Multi Scale Flatwound Tension

would La Bella’s on a 33-36” multiscale have tension issues?

  • I’m educated in this area and I say no.

    Votes: 4 57.1%

  • I’m educated in this are and I say yes.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I’m guessing and I say no.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I’m guessing and I say yes.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • idk

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • Total voters
    7
Profound Cereal

Profound Cereal

May 28, 2023
7
2
301
#1
TLDR: would la bella deep talking flats work for a multiscale? listed tensions and string scales below:

G string: .052 - Scale 33”
D string: .073 - Scale 33.75
A string: 0.095 - Scale 34.5”
E string: 0.110 - Scale 35.25”
B string: 0.130 - Scale 36”

all 38” winding length. the G, D, A strings are all “standard long scale;” E & B strings are “extra long scale.”

Bridge & total winding length has been accounted for. Only concerned with tension / tone.

My thinking is: “standard long scale” G, D, A strings all function on a 34” bass despite having 38” winding length.

(Background, I play a short scale mustang, have a lot of experience with precisions. Heavy La bella flats are the strings that resonate with my soul. BUT I really want a 5 string. I’m a woodworker, so I’m making my own precision-inspired fiver. I’m worried about investing time and money, making a Serek-inspired 5-string shortscale or even a 34” fiver and not having a crisp B. But I play with heavy flats and I don’t want to give that up. Also, scaling down slightly from the Dingwall 34-37” bc imo the G string on a 34” bass is pingy.)

Anyways, for flats on a multiscale, does see any issues with this train of thought? Any “the tension wouldn’t work” or “the tone would vary wildly” or whatnot?
 
#4
On multi scale bass guitar, the 120-125 gauge B string are stiff enough and ring clear on 36 scale.

Curious that why you need heavy set Labella flat on your MS bass guitar ? Wanna mimic James Jameson vibe ?
 
#6
Yahboy said:
On multi scale bass guitar, the 120-125 gauge B string are stiff enough and ring clear on 36 scale.

Curious that why you need heavy set Labella flat on your MS bass guitar ? Wanna mimic James Jameson vibe ?
Click to expand...

I guess, I’ve tried a million different string sets and At the end of the day, I’m a fat neck pickup and flats kinda guy. Fits everything from Leon Bridges & Khrungbin type music to bed room pop stuff, and tbh when I listen to synth bass, it’s much fatter and less bright than a lot of people’s basses.

Do you think the G string would work? It’s .052 made for 34” and I’d be tuning it to 33”. would it be too tight? they also make .039, .045, and .049 for G strings.
 
#7
Profound Cereal said:
I guess, I’ve tried a million different string sets and At the end of the day, I’m a fat neck pickup and flats kinda guy. Fits everything from Leon Bridges & Khrungbin type music to bed room pop stuff, and tbh when I listen to synth bass, it’s much fatter and less bright than a lot of people’s basses.

Do you think the G string would work? It’s .052 made for 34” and I’d be tuning it to 33”. would it be too tight? they also make .039, .045, and .049 for G strings.
Click to expand...

The .052 G string has lower tension on 33" compare to 34".

On my previous DTF experience, once you drop tune, something like same string set on 34 scale bass guitar, then move to 33/32 scale bass guitar, their tone just become awful and pretty unbalanced string to string tonal.

I suggest you try email Jason @ fretnation.com for professional advice.

Hopehelp

Edit.

My previous Ibanez SRFF805 has 34-35.5 scale, the only standard length flatwound set able install are DR legend.
Once broken in, entire bass sound deep, fat and decay faster than Labella flat. Truly percussive.
The end of ribbon winding point on this 38' length 125 B string just meet on nut slot. Pretty sure not suitable for 36' scale.
 
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#8
Yahboy said:
The .052 G string has lower tension on 33" compare to 34".

On my previous DTF experience, once you drop tune, something like same string set on 34 scale bass guitar, then move to 33/32 scale bass guitar, their tone just become awful and pretty unbalanced string to string tonal.

I suggest you try email Jason @ fretnation.com for professional advice.

Hopehelp
Click to expand...

perfect, thanks for the advice!
 
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#10
Check in with Jason at FretNation.com. He’s a Dingwall dealer and has gone to great lengths to help us multi scale players have a wider choice of strings.

I haven’t used Labella flats on my Dingwalls, but I have used: TI jazz flats and Payson flats. TI flats are my favorite, the Paysons a close second. The advantage of the Payson flats are the tapered ball ends, so switching from Payson Flats to Payson or Dingwall rounds is easy. Not much saddle adjustments and maybe a tiny truss rod tweak.

I am curious about the LaBellalow tension flats, I liked them on a friends short scale. I don’t know if they are long enough for a longscale multi.

I’ve run all kinds of sets on my multi scale basses and most worked just fine.
 
#11
It has been my experience that every string set ends up more balanced in tone and tension on a multiscale instrument. I have not used a super-heavy Labella set like this, but the light and medium sets I've tried work well. If you are building, I recommend going with headless hardware, it will afford you more options for strings.
 
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#12
singlemalt said:
Check in with Jason at FretNation.com. He’s a Dingwall dealer and has gone to great lengths to help us multi scale players have a wider choice of strings.

I haven’t used Labella flats on my Dingwalls, but I have used: TI jazz flats and Payson flats. TI flats are my favorite, the Paysons a close second. The advantage of the Payson flats are the tapered ball ends, so switching from Payson Flats to Payson or Dingwall rounds is easy. Not much saddle adjustments and maybe a tiny truss rod tweak.

I am curious about the LaBellalow tension flats, I liked them on a friends short scale. I don’t know if they are long enough for a longscale multi.

I’ve run all kinds of sets on my multi scale basses and most worked just fine.
Click to expand...
thanks! I got in to touch with Jason and it seems like La Bella’s should work!
 
#13
BarfanyShart said:
It has been my experience that every string set ends up more balanced in tone and tension on a multiscale instrument. I have not used a super-heavy Labella set like this, but the light and medium sets I've tried work well. If you are building, I recommend going with headless hardware, it will afford you more options for strings.
Click to expand...

Can you go healdess for multi scale? or with flats?
 
#15
I’ve got too many basses, but I’ve been on the lookout for a Ibanez EHB MS. I could re use and experiment with my huge collection of strings. Headless and multi scale is a thing.

I wasn’t ever able to bond with my Zon Vinnie, my first try with headless. The Ibanez EHB looks pretty cool. While we all wait for the first headless Dingwalls to be developed….
 
#17
Isn't it EHB 1xx5ms has 33-35 MS range instead 33-36 ?

If the EHB you own are 1005 with Bart system, I highly recommend you try the EB 2816 45.65.80.100.130.
I remember a EHB owner been share this on EHB club early day on positive side.

BH2 already sound warmer, I can't imagine how she sound with DTF set while well broken in.

The DR legend has purcussive choke, dry, zero sustain deep tone on my previous SRFF805. Pretty limit voice range.
 
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#18
singlemalt said:
Check in with Jason at FretNation.com. He’s a Dingwall dealer and has gone to great lengths to help us multi scale players have a wider choice of strings.

I haven’t used Labella flats on my Dingwalls, but I have used: TI jazz flats and Payson flats. TI flats are my favorite, the Paysons a close second. The advantage of the Payson flats are the tapered ball ends, so switching from Payson Flats to Payson or Dingwall rounds is easy. Not much saddle adjustments and maybe a tiny truss rod tweak.

I am curious about the LaBellalow tension flats, I liked them on a friends short scale. I don’t know if they are long enough for a longscale multi.

I’ve run all kinds of sets on my multi scale basses and most worked just fine.
Click to expand...

Have you put flats on a 37 inches multi scale bass? How does it sound? Oh and how does the Multi Scale effect the TI's? I love them I just wish the low strings had a big more tension for lower tunings
 
#19
All my longscale Dingwalls have worn TI flats. Or Payson flats, which are much easier to set up as they have tapered ball ends.

Five strings were usually strung E-C, but the six string sounded great with TI flats, B-C. The .136 B string isn’t my favorite thing, but played with a light to medium touch, it worked well enough. It’s just a matter of getting used to the strings and how they react to different attacks.

The Dbird longscale is wearing Payson flats, and the Super P has TI flats.

I have sets of rounds that are cut for each bass, along with the flat sets.
Switching between sets of Paysons is much less fiddly since the gauges are so close and they have the tapered ball ends.

The Dingwalls sound great with flats, you can get very retro tones but with that clear pitch definition.
 
#20
Profound Cereal said:

G string: .052 - Scale 33”
D string: .073 - Scale 33.75
A string: 0.095 - Scale 34.5”
E string: 0.110 - Scale 35.25”
B string: 0.130 - Scale 36”

all 38” winding length. the G, D, A strings are all “standard long scale;” E & B strings are “extra long scale.”
Click to expand...

".052 - .110"... Those are the 1954 Originals you're talking about, aren't they? They're very high tension on a 34" scale, so even higher on a multi-scale. Why would you want anything that heavy?

Besides, where would you get the 110 and the 130 in "extra long" (38" winding)? Does La Bella actually offer those? Just asking...
 
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