Looking for extra light gauge/low tension tapewounds

Most (not all) tapewound strings of standard gauges such as 50-105 are actually extra light rounds (something like 40-95) under the tape, so they are more flexible than typical rounds of similar gauges to begin with.

 

I put labella copper whites on my mb2 and was thrilled with the sound. The website doesn't list tension for these strings, but if you're doing the research I wanted to suggest that there may be other suitable options besides the black tapes to check out.

GLWTSearch!

 

D'Addario also offers black nylon tapewounds 50-65-85-105, which are relatively low tension and flexible at 146.2 lbs. in total tension.

GHS Tapewounds, 50-70-90-105, are actually flatwound under the tape, so they would be stiffer as well as higher in tension at 167.8 lbs.

 

Jason at FretboardNation (the old bass strings on line) may be of help.

 

Rotosound TruBass 88's are also tape wounds, not flats (yeah, the nylon tape is technically "flat", but they're round wounds underneath). I have them on this MIK Rogue VB-100, and they work/sound great there. But, on your particular bass? I don't think you really need a set of those. They're heavy gauge - even for tapes - and they are very stiff. I don't know how much of that is actual tension, but since they're medium scale 60-115s, I'd imagine there's quite a bit. As others have said, the nylon outer wrap is a considerable portion of the overall string gauge, but the actual steel string underneath is pretty small in the lighter gauges. I have a sneaky suspicion that the actual tension of most "light" gauge tapes isn't all that high; they're just really stiff because of the nylon outer wrap. For that bass, I'd be thinking seriously about a set of La Bella's Low tension Flats if it were mine. 136 lbs. total is about as low as you're going to get for any set of long scale strings...

 

Michael, have you tried the D'Addario tapes? Where would you say they sit, tonally, VS say our beloved GHS Pressurewounds?

 

I have never tried any tapewounds personally, and probably never will. Tapes in general just don't appeal to me for my personal use.

 

I've played both at the same time, obviously on two separate basses. But unfortunately, the two are very different basses. The D'A is strung on a fretless bass w/ under saddles piezo pickup and the GHS was on a fretted bass w/ a pair of hum canceling jazz style pickups. I'd say tonally the GHS PW had more mid forward than D'A TW.

I haven't been using the GHS PW any longer in a year or so, which I'd previously had since mid 2016. OTOH the D'A TW, which I've put on since Sep 2016, is still on the same bass and I don't think it'll go away any time soon. I do like the PW in terms of how it felt on fingertips but turned out, I don't really like how it sounds. I tried to like them that I used all three sets of L7200, M7200 & ML7200. But in the end, I felt the PW gave too much mid which was weird to my ears.

 

I’ve got a set of D’Addario black nylon tapes on my Fretless at the moment. I wouldn’t say they’re “low tension” but the are less than the rounds I’ve had on it. How ever, I have tried LaBella White nylon tapes and by far and away they are the most loosey goosey strings I’ve ever touched. I’m talkin floppy. I don’t even consider TI Jazz Flats floppy. Cool sound and simply exquisite texture to my fingers. But for me, utterly unplayable.

 

I think I’ve used around six or seven different sets of tapes over the past couple of years during my search for strings to match my Gibson. The La Bella 750N set is the only one to need a complete reverse of the truss rod to impart forward bow.