Flatwound Strings Comparison: La Bella Deep Talkin' Flats VS. Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats

[@larsetom1]

Good comparison! The Thomastik sounded more like roundwounds to me.

[@MusicZtorm]

Killer sound with the la Bella !

[@gsharpslayer3287]

La Bella makes it sound more like a pbass and the other ones are way brighter

[@tomf9292]

I’ve used the Labella’s for many yrs, but I did like the sound of the TI as well, a little,brighter and more growl I guess. Great demo

[@gabrielalbo6911]

I have chosen the La Bella ones based on a lot of research, including this video. I'm super happy with them, and hearing the comparison again (so I can sort of calibrate my ears based on my bass' sound), I feel that's still the sound for me. The Thomastik sound more punchy, with a hint of metal, which does make it sound brighter to me (and to be honest, I do tend to increase trebble when using my P Bass with La Bellas because it sounds a bit too dark), but I still prefer the more mellow, round La Bella sound. I suppose the punchier ones probably cut through the mix better, but then there would be a whole other level of subjectivity on the analysis. Solo, I just prefer the smooth La Bella.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Gabriel Albo I get you. After trying all the flats I could get my hands on, La Bella is still my main choice for flats. It has that round, smooth sound you mentioned that I can’t find on other brands. I’m glad that this video was able to help you with your research. I know it’s nowhere near being the best video around, giving that I’m just a mediocre bassist with very simple recording method, haha. Still, I’m glad that it helped! Thx!

[@miccellomann]

Surprising how great this Sandberg sounds with flats.

[@bassworship50]

The thomastik's had a little "edge/bite" which I liked. I had the labella's but now used DR "Legend" flatwounds.

[@jinggaddi]

Great job on the comparison. I have LaBellas on my P-bass and I couldn't be happier. The TIs have a cool tone as well, a bit punchier with a bit of grit. But I heard that the TIs' tension is too loose. I prefer my strings to "fight" with me a bit.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Yeah, ti’s tension is very low. I also like a bit of tension as well. You should try Rotosound next. They’re pretty cool. not as muddy as la Bella, but not as gritty as ernieball or ti. I put them on 3 of my basses now, including my 5 string p. The low b is much better.

[@jamcam9]

Love the midrange punch of the TIs. Gotta get myself a set for my fretless j.

[@vanessajazp6341]

I use La Bella’s on one of my basses. They sound friggin AWESOME, as your excellent demonstration here shows.

[@grizelda4526]

I’ve used and loved TI’s on my MIM fender J for years now. Just got a G&L J with ebony neck and it’s missing lows with the TI’s. Going to try the La Bella’s.

[@TheBassfresh]

as told to me by carol kaye; she uses thomastik, jamerson and duck used labella. Great demo fo the difference btw. I have P basses w/ each.

[@LeMans512]

Great video. LaBella👍🏼

[@dunkelwelpling]

That is a hard one. A lot of people say the La Bella's feel better, while the Thomastik's are better in the mix. But which one is more important? When playing with my band the bass should be easily recognizable so the Thomastik's are the better ones. On the other hand, the La Bella's are pretty much the smoothest strings out there and feel the best, which equals more fun while playing Bass.

[@harmonicsball89]

The feel is personal. The TI's are lower tensioned than LaBellas. This may be because the regular length TI's only come in one gauge, 43-100 (with a light 70 for an A string). LaBellas have a lot of options for gauges so you can pick one that fits what you're looking for. That's not a knock on TI's. What they are able to accomplish with this one gauge is really remarkable. I use both only. As a producer, both sit nicely in the mix depending on what sound you're going for and the competing instruments and arrangement. They can both sound modern and they can both sound classic. This is a big generalization but in a mix with less instrumentation where you need the bass thump, the LaBella's are hard to beat .Though, Jamerson and other LaBella users of that time got their basslines to jump out because of their playing, but also because the instrumentation (less sustaining/distorted instruments, less compressed, less booming kick drum) left space in the lower registers for them to shine. Also, a little direct mixing board clipping and/or tube amp overdrive added upper harmonic content to help the bass peak out of the mix in musically satisfying and audible ways. I have an entire drawer full of strings from other brands. Without eq or anything, on their own, I have not found any flats that are deeper and fuller sounding than the LaBella's, and I have not found flats that are more responsive and articulate than the TI's. In general, LaBellas = tubby tone. TI's = less tubby tone but more pronounced upper mids and higher harmonics that are also very musical. As mentioned before, it's going to depend on your preferences and what the songs call for, but your choice of either will be a solid choice. Though I've highlighted their differences, both are very versatile options.

[@rallypoint1]

I prefer the LaBellas but I am biased because I have those on my P. Great job on the comparison!!👍🏼

[@BassSoundLibrary]

rallypoint1 after trying as many flats as I could get my hands on, I prefer LaBellas as well. They have the best feeling and they sound like you expect flats to sound. TIs aren’t bad, but their string’s tensions are a bit low to my test. And I’m a hard picker. So, they aren’t working for me.

[@lancerhardy5206]

Thanks for the video! Super useful for people wanting to decide what strings to buy. I love how it’s pretty much about 50/50 for folks. TIs have my vote, but they are both good strings.

[@rosscoplaybass490]

Love that sandberg beautiful tone

[@anyone-f2r]

At about $80 the Thomastik strings are very expensive but they have an AMAZING tone.

[@victormm4215]

in brazil costs 125,97 american dollar

[@Trugspur]

49,00€ in Germany today.

[@michaelraftice1230]

THanks for doing this.. It confirms my love for La Bellas though the Thamastiks sound great too.

[@gavinvonmeyer3746]

La Bella's Flatwound are real 'bassy' sounding, everything else sounds, 'guitary' if that makes sense.

[@pbasswil]

So much of what we're hearing is those powerful pickups and aggressive playing. It's a great ballsy sound (both versions), but to me, the classic sound of both those string sets is thru a low-output P-bass played '60s style. But hey, if it sounds good to you, it _is_ good.

[@jenniplease]

Agreed. These are not representative sounds. Those massive pole pieces and heavy playing are a vibe for sure but not at all giving the classic P + Labellas sound as a standard to judge against.

[@silverfishla]

They both sound great. The LaBella's have a higher tension, so they are really great if you like to have the strings a bit closer to the finger board. The TI's are great and feel way lower (tension wise) and are amazing if you like to have the strings a bit higher up (and feel like butter on the fingers).

[@donh5794]

From your experience, does the higher tension on the La Bellas affect the neck? Need truss rod adjustments? I read about that some time ago. Are these strings Ok for beginners too?

[@ALIONBASS]

​@@donh5794 My experience: if you switch from Thomastik to La Bella's you need to setup your bass again, and maybe a minor adjustement of the trussrod is needed. La Bella also offers low-tension flats, maybe that is a good option for a beginner.

[@donh5794]

@@ALIONBASS Thanks, earlier this year I had the LaBella 760 Deep Talkin' strings and a full setup done on my bass and it plays and sounds great. No problem with the tension, just had to get used to the different feel of the strings.

[@flamulated]

Nice job with the comparison! Easy to hear the broadstroke differences between these two iconic sets. Definitely opposite ends of the spectrum for flats. I tend to run flats on most of my basses and these are my two favs. I love to slap and solo on the TI and play more traditional supportive bass with the LaBella. Am a tech by profession and have had a lot of clients interested in the Ernie Ball slinky flats which sound great but I have had a high number of failed strings. Just ordered a set of La Bella flexible flats to compare to the TI and two strings in first set were bad. Both LaBella and Strings by Mail are backing up the product and sending replacements so I am looking forward to that comparison. Nice groove and stout right hand too!

[@YouveAFriend]

Great string comparison video. That's interesting @flamulated about the failed strings. What should the untrained ear listen for? I've noticed strings sounding dead compared with others or notes not being distinguishable. Is there any more to it I should know about to test. They're expensive! Thanks.

[@MrAMF50]

Would you string the TI's through the bridge or body?

[@flamulated]

I personally don't find enough difference/benefit to stress an expensive set of flats I hope to keep in for a long time by running through body and forcing them to right angle out of body and over saddle. Have plenty of clients who want various string sets(not only flats) through body though and some who I run the lower strings through body and higher ones top loaded or vice versa. The testing I have done or seen done suggests more feel difference than tone and for sure more stress on the string with the sharper bend

[@pillepalle3614]

Wow. That sounded like another bass. Preferred Thomastik.

[@DanielPerez-vt5ez]

Also looks like a different bass! 🙂

[@sk8board_blues248]

Really clear demonstration, thanks

[@onefireoneway]

I use TI on my Stingray and it speaks lovely.

[@Cap683]

D'Addario Chrome flat wound strings are quite popular. That would be good shootout with the La Bella flats. The Chromes are on the bright side initially. They are quite stiff.

[@Iofflight78]

I have both, the TIs sound best on my JMJ mustang and the La Bellas are on my Birdsong bass. I had the TIs on the birdsong but it wasn't quite right. I also have TIs on the new StingRay short scale and it sounds great with those. The bass has a lot of low end and I was having a hard time finding the mids, the TIs fixed that right up.

[@iromanovsky]

syzygywell doesnt TI too floppy on mustang, especially A string. I bought a set and got disappointed with two things 1) floppy A string 2) uneven sound between strings, E-A sound pike rounds, D-G sound like flat. Very big difference when going from A string to D string.

[@nanoareva83]

i really like the E string of the second set!!!!!!! for Steve Harris vibe

[@bumpdunlop]

I'm so happy to hear you lay into the strings. So many week fingered bass players making videos.

[@handsdown5x]

For a vintage sound I’ll go with la Bella.. and for a more modern sound Thomastik

[@frits1463]

Apples to orange's indeed. Very different sound. TI's are better in the mids, labella in the lows for a start.

[@bass3267]

Both sound great!

[@bobbytubbs5469]

Both are great like the grit of th ti and the round bottom of the labellas ironic when i started playing first thing was to slap a set of rotosounds on !!

[@hs5942]

Nice demo!

[@52goldtop]

Love the La Bella’s but damn if those TI’s don’t bring the grit & punch for a flat.

[@MG-vo7is]

Great comparison, thank you. Both sound great, but I like the La Bella a little better.

[@pierremilleret698]

No : different ! 😉

[@Naoho100]

dude killer you have a killer fingerstyle tone

[@trappenweisseguy27]

BIG difference in the feel and tension of these two strings. Polar opposites in fact.

[@jkf9167]

Interesting comparison. I prefer the sound of the LaBellas in this demo, but I can see how someone else would like the livelier sound of the TIs. I like the really button-down LaBella sound. I also like GHS and Dunlop flats on my own bass, but this makes me want to get LaBellas. I play short-scale, so I've never really been tempted by the TIs - too loose.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Josh Feierman after putting the TIs on many of my bass, in the end I prefer LaBallas as well. They’re just what you expect to hear from flats. I haven’t played GHS and Dunlop before but will try in the future, especially GHS. Heard a lot people like them, so I wanna try them myself. And yeah, TIs weren’t so good with short scale, way too floppy for my mustang. The problem is LaBella flats for mustang are so hard to find. Still waiting for my order through their distributor in Thailand. It has been months already...

[@jkf9167]

@@BassSoundLibrary Labellas for Mustang are even hard to find here in the US. GHS are pretty great. They don't look as smooth as Labellas, but they feel pretty smooth. Dunlops are slightly more like TIs sound-wise. Not quite as thumpy. I tried Chromes too, but I didn't like them at all. They felt awkward and sounded like rounds to me.

[@yuichituba]

@Josh Feierman - I second on the GHS flats. They have a great traditional mid-y flatwound sound (especially on a p-bass). AND they’re more affordable!

[@Iofflight78]

I actually have the short scale TI flats on two basses right now and they don't feel nearly as loose or floppy as I'd expected given the comments about them being low tension.

[@richardnacamuli7498]

La Bella

[@robertrosejr1]

LaBella flats all the way

[@luigi.zanini]

Thomastik 0:44

[@jamesgretsch4894]

I like your bass. The pickup magnets are giant.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

They’re Delano’s. If you like kinda modern, mid-scooped kinda sound, I think you’ll like them.

[@huublelieveld8918]

The Thomastiks ask to be played less aggressive. It would be a better comparison if the Thomastiks would be played less hard. The difference in sound would be less extreme I think. The Thomastiks have extremely low tension and thus respond extremely to dynamic of playing.

[@lowendvibeswesleyhorn8053]

Omg sounds so goodN

[@nickharris9761]

La Bella for me

[@richsackett3423]

The T-Is kick here. Nice to know in case of the improbable need to play flats.

[@ThomasHope73]

That’s a punchy bass sound with both sets, l suppose it’s the bass.

[@thescatman5029]

I'm thinking it's more of the pickups.

[@patrickmcpartland1398]

@@thescatman5029 pretty sure those a delanos, they always sound massive. Maybe bit a too hot and punchy for a lot of people haha

[@harmonicsball89]

I use both of these strings regularly. The punchyness comes from a combination of both his right hand technique and the strings. Both sets of strings have an articulate initial snap or attack if you hit them the right way for that; the LaBella's filling out more lo mids and the TI's filling in more upper mids.

[@la196]

I'm thinking its the hands:)

[@taliwaya89]

I'm a new bass player, but I love that riff and the drums. Do you have the music for that? It looks like a great bass exercise! I want to learn it.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

JD Arctic I’m sorry to say that I already deleted the project file of this one. Otherwise I would give it to you. Thanks for the comment!

[@Owenwithee]

It's apples to oranges, I was kind of surprised that the TI's had a very round wound profile to them.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

eric anderson it was to my surprise as well. I used to play mostly la Bella, because I love the smooth feel of the strings, but sound-wise I find them a bit too dark and the tension is a bit too much for my liking. I tried some other brands like Daddario, Ernie Ball but I don't really like their feel and their sound are too close to round wounds. For me, TI still has the smooth feel and isn't as dark as La Bella, which is perfect for me. And with the much lower tension, they still have the playability of round wounds.

[@Owenwithee]

I just did a 'taste test' with multiple brands of Flats.I got the :aBella 1954 and was frightened for the neck of my '63 Precision AVRI! Plus I found them somewhat unplayable. I got the Tis and am looking forward to them darkening up, too tinny right out of the box (Rickenbacker) I did try Chromes, but I felt that the couple sets I bought were a little inconsistent string to string. La Bella low tensions are sounding amazing to me currently, but the biggest surprise was the least expensive of the bunch, the GHS flats, like 20 bucks a set and right out of the box sounded nice and dead. I'll be interested to see if any of these sets improve or sound worse over time.

[@5455zg]

only thomastik is the sound for everything

[@mikehawk1341]

its possible that the thomastik stands out more on a band, maybe.

[@elflakeador09]

How do these strings react to being tuned down a half step? Do they get very floppy?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

I’ve never tried that. It might, since the tension is pretty low. I can’t say for sure. But with a proper set up, it should be fine.

[@elflakeador09]

@@BassSoundLibrary thanks

[@CacophonyOfDestruction]

Anybody know what pickups are in his bass ? Delano ? MEC ? Stock Sandberg made Reverse PJ set ?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

They’re Delano’s, if I remember correctly.

[@tkroll]

They both sound great. Are the La Bella's the 0760M?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Ty I think it’s the 760FL. 760FM has way to much tension for me. I normally use 760FL or FS.

[@nunoharris]

Hi are these Labella Flats similar to the Rotosounds Flats ? Thanks

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Not really. La Bella feels more rubbery than Rotosound. La Bella also has more mids, while Rotosound has deeper lows to my ears.

[@pbasswil]

Sounds like an overdriven preamp! What's in the control cavity?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

I think sandberg uses their original designed preamp. It isn’t overdriven preamp. Maybe it’s because it was direct recording and I played a little too hard, haha.

[@yeoldefoxeh254]

@@BassSoundLibrary No such thing as too hard play, just incorrect setup. You played REALLY WELL mate. Nice roar there - great instrument with great strings (both)!

[@thebeatles4]

shit, just bought Thomastik .....The La Bella sound way much bassier,... but I notice the treble knob is almost open? we´ll see

[@tomek9966]

Great, but... you should state how long did You use BOTH as time changes their properties.... yes it does ;) well done anyway!

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Will surely do so in the future videos like this. Thank you for the advise!

[@nashvillelights1]

trust me, they were both fresh

[@kingc5341]

Ti flat strings are round core. So they keep their sound for a while, but matures in a very interesting away in time

[@dieselkilgore]

The TI's have a bit more growl and mids. But for $75 a pack it's a tough sell for me. Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flats would probably fill in somewhere in between and for much cheaper.

[@MadMagicPaul]

Paul M. Cobalts are a lot brighter, almost at roundwound level. Don’t sound like flats at all.

[@gutbucket260]

@@MadMagicPaul They're not as smooth under the fingers either. I've used Fender, D'Addario Chromes, LaBella and Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinkys and Ernie Balls are the roughest. Feel more like half rounds. I like LaBella's the best for tone and feel.

[@joedecker3900]

@@gutbucket260 I agree on the Cobalts, very rough on the fingers.

[@lorpal1]

And the TI will last quite a while - had them on for 5 years so far…

[@nunyazz]

Try the Labella tape wounds, you'll get that growl with them

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Mike Sims I tried them before and loved the sound. But the tension felt weird to me. I still strung them on my acoustic bass though.

[@nunyazz]

@@BassSoundLibrary cool, then try the D'adario version. Lower tension than labella but same sound. I had to use them on my 5 string because of the tension.

[@anyone-f2r]

Mike Sims Rotosound 88s are less expensive and have more of a clear, distinct tone. Listen to the Beatles rooftop session.

[@lorpal1]

Low E on the TI is boss

[@michaelgolubovic6330]

I haven't used TIs yet, but apparently they are lower tension... I'm wondering if most of the tone you're getting from those TIs is because you haven't adjusted the truss rod between strings so the action is lower? Not saying you needed to by the way.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

Michael Golubovic Yeah, the tension was a lot lower on TIs. But, you’re right. I’m pretty sure I didn’t adjust the neck after I put on the strings. So, that probably played the part in the sound as well.

[@TerryD23]

La Bella!

[@elverdaderojavier]

Which ones do you prefer in terms of feel? Which feel softer or easier to slide on?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

For the feel, I prefer TI, less tension and less sticky than La Bella.

[@gbvoul]

I feel like those labellas were worn in and the Thomastik were fresh out of the pack..

[@BassSoundLibrary]

gbvoul yeah, maybe. I think they were around 1-2 months old before I changed them.

[@bernardbobson7338]

Thomastic more dirty bright sounds for me better🤟😉

[@chomusic]

Is that a Fat Finger on the headstock? Dead spots on the Sandberg?

[@BassSoundLibrary]

No, there’s nothing on the headstock. I’ve Never encountered dead spots on Sandbergs.

[@dayla8634]

How old were the Tis? They sounded newer.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

The TIs were new. Right out of the package. I believe the la Bellas were around a month or two old.

[@dayla8634]

@@BassSoundLibrary You can tell. How do they sound now? It's hard to do these kinda side by sides because I find that even when you re string used flats, they have a little brightness to them like if they are brand new, but go away a lot faster.

[@BassSoundLibrary]

@@dayla8634 well, I couldn’t really answer since I didn’t put on the TIs for very long. They do lose the brightness after a while. And the raspiness in the sound is partly because of the strings’ low tension. I didn’t adjust the neck before I recorded the video. So the action was very low and the strings hit the frets more than they should. But for la Bella, they aren’t really bright to begin with, so I don’t feel the change in the sound as much as other flats I’ve used.

[@dayla8634]

@@BassSoundLibrary I mainly use La Bella 760fms. I find they can be bright if you mess around with EQ and that's what you want.

[@trofonton]

La Bella +

[@JL-bu8bz]

TI

[@ts4gv]

Reverse-P basses make me happy.

[@bassistdc]

Years ago I had a Guild Pilot bass. Those are reverse P. PJ actually.

[@ts4gv]

bassistdc Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a reverse P without a J at the bridge. I want one now.

[@bassistdc]

@@ts4gv Check this out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmq5aXhtjZyEh8k

[@mg9009]

The first one is solid...la bella....but the second one sounds crazy as fu......it sounds like Garfield the fat house cat it vommiting up madness....it also sounds like some crazy ass game of thrones swords fighting dragons....like each stroke makes an imprint on history itself....but the history of lies

[@sandijensterle]

Thomastik strings are superior in all departments. La Bella strings sound like 2 years old Thomastik.

[@alexgregory1427]

Thomastik sound like round wounds too bright- unusable in a recording. laBElla won this. but guy is a noob playing one riff over over - m so you'd have to hear from a pro to judge.

[@anyone-f2r]

Alex Gregory He’s playing one riff for comparison. It’s not a bass solo.

[@anyone-f2r]

TCharlieA Some of us understand this.

[@lorpal1]

@@alexgregory1427actually very mid present and sits really well in a mix - quite suitable for recording…

[@surfstrat59]

I can’t afford the Thomastiks...

[@kevinmitchell8650]

LaBella are deeper. Thomastik a little brighter.

[@janetowens7288]

Roll some tone off to hear what flats are reallyabout. Otherwise why bother.

[@bikeknight54]

Thomastik's are not designed for that style of playing. They are finesse strings. La Bella's are better suited for spanking.

[@anyone-f2r]

Flannel Goat I’m pretty sure they’re designed for ANY style of music. 😂

[@wirahmanmughni1622]

la bella wins

[@pierremilleret698]

wins ... for you ;-)

[@horatiusilasi3796]

thin

[@nesjo7777]

this is weird tone...

[@relaxingsounds1386]

TI's don't even sound like flats

[@scottmisus4678]

Not a bit of difference

[@babayaga1767]

seriously? i hear a huge difference. the TIs sound nearly roundwound. labella's very dark.

[@nashvillelights1]

put your headphones on!

[@yuichituba]

wat

[@frits1463]

@@babayaga1767 Try the TI's next to a set of round wounds. Ti's are flats in every way. Ti's or labella's is a mather of taste.

[@anyone-f2r]

baba yaga Definitely a roundwound sound!

[@janetowens7288]

Too much treble. You young guys just don't get it. Modern bass tone is no bass tone. Sorry.