La Bella LTF-4A Low Tension Flats Long Scale Stainless Steel Flat Wound 4- String Electric Bass 42-100

tl;dr: Very smooth, but heavy strings that produce a wonderful pure tone.I got a set of these strings to try out on my Ibanez SR300E and I think I've found my new favorites.These strings are a steel core coated with a very thick nylon wrap. The strings are pretty heavy gauged and take a bit of finger strength to move around. That being said, the sound that these things puts out is just absolutely beautiful. I don't know much about music theory, so I'm probably going to use the wrong terms, but the tone that these strings produce feels the most "pure" out of any strings I've used. What I mean by "pure" is that the sound matches what I imagine a bass string might sound like if you were able to suspend it in thin air and not have any instrument (or human) interfering with the strum. I like this sound a lot because it feels like a clean slate. If I want to modify the sound, I've got a real clean starting point and any pedals or effects you add are just building off of that pure sound so that you don't have to compensate to eliminate qualities that don't fit the sound you're looking for.Ok, so they sound great, but how do they feel? Well, I tell ya, I LOVE the way they feel. It is a little odd at first because the nylon coating is really smooth. It feels very different from slinky round wound strings that you might be used to. I personally prefer the feeling over the raspy cheese-graters that are normal round wound strings. I do prefer the softer nylon texture that some other nylon wound strings use (D'Addario Tapewound are my favorite texture) - there's something nice about the slight friction you get from that sort of tape, but the way these strings are coated make them slippery smooth - like fishing wire. Again, it's not a deal breaker for me, but it is very different from what I'm used to. After playing for an hour or so, it feels good, but still a bit odd.I think the only real negative that I've come across is that I love black (or colorful) nylon strings and these are only available in silver with the thick clear coating (as far as I know anyway). It's not a big deal, but it does look a little bit like a YouTuber tried to coat bass strings in resin to see what would happen. From a distance, they look pretty standard, but if you're up close they certainly stand out as something out of the ordinary. If they just used a black nylon coating, I'd be in love with the aesthetic, but as it stands they're not my favorite strings for eye appeal.The last thing to mention is the low-tension aspect of these strings. This is where these strings really shine. These strings feel so light and wibbly when you get them going. Despite how thick these strings are, they are crazy responsive. Even after only playing with them for one day, I can tell you that manipulating these strings is an absolute pleasure. I found that the were performing beautifully no matter what I threw at them. They did a great job with subtle soft songs and had no problem rocking along with some low-tuned Korn oldies from my high school days. I can't exactly explain why, but these strings are better at doing the things my fingers want them to do than any other strings I've used in the past. And they're just so sensitive - every little detail of your fingers' motion will come through, even those little things that you didn't realize were problems because your old strings deadened the issue! After using these strings for only moments, I realized that I was using WAY too much pressure for some of my fingering positions and all I needed was a light touch to make the music happen. I have a feeling my muscles and joints will be happy about that one in the long run.I'd absolutely recommend trying these strings out for any bassist. They are unusual and may take a bit of an adjustment period, but I fear that I may never be able to buy other strings again!Pros:-Sound SO GOOD-Feel SO GOOD-Handles super-low tuning no problem-Zero buzz/rattle/noise-SensitivityCons:-Heavy strings take finger muscle to manipulate-Not the most visually pleasing strings on the market-Unusual feel that may not be right for some folks

I have played for many years and never used flats. I decided to give some a try and started my research and I see... "Flats have higher tension than rounds." "You will probably have to adjust your truss rod after switching to flats." None of this sounds fun just to slap a new set of strings on to try out. Then I saw some recommendations for these LaBella Low Tension Flatwound Strings. Could this be the solution to my conundrum?I ordered a set and put them on my (new-to-me) fretless bass. I checked the neck... No noticeable change, so I played it that day and checked it in the morning. Still perfect! They feel great and have greatly improved the feel of that bass. I then thought, "I wonder how they would feel on my short-scale Bronco Bass." Do they even MAKE a short-scale set? YES! Ordered, installed on the Bronco, and same results- all the flatwound goodness with no extra tension for the fretting hand to deal with and no neck adjustments needed. WIN!Now, if you've never used flats, one thing to note is they aren't "bright" sounding and if they are out of the package, they won't be for long. I am a Precision Bass guy and barely roll my tone knob up, so this is perfect for me. Just be aware. I am very curious how much these would tame the high end of a Jazz Bass. That's the one thing I don't like about J-Basses- all the treble. An experiment to look forward to!If you're on the fence about flatwound strings or had a previous experience that wasn't great due to tension or neck bowing issues, order these bad boys right now!

I recently purchased 2 jazz basses. I like to keep rounds on one and flats on the other. I have TI jazz flats (low tension) on a P bass and Rickenbacker (both sets have been on for over a decade) and love the feel/sound of those, however, the cost of TI’s have gotten out of hand. Decided to give these a try and they are fantastic strings. They’re just as good as the TI flats at a much better price. I love that they’re low tension and have a more flexible feel as compared to your typical flatwound string. If your bass is accustomed to typical flats or even rounds, be prepared to loosen the truss rod for some relief. Now to see how they hold up over the next 10+ years.

I play an old replica of a '54 Precision, which I built many years ago. It always had great action, until I stored it for 4 years with a set of DiAddario Chromes on it, fully tuned up. I'll never do that again! My once fabulous neck couldn't hold straight against the high tension of the Chromes (approximately 224 pounds of pull when tuned).Being a guitar builder and luthier, of course I did a truss rod adjustment right away but the truss rod couldn't overcome the pull of the strings and wouldn't allow me to flatten the neck. I de-strung the bass for a few days and tried adjusting the truss rod again- no luck. Next I went on the hunt for low tension flatwounds, in the hope that I'd be able to rescue my bass neck and not have to replace it.I found LaBella Low Tension Flats and saw that at full tension, they only exert 134 ponds of pull (tension). That's almost 90 pounds less than Chromes, so I ordered a set and strung it up with the new LTFs as soon as they arrived. The new flats relieved most of the bow in the neck, bringing my cherished bass back into playability!Nothing against DiAddario, the maker of the Chromes, which I used for over a decade on all my basses, my old '54 replica just couldn't take the higher tension they exert. I wasn't specifically looking for easier action, but that comes along with the LTFs anyway. They feel great, and have the thump I crave as an R&B p-bass player, who learned from listening to James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, and Carol Kaye. Best of all, my old '54 is back from the dead!Even though I'm new to these strings, I gave five stars for durability, just because I've been buying strings since 1969 and over the years I have gained complete trust in LaBella products.LaBella- thank you!D

Installed strings on my PBASS. Incredible performance

Ich habe mir die Labella Strings gekauft, um mal was anderes auszuprobieren.Ich spiele eine Yamaha TRB 1004 Jazz Bass, und spielle sehr gerne Richtung R&B und Reggae.Also ohne weitere Effekte nur mit meinem Mesa Boogie Preamp, hört sich der Bass mit den Labella Saiten völlig anders an.Im Obertonbereich der hohen Töne passiert wirklich deutlich mehr. Also das ist wirklich ein top Upgrade für meinen Sound. Der Bass klingt auf einmal wirklich nach High End und ich bin wrklich überrascht wieviel Nuancen da durch leichtes verändern der Equalizer Einstellungen hörbar werden.Ich denke, dass ich da wirklich für mich, die richtigen Saiten gefunden habe !

Great strings , best I’ve had

Günstiger und besser als dIe Flats von Thomastic.Eingespielt ein Traum,!

These strings are just so amazing for Dub and Reggae they don't really need a review, just another star. The service was excellent as well.