Labella DT 460FLs vs TI Jazz Flats

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
On my new NS Starfire. I can't decide. The Labellas(43-104 ga) are a known quantity to me, but on a P/J bass not on a short scale one pickup Starfire. On the P/J I love the feel of em, love the thump, and I get plenty of top end by using a pick or dialing in a bit of the J pickup. Don't know if Id get the same result on the Starfire, its so different. The Starfire with the stock roundwounds is very bright. Takes a lot of tone knob to dial in any thump at all. Too dang bright with a pick.

If I were to spring for the TIs(43-106 ga)
Would they feel about the same as the Labellas? Tension? Smoothness? Everybody says the TIs are low tension, so I guess on the same scale lenght the TIs would feel looser than the Labellas. I dont think that would bother me too much, but will the diff be even more pronounced on a short scale?
Would they give me more tonal variety? Good thump but enough top end? Are they gonna feel like rubber bands?

The Starfire gets used in my Americana band as the bass I play on songs where an upright is just too dang much hard work. Stuff with lots of repeating 8ths, or definitive up the neck basslines that are hard to pull of on the upright.
Its secondary use is my at home wanking/lead bass/ Phil Lesh channeling sessions, lol.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
I can't really provide a good comparison. I have TI Jazz Flats on my NS and they are fine. I "play at bass" and so am not sensitive to subtle nuances but they feel pretty much like some D'Adarrrios on my '67. Ditto the flats on my (long scale) Pilot, so tension is either not significantly different or something I am too unskilled to notice. I thought the rounds on the NS approached thin and tinny and I am much happier with the "tone pallet" from the flats. The bottom was about the same but the high end got mellower.

Of course, I had a pair of flats that were in use on one bass or another for 30 years and my JS has a set of Rotosounds that were new in 1976 so I am clearly not an expert on strings.
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,129
Reaction score
2,637
Location
New York
I think any flats will get u a lot closer to what u are going for. I have a 68 SF bass with TI flats and the tension is looser than Jules' 67 Starfire bass w the D'addarios flats and my JS1 w D'addario flats.. The 90s bass has what I think are fender factory flats and the tension on those is like the D'addarios. The TI flats took some time to get used to but I see why everyone likes them. I personally prefer the feel of the D'addarios but to me they essentially sound the same. The TIs may have a bit more punch but they are heavier gauge.

the big thing is buy the right string size. We should probably have a blog thread on that.
The Starfire bass takes D'addario medium scale flats and TI short scale flats, which are apparently the same length.
cant speak to the other brands.

FWIW I liked the Newark street w the factory rounds and the tone all the way off/zero. But that's how I like all my guild basses. The rounds seemed to work on that one, for me , for the few minutes I played it
 

lungimsam

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
2,570
Reaction score
1,624
Guild Total
2
If you mean LaBella Deep Talkin' 760FL, then get your sets here for 28$ each:

http://imperialguitar.stores.yahoo.net/strings-bass-la-bella.html

I have been getting mine there for a while now and they are the cheapest price anywhere I can find. Great customer service, too. Helped me get my 760FM (.109 long scale sets) in short scale sets, too.

BTW:
Can one use a long scale flat set on a short scale bass like a Starfire?
I am under the impression that you cannot just cut the longscales to length for use on a shortie neck. T or F?
 
Last edited:

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
frono: thanks man! Makes perfect sense to me.

mavuser: Yea Im prob just obsessing too much and trying to justify the TI price. I play their upright strings tho, so I know they make a quality product.

lungimsam: All I know is the med/short TI set is supposed to be long enough for the SF. Thats the set with the ga I want, 43-106. The Labella 460FLs I have on my P/J are for 34" scale but I still whacked off the ends once I got em on. I put a little bend in the end where I cut it and so far they've been fine for a year and a half.
 

Happy Face

Justified Ancient of MuMu
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
916
Reaction score
239
A simian bass player once notified us that most or all of his instruments sport TI Jazz ROUNDS.
Perhaps he said that he never ever changed them once he strung 'em on?

Since we have a new member or two here, we should mention this option.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
BTW:
Can one use a long scale flat set on a short scale bass like a Starfire?
I am under the impression that you cannot just cut the longscales to length for use on a shortie neck. T or F?

I can't find the discussion but the point came up recently and the best answer was along the lines of "you don't really want to do that" (cut a LS string to fit a SS bass).
 

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
I can't find the discussion but the point came up recently and the best answer was along the lines of "you don't really want to do that" (cut a LS string to fit a SS bass).
I think the correct answer is "it depends". There are many different mnf types of flatwounds. Some are tapered, some are not. Some may tend to unwind, some may not. I cut the ends of my Labellas w no problems. They are not tapered so I would not fear cutting the same set to fit my Starfire. The owner at the Fret Shop told me he never bothers to order anything but 34" scale strings and just cuts em off for a short scale, but then he only carries a couple of brands, Diadarrio and Rotos I think. Also not so sure just how familiar he is with flatwounds. Hes a good guy and very knowlegeable but acoustics are his bread and butter. He offers life time set ups and restringing, but I did not particularly wanna try the Chromes so I passed when I bought the bass. If I get the TIs, I may take him the bass to restring because the slightly large E string may cause some nut binding and I trust him to take care of that for me. Can you cut TIs? Who knows? It would not be an issue for me because the gauge I want comes in short/med to fit.
 
Last edited:

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
In prehistoric times I had two problems with long scale flatwounds on a short scale Guild. The first was that when the non tapered flatwound was cut, the winding started unraveling. Since the cut was at the end of the string, other than looking awful and being a potential scratching problem, I can't explain if, or how, that would effect the sound, although it might effect structural integrity of the string. Second problem was an untapered string where the winding started coming off right where the string bent around the tuner. Again, it is not clear how this effected the sound but...

So experience was at least 30 years ago and may have been with cheap, for the times, strings but why cut when strings of the proper length are plentiful and readily available?
 

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
Well, I went ahead and ordered the Labellas.
460FL-Med scale, .043 .060 .082 .104
so they should fit with no trimming.
Same set as on my P/J except med instead of long scale.
Will report when I get em on.
 

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
Well I finally got around to putting on the Labellas 460FLs yesterday. Today I played them a bit here at the house. So far I'm undewhelmed. I really wanted to like these as I love them on my P/J. But so far I've got a few issues.
1. Tone. Seems to sound too similar to my P/J. I dont need 2 basses that sound the same.
2. Feel. Somehow they don't feel as slick and fast as the Diadarrio XL .45-.105 rounds that the Fret Shop said they installed on the bass when it came in. They were starting to go a bit dead and I'd kinda learned how to tame the highs a bit and I was starting to really like them, but I had these new flats sitting there.
3. Intonation. Maybe this will self correct a bit as they settle in more. But right now my low E and A saddles are all the way forward and Im still a bit flat at the 7th fret and beyond. Withing tolerances I guess but its bugging me. Poss need to tweak the truss rod a bit. These flats seem a tad more tension. Am I thinking srraight this may bring my intonation back in line?

I'm gonna leave em on thru one band practice at least and see how it goes. But right now I really wanna put the old set of rounds back on.
 
Last edited:

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
I played them some more for about an hr this morning and I'm starting to come around to them.
1. Tone-starting to get a feel for them under the pick, and getting a lot more tonal variation now, sounding good.
2. Feel-feeling much slicker and faster today. Maybe I just needed to get a little finger grease on em.
3. Intonation-better. still not perfect but the E&A are less off than yesterday. Maybe they just needed to be played a little.

I think I'm gonna keep em on. If the intonation issue doesn't continue to sort itself out in a week or so I'll take it in for a professional set up.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
The harp bridge can be difficult to intonate. The number of vintage instruments with BadAss bridges attests to that.
 

lungimsam

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
2,570
Reaction score
1,624
Guild Total
2
Where'd you order the LaBellas?
 

lungimsam

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
2,570
Reaction score
1,624
Guild Total
2
What is the measurement from inside of nut to center of g string bridge piece?
 

Pine Apple Slim

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
North Alabama
What is the measurement from inside of nut to center of g string bridge piece?

To the center of the g string saddle? I'll let you know.
Intonation is getting better BTW. E & A still a little flat at 12th vs open, but at least I can bring it up to pitch with finger pressure now. Its tolerable.
Liking the tone of these strings. Have played em 2x in band practice now plus at home. They are still pretty bright for flats but Im sure they will go darker over time.
 

lungimsam

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
2,570
Reaction score
1,624
Guild Total
2
The reason I ask is that I have a set of shorty flats and want to see if they will fit when I get a starfire.

Flats can be zingy at first but later they mellow out.
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Last edited:
Top