Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: KR on November 15, 2021, 10:01:27 PM
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I put a set of 110-52 vintage LaBella "Jamerson 760M heavy gauge flats on my '77 MSB. The neck yawned and said "Is that all you've got?". I only had to add a half a turn on the truss, which is normally loosened all the way because the '77 neck doesn't need any help from the truss. Sounds nice and chunky with the action set low. I normally use Boomers. I cycle round and round with roundwounds and flats, as I love the sound of both.
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interesting
My '76 S1 LSB is just about due for a new set of strings for xmas. she's been a very good girl this year and so i was thinking of a nice new set of pyramid gold flats. How do the LaBellas compare to those? and where did you get them if i may ask?
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The LaBella are louder and brighter because they are steel construction. Also, they are bigger and very heavy gauge, so your nut slots will usually have to be widened, too. I have adjustable nuts on my Series basses, and have an extra nut with widened slots especially for bigger strings. I just go back to the regular nut when I use rounds. Here are the strings https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/0760M--la-bella-0760m-deep-talkin-bass-flatwound-bass-strings-1954-original?mrkgadid=3248788286&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=bass&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=92700046938734095&lid=92700046938734095&ds_s_kwgid=58700005287622259&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007215323&dsproductgroupid=438128003277&product_id=0760M&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9031539&creative=226299461030&targetid=pla-438128003277&campaignid=953755101&awsearchcpc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAys2MBhDOARIsAFf1D1faaZeHXOq1rikP56yrXflqNUmkoIIohJiGn4ngwNwmp-I6Mm-Z4d0aAgWaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
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A lot of guys try LaBella's 'Jamerson' set, and Alembics would tend to not react to the big jump in tension with the laminated necks and 1/4' ebony fingerboard, but some may, and on a lot of Fenders or other basses you may really see a big change in setup is required, so tread carefully.
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I usually use Pyramid gold flats, but I have a bass where for some reason Pyramids are crazy tight (a lot tighter than what I have experienced on other basses). I tried a set of LaBella low tension flats on this bass and so far like the feel and sound of them.
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The LaBella Jamerson's are the only heavy gauge I'm ok with. You can have a straight neck and low action with them, which makes them very playable --at least for me.
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:)
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:)
Rob, I emailed you just now
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I put a set of 110-52 vintage LaBella "Jamerson 760M heavy gauge flats on my '77 MSB. The neck yawned and said "Is that all you've got?". I only had to add a half a turn on the truss, which is normally loosened all the way because the '77 neck doesn't need any help from the truss. Sounds nice and chunky with the action set low. I normally use Boomers. I cycle round and round with roundwounds and flats, as I love the sound of both.
I have an early-70s Telecaster Bass that I acquired around 1993 for $200 - it had been refinished, routed for 2 different pickups, the original humbucker was gone, and it had a Badass II bridge on it. I tried putting the La Bella Jamerson set on it - first of all, the ends of the strings by the ball-end were too thick to fit through the BA II holes! So I had to switch to an old MIJ standard bridge that I had - then I found that the baseball-bat-sawn-in-half neck was bowing forwards! So I am amazing and impressed that your Alembic can handle it.
BTW, this string set is no longer called that - they were sued by the Jamerson estate (https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2010/01/26/james-jamersons-widow-sues-la-bella-strings/) since the family received nothing from the sales and were never consulted apparently - I think they are called the 0670M 1954 Original or something like that now.
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I bend my Fenders into a back bow and then tighten the truss rod tightly--that preps the necks for the tension.