Which flatwounds for my Beatle bass

[seilerbird]

Paul bought the original Beatle Bass mainly because it was dirt cheap and he didn't have much money. The original Beatle Bass was a bottom of the line low budget model. The ones that Hofner are making today and selling for thousands of dollars has no relationship to the original other than the name. The cheap oriental copys, either Hofner or others, are way better than the original both in sound and construction and ability to be in tune, Paul had a lot of intonation problems with his Hofner. So nowadays we have people who buy the most expensive Hofner there is and they live in Fantasyland thinking they have THE one and only Beatle Bass. So sad. It is all about playing and having fun, not being a gear snob.

 

[DavyR]

Paul bought the original Beatle Bass mainly because it was dirt cheap and he didn't have much money. The original Beatle Bass was a bottom of the line low budget model. The ones that Hofner are making today and selling for thousands of dollars has no relationship to the original other than the name. The cheap oriental copys, either Hofner or others, are way better than the original both in sound and construction and ability to be in tune, Paul had a lot of intonation problems with his Hofner. So nowadays we have people who buy the most expensive Hofner there is and they live in Fantasyland thinking they have THE one and only Beatle Bass. So sad. It is all about playing and having fun, not being a gear snob.

Yikes! Speaking of misinformation. This post is filled with it!
And, BTW, owing a German made Hofner has nothing to do with being a gear snob.

 

[DavyR]

.., it would seem strange to market a set of strings for a specific bass that would damage that bass. Not likely.

I put the LaBella 'ROUND WOUND' bass string set made for the Hofner bass on my mid-1960s Hofner bass. They have a 100 "E". Two things happened. And, this was AFTER forcing RotoSound rounds with a 105 "E" on the bass for years!

1)The neck started to pull a bit more away from the heel! It was already ever so slightly separated before the string change.
2)The tension, and/or perceived tension, absolutely increased! Enough to have to change the feel of my playing.

Now, it is an old bass and things can happen with individual basses, etc. that might explain this, BUT, IMO, this Labella string set has high tension even compare to the heavier gauge RotoSounds.

So, IMO, manufacturers CAN INDEED create string sets that aren’t quite healthy for basses.

 

[Pilgrim]

I put the LaBella 'ROUND WOUND' bass string set made for the Hofner bass on my mid-1960s Hofner bass. They have a 100 "E". Two things happened. And, this was AFTER forcing RotoSound rounds with a 105 "E" on the bass for years!

1)The neck started to pull a bit more away from the heel! It was already ever so slightly separated before the string change.
2)The tension, and/or perceived tension, absolutely increased! Enough to have to change the feel of my playing.

Now, it is an old bass and things can happen with individual basses, etc. that might explain this, BUT, IMO, this Labella string set has high tension even compare to the heavier gauge RotoSounds.

So, IMO, manufacturers CAN INDEED create string sets that aren’t quite healthy for basses.

Quite right - and basses do differ. Strings are one thing, instruments are another. You can put the right or wrong strings on a specific bass with specific characteristics (including neck strength) just like you can put the right or wrong tires on a specific car.

It's interesting that you used rounds, as most players with this type of bass use flats. You must have used the .050-.100 760RHBB set.

If you want to stay with labellas, I would suggest using the .039-.096 760FXHBB flatwound "Extra Light" set instead.

Or if the neck on your bass really is not good at handling tension, a set of TI strings might work - they are reported to be as low tension as any strings around.

 

[DavyR]

Thanks for the response Pilgrim!

Yeah, I'm ONE bass player that uses rounds on a German made Hofner bass. (Do I, therefore, have my own unique sound? ) In my experience, rounds open the Hofner bass up to much more versatility, include recording, some of which I may have stated here before. I do go back and try flats on another one of my Hofner basses and always run right back to the rounds. IMO, rounds have more sustain. Palm mute, if you want more thump. The bass ‘seems’ to be more in tune all around the fret board, than with flats. I have grown to prefer the feel of rounds over the past 2 decades. I recorded a mid-1960s Hofner bass with RotoSound rounds Swing Bass (E = 105) with a mic’d Ampeg SVT 8-10” bottom and it sounded incredible! This is my story and I’m sticking to it.

 

[jasper383]

Hofners sound great with rounds.

The Killer's bassist here on a Hofner Beatle bass with rounds:

 

[Rob Martinez]

I put the LaBella 'ROUND WOUND' bass string set made for the Hofner bass on my mid-1960s Hofner bass. They have a 100 "E". Two things happened. And, this was AFTER forcing RotoSound rounds with a 105 "E" on the bass for years!

1)The neck started to pull a bit more away from the heel! It was already ever so slightly separated before the string change.
2)The tension, and/or perceived tension, absolutely increased! Enough to have to change the feel of my playing.

Now, it is an old bass and things can happen with individual basses, etc. that might explain this, BUT, IMO, this Labella string set has high tension even compare to the heavier gauge RotoSounds.

So, IMO, manufacturers CAN INDEED create string sets that aren’t quite healthy for basses.

I suspect those round wounds are not designed for a Beatle bass. I thought you were talking about La Bella Beatle Bass flat wound strings.

Manufacturers do not set out to make strings that will hurt a bass. But that some basses are better suited to certain strings, there can be no doubt.

 

[DavyR]

I suspect those round wounds are not designed for a Beatle bass. I thought you were talking about La Bella Beatle Bass flat wound strings.

Manufacturers do not set out to make strings that will hurt a bass. But that some basses are better suited to certain strings, there can be no doubt.

Geez...Yes, these are La Bella ROUND WOUND Beatle Bass strings, NOT La Bella flat wound Beatle Bass strings, and, in my experience, their tension is high for a Hofner bass even as compared to heavier gauge RotoSounds. So, La Bella MAY BE incorrect in that these round wound strings are fine for Hofner basses. Maybe the 2 gauges of Beatle Bass flats that La Bella offers are fine? (I wonder how much testing La Bella did with Hofner basses? Ha!)

While we are at it, I found the tension of short scale Pyramid flats to be high for my Hofners. I have a set of Pyramid flats from 2004, a set of Hofner flats from 2005 and a set of Hofner flats from 1990. And, all 3 sets are DIFFERENT!!! They look different, play different and have different tensions.

 

[Pilgrim]

I suspect those round wounds are not designed for a Beatle bass. I thought you were talking about La Bella Beatle Bass flat wound strings.

Manufacturers do not set out to make strings that will hurt a bass. But that some basses are better suited to certain strings, there can be no doubt.

Guys, if you will check Juststrings.com you will find that Labella does indeed make rounds in their "Hofner Beatle bass" line.

I suspect the flats are more popular for that application, but the rounds are available.

 

[DavyR]

Guys, if you will check Juststrings.com you will find that Labella does indeed make rounds in their "Hofner Beatle bass" line...

Right on, Pilgrim! Ha! Those are the strings. I must say, however, the LaBella rounds do sound GREAT!!!

I'll probably go back to 'forcing' RotoSound long scale Swing Bass strings back on to check them out once again. There aren't many sets of rounds, with an E = 95 or 100, that fit Hofner basses.

 

[seilerbird]

LaBellas WILL warp your Hofner neck! Their stainless flatwound strings are higher tension than the nickel Hofner/Pyramid flats... Jus sayin...

Well after 6 years of playing the LaBellas the neck is still as straight as a die and still sounds dynamite. No warp yet.

 

[ScottTunes]

Well after 6 years of playing the LaBellas the neck is still as straight as a die and still sounds dynamite. No warp yet.

There was a period of time when the Pyramid Flats weren't available... I tried the LaBella Beatle Bass flats... That set pulled the neck of my black (German) Club bass to a point where it required a reset to be playable again (feels like I've said this before)! 2005 Beatle Bass with the OE Hofner (Pyramid) flats is still rocking! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Stumbo]

There was a period of time when the Pyramid Flats weren't available... I tried the LaBella Beatle Bass flats... That set pulled the neck of my black (German) Club bass to a point where it required a reset to be playable again (feels like I've said this before)! 2005 Beatle Bass with the OE Hofner (Pyramid) flats is still rocking! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Do you know the tension measurement on the Pyramids ?

 

[shoulderpet]

There was a period of time when the Pyramid Flats weren't available... I tried the LaBella Beatle Bass flats... That set pulled the neck of my black (German) Club bass to a point where it required a reset to be playable again (feels like I've said this before)! 2005 Beatle Bass with the OE Hofner (Pyramid) flats is still rocking! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Guessing this was the 100-50 set ? The 96-39 set that was introduced several years back is pretty low tension

 

[ScottTunes]

Do you know the tension measurement on the Pyramids ?

No, sorry. They "feel" about half way between the LaBellas and TIs.

 

[ScottTunes]

Guessing this was the 100-50 set ? The 96-39 set that was introduced several years back is pretty low tension

Yes, the 100-50 set. Labeled "Beatle Bass." The lighter 96-39 set wasn't available then. Likely became available after a few ruined necks?

 

[shoulderpet]

Paul bought the original Beatle Bass mainly because it was dirt cheap and he didn't have much money. The original Beatle Bass was a bottom of the line low budget model. The ones that Hofner are making today and selling for thousands of dollars has no relationship to the original other than the name. The cheap oriental copys, either Hofner or others, are way better than the original both in sound and construction and ability to be in tune, Paul had a lot of intonation problems with his Hofner. So nowadays we have people who buy the most expensive Hofner there is and they live in Fantasyland thinking they have THE one and only Beatle Bass. So sad. It is all about playing and having fun, not being a gear snob.

I admit i am a bit late replying to this post but this is not entirely true, his Hofner was not dirt cheap, the price he brought it for accounting for inflation was around the price of an MIM Fender (£30 that he brought it for then in todays money works out to around £500) so it would have been a mid range instrument, they were certainly cheaper than buying Fenders back then as Fender basses outside of the us were very expensive and also the fact that he was buying a German instrument in Germany would have brought the price down.

 

[shoulderpet]

Yes, the 100-50 set. Labeled "Beatle Bass." The lighter 96-39 set wasn't available then. Likely became available after a few ruined necks?

Ok that makes sense, I have used the 96-39 set and the tension is very slightly higher than TI Jazz flats, the 96-39 set feels looser than the Pyramid gold short scale set although I don't know how they compare in terms of actual physical tension.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Do you know the tension measurement on the Pyramids ?

A self-nicknamed "String Guy" from Canada does, or claims to (only place I could find tension info about Pyramid Gold sets; still crickets from La Bella):
http://www.thestringguy.com/tension.html
^ Scroll down to about mid-page; middle column, next to where the right column ends.
"Pyramid Nickel Flat Bass Shrt Scale"
St Dmtr Lbs
g 0.040 29.8
d 0.055 30.9
a 0.075 30.9
e 0.100 30.4
ttl set 121.9

 

[Haroldo]

A self-nicknamed "String Guy" from Canada does, or claims to (only place I could find tension info about Pyramid Gold sets; still crickets from La Bella):
http://www.thestringguy.com/tension.html
^ Scroll down to about mid-page; middle column, next to where the right column ends.
"Pyramid Nickel Flat Bass Shrt Scale"
St Dmtr Lbs
g 0.040 29.8
d 0.055 30.9
a 0.075 30.9
e 0.100 30.4
ttl set 121.9

Thanks for the info. Very even pull on the strings!