Lowest tension balanced flatwounds?

[The Great Genius]

It would be nice to have a couple to choose from. Short scale lengths would be a plus.

 

[michael_t]

Dunlop Flats 45-65-85-105, which come in "short scale" (32" ball end to silk). They're not "balanced tension" as such, but people say they have a nice balanced FEEL and are relatively flexible.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[HelpImaRock]

This is why I play LaBella LTFs on my short scales.

 

[The Great Genius]

This is why I play LaBella LTFs on my short scales.

Are they stiff? Do you have balanced sound across the strings?

 

[HelpImaRock]

Are they stiff? Do you have balanced sound across the strings?

No, they're not stiff. I think that's the primary reason they're named Low Tension Flats.
Yes, I do feel like I have a balanced sound. I also feel like I have all the highs frequency content I want. They're certainly not bright rounds. But they do what I want them to do.

 

[ChristoMephisto]

La Bella 760FX is pretty light and balanced IMO
With 96-75-55-39

 

[iiipopes]

GHS Balanced Nickels are God's gift to short scale bass players. The nickel has more mass than NPS, so there is more tension for each string, which is needed on short scale. They don't flop. Being round wound, they don't thump. Having sufficent tension for good intonation, tone, and stability, they don't twang. They have big, round, tone. They are consistent string-to-string and up the neck in both feel and tone. They are reasonably priced. They have great longevity. Once they seat in, they take on some of that organic woody tone goodness we all love about golden era Fender flats. I ran one set through two annual week long trips with my party band to Mexico.

For true flats for short scale, the best set is the La Bella 760FL-S. They are very well balanced. The only down side is that the E string can go thump. You don't want LTF's. They are so low tension that on a short scale they are like loose rubber bands, losing stability, and therefore intonation.

 

[el murdoque]

You can always convert to the religion of TI Jazz Flats.

 

[iiipopes]

You can always convert to the religion of TI Jazz Flats.

I have tried TI Jazz flats, both on my basses, my friends' basses, regular and short. No thank you. I stand by my opinion: floppy rubber bands, and the A string is especially egregious, and there is no articulation to speak of. YMMV.

 

[el murdoque]

YMMV.

Indeed, it does.

 

[michael_t]

GHS Balanced Nickels are God's gift to short scale bass players. The nickel has more mass than NPS, so there is more tension for each string, which is needed on short scale. They don't flop. Being round wound, they don't thump. Having sufficent tension for good intonation, tone, and stability, they don't twang. They have big, round, tone. They are consistent string-to-string and up the neck in both feel and tone. They are reasonably priced. They have great longevity. Once they seat in, they take on some of that organic woody tone goodness we all love about golden era Fender flats.

I don't know if you're aware, but the OP of this thread is the same one who was complaining the short-scale BNs were "too stiff" in another thread.

 

[iiipopes]

I don't know if you're aware, but the OP of this thread is the same one who was complaining the short-scale BNs were "too stiff" in another thread.

 

[HaphAsSard]

La Bella 760FX is pretty light and balanced IMO
With 96-75-55-39

^ This is the OP's best bet IMO. Better yet, they could get both the 760FX and the LTF-4A, and report back on how balanced in terms of tension and tone each set is, and any other findings.

 

[michael_t]

^ This is the OP's best bet IMO. Better yet, they could get both the 760FX and the LTF-4A, and report back on how balanced in terms of tension and tone each set is, and any other findings.

The OP should know the LTF-4A comes in short scale, but not the 760FX.

 

[HaphAsSard]

The OP should know the LTF-4A comes in short scale, but not the 760FX.

Oops, you're right. I'm bad at keeping track of everything La Bella has discontinued during the years.

 

[Pilgrim]

I don't find the light gauge Labella DTFs (760FL) to be badly balanced or hard to play. That's the .043-.104 set. They come in all scale lengths.

 

[michael_t]

I'm bad at keeping track of everything La Bella has discontinued during the years.

La Bella sure knows how to keep us all on our toes... and confused!

 

[HaphAsSard]

La Bella sure knows how to keep us all on our toes... and confused!

I mean, it's their dollar-given right to discontinue anything that doesn't sell. It's just that, at one point, it seemed that everything in their catalog was available in any scale; then, within a short span of time, most of it was gone forever. Pretty traumatic...

 

[Pilgrim]

I mean, it's their dollar-given right to discontinue anything that doesn't sell. It's just that, at one point, it seemed that everything in their catalog was available in any scale; then, within a short span of time, most of it was gone forever. Pretty traumatic...

Then the Deep Talkin' Flats must be among their biggest sellers, because they've been around a loooooong time.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Then the Deep Talkin' Flats must be among their biggest sellers, because they've been around a loooooong time.

Yes, but what we were saying above is, if you bother checking, there is internet trace of any of their differently-gauges sets (760FX, 760FL, 760FS, 760FM, 0760M) having been available in -S (short-scale), -M (medium) and even -B-S (5-string shortie) and -B-M (fiver, medium) versions at one point. Not to mention the -TB (through-body) versions. Most of those are long gone.