Upright bass strings on bass

[Lo-E]

They don’t fit well but at least they’re much more expensive!

 

[CryingBass]

Gonna string me up some DB guts in 3-2-1… never

 

[DJ Bebop]

...They are big, flat metal strings: this much is true.
And, in fairness, both have a silk inlay, which is a normal feature for orchestral strings - more on that later - but one that no bass guitar strings save for TI Jazz Flats sport (never seen evidence to the contrary).
The above having been said, Spirocores are chrome steel outside and rope-core inside: JFs are (mostly) pure nickel wound, with a solid round core.
As usual, how far one is willing to overlook differences is what determines how one thing is, or not, like the other.
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Re the OP, I remember @coyote1's sound clips and it really did seem like using actual double-bass strings was the final ingredient to making the TB10 a proper upright ersatz (with the silk damping possibly being the crucial element).
Nowadays, three bass-guitar flatwound products each have one typical DB trait:
- Thomastik-Infeld Jaz Flats have the silk inlay, as said
- Dogal Hellborg Perfect Pitch Flats have stranded cores
- Galli Synthesis flats have a nylon core (but also enough steel around it for them to work through magnetic pickups)

Should one want to experiment on a string that has two of those typical traits, it ensues that literal double-bass strings would be the ticket. Fitment at the tuning post might be a challenge (alternatively, sourcing a 1/4 or 1/8 set would); silk at the bridge end would need a good trim. Price? Sure, it would be pricy; however, even those exotic BG sets I mentioned above aren't exactly cheap.

Okay, okay they are different. I guess I'm willing to overlook the differences and concentrate on the similarities to keep from wasting a good set of upright strings to see if I like the results.

ATST have any here who play both, have you used a set of La Bella 1954’s on your electric bass? Thoughts?

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I’ve been through several types and brands of upright strings. It’s not a cheap venture.
I started with what is considered a standard; TI Spirocores (Multi-wire steel core with steel outer wrap). I tried an orchestra tuning set (same as elec bass) and a solo tuning set (designed to be tuned a full step higher than elec bass, but I tuned them the same for a lower tension). I also tried Piastro Obligatos (low tension synthetic core w/aluminum ribbon winding), D’Adderio Helicores (similar to Spirocores), and Innovation Super Silvers (synthetic core & winding, no metal at all in any string, medium tension).

Most upright strings have a very long wrap at the ball end which would require some modification so it wouldn’t be laying over the bridge saddles of an electric bass bridge. If a person wanted to use 3/4 size upright strings on electric bass, there would be a great deal of waste due to excess length.

The strings I use on upright (Innovation Super Silvers) were about $180 for the last set I bought. I think they are about $200 now.

Buying upright strings for electric bass guitar is illogical at best. It might be a fun experiment, but there are a lot more, better, & cheaper string options for electric bass than upright strings. Sapko is the right guy to do it so none of us will be inclined to do it….

 

[DJ Bebop]

Buying upright strings for electric bass guitar is illogical at best. It might be a fun experiment, but there are a lot more, better, & cheaper string options for electric bass than upright strings. Sapko is the right guy to do it so none of us will be inclined to do it….

 

[Tim Skaggs]

have any here who play both, have you used a set of La Bella 1954’s on your electric bass? Thoughts?

I’ve played 1954s on electric bass. They aren’t for me mostly due to their tension / stiffness. I went to 760L and they were still a little too stiff for me.

Labella is mostly known for Supernils & nylon tape wound strings for upright bass. Supernils are the lowest tension upright strings I know of, and one of the cheapest upright string sets available at about $100. Most people consider them a beginner string or something the most tender-handed player can handle. They are nylon on nylon for E & A and metal on nylon for the D & G.

Their nylon tape wounds are popular for Jazz and are a medium tension string with nylon on a steel rope core.

LaBella makes an orchestral string in solo, light, and medium tension. I’ve never played a set I’m aware of. They are rope core with steel ribbon wrap, which indicates they would be low to medium tension strings. They are generally advertised as an arco played string.

 

[Pilgrim]

If you think this is a good idea, I'll make you a real deal on an old piano that you can strip the strings out of.

Mailing costs for the piano will be kinda high.

 

[iiipopes]

This kind of thread pops up every few years about using double bass strings on electric basses. Yes, when there were no such things as electric bass strings, Leo made do until he could get the V. C. Squier string company to make them. I have even experimented with them. There is a reason that Leo went with purpose made strings. It's just a bad idea, especially now that there are so many options available for double-bass-emulating electric bass strings.

 

[TroyK]

This kind of thread pops up every few years about using double bass strings on electric basses. Yes, when there were no such things as electric bass strings, Leo made do until he could get the V. C. OkSquier string company to make them. I have even experimented with them. There is a reason that Leo went with purpose made strings. It's just a bad idea, especially now that there are so many options available for double-bass-emulating electric bass strings.

All 100% true. Also...

Did you hear how cool that sounded? Heavy 60s vibe down deep!

I don't know that bass and haven't experimented enough with BG to compare it to a more practical way of getting there, but I liked how it made me feel to listen to it.

Immediately made me think of this, which I haven't thought of in years.

Little Birdie

 

[DJ Bebop]

All 100% true. Also...

Did you hear how cool that sounded? Heavy 60s vibe down deep!

I don't know that bass and haven't experimented enough with BG to compare it to a more practical way of getting there, but I liked how it made me feel to listen to it.

Immediately made me think of this, which I haven't thought of in years.

Little Birdie

My opinion is the La Bella 1954 heavy flats 52-110 would get that sound. Yes they're thick, and yes they're stuff, but I really think one would get a sound very close to that sound in the video.

Plus the fact that bass that was used has the traditional Gibson pick-up placement of neck and bridge. The neck pick-up is commonly called a Mud Bucker. That alone would also contribute to that sound and tone.

I have a set of the La Bella’s on a P bass. When I heard the video, I said “La Bella’s” out loud in my den to myself (need to look into talking to myself )

Those strings were used by players like James Jamerson, Donald “Duck” Dunn and others during that time of early rock and soul. If you listen to those old recordings you'll hear that deep woofy sound like in the video only he is uses the neck pick-up in some of it that adds to the effect. Some recording back in that time if there was an EB-O or EB-3 used it would be even more pronounced. Even Sir Paul has some woody wooly sounds using his neck pick-up and La Bella flats but not the 1954s, they would have snapped the little Hofner neck

 

[Gorn]

Who's that fella that's obsessed with how far you can tune up a string? We can't let him see this.

 

[TroyK]

I had a fretless PBass with Labella DTFs on it for a while (lighter gauge though). Cool vibe for sure. I miss that bass.

 

[iiipopes]

Who's that fella that's obsessed with how far you can tune up a string? We can't let him see this.

IDK. Go ahead. Let him find out on his own how to break a truss rod. I did that unintentionally with a set of Roto Monel Flats in the heavier gauge.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I’ve played 1954s on electric bass. They aren’t for me mostly due to their tension / stiffness. I went to 760L and they were still a little too stiff for me.

Labella is mostly known for Supernils & nylon tape wound strings for upright bass. Supernils are the lowest tension upright strings I know of, and one of the cheapest upright string sets available at about $100. Most people consider them a beginner string or something the most tender-handed player can handle. They are nylon on nylon for E & A and metal on nylon for the D & G.

Their nylon tape wounds are popular for Jazz and are a medium tension string with nylon on a steel rope core.

LaBella makes an orchestral string in solo, light, and medium tension. I’ve never played a set I’m aware of. They are rope core with steel ribbon wrap, which indicates they would be low to medium tension strings. They are generally advertised as an arco played string.

Ron Carter uses La Bella strings, 7710 Black Tape Wound (now called the 7710N)

 

[TroyK]

Who's that fella that's obsessed with how far you can tune up a string? We can't let him see this.

IDK. Go ahead. Let him find out on his own how to break a truss rod. I did that unintentionally with a set of Roto Monel Flats in the heavier gauge.

No. Please, no.

 

[DJ Bebop]

IDK. Go ahead. Let him find out on his own how to break a truss rod. I did that unintentionally with a set of Roto Monel Flats in the heavier gauge.

Another string that I think could be used to get that same or similar upright string sound. I had a set on a bass I sold and regretted selling

The Steve Harris set as well, its a heavy set of the Monels basically.

 

[TroyK]

I've never used Rotosounds, but I use monel guitar strings on an arch top that I have and it is a very cool sound compared to more modern strings.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Plus the fact that bass that was used has the traditional Gibson pick-up placement of neck and bridge. The neck pick-up is commonly called a Mud Bucker. That alone would also contribute to that sound and tone.

True but, in the video, that basic tone's there even when both pickups are engaged, which, on an unmolested Epi Newport reissue, means they're out of phase; which (sorry for the coven of whiches) totally de-muds the bucker, and then some: so much so that many owners put them ('back') in phase. Has the video guy also done the popular tweak? Possibly, but I'm personally inclined toward a no, he has not.

Even Sir Paul has some woody wooly sounds using his neck pick-up and La Bella flats

McCartney did use La Bella flats around the turn of the millennium, but he's back to Pyramids now. Well, either that, or he has his techs paint the La Bella silks green.
__

Who's that fella that's obsessed with how far you can tune up a string? We can't let him see this.

IDK. Go ahead. Let him find out on his own how to break a truss rod. I did that unintentionally with a set of Roto Monel Flats in the heavier gauge.

That fella is the OP of this thread. And, anyway, breakage of rod or string due to sheer tension is simply *not* gonna happen, with double bass strings used on a short-scale bass guitar: they'd be operating at smack dab half the tension - even a stark DB set could be handled by a shorty BG neck no problem. Tuned standard E1A1D2G2, that is.
__

I've never used Rotosounds, but I use monel guitar strings on an arch top that I have and it is a very cool sound compared to more modern strings.

Roundwounds, I imagine (like they did in the 'Thirties). Rotosound also makes Monel flats for guitar, the Top Tape set, if you're curious.

Back to the video in the OP: on my bass VI I once tried cello strings, on a whim and because I had a set handy. Steel rope core, steel winding, so I knew they'd work through magnetic pickups, and with ball-end silks peeled back to expose metal at the bridge saddles. Now, being that cello is rarely used for jazz pizz, the amount of damping in cello strings is seldom optimised for the latter style.
Because of this, tone was definitely in the whereabouts of that in the OP. Definitely *not* what I was looking for at the time, but it was cool in and of itself.

 

[TroyK]

Oh. That does interest me! The ones I use are made by Martin and labeled "Retro" on an early Godin 5th Ave, which is a laminate acoustic arch top and it's close to time for a new set.

Roundwounds, I imagine (like they did in the 'Thirties). Rotosound also makes Monel flats for guitar, the Top Tape set, if you're curious.
...

 

[DJ Bebop]

True but, in the video, that basic tone's there even when both pickups are engaged, which, on an unmolested Epi Newport reissue, means they're out of phase; which (sorry for the coven of whiches) totally de-muds the bucker, and then some: so much so that many owners put them ('back') in phase. Has the video guy also done the popular tweak? Possibly, but I'm personally inclined toward a no, he has not.

McCartney did use La Bella flats around the turn of the millennium, but he's back to Pyramids now. Well, either that, or he has his techs paint the La Bella silks green.
__



That fella is the OP of this thread. And, anyway, breakage of rod or string due to sheer tension is simply *not* gonna happen, with double bass strings used on a short-scale bass guitar: they'd be operating at smack dab half the tension - even a stark DB set could be handled by a shorty BG neck no problem. Tuned standard E1A1D2G2, that is.
__


Roundwounds, I imagine (like they did in the 'Thirties). Rotosound also makes Monel flats for guitar, the Top Tape set, if you're curious.

Back to the video in the OP: on my bass VI I once tried cello strings, on a whim and because I had a set handy. Steel rope core, steel winding, so I knew they'd work through magnetic pickups, and with ball-end silks peeled back to expose metal at the bridge saddles. Now, being that cello is rarely used for jazz pizz, the amount of damping in cello strings is seldom optimised for the latter style.
Because of this, tone was definitely in the whereabouts of that in the OP. Definitely *not* what I was looking for at the time, but it was cool in and of itself.

I didn't know that goofy thing on the Newport. In the neck only, would it still be like an EB-0?

I used the Pyramid Golds back in the day. I used two sets and like them. I still have a set of short scales but no short scale right now and a long-scale set with a broken D. I stopped using them only because I was a kid on a search for tone. I think Rotosound rounds were next and I hung there for a while. Might have to get another set of the Pyramids again.