Flats on a Fiver

[funky8884]

Hi All,

 

I was wondering how the La Bella Low tensions  sound on a 5 string ,

I have Labella FL's on my P and they feel tight and would like a little less tension, I have tried Thomastiks and they sounded magic but were a bit too loose for me,

 

Thanks

[fretmeister]

Lovely on my P-Ray 5.

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, funky8884 said:

Flats on a fiver

If it's a good 5 string bass, flats will sound fine.

I assume La Bella's will be good on a 5er but I've not used any. I have a set of TI flats on my Mike Lull PJ5 and the bass sounds just right.

[funky8884]

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

If it's a good 5 string bass, flats will sound fine.

I assume La Bella's will be good on a 5er but I've not used any. I have a set of TI flats on my Mike Lull PJ5 and the bass sounds just right.

Hi, how do you find the tension of the TI's ?

 

[fretmeister]

The tension on the La Bella low tension flats is only a little higher than the TI. They are very close.

 

If you like your La Bella FLs you might want to just try a lighter gauge of them instead

[chris_b]

3 hours ago, funky8884 said:

Hi, how do you find the tension of the TI's ?

I find all this talk about tension rather baffling. Tight/loose/floppy I don't recognise any of these descriptions of strings. All strings feel the same to me. I play relatively lightly and play over the top of the strings. Even when I think I'm "digging in" I don't pull them so the tension, that everyone seems to talk about, doesn't seem to be important to me. I don't need a ramp to help my plucking hand. I never get my fingers that far under the strings. The action on my basses is high enough that I don't get any fret buzz and I never have a hard job fretting notes. I've had several basses set up by the Bass Gallery and I always have to raise the action when I get the bass home.

Sorry. Not sure that this is going to help you much.

I bonded with the sound of the Ti's immediately. If they are still being made, my next set of flats (in about 20 years time) will be another set of Ti's. 

Edited January 15, 2018 by chris_b

[kodiakblair]

I've a set of La Bella flats on a T40 converted to 5 string. Plays great but I like this talk of using a lighter gauge,it's a 40 year old neck that wasn't designed for 5 strings.

[Delberthot]

Not Labellas but the last time I bought Chromes it was cheaper to pick single strings of the gauges of my preference than it was to buy a pack from Strings Direct

[babaseen]

Being a hardcore rounds user, I just put a set of Labella LT flats on my Sadowsky Modern 5 and I'm digging the tone and the feel.  My main concern was the B string in regards to getting some definition and playability up higher on the neck, but so far I am adjusting quite nicely.

[The59Sound]

On 15/01/2018 at 12:43, chris_b said:

All strings feel the same to me. I play relatively lightly and play over the top of the strings.

The action on my basses is high enough that I don't get any fret buzz and I never have a hard job fretting notes. I've had several basses set up by the Bass Gallery and I always have to raise the action when I get the bass home.

This makes no sense - the first statement sounds like you have a light touch so could get away with a really low action. The second statement makes it sound like you play harder than you do - don't understand why you would raise the action (especially after a set-up) if you have a light touch?

[chris_b]

I regularly see guys putting far more energy into their plucking and fretting than I do. In spite of that I still can't play with an ultra low action. That's why I called it a "relatively" light technique.

I don't pull the strings hard when I pluck but I can still get some buzz if the action is too low. Which I find it can be when the bass comes back from the Gallery. The bass still feels much better after they and me have made our adjustments.

[babaseen]

Put Labella LTFs on my Sadowsky Modern 5 and it sounds awesome with mutes on the nut and at the bridge.  I can even get a decent slap tone which I use sparingly in the R&B band I'm in.  I was very impressed with the B string.  Flats are an acquired taste if you have been a rounds user forever but I'm finding they work well with the band I'm in now.

Edited February 26, 2018 by babaseen
redundant

[Happy Jack]

Unusually, I have to disagree with Chris. I do notice when strings are more or less compliant (or floppy, if you prefer) and I really hate a floppy low B.

On my Thunderbird (Mike Lull T5) I have a 4-string set of LaBella plus a low B by GHS which feels rather tauter. It means four of my skills are red and one is black, but at least I never pick up someone else's T5 at the end of a gig ...