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Roto SM77s vs La Bella 760s - Flatwound Tension

F

Fenton Bresler

Jan 10, 2020
10
9
#1
Hello all,

I currently have a set of Rotosound SM77s (100 80 60 40) on my '68 Precision. I rather like the tension but can't get on with the sound. I came from TI Jazz flats which I absolutely adored sound-wise, they were on it for years but the low low tension eventually became untenable for me. I'm currently looking at some La Bella 760s. How do the Rotosounds compare in regards to perceived tension with the La Bella FSs or FLs? I could get on with slightly more tension but definitely not any less. Mainly regarding right hand fingering.

So in short, will the La Bella FLs be high enough tension for me or should I go straight for the FSs?

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
What don't you like about the sound? If they are new give it a few weeks or so. They will start sounding vintage. Rotosounds are among the tensest flats so you are on the right track by looking at the 760 FL. You may like Chromes which are higher tension also, but they are more modern and can take what feels like forever to break in.
 
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#3
TBH they kind of remind me of Chromes which I never really liked. They never got me where I wanted even after heavy use, and I have a feeling these won't either.

BTW I use a mute at the bridge and I'm looking for that dead string thump which I hear the La Bellas are basically made for (once they are broken in).

The TIs sounded fantastic, I mean really really fab, they did the job so well but the floppy tension made certain styles of play impossible for me. It turned my bass into a one trick slow-ass pony and I got really sick of it, especially in live situations where you need to be flexible.

From what I gather, La Bellas should get me somewhere in the same vicinity but with the much needed tension I need.
I'm just wondering how tense I should go (FL or FS) knowing that I quite like the Rotos in this aspect.

Currently I am leaning for the heavier of the two (so the FSs).
 
#4
Fenton Bresler said:
TBH they kind of remind me of Chromes which I never really liked. They never got me where I wanted even after heavy use, and I have a feeling these won't either.

BTW I use a mute at the bridge and I'm looking for that dead string thump which I hear the La Bellas are basically made for (once they are broken in).

The TIs sounded fantastic, I mean really really fab, they did the job so well but the floppy tension made certain styles of play impossible for me. It turned my bass into a one trick slow-ass pony and I got really sick of it, especially in live situations where you need to be flexible.

From what I gather, La Bellas should get me somewhere in the same vicinity but with the much needed tension I need.
I'm just wondering how tense I should go (FL or FS) knowing that I quite like the Rotos in this aspect.

Currently I am leaning for the heavier of the two (so the FSs).
Click to expand...

Ok then the Labellas are probably what you need. I would try the FL set actually. I think the FS set is terrible and you will find many ppl don't like it as much compared to the other Deep Talking Flat sets. All of the Labella sets pretty much sound the same once broken in, so all you are shopping for is feel. The FL feels very balanced and should be comparable to the 100-40 Rotos. If it was me and I decided I wanted even more tension after trying the FLs I would skip the FS and go straight to FM or Original 1954. You could sell the old FL set on TB by the end of the day.
 
#7
Fenton Bresler said:
Thank you but you don't mention any gauges.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for others in that thread but in my case, I was using sets with an E string somewhere in the .096 - .104 range (it depends on what is available -- different manufacturers do not produce the same exact same gauge sets). Gauges are not *the* indicator of tension, the type of construction is -- e.g. TI's will always be floppy even if a larger gauge was available. Thus, the relative perception of tension from everyone in the referenced thread may be of use to you. IME, Roto's are like bridge cables and are at the top of the list from a tension perspective. LaBella's are not as extreme as Roto's but they definitely could never be described as floppy. I believe you would find the tension very acceptable, made all the more acceptable from the sound as Labella's are a leader in that aspect (IMO, but I'm definitely not alone in that). Happy exploring!
 
#8
jeff62 said:
I can't speak for others in that thread but in my case, I was using sets with an E string somewhere in the .096 - .104 range (it depends on what is available -- different manufacturers do not produce the same exact same gauge sets). Gauges are not *the* indicator of tension, the type of construction is -- e.g. TI's will always be floppy even if a larger gauge was available. Thus, the relative perception of tension from everyone in the referenced thread may be of use to you. IME, Roto's are like bridge cables and are at the top of the list from a tension perspective. LaBella's are not as extreme as Roto's but they definitely could never be described as floppy. I believe you would find the tension very acceptable, made all the more acceptable from the sound as Labella's are a leader in that aspect (IMO, but I'm definitely not alone in that). Happy exploring!
Click to expand...

Labella's 760M, Original 1954 and maybe the 760 FS set all have higher tension than the Roto set he has now. Rotos and La Bella's each come in a wide variety of guages, so he is right it's pretty important to mention what you are comparing because in his case your statement is false. It's not like he is using the Steve Harris set.
 
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#9
Fenton Bresler said:
Are the FSs really that bad? Apparently they are by far the best selling of the entire range.
Click to expand...

A 105-45 or 100-45 set will always sell better than other guages in the same range because they are more common in stores and people like numbers with 5s and 0s. You might like them, I'm just giving my opinion. You also have to realize that what is hot on Talkbass isn't always popular in the real world, this is a very gear centric forum.
 
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#10
chilliwilli said:
Labella's 760M, Original 1954 and maybe the 760 FS set all have higher tension than the Roto set he has now. Rotos and La Bella's each come in a wide variety of guages, so he is right it's pretty important to mention what you are comparing because in his case your statement is false. It's not like he is using the Steve Harris set.
Click to expand...

The other thread, and my specific post, only referenced Deep Talkin' Flats. Thus, I'll disagree with you that my statement is false. DTF's are not as high tension as the feel of Roto's (IME).
 
#11
jeff62 said:
The other thread, and my specific post, only referenced Deep Talkin' Flats. Thus, I'll disagree with you that my statement is false. DTF's are not as high tension as the feel of Roto's (IME).
Click to expand...

The 3 sets I mentioned are all Deep Talkin' Flatwounds and there are a total of 5 varieties of Deep Talkin' Flats available to buy for a 34" scale bass, so yes your statement is false. There isn't one kind of Deep Talkin' Flatwound.

La Bella Strings
 
#12
chilliwilli said:
The 3 sets I mentioned are all Deep Talkin' Flatwounds and there are a total of 5 varieties of Deep Talkin' Flats available to buy for a 34" scale bass, so yes your statement is false. There isn't one kind of Deep Talkin' Flatwound.

La Bella Strings
Click to expand...

I see two varieties. Deep Talkin' Bass (flats, just in different sizes) and the "Original 1954 Vintage" which appear to now be using a newer standardized label with the special seal -- but these are often referenced and ordered only by the "Vintage" name (e.g. see Juststrings.com) so I acknowledge the confusion introduced if you are only viewing the Labella site. As I mentioned, my experience was only in the .096 - .104 range and those DTF sets are not as high tension as the Roto's. All bets are off if you get up into the .109/.110 sets.
 
#13
jeff62 said:
I see two varieties. Deep Talkin' Bass (flats, just in different sizes) and the "Original 1954 Vintage" which appear to now be using a newer standardized label with the special seal -- but these are often referenced and ordered only by the "Vintage" name (e.g. see Juststrings.com) so I acknowledge the confusion introduced if you are only viewing the Labella site. As I mentioned, my experience was only in the .096 - .104 range and those DTF sets are not as high tension as the Roto's. All bets are off if you get up into the .109/.110 sets.
Click to expand...

Bro just stop......either you didn't realize they came in so many guages and are trying to protect your ego or you made a blanket statement about the tension of an entire line of flatwounds based on your experience with one guage. I'm not the confused about anything. You are giving the OP and anyone else curious about La Bella DTFs incorrect information.
 
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#14
chilliwilli said:
Bro just stop......either you didn't realize they came in so many guages and are trying to protect your ego or you made a blanket statement about the tension of an entire line of flatwounds based on your experience with one guage. I'm not the confused about anything. You are giving the OP and anyone else curious about La Bella DTFs incorrect information.
Click to expand...

Sorry, bro. I was very specific about the range of DTF's I had experience with. That's relevant whether you like it or not. :)
 
#16
I went with the FSs. The physical tension is clearly higher than the Rotosound SM77s, but they don't feel nearly as stiff. I would have preferred a slightly stiffer feel. The FLs would definitely have been too light. Other than that I am quite content with them, they sound much better to me than the Rotos. Just got to get them broken in!
 
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#17
I just put a set of Roto SM77 on one of my P Basses, and currently have La Bella 1954 "big ass Jamerson bridge cables" on my main P Bass. I've also had 760 FL, 760 FS, and 2 sets of Low Tension La Bellas recently enough to comment from memory :smug:

I also find I really like the tension of SM77- I was surprised at how taut they are for a "light" gauged set. I find them supple to the fretting hand, though. Nice combo.

Of the La Bella 760 series, I would personally recommend the 760FS. I thought the 760 FL were good, but I felt like they were sort of a "compromise" gauge. I far prefer the Low Tension la Bellas over the 760FL if I want to step down the tension. But since you want something that feels like the SM77, I'd say step UP in tension just a touch and go with the 760FS. Those strings sound very deep, with a really woody bottom end and they have similar resistance to the plucking hand as the SM77.

Hope that helps- just my $.02
(EDIT: just saw that you posted about the 760FS while I was typing. Good choice!)
 

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