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What strings would you put on a vintage Jazz?

armybass

armybass

Jul 19, 2001
6,930
11,599
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#1
I have a 66 Jazz that I am looking to put strings on. I am looking for an old school sound for this old school bass. I am thinking flats and have my eyes on LaBella 760FL or DR Legend flats at the moment. I prefer a lighter tension string but not dental floss wimpy and I want a warm old school tone. LaBella 760FL's are my flats of choice and I really liked the DR Legends when I tried them but just searching for suggestions.

So given those perameters..... what would you suggest?
 
#11
I'm a big fan of Chromes because they are so versatile and consistent (NEVER had a bad string or uneven tone between strings) but if it's truly old school you're after I don't think you can get more authentic than the La Bella 760FL set.

Those have a nice balance of thump and definition. You can make them fairly bright with the tone knob maxed, or roll it down and go to Motown.

Tension is not bad at all to me. I have them on a vintage style Jazz and it feels superb. I have the 760FS set on a Precision (those are the 45-105's) and they are considerably darker AND tighter feeling, a bit too much for a lot of folks.
 
#12
I'll +1 for the Chromes. I have Chromes and TIJF's on almost identical instruments and love them both, but I think the Chromes sound more vintage, since that is what you want.

Of the half dozen or so flats I've tried, none "clean up" as well as Chromes. So you have the choice to leave them to gunk up for thump, or polish them up for bright and zingy (remembering this is flats we're talking about here)

Mike
 
#14
Thanks for all the great input. I love LaBellas and will probably settle on them but I think I am gonna give the DR's a shot because I really dug them on the bass I had them on. I may also try the Sadowskys. I already have LaBellas on my 75 Precision, GHS Precision Flats on my 83 Stingray and Chromes on my L2000. I may wind up with a different brand of flats on each of my basses. :0)
 
#16
OK I tried the DRs and it was way more tension than I wanted to put on that neck but they sounded great..... Same with the LaBellas so I settled for the TIs. Not nearly as robust and vintage sounding as I hoped for but the feel is perfect and it is not torquing the neck. Satisfied.
 
#17
:cool:

My 1963 Jazz has had a set of TI JF344's on them for over 3 years. I'll never use any other string on this Bass.
The still sound as good as when I put them on.
I know some people are put off by the price. But they last forever.
 
#19
armybass said:
OK I tried the DRs and it was way more tension than I wanted to put on that neck but they sounded great..... Same with the LaBellas so I settled for the TIs. Not nearly as robust and vintage sounding as I hoped for but the feel is perfect and it is not torquing the neck. Satisfied.
Click to expand...

I just got LaBella 760fx (extra light) set for my custom shop 64' jazz. Very nice set, tension and sound is somewhere between TI's and La Bella 760fl's.
 

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