TapeWound Club~Anyone?

[mrperkolator]

Yall handing out numbers? I've played on most of La Bella's tapes, and have them on a P Bass I have access to. I had to sell my BTB with black tapes (amazing sound btw). I'm planning on putting black tapes on this junkyard fretless once I get it fixed up.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Yall handing out numbers? I've played on most of La Bella's tapes, and have them on a P Bass I have access to. I had to sell my BTB with black tapes (amazing sound btw). I'm planning on putting black tapes on this junkyard fretless once I get it fixed up.

I haven’t got a number? Out of the eight basses I own, 6 have either the La Bella White or the Black. Love them.

 

[trseal]

I haven’t got a number? Out of the eight basses I own, 6 have either the La Bella White or the Black. Love them.

So, is there a functional difference between the white and black. I'm currently using the Fender tapes which I believe are wrapped rounds. I have a set of LaBella black tapes on standby but haven't tried them yet.

Tim

 

[EatS1stBassist]

So, is there a functional difference between the white and black. I'm currently using the Fender tapes which I believe are wrapped rounds. I have a set of LaBella black tapes on standby but haven't tried them yet.

Tim

The Whites are clear over a stainless core. Love ‘em. Seems to have more treble bite than the Blacks. YMMV

 

[subdude67]

So, is there a functional difference between the white and black. I'm currently using the Fender tapes which I believe are wrapped rounds. I have a set of LaBella black tapes on standby but haven't tried them yet.

Tim

 

[trseal]

View attachment 4411378

Thanks!!

Tim

 

[HaphAsSard]

I'm currently using the Fender tapes which I believe are wrapped rounds.

Under the tape almost all are rounds, with the AFAIK lone exception of GHS tapewounds (which are flatwounds under the tape, except for a roundwound G string).
As for the 'stainless' part, there are notorious exceptions: beside the La Bella Copper and Gold White Tapes, as shown above by @subdude67, there are also the Warwick Black Nylon Tapewound Bronze Acoustic/Electric. [Speaking of which, I take the -s in "underlays" as meaning each string has one of them that is made of copper or "Golden Alloy" (80/20 copper/zinc brass, AKA "bronze" in MI string manufacturing parlance): the fact these strings have reduced but decent output through magnetic pickups very probably means that, for strings D to B which have more than one wrap between core and tape, not only the core but also the intermediate layers under the outermost metal winding are magnetically active, i.e. steel (or nickel).]
The remaining tapewound products out there are steel under the nylon, though some may be nickel-plated steel or pure nickel (though I highly doubt the latter).

The Whites are clear over a stainless core.

You probably know already, but just to be thorough: it is core *and* windings, IOW a complete string under the tape.

 

[gigetto]

I love this strings (labella Black) that seems me so brilliant but not harsh (AFR problem solved)

 

[Robf]

I'm picking up my first set of tapewounds and my bass is string-through instead of going through the bridge. Are there any issues with this style of bass and running tapewounds? The bridge doesn't support running the strings directly, it's a project to upgrade this soon.

 

[starjag]

I'm using La Bella black tapes string-thru body, no issues.

I'm picking up my first set of tapewounds and my bass is string-through instead of going through the bridge. Are there any issues with this style of bass and running tapewounds? The bridge doesn't support running the strings directly, it's a project to upgrade this soon.

 

[west al]

I'm picking up my first set of tapewounds and my bass is string-through instead of going through the bridge. Are there any issues with this style of bass and running tapewounds? The bridge doesn't support running the strings directly, it's a project to upgrade this soon.

Over the years, I've strung through the body with D'Addario ETB92 Nylons, with no issues.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

I'm picking up my first set of tapewounds and my bass is string-through instead of going through the bridge. Are there any issues with this style of bass and running tapewounds? The bridge doesn't support running the strings directly, it's a project to upgrade this soon.

What strings are currently on your bass? Do you know the winding length? I don't think stringing thru the body will be bad for the strings, but you might want to make sure that the winding length on the tapes will be long enough so the silks clear the nut at the tuner end.

 

[trseal]

I'm using La Bella black tapes string-thru body, no issues.

Ditto with Fender tapes on my Jazz Bass.

Tim

 

[Robf]

What strings are currently on your bass? Do you know the winding length? I don't think stringing thru the body will be bad for the strings, but you might want to make sure that the winding length on the tapes will be long enough so the silks clear the nut at the tuner end.

I'm using DR's now and 37 3/4" total length, I did trim off a bit on the strings to reduce the wind on the tuners. The actual routing through the body is string on wood so it's a bit softer on the edge vs on metal. It might help a bit on the long term wear and tuning I hope!

Looking very forward to these new strings, I started to get this bug of finding different tones in the string vs buying a new pedal or amp.

On the topic, is there any big difference in string tension between medium size tapewounds? I have a set of flatwound low tension La Bellas which are super smooth but a bit too flexible.

 

[Gustopher]

I have been loving the feel and sound of my Fender tapewounds. I just wish they had just a tiny bit less flexible.

 

[GWGuitar]

Are numbers still being handed out for this club? I have used flats on my fretless viola bass for such a long time, I forgot what kind they are. I thought they were LaBellas, but I recently got an Epiphone viola bass (fretted) and, when I put on the LaBellas I ordered, they look and feel different. Maybe I put D’Addarios on the fretless! The wrap on the LaBellas is thicker and blue. The strings on the fretless have a black wrap.

 

[mrperkolator]

Are numbers still being handed out for this club? I have used flats on my fretless viola bass for such a long time, I forgot what kind they are. I thought they were LaBellas, but I recently got an Epiphone viola bass (fretted) and, when I put on the LaBellas I ordered, they look and feel different. Maybe I put D’Addarios on the fretless! The wrap on the LaBellas is thicker and blue. The strings on the fretless have a black wrap.

I think they change colors. I dont remember my black tapes having blue on them. I had to sell that bass, so I could be wrong. I'll be getting new black tapes soon.

 

[J.Wolf]

I think the blue wraps are the daddario if I recall correctly

 

[west al]

I think the blue wraps are the daddario if I recall correctly

The D'Addario ETB92S Nylons strung on my Epi EB-0. Blue silks.

 

[GWGuitar]

The D'Addario ETB92S Nylons strung on my Epi EB-0. Blue silks.

View attachment 4451200

Blue wraps on the LaBellas I installed on my bass last night.