Ernie Ball Pino Palladino flatwounds - £90 a set

[Sibob]

I’ll stick with La Bella 760FL’s at half the price!

 

Si

[skej21]

Got a set of the 43-108s on the way, which I’ll likely put on my ‘Ray. Not expecting them to set the world alight but curiosity (and some good discounts) got the better of me!

[Bagman]

On 09/05/2025 at 23:22, Sibob said:

I’ll stick with La Bella 760FL’s at half the price!

 

Si

yes they are very nice. The 5 string set is good as well. 

[Bagman]

1 hour ago, skej21 said:

Got a set of the 43-108s on the way, which I’ll likely put on my ‘Ray. Not expecting them to set the world alight but curiosity (and some good discounts) got the better of me!

please let us know how you get on

I have some EB Cobalt Flats arriving this week which I can't remember ever using  but what I felt was a cheap price so worth a try. 

[la bam]

Surely the answer for pino's sound etc would be to use what pino used in the 80s - what made him famous? 

Edited May 15 by la bam

[ghostwheel]

1 hour ago, la bam said:

Surely the answer for pinks sound etc would be to use what pino used in the 80s - what made him famous? 

his approach to music, deep harmony knowledge, his technique?

speaking of thing, I'd rather ask what has been made famous by him (fretless Stingray, OC-2, CE-2?)

[shoulderpet]

On 07/05/2025 at 11:34, kevin_lindsay said:

I've bought a set - better be decent at this price 

 

The most expensive strings I had bought previously were a set of LaBella "Jamerson" 1954 flats at around £50 (which seemed ludicrously expensive)

 

Anyone else ordered a set yet?

Or, any thoughts?

I will hard pass on any strings that are priced that high, I don't use flats anymore but when I did I wouldn't have paid that. 

 

[Dan Dare]

On 08/05/2025 at 17:26, Bagman said:

I don't know what is "better" just that I think the Labella's are "better" on the Jazz and the Chromes are "better" on the Precision etc .. 

 

Interesting. I'm the opposite. I use La Bellas on my P and Chromes on my Jazz.

[skej21]

On 13/05/2025 at 22:49, Bagman said:

please let us know how you get on

I have some EB Cobalt Flats arriving this week which I can't remember ever using  but what I felt was a cheap price so worth a try. 

I would have gladly but the order went from “available in 2-5 days” to “in stock within 10-13 weeks”, so I’ve cancelled it.
 

They also decreased the price as soon as they went out of stock. Seems like the dirty tactics are still rife almost ten years since I got out!

 

I might order elsewhere at a later date, but for now I’ve just used my discount on an alternative set.

[Bagman]

1 hour ago, skej21 said:

I would have gladly but the order went from “available in 2-5 days” to “in stock within 10-13 weeks”, so I’ve cancelled it.
 

They also decreased the price as soon as they went out of stock. Seems like the dirty tactics are still rife almost ten years since I got out!

 

I might order elsewhere at a later date, but for now I’ve just used my discount on an alternative set.

sorry to hear that 

[Bagman]

On 16/05/2025 at 06:37, Dan Dare said:

 

Interesting. I'm the opposite. I use La Bellas on my P and Chromes on my Jazz.

GHS on the fretless Stingray

Chromes on the Warwick Fortress 5 and Precision

LaBella on the Jazz, Steinberger and Stingray 5

Sadowsky Blue (new) on the Tobias

Sadowsky Black on the MTD 

 

i think I liked  Chromes more on the fretless than the GHS 

but the GHS was very nice on a fretless Jazz 

[wateroftyne]

On 14/05/2025 at 23:27, shoulderpet said:

I will hard pass on any strings that are priced that high, I don't use flats anymore but when I did I wouldn't have paid that. 

 

If it was a choice between £20 every few weeks for rounds, or £50 every decade for flats, I know what I would (and do) choose 😆

[LITTLEWING]

On 08/05/2025 at 19:17, JoeEvans said:

Strings can potentially make more of a difference to the sound of a bass than any amp or pedal, so if paying £50 over the odds makes your instrument sound amazing, it might seem cheap at the price compared to a £400 preamp or £2k amp...

Absolutely. I've persevered for ages with Fender's *own* strings which we know are made to their spec by D'addario but after fitting a set of actual D's EXL165's, my Jazz bass has come alive. Bizarre.

[oakforest5961]

On 07/05/2025 at 11:34, kevin_lindsay said:

I've bought a set - better be decent at this price 

 

The most expensive strings I had bought previously were a set of LaBella "Jamerson" 1954 flats at around £50 (which seemed ludicrously expensive)

 

Anyone else ordered a set yet?

Or, any thoughts?

 

No one else has admitted to owning a set, so we're counting on you to give us your impressions of them Kevin.

[Rich]

On 16/05/2025 at 23:28, wateroftyne said:

If it was a choice between £20 every few weeks for rounds, or £50 every decade for flats, I know what I would (and do) choose 😆

I choose £50 every 18 months for Elixir rounds

 

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, Rich said:

I choose £50 every 18 months for Elixir rounds

 

Same

[dave_bass5]

My thoughts are, what did Pino play before these came out? Surely those are going to get as close to his signature sound for a lot less. 

[Misdee]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

My thoughts are, what did Pino play before these came out? Surely those are going to get as close to his signature sound for a lot less. 

He used Thomastik and La Bella.

 

I've listened to a few demos of these strings on YouTube now that they are in the hands of mere mortals. They sound really good, a lot closer to the sound of Thomastiks than the more muted traditional La Bella tone.

 

The Pino strings seem to have a nice meaty sound, for sure, but on what I've heard so far I can't say they sound any better than TI's or La Bella, both of which cost significantly less.

 

FWIW, just about the best flats I've tried at any price are the Dunlops. In terms of tone, they're the perfect blend of the  thump of La Bella's and the articulate sound of the TI's. Not cheap at £80 for a four string set but definitely worth investigating if you're in the market for these EB PIno strings.

[dave_bass5]

Ive tried a few flats over the years. Not really my thing but I love how they feel. IT's were my fav's, I really liked the suppleness and smooth tone, although I still have a set of Chromes that go on every now and then when I want a change but can't afford any new gear lol. 

IIR I did try La Bella's years ago but found them a bit too old school for me, but I do like the sound of flats when others play them. 

[Chienmortbb]

On 08/05/2025 at 10:42, Beedster said:

Well they are precision polished, which perhaps suggests that the standard strings aren't precision polished, merely polished imprecisely  

 

 

Makes sense, if the flats are like the rounds, they look as though they have been aged 2 years in the California sun.

[Chienmortbb]

On 20/07/2025 at 12:14, Rich said:

I choose £50 every 18 months for Elixir rounds

 

Having had 5h1t experience with Elixer acoustic strings, I would need my 12ft bargepole to touch the brand again.

[Chienmortbb]

Oh, and the thread is in the wrong place!

[ezbass]

3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

My thoughts are, what did Pino play before these came out? Surely those are going to get as close to his signature sound for a lot less. 

Prior to the signature set coming out, there were adverts of Pino endorsing the standard cobalt flats, so one hopes he was actually using them. Prior to that, as stated above, LaBellas and, apparently, Thomastiks (I didn’t know that, so thanks for the info @Misdee) and probably stills does on some basses.

[dave_bass5]

14 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Prior to the signature set coming out, there were adverts of Pino endorsing the standard cobalt flats, so one hopes he was actually using them. Prior to that, as stated above, LaBellas and, apparently, Thomastiks (I didn’t know that, so thanks for the info @Misdee) and probably stills does on some basses.

Oh yeah, I tried those as well. Ive never been too impressed with any of the cobalt line.

[chris_b]

I've been using a set of TI flats for the last 10 years. . . . and I sound exactly like Pino.

 

Well I sound like a bloke playing TI flats on a Precision bass, which is what Pino sounds like. I'm still working on the technique and bass lines though.