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Optima RB Flats - Whoa!!! (vs. LaBella LTF comparison)

It's right below where your screen capture ends - under "single strings from this set": in the description for each of them, it does say "Chromnickel" (sic), as @tom-g pointed out.
...And yes, it also says "Reinnickel" / "Pure Nickel" (and therein lies the problem, as you pointed out).
Yes it does. And Optima say different things depending on the winding length of the strings. The sets are “pure nickel” but the individual short, medium, super long strings are described as “chromnickel” :rollno:
 
I’ve used the old Maxima Ric strings years ago, and really liked them, so when Optima came out with their reissue version, I bought 2 sets and used them on my defretted Cheyenne ii, and my fretted Laredo basses.
At first I thought it was the 2nd coming, ;) but the strings seemed to lose their crispness pretty fast, sounding flabby and lifeless after a few months. I still have one of the removed sets in my string box, I may try it on something again someday.
I’ve recently got TI flats on my Cheyenne and Labella low tension flats on my GL JB2, and I’m not particularly happy with either at the moment. I think this is just my time to swing back to roundwounds. (Or put the Labella Copper white tapewounds back on my Ci, which is a great sounding combo.)
 
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At .045 .057 .077 .100, the Optima RB 4440.L has one mil larger D and A strings, and a three mils thinner low E compared to the original, Maxima-made 4440 set.
Yes, depending on the nominal gauges of the wire used and any tolerances, the one mil difference for the D & A strings is negligible. Again, it may be the availability of gauges of wire; 100 will be slightly more flexible than the 103, retaining a little more consistency of tone string-to-string. I mean, think about how Sir Macca's E string thumps on the bass track of "Silly Love Songs" compared to the other strings.
 
Sorry to revive the old thread. But I just put a set of the Optima chrome flats on my reverend triad. I know what flats should sound like and have tried several different types, but I really really think the E string came dead. The difference between the E string and the A is so profound. The E string is nothing but a dead thud. Has anyone else experienced this?
 
Sorry to revive the old thread. But I just put a set of the Optima chrome flats on my reverend triad. I know what flats should sound like and have tried several different types, but I really really think the E string came dead. The difference between the E string and the A is so profound. The E string is nothing but a dead thud. Has anyone else experienced this?
I have, didn’t like those.
 
Yeah, I guess breaking in isn’t gonna do anything to add life to the E. It’s very frustrating because I really like the other three strings, but it doesn’t even sound like the same bass. Does anyone think I just got a bad E string?
 
Sorry to revive the old thread. But I just put a set of the Optima chrome flats on my reverend triad. I know what flats should sound like and have tried several different types, but I really really think the E string came dead. The difference between the E string and the A is so profound. The E string is nothing but a dead thud. Has anyone else experienced this?

I had the exact same experience with those strings. The E was lifeless and the other three were bright. Very disappointing.
Just for clarification... You're talking about the Optima Chrome Flats, correct? Not the Optima RB Flats, which is the subject of this thread?
 
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