Which flatwounds should I get?

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jpbass0501

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Feb 15, 2016
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#1
Hey guys. I am new here. I need some advice.
I have a 1976 Fender Jazz and am considering the LaBella Jamersons? Anyone used this combo? Trying to get the Jamerson sound except with a Jazz bass. I love the bass so I don't want to get rid of it for a p-bass if I don't have to.
Any and all advice would help.
Thanks
 
#2
The Jamerson sound comes from a precision bass. A jazz with flats can sound great but it's not gonna sound like James Jamerson.

As for the Jamerson set, if you like really, really high tension and you're confident in the strength of your neck and it's truss rod, go for it. Otherwise lower tension labella flats basically sound the same, and put much less stress on the neck.
 
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#3
jpbass0501 said:
Trying to get the Jamerson sound except with a Jazz bass. I love the bass so I don't want to get rid of it for a p-bass if I don't have to.
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Gorn Captain said:
The Jamerson sound comes from a precision bass. A jazz with flats can sound great but it's not gonna sound like James Jamerson.

As for the Jamerson set, if you like really, really high tension and you're confident in the strength of your neck and it's truss rod, go for it. Otherwise lower tension labella flats basically sound the same, and put much less stress on the neck.
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I tend to agree with @Gorn Captain in that a J bass with flats do have a completely different vibe from a P bass with flats.

That said, I'm really digging the sound I'm getting out of my Fender Jazz with the La Bella 760FL (43-60-82-104).
 
#4
Having set up a friend's J-bass with heavy Chromes, you are not going to get the Motown vibe out of it. A good vibe, yes. But not a Motown vibe.

That said, if you are considering also changing out the pickups for split coil humbuckers, like a Fralin, SD Apollo, Aguilar, Nordy, etc., you can get a little closer because the characteristic of a split coil J-bass humbucker also takes one step in the direction away from J-pickup growl towards P-bass "Daddy's Home" tone. Tell Lindy Fralin what you are looking for and drop the $$$ and he will wind it so you can get close. Use 250 kohm audio taper pots and a .047 tone cap.
 
#5
I've always found a Jazz bass with warm flats to be a great tone. IMO, the Jazz with the neck pickup solo'd and tone rolled of will get you in the ballpark of that tone, but I've always heard it as being a little more "pillowy" than the P bass. Deeper, and not quite as punchy to me. However, I've never felt out of place playing Jamerson tunes on a Jazz with flats. Close enough for me!
 
#6
I don't know exactly what Jamerson used, but Duck Dunn used La Bella Deep Talking Flats 760FM .049 - .109.
Had some for a while, but they were a bit too think for my taste. I use Rotosound 77s now on 2 of my Ps.
But, no on Js.

J - rounds
P - flats
 
#8
Bassnomer said:
the Jazz with the neck pickup solo'd and tone rolled of will get you in the ballpark of that tone, but I've always heard it as being a little more "pillowy" than the P bass. Deeper, and not quite as punchy to me.
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ShowKing said:
Yeah, as mentioned you won't get a P bass sound like Jamerson from a J bass. You just have to get a P bass!
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That's because a Jazz pickup has a tall, narrow coil, and a P pickup has short fat coils- they can be in the same location, but since wound differently, will always sound different.
 
#9
michael_t said:
I tend to agree with @Gorn Captain in that a J bass with flats do have a completely different vibe from a P bass with flats.

That said, I'm really digging the sound I'm getting out of my Fender Jazz with the La Bella 760FL (43-60-82-104).
Click to expand...

Those are the flats I started with on my J-Bass. They sounded great but I found them to be too stiff for me. I switched to the Tis and REALLY loved the feel, but they didn't marry well to my bass. I now have the Pyramid flats and am quite happy.

When I solo the neck pickup, I can get a very convincing Hofner tone. Great thump.
 
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#10
Totally agree with what has been said here, a Jazz with flats won't quite get you that Jamerson sound. BUT it can deliver the other JJ's signature sound. Jerry Jemmot played a Jazz with flats on most of his classic recordings, and I'd say his tone is right up there with Jamerson's. As far as I know he played Labella's, most of the players of that era did. If you don't know Jemmot, check out BB King's "Completely Well" and Aretha Franklin's "Aretha Now". GREAT player.

Whatever you decide, DO NOT sell a vintage bass you love, you'll regret it later.
 
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#14
Just a thought... because the OP's goal seems to be the sound - not necessarily the string itself... maybe (gasp:jawdrop:) something other than flats? Like some heavy LaBella black tapewounds, for example? Don't know about a Jazz Bass, but they turned my Rogue VB-100 into a way-down-deep-in-a-cave monster. 'Cause, otherwise, yeah.. I don't think you can really get there from here, without some bass mods - or a P-Bass...:)
 
#15
Just my experience with flats and Ps and Js: A J with Labella 1954 flats (the Jamerson Set) will get you much closer to that sound than any P with most other flats.
"The Jamerson sound comes from a Precision bass" is in my experience less true than: The Jamerson sound comes from 110 high tension Labella flats.

My only bass today with Labella flats is a JV Precision from 1982, but if I had to decide between a J with Labellas and a P with most other flats, I would go with the J.

I own two Ps and 4 Js and have tried a lot of different flats and tapewounds on all of them during the last 20 years.
One thing that makes the Labellas special: with the high tension you get nearly the tension of ordinary strings between the bridge pickup and the bridge if you plug the Labellas near the neck. Many who complain about the high tension should try to shift the position of their right hand closer to the neck.
 
#17
I wouldnt suggest the Labella Jamersons for a jazz bass. They are very heavy strings, and bringing them to pitch and keeping them there, on a jazz bass neck is asking for trouble. The naysayers (including those who have used those strings for a period with no ill results, or perhaps they just didnt observe the ill results) can talk all they want about how if a bass is in good condition, any string will be ok. I can tell you that without a doubt, that set will put your truss rod to work and it may not be up to the task. And, depending on the truss rod type, if you do not have sufficient meat on the neck between the truss rod slot and the fingerboard, you may likely end up, perhaps years down the road, perhaps next week, with a rise in the FB near the butt end. Do you really want to "risk your neck" with a set of strings chasing a tone that you could achieve with a well broken in set of 760FL, coupled with appropriate EQ?
 
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#19
GHS Flats. Foam at the bridge. Neck pup at 10, Bridge pup at 6-8, tone, about 5. Play between the neck and the neck pup. Light touch finger-style. Won't be Jamerson, but then again, you're going to like the sound. Probably.
 
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