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SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

#6,241
JIO said:
A number of players don't like how stiff the GHS's feel, but that's what I like about them. The LaBella's might be a bit less stiff, but are in the same neighborhood. LaBella makes a 'low-tension' flat but I've never tried them. Maybe better for a fretless.
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I have the Low tension flats on a few basses and I like them. It's a different tone than the DTF's but still good IMO. :)
 
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#6,245
JIO said:
I'll have to try them some day.
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They are worth a try, IMO. I had a neck on a FCS 59 precision bow out beyond the help of a spacer. It resulted from Deep Talkin’ Flats. For the original owner of the bass, the FCS gives a lifetime warranty on both the body and neck. To their credit they remade the neck for free.

I also had an issue with a Fender AVRI series 62 bass. The neck also bowed while wearing DTF’s. I decided to forgo DTF’s for something lower tension. For a time I used TI’s -which I like. However, their prices are high. Granted, one will probably never need to replace them, barring breaking a string.

The LaBella Low Tension Flats are a great compromise, as they are low tension, they sound good to my ears and are affordable.
 
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#6,246
SJLee said:
They are worth a try, IMO. I had a neck on a FCS 59 precision bow out beyond the help of a spacer. It resulted from Deep Talkin’ Flats. For the original owner of the bass, the FCS gives a lifetime warranty on both the body and neck. To their credit they remade the neck for free.

I also had an issue with a Fender AVRI series 62 bass. The neck also bowed while wearing DTF’s. I decided to forgo DTF’s for something lower tension. For a time I used TI’s -which I like. However, their prices are high. Granted, one will probably never need to replace them once I have purchased them, barring breaking a string.

The LaBella low tension flats are a great compromise, as they are low tension, they sound good to my ears and are affordable.
Click to expand...

I'm lucky to live in a moderate climate (CA-Bay Area) so the kind of issues with necks like when I lived in the mid-west haven't been an issue. I was warned about putting the GHS flats on my '68 34" scale Custom Kraft hollow-body but I did and have yet to regret it. (they play/sound great!) The only down-side was the length of the long-scale strings because of the tail-piece/string-stop floating-bridge combination.

It looks sketch, but realistically it is just missing the red silk winding that I removed. Interestingly enough it doesn't affect the strings tone/sound as far as I can tell and has been this way for a number of years.
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Strings go beyond the 34" scale (bridge) to the string-stop resulting in the need for long strings
upload_2023-11-20_17-46-43.jpeg
 
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#6,248
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#6,249
I mean, it is pretty cool and all.., but that asking price for any '71 P is way more than a stretch of the imagination. Apparently he 'imagines' paying off his mortgage... click those heals together Dorthy, you're not in Kansas anymore! :D

1971 Vintage Fender Precision Bass | eBay
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#6,250
SJLee said:
I have the Low tension flats on a few basses and I like them. It's a different tone than the DTF's but still good IMO. :)
Click to expand...
I love the LTFs on my fretless Jazz. I recently put passive Bart B-Axis pickups on it and wasn't sure if they were going to make it when I had the Chromes on them. Bad combo in my opinion. As soon as I put the LTFs on it, oh man. It now has this sweet warm tone that is perfect for R&B, jazz and blues. :smug:
 
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#6,253
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#6,254
roccobass said:
I love the LTFs on my fretless Jazz. I recently put passive Bart B-Axis pickups on it and wasn't sure if they were going to make it when I had the Chromes on them. Bad combo in my opinion. As soon as I put the LTFs on it, oh man. It now has this sweet warm tone that is perfect for R&B, jazz and blues. :smug:
Click to expand...

Love my LTF’s! One of my all time favorite sets of strings.
 
#6,257
JIO said:
I'm lucky to live in a moderate climate (CA-Bay Area) so the kind of issues with necks like when I lived in the mid-west haven't been an issue. I was warned about putting the GHS flats on my '68 34" scale Custom Kraft hollow-body but I did and have yet to regret it. (they play/sound great!) The only down-side was the length of the long-scale strings because of the tail-piece/string-stop floating-bridge combination.

It looks sketch, but realistically it is just missing the red silk winding that I removed. Interestingly enough it doesn't affect the strings tone/sound as far as I can tell and has been this way for a number of years.
View attachment 5257996
Strings go beyond the 34" scale (bridge) to the string-stop resulting in the need for long strings
View attachment 5257999
Click to expand...

You are fortunate. I had been living in the DC area where the temps fluctuate quite a bit. Humidity in the summer and sub freezing in the winter. Still had several other basses that were never affected.
 
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