Sadowsky BLUE Label Flats

[ljazz]

I can't wait to gig these again. I just got my replacement D string in, and restrung. Man, I hope these mids sing this good live. These could be the TIJF slayer!..... Only with a more manageable pliability! People who think these are as inflexible as the Black Labels are smoking crack. Seriously, these are slightly more sttiff than TIJF's..... Exactly what many have been waiting for!

 

[basslust]

I can't wait to gig these again. I just got my replacement D string in, and restrung. Man, I hope these mids sing this good live. These could be the TIJF slayer!..... Only with a more manageable pliability! People who think these are as inflexible as the Black Labels are smoking crack. Seriously, these are slightly more sttiff than TIJF's..... Exactly what many have been waiting for!

I just got my set of the lights (40-100) in and they are most definitely lighter tension than the Black Flats in the same gauge. It's actually a rather drastic difference. I might step up to the 45-105s eventually, but might also just keep playing lighter as I'm doing now. Tone wise and playability wise, these are very good. I definitely find them to be more playable than the Blacks due to the lower tension. A part of me wonders if the standard gauge would have slightly more balls, but I did also put these on a Jazz while I've been playing with humbuckers in series for the past year.

 

[ljazz]

I just got my set of the lights (40-100) in and they are most definitely lighter tension than the Black Flats in the same gauge. It's actually a rather drastic difference. I might step up to the 45-105s eventually, but might also just keep playing lighter as I'm doing now. Tone wise and playability wise, these are very good. I definitely find them to be more playable than the Blacks due to the lower tension. A part of me wonders if the standard gauge would have slightly more balls, but I did also put these on a Jazz while I've been playing with humbuckers in series for the past year.

I've never liked mid forward strings on a jazz bass..... I imagine I would hate these on my jazz bass. So far they are sounding killer on my CS '59 P! I really hope the mids sing like they do now after full break in!

 

[jnumme]

Ordered the 100s I love the tone of TIs but the tension was just not cutting it for me anymore. So after reading thru this thread I'm hoping I've finally found the strings for my Nash p63.

 

[basslust]

Ordered the 100s I love the tone of TIs but the tension was just not cutting it for me anymore. So after reading thru this thread I'm hoping I've finally found the strings for my Nash p63.

Let me know what you think of them. I just got the same ones and they are pretty light tension.

 

[jnumme]

@basslust
Got the 100s today and played them on and off throughout the day on my Nash pb63 Lollar pups. First, I like the tension definitely tighter than TI's . The feel was similar not sticky but smooth . But after that I'm disappointed. G string D.O.A. :-( . To me I'm so used to TI's these blue flats seemed blah . Mids were present but nothing like the cutting mids of the TI's . Adjusted the eq to help it out, but nothing to write home about . Played through most of my song sets that I use flats on and it seemed blahsea. I'm just one opinion so maybe it's just me. They also seemed clanky when I dug in. I'll stick to Thomistik infeld jf344s

 

[jallenbass]

@basslust
Got the 100s today and played them on and off throughout the day on my Nash pb63 Lollar pups. First, I like the tension definitely tighter than TI's . The feel was similar not sticky but smooth . But after that I'm disappointed. G string D.O.A. :-( . To me I'm so used to TI's these blue flats seemed blah . Mids were present but nothing like the cutting mids of the TI's . Adjusted the eq to help it out, but nothing to write home about . Played through most of my song sets that I use flats on and it seemed blahsea. I'm just one opinion so maybe it's just me. They also seemed clanky when I dug in. I'll stick to Thomistik infeld jf344s

I never judge strings on the first day. They usually need a few days to come alive for me. I also reserve judgement until I can play them in a band. Lots of gear would have been sold had I not done that.

 

[jnumme]

I never judge strings on the first day. They usually need a few days to come alive for me. I also reserve judgement until I can play them in a band. Lots of gear would have been sold had I not done that.

That is a true statement . I have a few basses that I can say seem to become keepers weeks later. Also band setting is huge and they will be tested this coming Sunday. But I think the g string isnt coming back even If i gave it a shot of ephedrine.

 

[FirewalZ]

Been keeping an eye on this thread as I to consider getting a set of BL's......However I wouldn't judge any flat until after a few weeks at least, most take many hours of playing time to settle in and balance out.

 

[basslust]

I'm very happy with mine. Now that I have gotten used to the tension, I really appreciate that they are much less tense than the Blacks, as it is possible to be much more expressive with them, and also, fingerstyle is an absolute breeze! As I mentioned before, I have them on a Jazz (my first Jazz in fact), and it took a few practices / shows to figure out how to work the controls on the Jazz and EQ my amp to get sounds that I liked. Now that I have though, I'm very satisfied. I don't find that the tone of the strings at all limits me from getting different sounds using EQ. Fat fingerstyle to punchy pick attack, it's all available with these strings.

If I had to compare these to any other strings that I've tried, I'd say that they have the most in common with Fender flats. An interesting comparison would be between the balanced tension Fender flats and these (I've never actually used the balanced tension Fenders, only the ML set which was floppy on the E and then too tight on the higher end).

 

[basslust]

That is a true statement . I have a few basses that I can say seem to become keepers weeks later. Also band setting is huge and they will be tested this coming Sunday. But I think the g string isnt coming back even If i gave it a shot of ephedrine.

Can you describe what your G string sounds like? I've heard people talk about dead strings before but don't think I've ever actually experienced one. On my set, the G is definitely pretty thin (feeling, not sounding), but it sounds fine in the mix.

 

[jnumme]

Can you describe what your G string sounds like? I've heard people talk about dead strings before but don't think I've ever actually experienced one. On my set, the G is definitely pretty thin (feeling, not sounding), but it sounds fine in the mix.

Best way I can explain it is when striking the string with fingers or pick it's just a non musical tone , no ring, no sustain like a palm muted string or a very tight fret wrap. Other strings ring out when striked open non fretted.
I also read somewhere I think in this thread maybe of the same issue on the g string.

 

[McFarlin]

Best way I can explain it is when striking the string with fingers or pick it's just a non musical tone , no ring, no sustain like a palm muted string or a very tight fret wrap. Other strings ring out when striked open non fretted.
I also read somewhere I think in this thread maybe of the same issue on the g string.

I posted earlier about the same thing. The E, A, and D are bright and lively (not unlike a Fender 9050 or EB cobalt flat). But the G is pretty dull, sort-of reminding me of a nylon string when compared directly to the others. It really stands-out when focusing on the string-to-string difference. It lacks the high-mid content and any sort of zing you can hear in the other three, and it seems to have less sustain.
But when playing chords or any sort of fast run, it seems to mix fine with the other strings. It makes me wonder if the difference was intentional, trying to avoid the "twangy" G-string that folks sometimes complain about (I think more often with various roundwound sets). Maybe it stands-out more with certain basses/pickups, setups, amp/cab combinations, or to certain sets of ears.
The set could even-out a bit with few months of use.

Or maybe we both got a bad set.

 

[jnumme]

I posted earlier about the same thing. The E, A, and D are bright and lively (not unlike a Fender 9050 or EB cobalt flat). But the G is pretty dull, sort-of reminding me of a nylon string when compared directly to the others. It really stands-out when focusing on the string-to-string difference. It lacks the high-mid content and any sort of zing you can hear in the other three, and it seems to have less sustain.
But when playing chords or any sort of fast run, it seems to mix fine with the other strings. It makes me wonder if the difference was intentional, trying to avoid the "twangy" G-string that folks sometimes complain about (I think more often with various roundwound sets). Maybe it stands-out more with certain basses/pickups, setups, amp/cab combinations, or to certain sets of ears.
The set could even-out a bit with few months of use.

Or maybe we both got a bad set.

Your explanation is exactly what I have also. You definitely explained it way better than me. And as far as the chording I noticed the same thing today after playing it some more. I believe now that is how it's suppose to be. Just to much of a coincidence between you a I.

 

[ljazz]

I'm thinking bum string for you guys. In fact, I was surprised at how even they sounded when I first strung them up.

Played mine for just the second time on a gig last night. I've been playing TIJF's for 10 years now, and I've grown to where I really key in on those beautiful mids. While waiting for my Blue Label replacement D string to come in, I put my Black Labels back on. I won't say they get lost in the mix, but I will say they lack the mids of the TIJF's. Both times out live with the Blue Labels that was not the case. Very easy to key in on. The mids may not be quite as "complex" as the TIJF's (just by a hair) , but are still there in abundance..... More so than any other flat I've played. What they lack in mid "complexity" is made up for with a bit more low mid girth when compared to the TIJF's.

If they can work through the apparent consistency issues, then I think these are the perfect string for someone wishing for a bit stiffer TIJF. I love that the mids are staying intact as these wear in.

 

[ljazz]

I now have a couple more gigs on these strings, and I'm quite infatuated with them. The mids are staying intact. They play beautifully. The new string zip or clack is just about gone. They sound a lot like the TI's...... Just a bit more going on in the 100 - 250 hz range, giving them a bit thicker tone. As mentioned earlier, the tension is just a hair more than the TIJF's..... I needed less than an eighth of a turn of the truss rod, and still have the action a 64th of an inch lower. They are a bit stiffer, no doubt being due to the hex core.

Our Friday night gig was in a tiny room, and I got to use my B15.... The tone was gorgeous!

I think that as long as they don't get too thumpy, and keep the expressive quality like the TI's as they continue to wear in, then I have probably found my new favorite flat.... We’ll see!

 

[jnumme]

Ive given them a week or so and can now say they are growing on me.

 

[ljazz]

I have a bunch of gigs and rehearsals with these now, and while I think I need to give them another month or so for a final judgement , I can't imagine the mids disappearing. The mids sing with these, and the low mids are a gut punch without being thumpy. These are really in the same tonal family as TIJF's. The big difference is that you can dig in and make these bark, where the TIJF's fart/fret out. The one thing I love about TIJF's is that they are a do-eveything fingerstyle string to me...... Really, they were the only flat in that class for me..... The Blue Labels fit in that same class.

 

[Sandwell]

I have a bunch of gigs and rehearsals with these now, and while I think I need to give them another month or so for a final judgement , I can't imagine the mids disappearing. The mids sing with these, and the low mids are a gut punch without being thumpy. These are really in the same tonal family as TIJF's. The big difference is that you can dig in and make these bark, where the TIJF's fart/fret out. The one thing I love about TIJF's is that they are a do-eveything fingerstyle string to me...... Really, they were the only flat in that class for me..... The Blue Labels fit in that same class.

How do you feel about them nearly two months later?

 

[ljazz]

How do you feel about them nearly two months later?

I love them! Everything I mentioned in the last post stands. Nice, singing mids, with more low mids than TIJF's. Low tension, with just enough stiffness to dig in without fretting out. I love these. The singing mid quality make these a very versatile string. With the increased stiffness, you can actually slap these. I have no need for any other string, especially for fingerstyle.