Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Peter, I think a lot of the pros used them in the 60's that is why I'm interested in them and have been for a long time, I've never seen them in a music store though. I am very familiar with Osbourne's sound though, he played on half of the hit singles of the 60's. How does the tension of the Jamerson set compare to Fender flats Dave? are there any published specs? Fender flats aren't exactly low tension either.

"A guy by the name of Joe Osborne used LaBella strings at one point"

I think he has only bought maybe two or three sets of those ever in his life as he used them forever between changes!

I like the old ones myself. You have to wrench the sound out of them.

I have used LaBella's on my 4003, and c64. They are warm, and thumpy. No way even close to the brightness of Chromes and Pyramids. The strings are extremely smooth, more so than even TI's.
http://www.juststrings.com/lab-760fl.html

I have never thought of Pyramids as being bright, Chromes yes, TI's yes (when they are new) but Pyramids sound thumpy to me even when new which is why I like them. I gotta try some Labellas.

How does the tension of the Jamerson set compare to Fender flats Dave? are there any published specs? Fender flats aren't exactly low tension either.

Bob Young: I've never tried the Jamerson set or the Fender 9050M set. From everything I've read they're both very high tension.

The Fender 9050ML set (050-100) doesn't feel any tighter than the LaBella 760FM (049-109) but it sure puts much more tension on the neck. No doubt about that.

Bob Scott: Juststrings is very expensive on most of the LaBellas for some reason. The 760FL and 760FM are only $27.95 at the Sam Ash in San Antonio.

I love Rotosound on my "main" V63. My other has Pyramids. For a long time I used La Bella Tapewound black strings on my 4003. Very special sound and look. Now I hardly use this bass - it has an old set of rounds on it. My 4001 has GHS flats that I find to be good and my C64 has a RIC set. Recently tried Ilan's Shadow with TI - has terrific feel and low tension.

So, given the "tension" issue, what's best for a 60's Rick? and where can you get Thomastiks in the UK, anyone know?

If it helps, I used the lightest gauge of roto 66 rounds on my old 72,(being similar thinness to a 60s ric), the neck was perfectly happy with them. I really cannot stand flats.

If I had a thin neck 60s Rick, I would use LaBella 760FXL (039-096) or maybe the 760FL (043-104), GHS Precision Flatwounds 3025 (045-095) or Thomastik JF344 (043-100). I would not use the Fenders, even the light gauge might be too much tension.

I have Pyramids on my v63. I love the way they feel under my fingers - The sound is really close to the Macca thang. All my other basses have rounds on them, so the v63 is used for when I need a particular sound.

BTW, they last forever...

I have not used Fender light flats in many years but back in the 70's they were some of the hardest pulling strings I ever played on. I mentioned in another thread here recently that when I switched to Roto rounds from Fender flats I actually had to take some tension off of my truss rods. Today, I favor DR rounds and Thomastik flats. Both are very easy on the neck.

Fender flats are still telephone cables on a bass, but sound good and last forever, I wouldn't put them on a 4001 though even though I have put them on certain ones in the past. They are without a doubt the highest tension strings I have ever used, but then again there are a lot of strings I haven't tried yet. I like light strings for low volume jazzy gigs and heavy strings for rock and blues. I never thought of Rotos as being particularly heavy gauge strings, but I started on med. gauge Fender flats when I was a kid because that was about the only thing you could find. Some nights I like TI's, other nights they feel like mush under my fingers. Pyramid flats so far have felt good almost all the time to me. At this point they are my favorite string.

I too like the DR rounds and the D'Addario Chromes are my favorite flats.

The Lakland Joe Osborne flats are a great set of flats. A bit more towards the nickel round sound thatn a traditional dead flat IMO. This makes them more versatile. The TI flats are also great but have a "strange" midrange to me that gives it a Jaco Pastorius growl. The low tension take some getting used to. I had problems cutting through in a band setting with the TI´s and now use TI´s new superalloys. Best strings Ive tried but they are rounds...