La Bella Strings Purchase Guide: How to Find the Right Scale Set for Your Bass

The ‘scale length’ of your bass is something important that you should know, but it’s only a part of the information to learn about when purchasing the correct set of strings.
 To be more precise, knowing the required length of the wound part of the strings for your bass regardless of string brand. For this article, I am going to show how to choose bass strings using the strings by the Italian musical instrument string manufacturer La Bella, for whom Sound House undertakes as an agent.

What is a scale?

The scale of an electric guitar/bass is the length from the nut to the bridge saddle. The bass scales can be called as follows.

Most basses are long scale models.
The differences among typical bass models are listed on the following page
→ Types of Guitar/Bass Scale

Even if the scale refers to the length from the bridge saddle to the nut, the saddle position is slightly different for each string. Therefore, when measuring the scale length, first measure from the nut (or the 0th fret) to the 12th fret. Then, double that value to get the scale type.

What is a wound string?

Wound strings have a core string and another string that is wound around the core string. The following are the typical wound string types with different shapes of the wounding strings.

How to figure out the ‘String Wound Length’ required for your bass

As you may know, it’s not that all sections of a wound string have the same material as a wound wire. It depends on the model, but a string model can have a section called the taper core that is thinner than the main section of the string, a section where the core wire is exposed without wound wire, and a section wrapped with thread. For La Bella string models, the length of the wound part for each scale model is as follows

Check the length of the wound part and also the note below to choose the right scale set of strings for your bass.

Note

• Make sure the wound string length is long enough to reach the nut. 

• or flat wound strings, make sure the wound part of the string does NOT wrap around the tuning post, otherwise the string may easily break. 

• Do NOT use a standard model set with flat wound strings on a string-through bass, otherwise the string may easily break. Some string models for string-through basses such as 760FL-TB and 760FS-TB are available from La Bella.
• The La Bella Beatle Bass sets can ONLY be used on Beatle basses and Beatle bass type models. Do NOT use them on standard basses or the strings may break easily.

You can still string your bass as long as the total length of the strings is long enough for the scale, but you also have to check the length of the wound part of the strings, or the strings will be easily damaged or break. We recommend that you check thoroughly to prevent the damage on the wound part and the strings from breaking, and also to obtain an appropriate tension on the strings and a great sound.

→ List of La Bella Bass Strings

Please check the list below to learn the length of the strings and specifications for various La Bella string models.

FLAT WOUND & TAPE WOUND STRING SPECIFICATIONS - Length from Ball-End to Silk Thread

La Bella THROUGH-BODY Standard/Long Scale Set
(e.g. 760FS-TB)
1st (G): 38”
2nd (D): 38”
3rd (A): 38”
4th (E): 37 ¼”
5th (Low B): 37 ¼”
6th (High C): 38”

ROUND WOUND STRING SPECIFICATIONS - Length from Ball-End to Taper (or Silk Thread)