For years I would have said Labella ( and they are a fine string) at first I hated Thomastik but once I figured out you can set the string height basically on the fret and get no buzz and it made that sloppy loose tension feel go away ,now they play like butter and sound great.
Nice! I must say that the TIs are only getting better the longer I leave them on. I've got the action fairly low but I'd like to try what you're saying and go even lower as long as the fret buzz doesn't get picked up.
@@benbynum I'm from Vienna and live near the TI Factory, still a true jewel active in the working district of the city, proud to have such a brand around making Flatwound players all over the world happy :D
Same here. TIs have the best feel of any bass string on the market imo, but the La Bella sound is just so perfect. TIs are great on fretless jazz basses, though.
Thank you so much altho you didn't say a word this was the most helpful and clear take on the matter and really made my mind! Ps. I chose TI, I think been punchier so it age better than La Bella and having them on my contrabass I know they are easy on the hands too
La Bella all day!! Especially on the first two tracks here. On the last track it's more of a toss up, and the Thomastiks grew on me with that track. But that one's an odd-ball of a tune compared to the other two. For your bread and butter soul/rock and roll/blues/etc., La Bellas can't be beat.
The problem is they both need months to break in. The thomatiks here sound like rounds because they're so new. They sound absolutely nothing like this when broken in.
I know this is an old thread, however… As a retired pro bass player with a fair amount of TV/Film recording, rock, and jazz-rock fusion under my belt, I’d like to offer that if you are going for the flat wound sound (and, to a lesser extent, round-wounds), I have to say, the La Bella strings have the amount of character you need in the studio. And that character stands out in this well-done demo. Let me put it this way. La Bellas have a lot of character, sometimes interpreted as too much bottom end, too boomy, too thick. Yes, they can be, depending on the instrument and/or the player's technique, or lack thereof, plucking the strings. However, here’s the big deal, and it’s huge. Cutting EQ (reducing) for a sound where there is too much of something present will ALWAYS sound MUCH better than boosting EQ to try and ADD something that is NOT there in the first place. And the result of trying to add something missing in the first place invariably ends up sounding like…..……mud. Subtractive EQ on bass instruments is always the way to go. Adding EQ can ruin the sound of other instruments in the mix in this range: piano, kick drums, strings, and especially the Hammond organ - my nemesis in any session…
I ordered two sets Labellas and TIs. From Amazon. They just arrived. I can send send them back. I will keep the TIs. Thank you for helping me make a decision
Hi! Just found your channel, and I'm loving it! I'm trying to decide on which La Bella flats to get. If I'm not mistaking you used to play the blue silked La Bella 760FM or the 0760M in some of your earlier videos. I'm curious of what made you switch them out. Pros and cons? I can tell you're playing rather softly, which I really like the sound of. I play upright bass mostly myself and find it difficult to force myself to play with that soft of a touch on the electric. I have Thomastiks on my P-bass at the moment but I'm looking for some more tension and a thicker string. Considering if I should go for the Jamerson set (.110-.52) or the (probaply more versatile) black silked 760FM (.109-.49).
Thanks for watching/listening! I switched from LaBella to TI mainly in pursuit of lower tension. I've generally steered away from higher tension strings so I can't offer much feedback there, but I'd love to hear the Jamerson's against the 760FMs.
To me, the LaBellas are the way a P-Bass is supposed to sound. That's the classic sound. The Thomastiks are nice too. If I'm not mistaken, that's what Pino used on the record. I haven't used them yet, but they seem to have a tighter, brighter sound with a different sense of touch. Not quite as soft as the LaBella, perhaps? Personally, I think I'd prefer those on an early 60s-style dark J-Bass sound more so than a P-Bass. Currently I am using the LaBella Deep Talking Bass Flats on my P-Bass and LaBella Black Nylon Tapes on my fretless J and my P/J Jag. I highly recommend those Black Tapes. They have a lower tension feel to them and a rounder, more mid-pushed vocal sound. I just love the feel of those strings and they fit the sound of a fretless really well. Definitely a different vibe and character. Maybe I'll try some of these Thomastiks on that Jag, though. That my all-around-er and I think these Thomastiks fit the bill.
Nice comparison. I like my LaBella 760FL and FS Deep talkin flats, I have 11 basses, several have the LaBellas. I also use GHS Perecision Flats, Ernie Ball slinky, Fender 9050 and Pyramid Gold. The Thomastiks are about twice the price of LaBella but not much difference to my ears. I would like to see LaBella low tension flats and Pyramid flats in the mix. Thanks Ben. Cheers from Utah
I have used both sets , the La Bella to me have a stronger attack , less mid and a higher tension. The TI strings are much more flexible more mid focused and brighter. The La Bella low tension flats are kind of like a cross between the two sets . Myself I prefer the Ernie Ball Cobalts or D'Addario Chromes to these sets.
I'm finding the TIs maybe a bit easier to play, seems to be less tension. I even got a set for my short scale Mustang, really digging them. But still might switch back or try something else
If you are only playing Motown all day, the LaBella's are the sound. If you need clarity and punch without losing the fundamental, the TIs are the right choice. Very obvious how the TIs function vs the LaBellas on "Chicken Grease". The LaBellas have wonderful fullness in the bottom but they lack the punch and definition needed with the palm muting.
Hey, I think this was answered elsewhere in the comments if you dig a bit, but the TIs "feel" like slightly less tension (and in a way that I prefer) but I haven't actually measured/calculated the difference.
I've had a USA Fender P bass for many years that I rarely play. The reason being from the headstock when I play past the 6th fret I have dead spots and wolf notes that I hate. Did either of the LaBella's or the Thomastik give you problems like I'm experiencing? I've been using GHS Precision flats.
@@calvinnapier9977 I think the strings can change/move dead spots because many dead spots happen when the vibration is transferred to the truss rod. One of my Ps, you can hear the truss rod vibrate at the frequency of the dead spot.
It's only been two months but the longer the TIs stay on the more I prefer them. It's definitely personal, though, and depends on what sound/feel you're after. Ask me again in 6 months and I may have a different answer.
Hey Ben, thanx for posting this vid....the TI seemed to have a little less output.....what do you think? In comparison both string sets sound good...well playing👌 did you check the TI JF 344? These are my favourites...maybe they are are little louder.....by the way....on what frame/device you have mounted your basses? Thanx in advance and regards...think positive and stay negative👋
Hey, thanks for the comment. So the TIs used in this vid are the JF 344s, I'll update the description with that detail. They do seem to have slightly less overall output than the LaBellas but I think that's b/c they're a bit brighter, perhaps not as tubby or muddy? I wasn't crazy about this at first but they actually seem to sit better in the mix with little to no extra work. The stand is a K&M performing stand. It's really great but on the expensive side. I'm currently working with an engineer to make something similar, more portable, and ideally at a fraction of the cost. I might feature it in upcoming videos and may also be looking for beta testers in the coming months. Cheers!
Thanks! I don't have anything to measure the actual tension, but the TIs do "feel" lower than the LaBellas without being too loose. I'm really liking them.
At 0% tone, the difference was negligible to my ears. But at 100% tone, the difference in clarity was very evident: the TIs had way more definition. It’s a matter of taste, really.
Price vs Price ? Does the TI last longer than La Bella ? I have tried the La Bella's ( deep talking and also the Low tension flats ) and I'll love to try the Thomastik-Infeld But I think about the Price of the TI ! is it worth it to give it a try ?
No idea which hold up better over time. But the TIs are def worth a try -- string preference is so personal that it's hard to know for sure until you have them on your instrument. And with both LaBella and TI flats you could leave them on for a very long time - hopefully makes price less of a factor.
Hey folks, thanks for watching! Let me know if there are any other flatwounds out there that should be thrown into the ring.
request for Dunlops - thanks for considering
Ernie Ball Slinky flats. My current favorite, and I have about ten basses strung with all kinds of flats. The Slinky flats feel and sound amazing.
Optima RB 4440 set vs TI 344
Rotosound 77 vs La Bella
Fender flatwounds
For years I would have said Labella ( and they are a fine string) at first I hated Thomastik but once I figured out you can set the string height basically on the fret and get no buzz and it made that sloppy loose tension feel go away ,now they play like butter and sound great.
Nice! I must say that the TIs are only getting better the longer I leave them on. I've got the action fairly low but I'd like to try what you're saying and go even lower as long as the fret buzz doesn't get picked up.
@@benbynum I'm from Vienna and live near the TI Factory, still a true jewel active in the working district of the city, proud to have such a brand around making Flatwound players all over the world happy :D
Great job. Thats how to do a string demo.
I love the low tension of the TI flats, but when I hear the LB’s at full tone on this recording, I have to hand it to LBDTF’s.
Same here. TIs have the best feel of any bass string on the market imo, but the La Bella sound is just so perfect. TIs are great on fretless jazz basses, though.
Thank you so much altho you didn't say a word this was the most helpful and clear take on the matter and really made my mind!
Ps. I chose TI, I think been punchier so it age better than La Bella and having them on my contrabass I know they are easy on the hands too
La Bella all day!! Especially on the first two tracks here. On the last track it's more of a toss up, and the Thomastiks grew on me with that track. But that one's an odd-ball of a tune compared to the other two. For your bread and butter soul/rock and roll/blues/etc., La Bellas can't be beat.
The problem is they both need months to break in. The thomatiks here sound like rounds because they're so new. They sound absolutely nothing like this when broken in.
@@allrequiredfields I can believe that they'd sound more like it after a good amount of break-in time, for sure
I know this is an old thread, however… As a retired pro bass player with a fair amount of TV/Film recording, rock, and jazz-rock fusion under my belt, I’d like to offer that if you are going for the flat wound sound (and, to a lesser extent, round-wounds), I have to say, the La Bella strings have the amount of character you need in the studio. And that character stands out in this well-done demo. Let me put it this way. La Bellas have a lot of character, sometimes interpreted as too much bottom end, too boomy, too thick. Yes, they can be, depending on the instrument and/or the player's technique, or lack thereof, plucking the strings. However, here’s the big deal, and it’s huge. Cutting EQ (reducing) for a sound where there is too much of something present will ALWAYS sound MUCH better than boosting EQ to try and ADD something that is NOT there in the first place. And the result of trying to add something missing in the first place invariably ends up sounding like…..……mud. Subtractive EQ on bass instruments is always the way to go. Adding EQ can ruin the sound of other instruments in the mix in this range: piano, kick drums, strings, and especially the Hammond organ - my nemesis in any session…
I ordered two sets Labellas and TIs. From Amazon. They just arrived. I can send send them back. I will keep the TIs. Thank you for helping me make a decision
Hi! Just found your channel, and I'm loving it!
I'm trying to decide on which La Bella flats to get.
If I'm not mistaking you used to play the blue silked La Bella 760FM or the 0760M in some of your earlier videos. I'm curious of what made you switch them out. Pros and cons?
I can tell you're playing rather softly, which I really like the sound of. I play upright bass mostly myself and find it difficult to force myself to play with that soft of a touch on the electric. I have Thomastiks on my P-bass at the moment but I'm looking for some more tension and a thicker string. Considering if I should go for the Jamerson set (.110-.52) or the (probaply more versatile) black silked 760FM (.109-.49).
Thanks for watching/listening! I switched from LaBella to TI mainly in pursuit of lower tension. I've generally steered away from higher tension strings so I can't offer much feedback there, but I'd love to hear the Jamerson's against the 760FMs.
Got fender flats on a G&L L2000E ...nice tone and tension . I'll say it again ... I like the E string length and how the silk "lands" on the post ...
LaBella for me. Thanks for making this video.
I'm still on the fence! Waiting for the newer TIs to break in
Great playing feel timing and vibe, and incredible tone !
To me, the LaBellas are the way a P-Bass is supposed to sound. That's the classic sound. The Thomastiks are nice too. If I'm not mistaken, that's what Pino used on the record. I haven't used them yet, but they seem to have a tighter, brighter sound with a different sense of touch. Not quite as soft as the LaBella, perhaps? Personally, I think I'd prefer those on an early 60s-style dark J-Bass sound more so than a P-Bass.
Currently I am using the LaBella Deep Talking Bass Flats on my P-Bass and LaBella Black Nylon Tapes on my fretless J and my P/J Jag. I highly recommend those Black Tapes. They have a lower tension feel to them and a rounder, more mid-pushed vocal sound. I just love the feel of those strings and they fit the sound of a fretless really well. Definitely a different vibe and character. Maybe I'll try some of these Thomastiks on that Jag, though. That my all-around-er and I think these Thomastiks fit the bill.
Nice comparison. I like my LaBella 760FL and FS Deep talkin flats, I have 11 basses, several have the LaBellas. I also use GHS Perecision Flats, Ernie Ball slinky, Fender 9050 and Pyramid Gold. The Thomastiks are about twice the price of LaBella but not much difference to my ears. I would like to see LaBella low tension flats and Pyramid flats in the mix. Thanks Ben. Cheers from Utah
Great demo, well done!
Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing!
I’m liking the Thomastiks
I have used both sets , the La Bella to me have a stronger attack , less mid and a higher tension.
The TI strings are much more flexible more mid focused and brighter.
The La Bella low tension flats are kind of like a cross between the two sets .
Myself I prefer the Ernie Ball Cobalts or D'Addario Chromes to these sets.
Nice! How do you find the Cobalts and Chromes in terms of tension? I'm always looking to go lower and so far the TIs seem to be the floor
@@benbynum Chromes have quite a bit of tension for me. I had a set and took them off. This was about 10 years.ago. They are on the bright side.
Wow that is a dramatic difference in tone. Any thoughts on playability? Glad I didn’t waste money on Tomastik. Will go LaBella thank you!
I'm finding the TIs maybe a bit easier to play, seems to be less tension. I even got a set for my short scale Mustang, really digging them. But still might switch back or try something else
If you are only playing Motown all day, the LaBella's are the sound. If you need clarity and punch without losing the fundamental, the TIs are the right choice. Very obvious how the TIs function vs the LaBellas on "Chicken Grease". The LaBellas have wonderful fullness in the bottom but they lack the punch and definition needed with the palm muting.
TI Flats have been my exclusive choice for flats on all my basses now for the past few years. Pricier, but well worth it in my opinion.
Hello. Im using the same Labella FX flats on few basses. How big is difference in tension of Tomastiks and Labellas? Best regards.
Hey, I think this was answered elsewhere in the comments if you dig a bit, but the TIs "feel" like slightly less tension (and in a way that I prefer) but I haven't actually measured/calculated the difference.
I've had a USA Fender P bass for many years that I rarely play. The reason being from the headstock when I play past the 6th fret I have dead spots and wolf notes that I hate. Did either of the LaBella's or the Thomastik give you problems like I'm experiencing? I've been using GHS Precision flats.
No, neither set seemed to create (or resolve) any issues with dead spots. I always assumed those problems are caused by the instrument itself
@@benbynum I seen another video a guy saying he changed his strings from TI's to LaBella then he had dead spots. It got me to thinking 🤔
@@calvinnapier9977 I think the strings can change/move dead spots because many dead spots happen when the vibration is transferred to the truss rod. One of my Ps, you can hear the truss rod vibrate at the frequency of the dead spot.
La Bellas for fatness, Thomastiks for definition
Finally we know the truth! Thanks to you!!!
Trying to decide between these two sets. Which do you prefer?
It's only been two months but the longer the TIs stay on the more I prefer them. It's definitely personal, though, and depends on what sound/feel you're after. Ask me again in 6 months and I may have a different answer.
It's been 6 month's!@@benbynum
@@Komoreeebi Still rocking the TIs on my pbass and mustang!
@@benbynum Sick!
I think i'm gonna pickup a pair of Ti's myself. I keep hearing good stuff!
I have La Bella’s and I prefer the TIs
Hey Ben, thanx for posting this vid....the TI seemed to have a little less output.....what do you think? In comparison both string sets sound good...well playing👌 did you check the TI JF 344? These are my favourites...maybe they are are little louder.....by the way....on what frame/device you have mounted your basses? Thanx in advance and regards...think positive and stay negative👋
Hey, thanks for the comment. So the TIs used in this vid are the JF 344s, I'll update the description with that detail. They do seem to have slightly less overall output than the LaBellas but I think that's b/c they're a bit brighter, perhaps not as tubby or muddy? I wasn't crazy about this at first but they actually seem to sit better in the mix with little to no extra work.
The stand is a K&M performing stand. It's really great but on the expensive side. I'm currently working with an engineer to make something similar, more portable, and ideally at a fraction of the cost. I might feature it in upcoming videos and may also be looking for beta testers in the coming months.
Cheers!
great video ! How about the tension,someone told me TIS have a low tension. thank you
Thanks! I don't have anything to measure the actual tension, but the TIs do "feel" lower than the LaBellas without being too loose. I'm really liking them.
Try GHS Precision Flats sometime.
TIs all the way!
Thanks!🙂😎
At 0% tone, the difference was negligible to my ears.
But at 100% tone, the difference in clarity was very evident: the TIs had way more definition.
It’s a matter of taste, really.
The sets sound the same until you open up the tone control, and it’s there the TI shines with an almost roundwound clarity.
TIs are lacking some fundamental here, but I have heard them cut better than DTBs in a mix for certain types of music.
I vote for TI.
Price vs Price ? Does the TI last longer than La Bella ?
I have tried the La Bella's ( deep talking and also the Low tension flats ) and I'll love to try the Thomastik-Infeld But I think about the Price of the TI ! is it worth it to give it a try ?
No idea which hold up better over time. But the TIs are def worth a try -- string preference is so personal that it's hard to know for sure until you have them on your instrument. And with both LaBella and TI flats you could leave them on for a very long time - hopefully makes price less of a factor.
Pino Palladino is using TI’s and said in a podcast he never changes his strings. One of his basses has the same strings since 40 years 😅
Gorgeous tone. I prefer LaBella's, though.
Dude, lay back!, Relax, at least line up with the click
@benbynum: Don’t listen to that , you’re dead on with the click there . U have excellent time .