what shade of blue? I thought the light blue was D'Addario. Perhaps they have changed their silk color on me.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
TapeWound Club~Anyone?
- Thread starter .BumeStik.
- Start date
what shade of blue? I thought the light blue was D'Addario. Perhaps they have changed their silk color on me.
There was a picture link in the post. You can see the color there.
D'Addario are on the darker side of blue silks. This shows the blue silks a bit better.
Last edited:
I've got D'Addario tapewounds on all of my Ibanez basses! I need to try them on my Michael Kelly Dragonfly acoustic bass!
I played an archtop guitar for several years with La Bella tapewound strings on it. The tapes made the guitar sound way more “acoustic” when amplified. The smoothness is luxurious and they last forever.
Does anyone have/know of any recordings of the Labella Gold or Copper White nylons on a Fodera?
It's hard to find a good recording of these on any bass..... None that I can find that are clear. Have you tried emailing La Bella? Their shop and Fodera are both in NYC, so the two should have crossed paths....
Hello… for the past year or so, I have been enjoying a set of La Bella 760N-M and am now curious about trying a set of Roto RS88M. I would like to avoid a set up, so I’m curious about how the string tensions compare between the two sets.
I found Roto string tensions here Tru Bass 88 Nylon Tapewound Medium | 65-115 • Rotosound Music Strings But just have not been able to find the string tensions of the La Bella 760N-M set. Any ideas where I might find that info? I really like the current set up that I have on this bass and if I do not like the Rotos, I will go back to the La Bellas.
Maybe silly yo try to save set up time
But this is the predicament of the moment. If you have a link with string tension info for the 760N-M set, please let me know. Thanks!
I found Roto string tensions here Tru Bass 88 Nylon Tapewound Medium | 65-115 • Rotosound Music Strings But just have not been able to find the string tensions of the La Bella 760N-M set. Any ideas where I might find that info? I really like the current set up that I have on this bass and if I do not like the Rotos, I will go back to the La Bellas.
Maybe silly yo try to save set up time
But this is the predicament of the moment. If you have a link with string tension info for the 760N-M set, please let me know. Thanks!
A day or so early,................
Last edited:
I just listed two sets of unopened 5-string DR Pure Blues in the Classifieds. I’ve got my eyes in some Tapes..
Hey guys, quick question. I have some Black strings with purple ends(both ends) on my rickenbacker that I really love. They feel pretty low tension which I like, very easy on fretting hand. I feel like they're super easy to record with, theres no finger noise and im getting a deep boomy sound thats still tight and sits really well in a mix. Feels like I found the perfect strings; theyre my favorite out of everything ive tried. I like them much better than rounds and even flats. Why are these not more popular? I'm wondering how it will translate live(not that I play gigs), maybe too muddy?
Anyway. I'm trying to figure out what brand and gauge they are. From doing a bit of research it seems they're labella tapewounds?
Anyway. I'm trying to figure out what brand and gauge they are. From doing a bit of research it seems they're labella tapewounds?
Your description sounds like them. I cant remember the wrap color of the blacks. I have whites available at the moment.... but I'll probably switch back to blacks eventually.
Edit: I'm not sure why they aren't more mainstream. I'm guessing they were not as good when introduced, and people shied away from them. I didn't know they existed through a good portion of my years playing. I found them thanks to internet. So that's partially why. The other reason is people tend to only play what they know, and some are stuck in the same strings they've been using, or only using strings their favorite artist uses. Kinda silly if you think about it. My hands are unique, so I'll find a string that best suits them and the instrument I play.
Last edited:
At $40 a set, players don’t experiment much with strings. It’s not like $6 for guitar strings. people tend to stick with something they know because of the cost.
This is also a factor. I was just pointing out that they are not commonly stocked in retail stores, and therefore general knowledge about them is not as high. But yes, higher cost does tend to slow down experimentation, no doubt. That's why it's probably good I play on short scales. I'd go broke experimenting on a 34.
Thats a good point but the funny thing is if you do the math guitar strings end up costing more for most people because you need to change them more often. When I was playing a lot of guitar I'd change the strings at least 4 times a year(some people change them more often), but on bass I dont remember changing the strings ever(I know some roundwound players like to change them often though) unless I wanted to try different ones....Even more so with flats, and I'm guessing the tapes are also change when they break type of thing.
True, but if I buy a set of guitar strings that I end up not liking, I’m only out $6 and I can change to something different. Let’s say that someone decides to try tapewound strings and they don’t like them, that’s an expensive experiment to blow $40 and not like them. Of course, if they do like them, they won’t have to changes strings for a decade. If not, well that was a pricey bit of kit to try.
I’ve got my eyes on a set of Magma Tapewounds for my SBMM Ray5. Right now I have DR Pure Blues on it and I like them but I feel like going back to the soft, supple feeling of Tapes. In the past my favorites have been the D’Addario Tapes. I’d like to try something new so the Magma Tapes are intriguing. I’ll be honest- I really like the green silks, too.
If I end up getting a set I’ll be sure to report my findings.
If I end up getting a set I’ll be sure to report my findings.
I agree with both of you, but there are a few other factors preventing me from even trying tapewounds.
There are too many options. La Bella offers black, white, copper white and gold White while Fender, D'Addario and Rotosound only offer black.
Information about tapewounds is also all over the place. Some say black is brighter, others say white is. Some say black is smoother, others say white is. Some say they had to their nut, others say they didn't. Some say they buzz, others say they don't.
Gauges are also all over the place:
La Bella: 50-105 or 60-115
Fender: 58-110
D'Addario: 50-105
Rotosound: 65-115
Add to that price, availability and the lack of soundbites, especially decent ones...
