La Bella tapewound tension question

jaybones

jaybones

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Mar 4, 2015
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#1
I recently out a set of La Bella tapewounds on my Affinity P bass, and I've noticed they feel like there's less tension. The low E will even rattle a bit when plucked hard. Also, at the same time my action seems to have gone up. When capoing the first fret, the action at the 12th is 6mm.

I'm mostly a guitar player (can't you tell?) and wonder if I need to adjust my truss rod.

I'm sure I can go to youtube and watch a tutorial but I'd rather take the easy way out and ask real people.
 
#4
nathanmiller said:
Which gauge are those La Bellas? If it's one of the heavier gauges like the Jamerson 52-110 set, I read that they almost always require a truss rod adjustment.
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Gauges of tapes are misleading: the metal roundwound under the tape is still on the thin side (e.g. .100 or less for the .115 nylons E's some brands make), and the nylon layer weighs nothing. Depending on the gauge of conventional strings the bass wore before the change, an adjustment may be required for less tension, not more as with fat (metal) flats like the Jamersons.
 
#5
I have played both the black and white La Bella tapewounds. The "regular" gauge tapewounds, 60-115, due to the thickness of the nylon, which adds diameter, but no appreciable mass, play with about the same tension as a 40-100 set of conventional rounds. The "light" gauge 50-105 play with a really light tension, about the same as a 35-90 set of conventional rounds.

Since they are manufactured in a similar manner, the tension chart for the D'Addario rounds, which I have also played, and which have the same gauges as the La Bella light gauge roundwounds, will give you a ballpark of the actual numbers.

I have also played the Fender tapewounds, which are a little rougher, but a similar tension feel to the La Bella regular gauge, and the Rotosounds, which have a different feel due to the damping material in the winds to make them more "gut-like" (read: thumpy). I don't like the A string on the full scale set of Rotos, to me it has too much tension compared to the rest of the set. To me, the medium scale on my 32" AEB is much more balanced with its slightly lighter A string. The GHS tapewounds, being wound over ground wound strings instead of round wound strings, were in another universe, with strange (to me) tension feel and a twangy tone.
 
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