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Mustang Bass - Flatwound help

H

HOTSPUR1992

Guest
Nov 13, 2014
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#1
Was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the best Flatwound strings to use on a Fender Japan Mustang bass.

I play mostly Classic Rock, Indie Rock, Rock n Roll, Blues Rock and I'm looking for something that will sit well in the mix with two guitars. Something versatile would do I think that gives me that old school thump but then when I need it, something to really dig into when using a bit of dirt. I play fingerstyle most of the time but now and again use a pick, depending on the song.

At the moment I can't decide between LaBella, TI's, Chromes and Pyramid Gold's.

Any suggestions or guidance would be welcome!

Cheers,

Mike
 
#4
Does anyone know if the Flatwound strings that are designed for Hofner or "Beatle Basses" will fit a Mustang? e.g. the La Bella 760FHB2 set?

...The reason I ask this is because I know the string sets designed for Hofners are slightly longer due to the bridge placement, and wondered if these would comfortably fit the Mustang's Thru-body design? Plus some of these sets of strings such as the La Bella 760FHB2 set and TI Hofner bass set come in lower gauges.
 
#5
HOTSPUR1992 said:
Any suggestions or guidance would be welcome!
Click to expand...

I've used the TI flats until I changed to TI rounds. wonderful flats. I had them in the standard scale set, with the 100 E string, and it was good, except for the string being a bit muffled, but it was a 4 year old set switched so many times that the D broke at the post and couldn't be used anymore on 34" scale basses, so I put the set on the Mustang.

Labella makes a Mustang set, which is the 43-104 designed to fit through the bridge (labella flats are usually not intended for this).

the Beatle Bass set has the G string a bit short. a friend of mine bought them for the Musicmaster (that uses actual 30" strings), and the G made only a turn around the tuning post.
considering that the Mustang has a cuple of inches more, it can be a problem.

years ago I've tried the Pyramid Gold, but the sound was awful (the same set was awsome on a Danelectro Longhorn), too muffled, like playing with the amp in another room, covered with pillows...

here's how the Thomastik sound:



the set is the 43-100, and it sounds perfect.
 
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#6
Ahh ok thanks for the clarification on the Hofner designed sets!

Do you have any experience with the LaBellas?

I have a set of TIs that I recently put on my Rickenbacker and are only a few days old. I'm still getting used to them and I think they need to be broken in. Do you think for what I'm playing they will pair nicely with the Pickup in the Mustang?
 
#9
HOTSPUR1992 said:
Does anyone know if the Flatwound strings that are designed for Hofner or "Beatle Basses" will fit a Mustang? e.g. the La Bella 760FHB2 set?

...The reason I ask this is because I know the string sets designed for Hofners are slightly longer due to the bridge placement, and wondered if these would comfortably fit the Mustang's Thru-body design? Plus some of these sets of strings such as the La Bella 760FHB2 set and TI Hofner bass set come in lower gauges.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the Deep Talkin' Flats are not made for string-through. You should also know that string-through requires medium scale strings on a short scale bass since the through-body uses more string length.

I'd recommend the Labella Flats which are designed for through-body use. Labella flats and Fender basses are a wonderful match.
 
#11
I had Roto 77M flats on my Mustang. Sounded good to me with both fingerstyle and pick. I imagine it would be fairly similar with chromes as they are both fairly bright flats. I found the tension with the Roto's also helped the string tension so it wasn't too floppy either
 
#12
HOTSPUR1992 said:
Ahh ok thanks for the clarification on the Hofner designed sets!

Do you have any experience with the LaBellas?

I have a set of TIs that I recently put on my Rickenbacker and are only a few days old. I'm still getting used to them and I think they need to be broken in. Do you think for what I'm playing they will pair nicely with the Pickup in the Mustang?
Click to expand...

TIs do take a few weeks to settle in. I have them on my fretted and defretted Mustangs and I really like them. LaBellas are "thumpier" and a bit stiffer. The "short scale" TI Jazz flats are actually medium scale, and fit the Mustang pretty well. They are flexible enough to abide with the through-body stringing. The E string is a bit too long, so that about 1/3 of a wrap goes around the tuner peg, but (again) they are flexible and do not come apart or break at the peg.
 
#15
HOTSPUR1992 said:
Does anyone know if the Flatwound strings that are designed for Hofner or "Beatle Basses" will fit a Mustang? e.g. the La Bella 760FHB2 set?

...The reason I ask this is because I know the string sets designed for Hofners are slightly longer due to the bridge placement, and wondered if these would comfortably fit the Mustang's Thru-body design? Plus some of these sets of strings such as the La Bella 760FHB2 set and TI Hofner bass set come in lower gauges.
Click to expand...

Hofner strings are long enough, but they will break going thru-body.

You need to make sure you purchase Medium Scale strings. If you get La Bella strings you need to make sure they are Medium Scale with the Thru-Body Tail Ends. The La Bella Mustang Set is made specifically for a Mustang.

DR Short Scale Flat Wound strings are made with a 34" winding length which is actually Medium Scale so they fit the Mustang.
 
#16
I didn't read all the replies, nor do I own a Mustang, BUT I do know that LaBella flats are classic, amazing, AND the only string manufacturer to make a flats set specifically for the Mustang. Seems like a nobrainer to start there and be /done.
 
#19
Pilgrim said:
Unfortunately, the Deep Talkin' Flats are not made for string-through. You should also know that string-through requires medium scale strings on a short scale bass since the through-body uses more string length.
Click to expand...

I don't intend to hijack Mike's thread but, I want him to know that La Bella does make Deep Talkin' Flats for through-body stringing.

Here are a couple of photos that I just took of a set of 760FLs and a Jamerson set of 0760Ms.

IMG_20150424_235755625_zps3qxbmunj.gif
IMG_20150424_235735_zps6wjm64ex.gif
 
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