Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I didn't know you still use La Bellas, Joshua. I assumed you were a 9050CL guy all the way these days!

I have D'A Chromes ECB81 on my 4001- blue windings with brass ball ends. They are a couple of years old (~ 3) so maybe they went to color ball ends recently. I love the ECB81s.

That's your '74, right Chris? That was the bass that made me try out Chromes. It's certainly possible that Jeff's strings are several years old. All of my Chromes (w/ the colored ball ends) were purchased within the past 8 months, so I would think that they would have been manufactured no more than a year or a year and a half ago at most.

FretlessOnly wrote:That's your '74, right Chris?

Correct.

FretlessOnly wrote:It's certainly possible that Jeff's strings are several years old.

That's true, because D'Addario started using different colored ends about 6 or 7 years ago.

WOW! I'm surprised at all of the head scratching, and I thank you all for all of your help!

It was more of a "just curious" question, because these strings have too much tension for this neck IMO. So I guess now I'll know what not to buy to replace them! I actually have a set of the tape wound RIC strings that I'd like to try out.

And I like higher tension strings. This bass has a great neck. Like my other late 80's/early 90's necks, it feels like a 70's 4001 neck but the modern rods make it better equipped to handle higher tension strings...just not this high!

They might be the LaBella DTB .049-.109's. I'll check again when I get home and compare them with a set of round wound .045-.105's.

These strings are definitely several years old, 'cuz they were on the bass when I bought it a few years ago.

I think the D'Addario Chrome silks in Chris's photo are a different shade of blue than mine. The D'A's almost look purple.

Anyhoo...Thanks again guys!

I can identify that they are definatly flats....

I have been using Elixer strings of late abd they have no silk on em.....

coolingitdown wrote:I didn't know you still use La Bellas, Joshua. I assumed you were a 9050CL guy all the way these days!

I use both--they are very different in character.

My Chromes are like Chris's - blue silk and brass ends. Got them about 4 years ago. His picture is washed out and the blue is actually like in Jeff's picture. For what it's worth.

My '91 came with LaBella strings that were on for 3 years and they were so high tension it had lifted the tailpiece. Chromes are higher tension also, but not as high as the LaBella.

I have a set of Ernie Ball flats with blue silk and brass ends if this helps narrow it down (or just confuse further! sorry)