Labella White Nylons: std vs copper and gold? - edit: COPPER RAWKS

[mcnach]

Could be. I’d like to think dad got around a bit during his salad days.



The Freeman neck is indeed to die for. It’s become somewhat famous for that hence its scarcity on the used market and a steadily climbing price tag.

I just took the simpler expedient of redoing the electronics, adding an Aguilar AG-4P-60 pickup (which is basically just a fuller ranged 60s style sound) - and since I was on a roll also hunted down an elusive 13-hole gold anodized pickguard.

Since it was a sig model I took a minimally invasive approach and pulled the pickup, harness and pickguard out as a single piece in case I ever want to turn it back into a Freeman. All that needs to be resoldered are the two ground leads. Then 4 screws for the pickups and 13 screws for the pickguard and it’s back to its original conformation.

Here it is hobnobbing with its upscale Fender “city cousin.” (That one sports new electronics, a Klein 60s Epic, and GHS Pressurewounds - because I know what I like when it comes to a PB tone.)

Came out pretty nice I think:

View attachment 2959824

[/QUOTE]

That is pwetty!!!

I have a Classic 50s Precision, the ones with the anodised gold pickguards... I could not decide between the cream one and the red one. I got the red one in the end but the cream I think is extremely good looking. Your MF just proves it. Yum. Well done!

As I added the extra pickup, I'll never be able to return it to original... but it can be transformed between PJ, Jazz and 'funny JJ' simply by swapping pickguards and moving/replacing pickup. Ok, it's maybe a 20 min job, but there you go.

This is what the MF looks like now:

 

[mcnach]

Oops, no, that's the Jazz configuration... now it looks like this:

 

[40Hz]

Oops, no, that's the Jazz configuration... now it looks like this:

View attachment 2960982

Now that’s really cool! Do you have any sound clips? I’d love to hear how that pickup positioning sounds.

I keep toying with the notion of one day doing up a JB with three single coils and using the “buck an a half” switching arrangement Gibson had on their G-3 bass where its 1&2 and 2&3 in a humbucking configuration - or all three at once.

Ehat they did with d that was create what’s effectively your usual dual humbucking bass. But in this case the humbucker now has a super wide aperture. So it’s picking up radically different harmonic overtones than a standard humbucker with the coils that are right next to each other would. Almost the antithesis of their sidewinder design on the Ripper where you get a humbucker with a super narrow aperture. So that basically gets you a single coil type sound without the noise and without the funny string response a stacked coil design sometimes gets if it isn’t very carefully designed.

Man! Gibson's “Norlin Years.” So much daring and willingness to try something different. I miss those heady days. But so it goes.

Ah me. So little time - so many interesting things to explore.

 

[mcnach]

Now that’s really cool! Do you have any sound clips? I’d love to hear how that pickup positioning sounds.

I keep toying with the notion of one day doing up a JB with three single coils and using the “buck an a half” switching arrangement Gibson had on their G-3 bass where its 1&2 and 2&3 in a humbucking configuration - or all three at once.

Ehat they did with d that was create what’s effectively your usual dual humbucking bass. But in this case the humbucker now has a super wide aperture. So it’s picking up radically different harmonic overtones than a standard humbucker with the coils that are right next to each other would. Almost the antithesis of their sidewinder design on the Ripper where you get a humbucker with a super narrow aperture. So that basically gets you a single coil type sound without the noise and without the funny string response a stacked coil design sometimes gets if it isn’t very carefully designed.

Man! Gibson's “Norlin Years.” So much daring and willingness to try something different. I miss those heady days. But so it goes.

Ah me. So little time - so many interesting things to explore.

No clips I'm afraid.
Those pickups are DiMarzio Area J. Humbuckers, but they do sound a lot like single coils when wired in parallel as I have. I like the neck pickup alone a lot. It has a certain "Precision" vibe to it but it's sharper. When using both pickups together, it's little too honky. I had experimented with pickup positions in an old bass and I came to this position as being a nice one... but clearly not in every bass/pickup combination. However, if I turn the blend a *tiny* bit towards the neck pickup and roll the treble off a *tiny* bit, it has a really nice punchy sound. I get better results if I screw the bridge pickup into the body a bit further but I tried to keep them balanced. However I never really use the bridge alone, so I might change this.
I have a U-Retro preamp in my drawer that I'm considering using here... that will allow me to modify/tame the 'honk' to get it to the point where it doesn't make the bass cut through quite so much. It's a nice sound, but it needs taming a bit as it is. I thought of wiring each humbucker in series, to see how it affects the blend of the pickups. Maybe that will be enough as it'll bring up the all important low mids, probably...

So many things to play with... so little time.

 

[40Hz]

No clips I'm afraid.
Those pickups are DiMarzio Area J. Humbuckers, but they do sound a lot like single coils when wired in parallel as I have. I like the neck pickup alone a lot. It has a certain "Precision" vibe to it but it's sharper. When using both pickups together, it's little too honky. I had experimented with pickup positions in an old bass and I came to this position as being a nice one... but clearly not in every bass/pickup combination. However, if I turn the blend a *tiny* bit towards the neck pickup and roll the treble off a *tiny* bit, it has a really nice punchy sound. I get better results if I screw the bridge pickup into the body a bit further but I tried to keep them balanced. However I never really use the bridge alone, so I might change this.
I have a U-Retro preamp in my drawer that I'm considering using here... that will allow me to modify/tame the 'honk' to get it to the point where it doesn't make the bass cut through quite so much. It's a nice sound, but it needs taming a bit as it is. I thought of wiring each humbucker in series, to see how it affects the blend of the pickups. Maybe that will be enough as it'll bring up the all important low mids, probably...

So many things to play with... so little time.

You might want to look into incorporating a Wilde [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] into the mix. It’s an inexpensive passive LCR filter module designed by Bill Lawrence that’s easy to install and allows for some very interesting tonal possibilities. It’s basically a passive mid shaper and is the same circuit he designed for the Gibson Ripper. Well worth checking out IMO.

 

[Marcocolo]

Well, I can't find ANY short scale La Bella flats or tapes online. Help anyone?

 

[mcnach]

You might want to look into incorporating a Wilde [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] into the mix. It’s an inexpensive passive LCR filter module designed by Bill Lawrence that’s easy to install and allows for some very interesting tonal possibilities. It’s basically a passive mid shaper and is the same circuit he designed for the Gibson Ripper. Well worth checking out IMO.

Interesting, thanks!
Have you tried it?
The clips I've seen online seem to focus on guitars and it brings extra brightness to them, which is not exactly what I'm after... but it looks like you can modify its behaviour by adding various other components...

I thing an active mids module (stacked knob: boost-cut/frequency centre selection) is what I want for this bass... but I'm intrigued by passive options too.

 

[RodRy]

Sort of reviving a dead thread, but I'm trying to get a set of MEDIUM scale (34.25") versions of these. Anyone here know where I can find them, and if not:
Are any of you interested in getting some medium scale light gold white tapewounds?

 

[e-flat]

I’m digging a set of .105 Copper Tapes on an old Aria P Bass with a Bartolini 8S Pickup.

These coppers are DEFINITELY not going to give a strong magnetic signal to your Pickups- had to bump the pickup height up to accommodate. Just FYI.

The tone is beautifully balanced without the “mud bump” / overpowering low end of ROTO 88s. The lows go deep, though, and as mentioned previously the mids are very clear & present. Roll the tone back & you get into standard black tape territory but with a softer, “cushiony” sort of low end. Super cool.

EDIT: Thought I should add that the silks on my 4 string .105 set (ordered January 2020) are black, not orange-ish like I have seen pictured previously.

 

[iiipopes]

From my experiences, trying them all; YMMV:
White: the brightest tone, as they are stainless wounds with the nylon tape
Gold: like settled in nickel plated rounds
Copper: different midrange characteristic; good for jazz
Black: the darkest tone; similar to well settled flats.

 

[iiipopes]

Sort of reviving a dead thread, but I'm trying to get a set of MEDIUM scale (34.25") versions of these. Anyone here know where I can find them, and if not:
Are any of you interested in getting some medium scale light gold white tapewounds?

LaBella nylon tape strings only come in black and white in medium scale. Check with Jason at Fretnation.

 

[RodRy]

LaBella nylon tape strings only come in black and white in medium scale. Check with Jason at Fretnation.

I've contacted La Bella, and they've said that if they get enough interest to order a dozen sets, they will make them in Medium scale. I've contacted Sweetwater music and they are trying to figure out if it's worth it to them to order a dozen gold white tapewounds in Medium scale. If you're interested let me or Sweetwater know.
Thanks!