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Tapes suggestions...

MarkM13

MarkM13

Mar 29, 2015
472
574
60
CT - USA
www.m13productions.com
#1
Greetings,

I'm considering putting tapes on one of my basses. I have a little experience with trying them.
I tried the LaBella White Tapes. Which were not really tape wound but was more like a string that was inside small rubber tubing. Plus they felt like playing rubber bands. And, they were so thick the nut needed to be filed. I hated them. Took them off with under 5hours play time.

I had a fretless a while back that came with black tape wounds. Jason of Fret Nation (formally Bass Strings On Line) thought they were made by Status. They were very smooth and had enough sustain you could even slap on them. Obviously the tone was far from ideal but it did work.

Any recs for a tape wound that won't need to have the nut modified and doesn't feel like a dead rubber band?
 
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#3
michael_t said:
GHS Tapewound 50-70-90-105 = flatwound under the tape (excpet for G) = stiffer-feeling than most tapes with relatively "normal" set of gauges.
Click to expand...
The GHS tapes are indeed stiffer than most if not all other tapes (they were the stiffest I tried in my extensive but not exhaustive trial of tapes last year). That doesn't make them stiff in any absolute sense, but yes, relatively stiff. Also, brighter than I expected considering that they're mostly flats beneath the wrap.

However, it's not clear if the OP was concerned about just the stiffness of the LaBellas or the "rubber tube" feel. The GHS's have a little more texture than the LaBella whites, which the OP might like.

I'd also suggest the D'Addario tapes, also in 50-105 gauge. Some say they're no stiffer than the LaBella 50-105's, but IME they are. However, it looks like the OP probably used the 60-115 LaBellas, which I haven't used, so I can't say how they compare. The D'Adds have a very nice texture and lovely feel that's considerably different from the LaBellas.
 
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#4
MarkM13 said:
Greetings,

I'm considering putting tapes on one of my basses. I have a little experience with trying them.
I tried the LaBella White Tapes. Which were not really tape wound but was more like a string that was inside small rubber tubing. Plus they felt like playing rubber bands. And, they were so thick the nut needed to be filed. I hated them. Took them off with under 5hours play time.

I had a fretless a while back that came with black tape wounds. Jason of Fret Nation (formally Bass Strings On Line) thought they were made by Status. They were very smooth and had enough sustain you could even slap on them. Obviously the tone was far from ideal but it did work.

Any recs for a tape wound that won't need to have the nut modified and doesn't feel like a dead rubber band?
Click to expand...
The white tapes you tried probably were La Bella 760T (60-70-94-115). Had you get La Bella 750T (50-65-85-105) White Nylon Tapes, you wouldn't need to modify the nut. Not even for the 50 G, at least IME with D'Addario Black Nylon and La Bella 750C Copper White Nylon Tapes which both have 50 G.

DCCat said:
I'd also suggest the D'Addario tapes, also in 50-105 gauge. Some say they're no stiffer than the LaBella 50-105's, but IME they are.
Click to expand...
Agree with this assessment. I've been using D'Addario Black Nylon Tapes ETB92-5 in the last 4 years or so, and I've just recently put on a La Bella 750C-B Copper White set. Both sets have the same 50-65-85-105 (and 135 low-B) gauge and both are strung on the same 34" scale length basses (a couple of Ibanez SR fretless basses).

My assessment of playing them back to back is that the 750C-B feels stiffer than the ETB92-5. More so on the low-B, since La Bella low-B is tapered on the ball end side. I've set both basses basic settings (neck straightness, strings' intonation and action) more or less the same. Still, La Bella gets more string to fingerboard clacks (comparable to what we call fretbuzz on a fretted bass).
 
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#5
Great info guys, thanks. I should have specified I really did not like the floppy feeling of the LaBellas. Also, I play a 5 string and the
'B' string was huge but felt like a wet noodle. The Status tapes that I had did have a bit of texture to the feel; you could feel the windings under the tape; I didn't mind it at all and thought they felt great.

I'll check out the GHS and D'Add. offerings.

Thanks again
 
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#6
MarkM13 said:
Greetings,

I'm considering putting tapes on one of my basses. I have a little experience with trying them.
I tried the LaBella White Tapes. Which were not really tape wound but was more like a string that was inside small rubber tubing. Plus they felt like playing rubber bands. And, they were so thick the nut needed to be filed. I hated them. Took them off with under 5hours play time.

I had a fretless a while back that came with black tape wounds. Jason of Fret Nation (formally Bass Strings On Line) thought they were made by Status. They were very smooth and had enough sustain you could even slap on them. Obviously the tone was far from ideal but it did work.

Any recs for a tape wound that won't need to have the nut modified and doesn't feel like a dead rubber band?
Click to expand...
I think you just don't like tapes but think you do. All of them feel 'plastic-y' and flexible ( Fender 9120s the exception; rougher feel).
If you want to give them another go, La Bella, D'Addario, GHS all offer sets in the 50-105 gauge range.
 
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#7
Aidil said:
My assessment of playing them back to back is that the 750C-B feels stiffer than the ETB92-5. More so on the low-B, since La Bella low-B is tapered on the ball end side. I've set both basses basic settings (neck straightness, strings' intonation and action) more or less the same. Still, La Bella gets more string to fingerboard clacks (comparable to what we call fretbuzz on a fretted bass).
Click to expand...
Oops... I made a typo.

I meant to write the ETB92-5 feels stiffer than the 750C-B.
 
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#8
I have found my ultimate tape wounds in the Pyramid black tapes. I love them so much that I currently have 2 sets: one on a Jazz and one set on a P bass.
They are rich and woody but articulate. They have a crazy powder-smooth finish with a strange black mummy wrap, medium tension, and pretty tonally balanced without hyped lows like the Roto 88s.
My second recommendation would be the GHS. Those are a great alternative and significantly less $. I just love the character of the Pyramids and for me they are worth the $$$.
 
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#9
e-flat said:
I have found my ultimate tape wounds in the Pyramid black tapes...
They are rich and woody but articulate. They have a crazy powder-smooth finish with a strange black mummy wrap, medium tension, and pretty tonally balanced....
Click to expand...

You seem to be describing the ones that were on my fretless when I bought it. Jason wasn't really sure but guessed at Status. The "Mummy Wrap" is what got my attention. I thought that's what tapes were. I'd love to try them but can't find a 5 string set. I'll continue to search since you've really piqued my interest. And while they might be on the pricey side there not as crazy as the offerings from TIs.

Thanks for the suggestion.
 
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#12
MarkM13 said:
You seem to be describing the ones that were on my fretless when I bought it. Jason wasn't really sure but guessed at Status. The "Mummy Wrap" is what got my attention. I thought that's what tapes were. I'd love to try them but can't find a 5 string set. I'll continue to search since you've really piqued my interest. And while they might be on the pricey side there not as crazy as the offerings from TIs.

Thanks for the suggestion.
Click to expand...
What colour was the silk on them?
 
#15
The 50-105 sets from various manufacturers have the nylon wrapped around strings that are about 35-90 if they were a conventional wounds set. The 60-115 sets from various manufacturers, especially La Bella, have a core of about 45-100, which I have personally measured.

To retain a good feel and not be floppy or suffer intonation stability, I recommend enlarging the nut slots to accommodate a 60-115 set, because to my fingers and ears, all 50-105 sets sound like a dead rubber band. Nuts are simple. You can always change it back if the tech is careful taking it off and putting on a new one.

My favorite set are the La Bella White Tapes, which are very versatile, indeed, and not just dead thump. I once gigged a set for two years before I finally wore divots in the nylon wrap necessitating changing strings.
 
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