Want to try some new strings for my 4003FL

[cassius987]

I have settled on La Bella DTFs as my favorite flats for my fretless basses in a typical mix and TI Jazz Flats for more out-in-front mixing. Now I'd really like to try something a bit different, and can't do much experimenting with my armory of used bass strings since my wife managed to hide them from me following the move to Terminus. I am wanting to try something a little different, but I think I've covered pretty much every flatwound there is. I know I'm not a fan of the ground/half-round strings for fretless most of the time and definitely not rounds, though I used to use them exclusively on my 4003FL; it's just not the sound I want anymore. I'd really like to try tapewounds as I only had them on a bass once and never well set up.

What recommendations do you have for my 4003FL knowing what my tastes are? Are there any good tapes out there for fretless that aren't too massive gauge-wise (so, not a lot of work to install)? Other strings that I might have missed?

[songdog]

I like GHS tapewounds on my Fender fretless, I've used them for many years. They're not zingy like roundwounds, but they have plenty of high end available for tone shaping. I think the gauges run about .50-.105 (set 3060).

I've never tried them on my 4001, I've had Rotosounds (or similar rounds) on it since I bought it in 1975. But I must confess, the idea of buying a nice new 4003S and stringing it with tapewounds is a temptation I'm having trouble resisting... and if I found a 4003FL at an affordable price, I think I'd succumb....

[woodyng]

In the last few years I've tried all the Labella tapewound offerings,(traditional black,white/ss,and white with copper wire cores),along with a set of Rotosound tapes as well,on a variety of basses,fretted and fretless. I prefer the lower tension feel of the Labella's in general.
I currently have a set of the White/copper tapes on my Cii fretless,and it gets a very nice sound,supersmooth,but with a metallic aural edge to it. I think in some ways i would prefer the black tapes on there,as i like a more traditional URB sound when i play fretless,which the white tapes do NOT convey particularly. The Labellas in both colors are available in 2 gauges,so that's nice. (I tend to like the lighter gauge).
I may even put my old set of Maxima flats (which were on the bass before i defretted it) back on. I haven't really ever tried flatwounds on a fretless bass before,as i really think the smoothness of tapewounds compliments the smooth fingerboard.

[cassius987]

Thanks guys. I ordered some white LaBella tapes in the 50-105 gauges. I am confused about how they will differ tonally and/or in feel from black tapes, which I have never tried from LaBella but from Rotosound in the past. Those were basically rounds with a thick black plastic material on the exterior and I never really came to like them as much as I hoped. Then again, I tried them on my 4001FL which is extremely picky about strings (for example, it can't even be strung with Jazz Flats). Maybe on my 4003FL I'd have had a better experience. When I tried to transfer them, the outer wrap fully detached from metal interior of the E string so it could not be re-used.

I'm also confused as to how the copper and gold versions of LaBella's white tapewounds should sound any different -- do they actually use a special allow on the outer (metal) wrap?

[woodyng]

Labella claims the copper core white tapewounds are "warmer",and "more supple",which seems to be true to an extent. My experience with the steelcore set was on a piezo-only equipped fretless Carvin AC40 bass,and with the copper set on my Cii,so natually,these are 2 very different sounding basses. (I sold the Carvin when i had the Cii defretted). I've been playing the Rick quite a bit today to try to acclimate myself more to the strings. I haven't used the bass as much as i would like,i need to step that up! The set i have is the same gauge you ordered,they feel very light,but not insubstantial,but they seem to respond best to a fairly light touch.
I also have had regular flatwound strings to unravel on me when i tried to transfer them from 1 bass to another. I think tapewounds are probably even more delicate,at least the tradtional ones.
Let us know what you think!

[T28]

I like the white tapes. I find them a great compromise without going rounds.
When I turn down the treble, I get a nice fat deep thump.
Backing off the bass, they do a reasonable job of sounding like rounds.

No string noise and very smooth to the touch.
Plus the white strings kinda look cool.

[woodyng]

Hi,stephen!
You got the SS white tapes,right? Which gauge are you using?

[T28]

Pretty sure they are the .55 - .105

I typically play .45-.95 to .55-.105 depending on the bass and what gauges they offer.
My current favs are: Fodera .45-.90
Kalium Balanced on all my Rics
WhiteTapes .55-.105

[fran4001]

No surprise here... , Thomastik Jazz Flats....

[coolingitdown]

The La Bella white tapewound stainless steel set gauged .050-.105 is quite good on a 4003FL. I put a set on my 4003FL some time ago and have never looked back!

Let us know what you think once you've had a chance to put the set through its paces, cassius.

[iiipopes]

For D'Addario tapes, their gauges are 50-65-85-105, and add 135T for five-string.

For regular long scale La Bellas, whether black, white, copper or gold, their gauges are:
light: 50-65-85-105
regular: 60-70-94-115

La Bella has one C string: 43; and one B string: 135T.

The La Bella Beatle Bass set is 50-65-80-100.

The light set can go on with little or no nut modifications, so that switching back to a "conventional" set of strings is not an issue; however, the regular set will need a nut job to accommodate the strings without pinching them.

If you want the gauges for tapewound Rotos, Fenders or GHS, you can ask me to post or look them up on the respective web sites.

[sloop_john_b]

I have settled on La Bella DTFs as my favorite flats for my fretless basses in a typical mix

Do you use medium scale or long scale LaBellas on your Ricks? How about preferred gauge? Thanks!

[cassius987]

I have settled on La Bella DTFs as my favorite flats for my fretless basses in a typical mix

Do you use medium scale or long scale LaBellas on your Ricks? How about preferred gauge? Thanks!

I use their "extra light" set (.039'' to .096'') on my 4001FL but it doesn't feel very "extra light". I would compare it to the feel of a medium set of most other string types. The next set up in terms of gauge has a great angry growl but you have to really dig into them to get a good response and it's tiring, plus not usually the sound I want. I'd liken these extra light gauge DTFss to TI Jazz Flats with more focus in the low mids, more string balance and a bit less tendency to go into Excessive Mwah Mode when sustaining on a fretless (especially the G string). They sound great in the gospel group I've been playing with. The band leader has dubbed the bass Jimmy Carter and gets upset if I play something else.

Speaking of something else, I have an early report for the La Bella white tapewounds. I ordered the .050''-.105'' set and put them on my 4003FL almost a week ago. The strings really had to settle overnight, or more accurately the bass did, to become playable. I would guess each string has about 25-30 lbs of tension, and I had to really back off both of the truss rods on my 4003FL until they were almost fully untightened. Ultimately, I left a little more relief than a normally do when setting a bass up but not much. Instead of leaving about 1/4 a credit card thickness, I went with a 1/2 credit card or very close to that. These strings feel so light a baby could play them. And yet -- and yet -- they are not what you would call floppy. They actually have a very nice, consistent tone. Through house mains they really thump nicely and sit in a mix like flats, but there is enough upper mid punch that the instrument doesn't get lost even in very low mid-rich mixes, something I certainly deal with in this group. In short, these string do what people say they do and they do it well. I really haven't put them to work yet though, so I may weigh back in if I have any new revelations about them. Probably the nicest thing I can say about them is they are staying on the bass. Sorry, Slick Rounds.

[coolingitdown]

I thought you would like them!

And nice avatar, by the way. The wife and I just finished watching the entire X-Files series and both movies. We quite enjoyed it all!

[woodyng]

I just ordered a set of the classic Labella black tapes for my Cii,in the same lighter gauge as what's currently installed. Looking forward to seeing if there is more thump to them than the copperwound white tapes.