La Bella SS45 Super Steps M

Over the years I have tried many different bass string models and manufacturers. This is a weird one. These strings first sound right after a significant play-in (a la La Bella), and still they have some strange characteristics.

I used them on a good jazz bass, and the upper harmonic content that came out with this taper wound design was shrill, grinding, scraping, grating - dominating... simply terrible. Also the sound was very badly balanced going up the neck. I nearly just cut the strings off and tossed them on day 1. Somehow I didn't, as I was using other basses for my needs that year anyways. I left these strings on the jazz bass and played it unplugged just for silent practice from time to time at home.

1 YEAR later... They sound much better and the volume/tonal balance up the neck is dramatically improved. (Checked against a recording from when they were new) The terrible ear-scraping harmonics are subdued. Now they just sounded bright and responsive. Still the low E performs badly up the neck, especially past fret 12 it sounds absolutely weird. Maybe the trick is to play them in another few years??

So... If you have a bass whose tone is absolute mud, and mounted with a vintage pickup with just about no treble bite, these may be the answer. They might actually work well on a bass with ridiculously creamy sounding active pickups/electronics. Or, if you can wait for a year of play-in, maybe these are ok for other vintage basses? I bet if you put these on a bass with EMGs your ear drums will be scraped clean away. Don't feed them past midnight and NEVER give them distortion!!

Ich habe diese Saiten ausprobiert, weil es meine bisherigen Lieblingssaiten, Rotosound RS99 LDG Steels mit "Piano String Design" aka Exposed Core, seit Ende 2020 leider nicht mehr zu kaufen gibt.
Leider klingen die La Bella SuperSteps einfach unschön. Es fehlt irgendwie an Mitten und der Klang ist irgendwie nervig, ich mag mich damit selbst nicht hören und stelle fest, dass ich den Bass mit den Saiten seit dem Saitenwechsel praktisch nicht mehr benutze.
Rein haptisch wären sie ok, aber die klanglichen Defizite sind zu groß.
An den RS99LDG schätze ich die ultraleichte Ansprache, den brillianten, reinen Klang und das unglaublich lange Sustain.
Obwohl die la Bella Super Steps auch Exposed Core-Saiten sind, schaffen sie es nicht, auch nur eine dieser von mir geschätzten Eigenschaften der Rotosounds zu erreichen.
Somit gibt es für mich leider keinen Ersatz für die nicht mehr erhältlichen, phänomenalen PSDs.
Die La Bella SuperSteps werde ich garantiert nie mehr kaufen!