La Bella LTF and Custom Shop 60's...they were made for each other.
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Your favourite flatwounds + p pickup combo?
- Thread starter Sir Toby
- Start date
Dimarzio Model P on my SX P with EB Cobalt Flats. Considering putting a Model P in my Squier CV 60's P at some point too. That one wears GHS P Flats. A lot of P's in this post...lol.
Dunlops and Geezer P are my flatwound bae.
So far TI JF344 and Klein Epic ‘59 pickup ... got myself today a set of Dunlop DBFS 45/105 which, however, I’ll try on a jazz bass as il it is the only available bass to install them on at the moment
Chromes with Norstrand NPV4 pickup . Played heavily with a Pick just below the pickup and it is a rock machine supreme . Played finger style in the same location or just below the neck it is very versatile for me when playing blues , reggae etc. It is my go to versatile bass .
TI JF344 with Klein Epic ‘59 pickup .. gritty but warm 
Dunlop update: too bright sounding out of the box.
Shall give them time to settle...
Dunlop update: too bright sounding out of the box.
Shall give them time to settle...
Interesting, I found the SPB-1 to be very scooped
It seems thiner than the mid-boosted SPB-2 and SPB-4, but doesn't seem as scooped as an SPB-3. Seemed kinda in the middle to me. Although, I set a mid boost on my amp, so maybe I perceive it as mid-ier than it really is. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I like it because I feel it responds well to EQ tweaks on my amp, and doesn't have a domineering tone focus that can't be undone. I played the SPB-3s for a short time and felt no matter what I did my tone was big bottom end, little mids, and tons of treble. I guess the SPB-1 seems kinda neutral...vanilla, if you will, and I can do what I want to it.
Lots of LaBella users on this thread I see. Thinking about the Jamerson’s but how much tension is actually on the neck?
How’s the neck been with all that tension? Did you have to crank the truss rod a bunch? Is that neck an old U profile or a modern C?
I’m just wondering because right now I’m using just the stock pickup on my CV60’s P with a set of 45-95 GHS Precision Flats and it has been great but now I’m thinking about getting the Jamerson’s but have concerns about the high tension on the neck. Especially on A and B width necks.
The stock neck is a regular 1 5/8” C shape but because the stock tuners are garbage I have the wonderfully fun (but very slender) and stable neck off my VM70’s Jazz on it for now but idk if a skinny A neck with a skinny C profile + Jamerson’s is a viable idea.
I’d really hate to knacker up this neck. If anything it has actually improved with age and seeing how the VM J with its tank maple body is now too heavy with my rapidly deteriorating shoulder, putting its marvellous neck on the P turned out being a great idea as it really tightened up the tone, actually gets in & stays in tune, and of course is wicked quick to play.
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That's how my P bass came.
I'm happy with that combination and can't see myself trying out other strings soon.
Lots of LaBella users on this thread I see. Thinking about the Jamerson’s but how much tension is actually on the neck?
How’s the neck been with all that tension? Did you have to crank the truss rod a bunch? Is that neck an old U profile or a modern C?
I’m just wondering because right now I’m using just the stock pickup on my CV60’s P with a set of 45-95 GHS Precision Flats and it has been great but now I’m thinking about getting the Jamerson’s but have concerns about the high tension on the neck. Especially on A and B width necks.
The stock neck is a regular 1 5/8” C shape but because the stock tuners are garbage I have the wonderfully fun (but very slender) and stable neck off my VM70’s Jazz on it for now but idk if a skinny A neck with a skinny C profile + Jamerson’s is a viable idea.
I’d really hate to knacker up this neck. If anything it has actually improved with age and seeing how the VM J with its tank maple body is now too heavy with my rapidly deteriorating shoulder, putting its marvellous neck on the P turned out being a great idea as it really tightened up the tone, actually gets in & stays in tune, and of course is wicked quick to play.
The Jamersons are some of the higher tension strings out there. I don’t believe that there are any published statistics out there on the exact tensions for these strings, but they are definitely up there.
Personally, I don’t know of any incidents where string tension caused a neck to warp - I would think that the truss rod and the general construction and materials would be sufficient. That said, if you have a concern, then you should definitely be careful.
D
On most basses my favourite flats are TI Jazz Flats but they can have slightly too much going on in the mids on some P-basses. My favorite flats on most P-basses is probably LaBella DTF 760FL. You won't get a much more classic, old school bass tone than that!
This is for a SPLIT coil P-bass though. On a SINGLE coil P-bass I'm back to the TI Jazz Flats. They really compliment the typically boomier, less mid-forward single coil P-bass tone and helps it sit better in a mix.
This is for a SPLIT coil P-bass though. On a SINGLE coil P-bass I'm back to the TI Jazz Flats. They really compliment the typically boomier, less mid-forward single coil P-bass tone and helps it sit better in a mix.
My current P has a classic "C" (Japan 57 RI) I didnt need any adjustment whatsoever.Lots of LaBella users on this thread I see. Thinking about the Jamerson’s but how much tension is actually on the neck?
How’s the neck been with all that tension? Did you have to crank the truss rod a bunch? Is that neck an old U profile or a modern C?
I’m just wondering because right now I’m using just the stock pickup on my CV60’s P with a set of 45-95 GHS Precision Flats and it has been great but now I’m thinking about getting the Jamerson’s but have concerns about the high tension on the neck. Especially on A and B width necks.
The stock neck is a regular 1 5/8” C shape but because the stock tuners are garbage I have the wonderfully fun (but very slender) and stable neck off my VM70’s Jazz on it for now but idk if a skinny A neck with a skinny C profile + Jamerson’s is a viable idea.
I’d really hate to knacker up this neck. If anything it has actually improved with age and seeing how the VM J with its tank maple body is now too heavy with my rapidly deteriorating shoulder, putting its marvellous neck on the P turned out being a great idea as it really tightened up the tone, actually gets in & stays in tune, and of course is wicked quick to play.
Previously I had the strings on a Squier VM P, with the stock modern "C" neck. If I recall correctly, I didnt Crank it a lot, maybe 2 or 3 turns, Beware, this was like a year ago, so...
You can still try the lighter gauge Flats if You arent comfortable with the high tension, a lot of folks prefer those over the Originals.
D
Agreed, or at least scooped compared to my idea of a classic P-bass tone. I never really got along with the SPB-1. A bit dull&dark sounding, bordering on muddy, lacking in the mids, very low output for a P-bass split coil and mine was also wired wrong so it didn't cancel hum! Very poor QC and a huge disappointment after reading all the great reviews around here. For my personal taste it's pretty close to the bottom of the P-bass pickup barrel.
Yeah I have the SPB-2 now which I am liking much better and I was surprised how much i disliked the SPB-1, every other P bass pickup I tried sounded at the very least decent
I'm not sure i have a favourite combo but i have 3 that ( to me ) works pretty well together.
Note... i'm pretty much into anything that sounds old school soul/funk
760M+Ori62 - great overall SWEET vintage tone. Love it. Works every time
I got a set of 760FL on the way ( the M just hurt my hand ) and i would like to try them with the PV63
GHS3025 + CV60's stuck pickup - vintage with some grunt/balls. Might be my favourite of the moment
Thinking of putting the Ori62 in there just to try
TIs + PV63 - Still getting used to this combo. It has it's place but it doesn't always work for me
Might change the PV63 for a SPB-1 hoping that it will balance the mids out
Note... i'm pretty much into anything that sounds old school soul/funk
760M+Ori62 - great overall SWEET vintage tone. Love it. Works every time
I got a set of 760FL on the way ( the M just hurt my hand ) and i would like to try them with the PV63
GHS3025 + CV60's stuck pickup - vintage with some grunt/balls. Might be my favourite of the moment
Thinking of putting the Ori62 in there just to try
TIs + PV63 - Still getting used to this combo. It has it's place but it doesn't always work for me
Might change the PV63 for a SPB-1 hoping that it will balance the mids out
My one and only "real" P-Bass is a left handed '78 Fender, with the Jazz-spec "A" neck. I got it from it's original owner in the summer of 1988, when we were both stationed in the UK. Aside from replacing the broken pickguard; having to have it refinished (long story) and re-fretted (yes, a steady diet of constant gigging with Roto 66's really will eat your frets), it's just as it came from Fullerton. I've tried a few flat wounds on it over the 33 years I've owned it. It was my only bass for about 14 years, so it needed to be a little versatile. After trying 2 or 3 kinds, I settled on Roto 77LDs. My P-Bass wore those until I started buying other basses; as my herd increased, the need for it to be versatile grew less and less. Now, with 22 other basses to choose from? It doesn't need to be versatile at all. After trying La Bella 760FS flats, and Fender 9050L flats under the mute in the bridge cover, it now wears GHS M3050 Precision Flats. They're as close to the original, Old School Fender flats as I can get. I want my P-Bass to sound like it's 1958 again, and Buddy Holly will be out on stage any minute now...
Also, my 30" scale Warmoth Mini Precision, which is a mini clone of the Fender - with an SD Vintage pickup - a maple/maple neck and a swamp Ash body, also wears the GHS Precision Flats. And it sounds every bit as "Vintage" as it's older brother...
Also, my 30" scale Warmoth Mini Precision, which is a mini clone of the Fender - with an SD Vintage pickup - a maple/maple neck and a swamp Ash body, also wears the GHS Precision Flats. And it sounds every bit as "Vintage" as it's older brother...
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