La Bella White Nylon, but...

I've used the LaBella White Tape wounds for the last 6 years on my 4-string Jazz. I love the sound I get out of my LaBella White Tape Wound strings!

They didn't strike me as being particularly low tension, but I have found that when doing those galloping dotted 16th notes like on the song Barracuda by Heart, that it is significantly easier to play back in front of my bridge pickup than up in front of my neck pickup. My default plucking position is a little in front of that neck pickup. But I do find that extra-tension on the faster syncopated notes to be easier to play plucking the string back towards the bridge because of the increased tension. You might just try plucking the strings back by the bridge and see how that works for you. Not sure that will work because mine is s 4-string compared to your 5-string, but it should only take you a minute or two to find out.

I also have a 5-string but rarely use it because my Jazz sounds better, but for better tension on a 5-string I think you need to have at least that B string on a 35" scale instead of the more common 34" scale. Mine is only a 34" scale and it has round wounds on it. I use it so rarely now it's not really worth my effort at the moment of putting some new LaBella tape wounds on it.

Are you using the "light" (50-105) or the "standard" (60-115) set ?

I like White Nylons a lot, but only in the 60-115 gauge which calls for a nut modification on most basses...

BTW, I've yet to come across strings which sound close to WNs.

DaBigBadaBoom said:

What strings sound like the white nylon, but are higher tension.

Just put a set on my fretless P and daaaaayymmmnnnnnn they sound and feel amazing... But if I put it in drop D they are extremely flubby. I have to be extremely careful not to hit them too hard or they rattle like mad.

So... What sounds like them, but has higher tension?

Thanks!

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I had La Bella White Nylons on one of my Rics. But I tuned all my basses down to D Standard and those strings were way too floppy.

I put D'Addario Chromes (50-105 / medium gauge) on that same bass. I get a similar sound, but with higher tension. Chromes and the White Nylons are brighter than typical flats or tapes, so they should work well for your fretless.

DaBigBadaBoom said:

Thanks!

I'll grab a set and try them out!

Addicted to the white nylon sound now

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You're so welcome! I had White Nylons on the Ric in my avatar when I made my second album. They're amazing strings, but only for standard tuning. The Chromes will be featured on my upcoming third album, which I plan on releasing in early 2025.

If I ever get a 5 string bass, I would get a 5 string set of White Nylons and tune them to D Standard (with a high A#) because their tension is so low. I would even do that now if La Bella sold 4 string BEAD sets.