ErnieD]

Follow-up, I put these older White flats that had very little use onto my new MB Gloxy GV5; maple board.
I was getting odd artifacts, warble noise in my headphones on the A & D strings.
I tried placing a tiny piece of paper in the nut under these 2 strings. The noise seems to have subsided. I learned that tip here many years ago. I know it should be a temp fix.
But I forgot, what could be the issue where placing paper on the nut, under the string would indicate what particular issues?
Thnx for any helpful replies.

 

[Jens Telemark]

Unique strings. The brightness of brass with the typical harshness of brass/bronze strings greatly attenuated and zero finger noise. I wasn’t willing to file my nut to properly seat the large diameter of the E string but I did play them over a week on a new (to me) bass during a trial of several different strings. The nylon core Galli Synthesis flats ended up suiting me better but I’m keeping the Labellas. At some point I’ll resurrect an old P I’ve got and try them on that. My gut says they may sound great on it. I love the feel of them.

Interested to find out how they age. Does the intonation go for a dump when they die off like bare brass/bronze tends to do or can you leave them on for years?

I tried placing a tiny piece of paper in the nut under these 2 strings. The noise seems to have subsided. I learned that tip here many years ago. I know it should be a temp fix.

In my experience there’s nothing more permanent than a temporary fix that works!

 

[ErnieD]

Yep. I gigged the MB Gloxy GV5 last nite at our weekly jam. With those 2 tiny pieces of paper under the A, D strings, the whites were lovely to play. No finger pain after that gig.
Only one other bassist showed up, so I played most the nite. Lately, even w the nickels I have on my basses, my fingers have gotten pretty trashed due to my busy play schedule.
I took these white flats off a Godin Ultra Frtless 5 after a short use. The strings stayed in a plastic bin about 3 yrs. Had ordered Labella LT flats 5. But found the whites before those arrived.

Put them on my Gloxy just to see and besides having to place the bits of paper under two strings, they are very lively n snappy still.
The Labella LTs just arrived, guess I'll try them on another bass. Not sure I can like them better than these white flats now.
Happy 4th all!