Optima RB vs TI Jazz Flats vs La Bella LTF

[Stan_da_man]

Has anyone done a comparison on all three?

Would love to know how the RB flats compare against the other two.

 

[Yahboy]

Zero experience on Optimal , but favor on both Ti flat and LTF4A.

Tonal are different on both. Hope this clip do help.

JF344 on Vintera 50s P.



LTF4A on Squier CV50P stock pup


LTF4A on Squier CV50P Fralin Split 51 pup.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Has anyone tried the RBs?

 

[Barton Lee]

I've used the Optima RBs, TI flats (and La Bella 760FL but not the LTFs). The RB are a bit higher tension than the TIs, a good thing for me, and I thought they sounded great on my Ric 4003S. I prefer the RBs on the Ric to the TIs, which I've also used on that bass. I also used that set of Optimas on my Epiphone Jack Casady and they worked well there too. I still have them and would buy another if needed, great strings.

 

[WillyW]

I have what I am pretty sure are a set of optima RB's on one of my basses, (got them used on a bass)

I like them well enough that I'm not taking them off, like evar.... but I prefer Pyramid Golds.

I did not like the TI or Labellas

 

[GIBrat51]

Has anyone done a comparison on all three?

Would love to know how the RB flats compare against the other two.

Well...
I have all 3 of them on bass's in my herd. IME? They are just about as different as flats can get. But, I like them - on the basses they're on. So, comparisons...
- TI Jazz Flats. While there are people here who consider TIJF's to be the Alpha/Omega of strings... sorry; I do not. Their low tension (about 6lbs. higher than the LTFF's), along with their high flexibility, renders them a One Trick Pony in my bass herd. I have them on my '96 Alembic Epic. I play Jazz on it, and it's the only bass that I finger pick all the time. The TIJF's are superb in that role. Tone to die for; loads of harmonics; very easy to play. But, on a bass that I play Vintage Rock/Rockabilly on - with a pick? Uhh... not on your life. And, TBH? I can get about 98% of their tone - without all the low tension/high flexibility - and the expense - from a set of Fender 9050Ls. Which I do, on a couple of basses...
- La Bella LTFF Flexible Flats. Although they have less tension than the TIJFs, they feel more like regular, "lighter" gauge flats - because that's how La Bella wanted them to feel. And, that's how they sound, too. Not quite as "Old School Thumpy" as 760FS's, they do have a noticeable mid range and even a tough of top end. Not a lot, but some... I had them on an old Rick 4001 that was developing some neck issues, and needed very low tension strings. I liked them on that bass - a lot... Took them off, though, when I - reluctantly - put the 4001 up for sale...
- Optima 4440 RB Flats. Optima's clones of the original Rickenbacker's Maxima factory flats. The flats I learned to play bass on - a very long time ago. Slightly bigger gauge than the Maximas (40-100) at 45-100, they are pretty much the same tension, and as flexible, as I remember the Maximas being. I have them on my Rick 4003 (of course), but, IMO, they are very nice flats, in every way. More modern/mid-range focused than a lot of flats, but not as top-end focused as some. Very "versatile" flats, if that's what you want...
So, bottom line? I'd say that the Optima RB's fall somewhere in the middle of the three. Not quite as "orchestral" as the TI's,, but not as low-end thumpy as the La Bella's, either. If you think of the Fender 9050L's as the center point on the flatwound tone scale - as I do? Then, the RB's would be just slightly to the thumpy side of center, while the TI's would be just to the bright side... The LTFFs? Maybe most of the way toward the "thump" end; round about where the Roto RS77LD's sit. Which isn't a bad place to be, by any means; I play the Roto 77's, too...