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Want to try some Flats

#21
I have LaBella 760FL's on my 4001 and Chromes 45-100's on my 4003. I really love the tone and plucking hand feel of the LaBellas, especially on recordings, but I've been gigging the one with Chromes since I find they require much less effort with my fretting hand. Songs with a lot on notes and left hand movement seem so much easier to play with the Chromes.

Can anyone tell me if a lighter gauge set of LaBellas would be noticeably easier to play while keeping the beautiful tone the 760FL's have? I figure this thread may be a good place to ask.
 
#24
jaywa said:
......because while I love the thump and punch of the P Flats, they are a little too dark and dead (sustain wise).....
Click to expand...

I'm glad you mentioned that. One of my bass's is strung with GHS Precision Flats, but I'm less than 100% sold on them. It's a real love/hate relationship, you described it perfectly. I was going to try some LaBellas on that bass when I get a bit more coin in my pocket.
 
#25
ODDBALL said:
TI's are a little out of my price range. I will give chromes a try.

So they are bright at first then they settle in?

Shaun
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They have a pleasant bite to them at first, but they aren't "zingy" like rounds and don't have the roundwound clank. It takes some people longer than others, but mine went through three stages:

1) Fresh out of the box - Still has some bite to it, but sounds like a mellowed set of rounds. You will probably go "I thought they would be thicker and heavier than this...maybe I made a bad choice." Do not fret, just enjoy the middle zinginess for now and know it will change soon.

2) Tonal Purgatory - Newness wears off by now and they are just starting to get settled/broken-in. They will sound like a dull set of rounds and will start to sound like they are lacking bassiness and response. They are mellow sounding, but aren't quite thumping yet. This is the hardest part for me to get past...this stage could easily make you restring, stop playing, or even sell the bass. Just hold out a little longer and you'll be glad you did! To speed things up try wiping sweat onto the strings, eating greasy food and wiping it up and down strings, adding a foam mute to the bridge, or leaving the bass out in the open without wiping it down after playing. The more you play it, the faster you will exit this phase

3) Thumptastic Euphoria - You've made it! Fingers or picked, you are getting those classic sounds you heard on the records (with the right amp, of course lol) from back in the day. Tone is thumpy with a hint of bite to let you know where you are on the fretboard. You sit well in the mix and can feel like a grown up since you broke in a pair of flats and didn't go crazy! :hyper:
 
#26
VanillaThundah said:
They have a pleasant bite to them at first, but they aren't "zingy" like rounds and don't have the roundwound clank. It takes some people longer than others, but mine went through three stages:

1) Fresh out of the box - Still has some bite to it, but sounds like a mellowed set of rounds. You will probably go "I thought they would be thicker and heavier than this...maybe I made a bad choice." Do not fret, just enjoy the middle zinginess for now and know it will change soon.

2) Tonal Purgatory - Newness wears off by now and they are just starting to get settled/broken-in. They will sound like a dull set of rounds and will start to sound like they are lacking bassiness and response. They are mellow sounding, but aren't quite thumping yet. This is the hardest part for me to get past...this stage could easily make you restring, stop playing, or even sell the bass. Just hold out a little longer and you'll be glad you did! To speed things up try wiping sweat onto the strings, eating greasy food and wiping it up and down strings, adding a foam mute to the bridge, or leaving the bass out in the open without wiping it down after playing. The more you play it, the faster you will exit this phase

3) Thumptastic Euphoria - You've made it! Fingers or picked, you are getting those classic sounds you heard on the records (with the right amp, of course lol) from back in the day. Tone is thumpy with a hint of bite to let you know where you are on the fretboard. You sit well in the mix and can feel like a grown up since you broke in a pair of flats and didn't go crazy! :hyper:
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:bawl: I took my chromes off!!!!!!!!!!!

Nah, it's just to try Roto 77's. My chromes will see use when I finish breaking in the rotos. Rotos make fretting harder, but have a rich tone I dig. Flats in general have a special tonal space I'm digging. Makes me practice pickstyle again. And muting gets me incredible feel I can hardly believe. On chromes or 77's.:bassist:
 
#30
ODDBALL said:
I guess all I really wanted to know is if their really was a difference between the .105 E to the .100 E?

Shaun
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I tried the .100 E and regretted it. I never enjoy 'medium light' string types though.
The chromes won't be as floppy as medium light rounds... but if you like rocking out on light round strings (eg. .40-.100 / .45-.100) the .45 - .100 set of chromes will likely be too taut in the D & G strings.

Lets be fair though, the flat feel will require technique changes from rounds... and a rethinking of setup & EQ.

Enjoy the experiment, tension and action will take some time to adjust, and the bass may take some time to 'settle' as regards the neck (esp. if you have do do multiple truss rod tweaks...).
You'll have barrels of fun once your fingers make sense of the experience.:bassist:

Oh and:
The late great Otis Redding.... and the late Great great great Duck Dunn.:hyper:
 
#31
PlungerModerno said:
I tried the .100 E and regretted it. I never enjoy 'medium light' string types though.
The chromes won't be as floppy as medium light rounds... but if you like rocking out on light round strings (eg. .40-.100 / .45-.100) the .45 - .100 set of chromes will likely be too taut in the D & G strings.

Lets be fair though, the flat feel will require technique changes from rounds... and a rethinking of setup & EQ.

Enjoy the experiment, tension and action will take some time to adjust, and the bass may take some time to 'settle' as regards the neck (esp. if you have do do multiple truss rod tweaks...).
You'll have barrels of fun once your fingers make sense of the experience.:bassist:

Oh and: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dABcBrYa3Ek
The late great Otis Redding.... and the late Great great great Duck Dunn.:hyper:
Click to expand...

To Taut?

So the 100's will not be good? I got the .45 -.100 set.


Shaun
 
#32
ODDBALL said:
Is there any bands that I listen to that the bass player uses Flats? Would like to hear them in the mix.

Shaun
Click to expand...

Looks like I'm a bit late to the party but yeah....

Link Removed

All those tracks were with Chromes. Old ones. The mixing took a lot to EQ out the nasal middy tone. You can still hear it, when I don't hit a not perfectly, the strings really emphasised the 'squawk'.

I did another recording a few weeks later with a different band and after a lot of discussion with the producer and engineer we had to restring and redo everything.
Here is the same bass with DR sunbeams...
http://soundcloud.com/vin-tone/waking-coma-0325-wav

I restrung the P with Labella FMs and MUCH preferred it. That said - I have those Chromes on a different bass now and they sound fine.

That said - people rave about Chromes here so this is all IME.
 
#34
ODDBALL said:
To Taut?

So the 100's will not be good? I got the .45 -.100 set.


Shaun
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I got the .45 - .100 set, and found them taut, and felt great. However they are 'medium lights'
by which i mean 'lights' are usually .40 - .100's, 'mediums' are .45 - .105's, and 'heavys' are usually .50 -.110's.
There is a tendency in most standard sets for the E & A strings to have less tension. At least that's what I've found. The medium light sets are more pronounced in this respect... a great thing for some, an acquired taste for others.

The .100 could be x20 times more suited to your technique than the .105... you can probably have good results on both, and maybe great results. You'll have to figure it out within the context of your instrument your hands and your tonal needs. Flats are pretty new to me too. Good luck, and enjoy your new tonal palette :D:bassist:
 
#35
ODDBALL said:
I really want a Flat that has the old school thump with a good tight tension.

Shaun
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I took my chromes off before they broke in properly, but I understand they become plenty thumpy when left on and played for a good month. The .45 - .100 set are fairly taut, but seem floppy compared to the .45 - .105 Rotosound 77 flats I'm trying at the minute... I will either improve my endurance or go back to easier strings. plenty thumpy - but I miss some of the chromes upper mid clarity.:hmm:
 
#37
vin*tone, nice recordings! I dig that old-school vibe. How did you record your bass?

I could detect a subtle difference between the chromes and the sunbeams. Sunbeams had a little more note definition, less thump - which I guess all makes sense. I went back and forth between old Fender flats and sunbeams on my P. Sticking with the the Fender flats for now, but I've been curious about chromes for a while now!
 
#38
vin*tone said:
..... That said - I have those Chromes on a different bass now and they sound fine......
Click to expand...

I'm surprised no one has brought that up before. There are sooo many variables at work here, even with the same model of bass. There is simply no substitute for trying out different styles of strings, as every bass responds differently. But once you find that winning combination, it's heaven.

Case in point, my older Ric 4003s with TI Flats are a perfect match. My Hamer Cruise 2Tek with Chromes, again perfect. However, my newer Ric 4003 has had Rotos, Hi-Beams, Lo-Riders, and now Fat Beams on it. All sound good and are popular choices for that bass, but I still haven't found its perfection. And my Hamer Cruise Gotoh has the GHS Precision Flats in it, but I am not 100% satisfied. May try the LaBella's next.
 
#39
Coolhandjjl said:
I'm surprised no one has brought that up before. There are sooo many variables at work here, even with the same model of bass. There is simply no substitute for trying out different styles of strings, as every bass responds differently. But once you find that winning combination, it's heaven.

Case in point, my older Ric 4003s with TI Flats are a perfect match. My Hamer Cruise 2Tek with Chromes, again perfect. However, my newer Ric 4003 has had Rotos, Hi-Beams, Lo-Riders, and now Fat Beams on it. All sound good and are popular choices for that bass, but I still haven't found its perfection. And my Hamer Cruise Gotoh has the GHS Precision Flats in it, but I am not 100% satisfied. May try the LaBella's next.
Click to expand...

I totally agree... I've been through many brands on my basses trying to find what works with what... I've settled on Chromes on my 75 jazz-super punchy an articulate, ti's on my 68 club-really warm with a nice midrange thump, I can't figure out my 65 pbass...I've tried Ghs tapes and pressure wounds, fender tapes, and currently labella 760fls...just haven't found the sound I'm looking for. The search continues...
 
#40
brandau said:
I totally agree... I've been through many brands on my basses trying to find what works with what... I've settled on Chromes on my 75 jazz-super punchy an articulate, ti's on my 68 club-really warm with a nice midrange thump, I can't figure out my 65 pbass...I've tried Ghs tapes and pressure wounds, fender tapes, and currently labella 760fls...just haven't found the sound I'm looking for. The search continues...
Click to expand...

Some P's really want rounds.
 

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