Labellas on a Jazz Bass!

[dougjwray]

I have a 2002 MIM Fender Jazz Bass that I bought new in 2003. It's had medium gauge Chromes on it since 2004 (three sets in total). They're bright and thumpy and perfect for that Bass.

I also have a 2005 MIM Fender Precision Bass which has had medium gauge GHS Precision Flats on it since I bought it used in 2010 (two sets in total). They're dark and thumpy yet clear, and THEY'RE perfect for THAT bass.

Then, I have a "black label" 1995 MIM Fender Jazz Bass which I bought used in 2020, on the weekend before the big Covid shutdown. (That's a story in itself.) This one "plays like butter" and I like the stock, midrange-heavy ceramic pickups. However, it has always sounded kind of dry and somehow flimsy to me. As a big DR fan, I tried Hi-Beams, Pure Blues and Nickel Lo Riders, but none really made it more substantial-yet-"singing."
I was just about to order some Sunbeams, when I remembered that I had a set of medium gauge Labella Deep Talkin' Flats in my trusty box of odds and ends. I had tried them on the P-Bass and gone right back to the GHS strings. The Labellas were too twangy-- not enough thud.
But I tried them on the black label Jazz, and... wow! Twangy, more flexible flats are the solution for this bass!
Mind you, I'm in a lull between gigs this month, and won't get to try them live, in a mix, for a couple more weeks. But I have high hopes!
Once again, I've confirmed that every bass has its "favorite" strings!
Thanks for reading!

 

[michael_t]

I remembered that I had a set of medium gauge Labella Deep Talkin' Flats in my trusty box of odds and ends. I had tried them on the P-Bass and gone right back to the GHS strings. The Labellas were too twangy-- not enough thud.
But I tried them on the black label Jazz, and... wow! Twangy, more flexible flats are the solution for this bass!

I can understand La Bella DTF's are "twangier" than GHS (assuming you're talking about the Precision Flats), but "more flexible"? That's new to me.

Once again, I've confirmed that every bass has its "favorite" strings!

I've just gone through this in the last couple of weeks.

I've been back and forth between flats and pressurewounds with my Am Std P bass for the last few years, never being 100% satisfied with either of them. I finally decided to put rounds on it about a month ago, and it's been sounding great.

Meanwhile, I've recently acquired a second P bass - Squier Classic Vibe 60's Precision - and decided to try the same set of flats that's been on the Am Std P three different times since April 2023. BAM! These flats (Ernie Ball Group IV Stainless Steel Flats) sound better on this Squier than they ever did on the American Fender!

Moral of the story... Never give up on a set of strings until you find the right bass for them.

 

[dougjwray]

Yes, I was referring to the Precision Flats which are on my MIM P-Bass. I'll defer to you if you have figures proving that the Labellas aren't as flexible. I'm just talking about how they feel to me.
But I can identify with your search. Years ago, I used to think one kind of string had "my sound" and I automatically put them on everything. (They were GHS Boomers.)
But, for better or worse, TB has taught me to experiment much more with different ones, to tweak how I want an individual instrument to sound.

 

[michael_t]

Yes, I was referring to the Precision Flats which are on my MIM P-Bass. I'll defer to you if you have figures proving that the Labellas aren't as flexible. I'm just talking about how they feel to me...

How a set of strings FEEL is very subjective. If La Bella flats FEEL more flexible than GHS Flats to you personally, who am I to argue? I don't think it's something that can be shown in figures.