EssentialTension

[quote name='Beedster' post='943998' date='Sep 2 2010, 10:11 PM']By far the best post in this thread so far Dave, nice one [/quote] Thanks Chris, but you're too generous.

[quote name='howieee' post='943978' date='Sep 2 2010, 09:48 PM']... nothing can beat 14 tubes all in one amp! [/quote] 15?

[quote name='Hoppo75' post='941543' date='Aug 31 2010, 11:15 PM']Hey folks, anyone in the market for Labellas give stringbusters a look- cheapest I could find and plenty of selection.[/quote] Definitely plenty of selection.

I'd always wondered who was the owner of this.

[quote name='silddx' post='943709' date='Sep 2 2010, 05:52 PM']Yes, I was being a bit sarky. I thought cœur was heart?[/quote] .. but 'heart' didn't rhyme with 'find' ..

[quote name='51m0n' post='943678' date='Sep 2 2010, 05:21 PM'][/quote] [quote]The owner of this 458 noticed the fire while he was driving along in Paris[/quote] Lucky he noticed.

[quote name='Beedster' post='943638' date='Sep 2 2010, 04:44 PM']Think I'm going to set up a support group for anyone who, like me, is now suffering from emotional exhaustion from reading this thread [/quote] I'm in for that.

[quote name='lanark' post='941557' date='Aug 31 2010, 11:24 PM']Love the contrast between the black strings and white body and scratchplate. Very nice indeed. Has anyone tried fitting bridge and pup covers to this thing?[/quote] I don't think a bridge cover fits over the high mass bridge.

[quote name='redstriper' post='941310' date='Aug 31 2010, 07:59 PM']Looking good - how do the Labella blacks compare to the Rotosounds in sound and feel ? And how do the Wizards compare to the original pups ?[/quote] The Wizards are thicker sounding in the bass and crisper in the highs than the original pickups - although I would say the originals are quite usable. I haven't tried Roto black nylons on this bass. Before the La Bellas it was Pyramid Gold black nylons. I'm undecided about which I like more and may put the Pyramids back on. I'm finding the La Bellas somewhat brighter and clankier than I expected, whereas the Pyramids sound worn in straight out of the packet. I might even try some Rotos.

[quote name='lanark' post='940442' date='Aug 30 2010, 10:01 PM']I'd love to see a photo of the guitar with the black strings over the white body? Could you post one?[/quote] Here we go. You might notice a bit of a gap between the scratchplate and the control plate. I bought the scratchplate (from Cygnus x-1 on BC) on the offchance it would fit, which it nearly did, all the screw holes lined up although I lost one of the screws under the bed. I don't know whether I can be bothered to get one made to the tort original as a template so that it will fit perfectly. The black white combo looks better in person than in my poor pics.

[quote name='lanark' post='940442' date='Aug 30 2010, 10:01 PM']I'd love to see a photo of the guitar with the black strings over the white body? Could you post one?[/quote] I'll try to sort a pic tomorrow. The Pyramid black nylons have been replaced by La Bella black nylons but the effect is the same. Looks good. If I forget to do it, feel free to PM to remind me.

Sold for £2000. Someone got a bargain, or not.

[quote name='lanark' post='939704' date='Aug 30 2010, 12:04 AM']Anyone who's used the black nylons (either LaBellas or the Rotosound ones) can you tell me how long the black nylon coating lasts? One of the additional attractions of flats is that of hardly ever having to change strings - and while I love the look of the black ones, if they get tatty so that I'm changing as often as a Mark King soundalike then it defeats part of the object.[/quote] I've had La Bella nylons on my Jazz for about six months and not noticed any problem yet. I remember reading, at TB I think, about someone having them peal but it was because of a rough bridge piece that had cut the nylon. I had Roto nylons on an Aria for two or three years a few years ago with no problem and story has it that Herbie Flowers has had the Rotos on his Jazz for decades.

[quote name='99ster' post='939715' date='Aug 30 2010, 12:35 AM']I found LaBellas to be too high tension for me (the Jamerson ones I think they were) - are the Pyramid Golds lower tension??? Thanks.[/quote] I've never tried the Jamersons but I'd say the Pyramids are not much different in tension to the La Bella 760FLs. It's the Thomastiks which are much lower tension.

[quote name='karlfer' post='939681' date='Aug 29 2010, 11:17 PM']Thars fantastic Dave, thanks very much Cheers, Karl.[/quote] Your welcome. I've since checked the La Bella catalogue and their are six (not four) varieties of 760s. I missed out 760FXL (extra light) and 760FS (standard) but I've never seen either of those for sale.

[quote name='karlfer' post='939613' date='Aug 29 2010, 09:28 PM']Firstly what are 750s?[/quote] I take it you mean 760s. La Bella 760s are Deep Talkin' Flats. They come in four varieties: 760FL - light gauge set - 43/60/82/104 760M - Jamerson set - 52/73/95/110 760N - black nylon set - 60/70/94/115 760FHBB - Hofner Beatle bass set (short scale) - 50/65/80/100 [quote name='karlfer' post='939613' date='Aug 29 2010, 09:28 PM']Secondly I need advice as well please. I have a 70's re-issue Japanese P. Currently strung with Roto Swing, 45-105. I need to know if any flats have similar tension to these. I have no problem doing the intonation but I don't want to take the neck off to adjust the truss as I am just not confident I will do it without bollocking a screw thread or the wood. Yes, I know I'm a chicken/idiot. Any advice greatfully accepted, Cheers, Karl.[/quote] It's a long time since I played any Roto Swing but my recollection is that the La Bellas will be higher tension. I would expect to tweak the truss rod a tiny bit for the FL set or more if you were trying the Jamerson set. However, if you're after a Motown/60s sound you may want a higher action anyway. Doing the truss rod is OK, just a quarter turn at a time.

[quote name='lanark' post='939009' date='Aug 28 2010, 08:20 PM']... I use flats on everything - I just couldn't go back to rounds now.[/quote] Me too. La Bellas on the fretted P and J, Thomastiks on the fretless P, and Pyramid Golds on my Decade.

+1 on the following points: *La Bella flats - the older the better and the older they are the less you need to roll off the treble *High action - this is important, not even the slightest fret sizzle and then a bit higher *One finger - unless you can make [i]exactly[/i] the same tone with both fingers *Play between the pickup and the fingerboard *Foam mute at the bridge I'm not convinced about the lard/margarine story. However, as always, it's in your soul and in your fingers

[quote name='molan' post='932940' date='Aug 22 2010, 06:24 PM']The Funkmasters JB Rhythm Sections book by Allan Slutsky & Chuck Silverman. [/quote] I think I need to buy that book.

I expect he had a few. There were at least two because I've seen a pic, I can't remember where, of two of them next to each other. Searched for it but couldn't find it.

Didn't see that but did see them at Reading two years ago. They were extremely good. RATM followed them and, in my view, were even better.

[quote name='BB2000' post='938494' date='Aug 27 2010, 10:52 PM']760FL[/quote] +1

[quote name='Clarky' post='937594' date='Aug 26 2010, 09:58 PM']... Let me start, I have four (excluding the DB, which doesn't really count as its more an attractive ornament than an instrument, the little it ever gets played). In fact, let me re-phrase to "how many electric basses do you own?" ...[/quote] So do I count the EUB or not, and do I count the electro-acoustic or not. I tell you what, I did count them.

The one that comes with a free bandsaw.