Ooo exciting! I don't hear you cry.
But I'm going to do an experiment.
I have 2 almost identical Fender US Precision Special basses. 1 is sunburst, the other is Olympic white. They are from the same run. Alder body, rosewood board etc.
At the moment they both have Tomastik TI Flats. I like them a lot. The basses sound so close I can't really tell them apart.1 is a bit heavier than the other, but that is about it.
So my experiment is simple and compare the TI flats with probably the "other" most famous set of flats - the La Bella Deep Talkin' set.
The La Bella's were THE string of choice for all the Motown / Big Band / Stax guys. The original gauges were beyond massive when P basses had baseball bats for necks.
I'm not putting a monster heavy set on. I'm more interested in the sound and feel difference.
So I've gone for the 760FL set 43-60-82-104.
The will be heavier than the TI Flats and due to the old fashioned construction they will be stiffer too. But they should sound closer to the old recordings of James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, Carol Kaye etc.
Then I'm going to use them both at my big band gig to see if the La Bellas are still the better choice for Big Band (think Blues Brothers - loads of horns & reeds, piano, drums), or whether the TI Flats have really moved the game onwards.
I love the TI Flats, and I have used the La Bella's in the past on an old Status Fretless I no longer own, but I've never had them att he same time or had the chance to try them on 2 pretty much identical instruments.
I'm quite looking forward to this!
I'll get the La Bella's loaded this evening and then play them exclusively for a couple of weeks to let them bed in and lose any new string zing. Then I'll compare them properly.
Comments
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"Change your strings every 10 years, whether they need it or not."
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Heavier strings but a smoother finish.
Does need a set up tweak, but can I find my Truss Rod wrench???
Its in the house somewhere!
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Needed a 1/4 turn but now it seems settled.
Very different tone so far, but they are brand new so I'll report back after rehearsal on saturday.
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Very different sound to the Thomastiks. Lower mids, loads more bass.
More weight to the tone. That’s not always a good thing if it gets in the way of the other instruments. I lowered the bass on the amp quite a lot to stop boominess. Upped the mids too.
I really liked the feel of them though, less flexible but allows more severe plucking changes without excessive flex.
Might put a set on my jazz as well.
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Thomastiks really are unique in their feel and sound tho - if you like the sound and feel then nothing comes close.
Just going through a Duck Dunn phase and the Thomastiks don’t do that as well.
Ive ordered some La Bellas for my Sandberg now, but in a lighter gauge. That bass seems to suit a bit more flex in the strings.
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http://www.labella.com/products/ltf-4a-low-tension-flexible-flats-43-100/
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep
Didn't like them as much as the TIs for a low tension string. They are not bad by any means, just not my preference.
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