Labella White Tape vs EB Cobalt Flat short scale strings

[JobuDRK79]

Hello lovelies.
Well back at it with my short scale experiments again, This time checking out the Labella White Tapes 760T-S and the Ernie Cobalt Flats 105-45.
This is kind of an observation/review/advice/sharing of info type vibe, so here goes.

Let’s strat with the Cobalts. I really dug these strings on my 5 string 34” G n L L2500 with EMG DC pups and BTC active circuit. I had to order two sets because I did not like the 100 and the 80 E and A, so ordered a 105 and 85 and they sit happily on it now. Well balanced, sound great, kinda like round wounds but not really. I actually compared them to some rounds and when the cobalts are new they sound exactly like and have the same frequency spectrum as well worn in DR Fats. As that’s my main choice or rounds, they worked great for me.
One main gripe was a very rough feeling A string but I digress, let’s move on to the shorts.

I ordered two sets of new shorts, the Cobalt and the Labella. My favourite all time flats are the Thomastik for that special sauce that just sits you so well in the mix and can be punchy and aggressive or laid back and phat, or the Deep Talking Labella shirts for the Old School thump. I am gravitating more and more to flats on everything and even more so to short scales because they just tend to sit me in the mix where I want to be.

So Cobalts. I actually ordered the Labella copper white as well as the whites but the copper was out of stock so thought I would try these instead. Firstly the G string was a dud. Not rough like the A on the long scale but just buzzed out. Manufacturing flaw. So I took a G from a long scale while waiting for replacement. (Yes you can use Cobalt longs on a short, they are flexible enough). The feel was great. The tension sits right between the Thomastik and the deep talking. I class the TI as low and the Deep as high so these I say medium. Then you have elasticity. Deeps have none, TI has loads and the cobalts at much closer to deeps in the sense that they are stiff. Not tight! But stiffer. Easy to bend but still nice and taught for the picking hand. The one issue I had with the shorts over the long, or their application on the shorter scale is they have less mids and are a little “over bassy”. For example if you play chords with these the notes are no where near as readable as say on the TI flats or even the Deep talkers. It’s not bad but just an observation. Otherwise they have a good punch to them when you dig in, seems to bring some of the mids back to life. Sound great with a pick and slap is useable. By that I mean not Marcusmazing but useable for sure. I personally would use these in a rock setting where the bass is more a supporting role and doesnt really require super articulate but you want to be felt as well as heard. They will certainly sit well with walls of guitars or also would be at home in modern country, blues of even pop applications. Just don’t be hitting too many 3 note chords and expecting anything other than a lump of sound.

Ok, now the nylon tape whites. Awesome. Was hesitant to file the nut if I did not like them. And no worries there because I love them! What a great string. They feel amazing and sound great alone and really great with effects. Very useable in the mix and I think a better “round wound sound” than the cobalts and that’s why I got these two sets of strings, I was after a “round presence”. I am sticking with my TI and Deep talkers on two shorts but was looking for a set of strings for both a fretless and fretted short that were “flat wound like” on the left hand and “round wound sounding” to the ear. Both would pass that test in the mix, and for me, I prefer the White tapes for that application. They haven’t gone on the fretless yet. I am interested to see which set the fretless likes. That’s why I had ordered the Copper Whites, they were supposed to go in the fretless. But everything happens for a reason they say. The tension of the whites on the shorty is just right and I actually (just like with the TI flats too) prefer this short scale version over the long scale for both feel and sound. Real killer stuff. I used the 105-45 whites on a 34” and that is the same as using the 115-60 on the short. The tension is the same but the sound and feel under the fingers is just thicker and I really dig it.

so let’s see how both sets fare over time as far as longevity goes.
If anyone has any questions about shorties? Anything? I have kinda done it all. Pick up mods, body mods, bridges, strings, preamps…..I have been a shorty fan since I started playing 30 years back and have always been on a path of discovery ever since. Even if you want to know what long scale strings work in a short scale without breaking or messing up I can tell you that too.

peace out and thanks for reading.