La Bella 760FL Deep Talkin' Flats (.043–.104): the lineage Jamerson Motown set

Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-29

La Bella 760FL Deep Talkin' Flats is the .043 to .104 light-gauge stainless flatwound that descends in product lineage from James Jamerson's Motown session strings. Hand-polished stainless flat on hex steel core, long-scale, vintage thump and compressed mid-range with low fret wear. Bass Player Magazine cites La Bella flats as the go-to string for top session players including Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, and Duck Dunn. Pick this set when you want Motown vintage tone, low fret wear on a Precision Bass, and the smooth fingerstyle feel that defined the 1960s session sound.

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Anatomy

Model: La Bella 760FL Deep Talkin' Stainless Flatwound (long-scale, light)
Standard family: La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass Flatwound
Variants: 760FL light (.043–.104, this set), 760FS standard (.045–.105), 760FM medium (.049–.109), 760FX extra heavy (.060–.128)
Gauge: .043 – .104 (Light)
Gauge set: .043, .060, .082, .104
String count: 4 strings
Core wire: Hex steel
Wrap wire: Stainless steel, polished flatwound
Coating: None, uncoated
Winding: Polished flatwound, hand-finished
Intended scale: Long-scale (34") fits Fender Precision, Jazz, Music Man, most production 4-string basses
Intended tunings: Bass E standard primary; flatwound feel rewards steady E-standard playing
Tension behavior: Light tension by flatwound standards; smooth feel with the compressed mid-range La Bella is known for
Made in: United States
Package: Single pack, MAP-Tech anti-tarnish wrap

Why this is the Motown lineage default

Lineage product: Bass Player Magazine documents La Bella flatwounds as the go-to string for Motown session work, including James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, and Duck Dunn. The modern 760FL is the contemporary light flatwound in that family.
Hand-polished stainless flat: Polished flatwound surface gives the smooth fingerstyle feel and dark tone the 1960s session sound was built on. No fret-squeak, low fret wear, vintage thump.
Light gauge for vintage feel: .043 to .104 sits lighter than most modern flatwound sets. Easier under fingerstyle, period-correct for the Motown session lane.
Made in the USA: La Bella has manufactured strings domestically since the company's 1913 New York founding, tracing its string-making craft back to the Mari family's 1640s trade in Salle, Italy. Hand-polished and MAP-Tech sealed for tarnish resistance.

Tone

The 760FL sounds like the canonical Motown bass: warm, dark, compressed, with the smooth flatwound feel that defined the 1960s session sound. The light gauge keeps the strings articulate under fingerstyle without the heavy compressed thump of the medium and heavy variants in the family. Compared to roundwound sets, the difference is night and day: roundwounds are bright and harmonic-rich; flatwounds are dark and fundamental-forward.

Compared to the other Tier-1 bass flatwound sets:

	La Bella 760FL	Rotosound SH77	Thomastik-Infeld JF344
Wrap material	Stainless steel flat	Monel 400 flat	Nickel-iron tape-wound
Gauge profile	Light (.043–.104)	Heavy (.050–.110)	Light (.043–.100)
Brightness	2/10	3/10	4/10
Best for	Motown, R&B, jazz	Heavy metal, hard rock	Jazz, session work
Price tier	$$$	$$	$$$$
Documented users	James Jamerson (lineage)	Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)	John Patitucci, jazz session

Best for

Motown and vintage R&B where the bass carries melodic counter-lines under vocal-forward production (the Jamerson lineage on the Motown session catalog).
Jazz and fusion fingerstyle with a Precision or Jazz Bass and a tube amp.
Indie and singer-songwriter with a darker, more compressed bass voicing in the mix.
Players who want zero fret-squeak on a Precision or Jazz Bass with low fret wear over the long term.

Worst for

Slap and funk where you need bright pop on the thumb and snap (use GHS Boomers Flea Signature).
Heavy metal with fast pick attack where you need heavier gauge and Monel for the dark mid-range (use Rotosound SH77).
Modern pop and country where the stock-Fender roundwound voicing fits the genre better (use Fender 7250).

Who plays them

James Jamerson (Motown, historical): the Funk Brothers session bassist whose work on the 1960s and early-1970s Motown catalog defined the vintage P-Bass flatwound sound. Bass Player Magazine cites La Bella flatwounds as the lineage string for that lane. See the Jamerson rig page for full historical sourcing.
Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, Duck Dunn: session-pro bassists across R&B, soul, and Stax-Volt sessions cited by Bass Player Magazine alongside Jamerson as La Bella session-flat players.
Modern indie and singer-songwriter bassists who want the vintage flatwound voicing without the historical baggage of dedicated reissue products.

Install and break-in

Set the bass on a neck rest. Loosen all strings evenly before removing.
Wipe the fretboard with a dry cloth.
Install top-down. Light flatwound gauge is the easiest flatwound install: standard tuning post wrap, 2 to 3 wraps per post.
Truss-rod adjustment may be needed if stepping from a roundwound set. The flatwound tension profile differs from the same-gauge roundwound; check neck relief at the 7th fret after install.
Break-in: flatwound sets work-harden into their tone over the first 8 to 16 hours of play. Initial brightness fades quickly; the working tone settles by hour 16. The 760FL gets warmer over time, not duller.

Verdict

The 760FL is the Motown answer to flatwound bass: the lineage product behind a string of session players who shaped 1960s and 1970s American popular music. If you want vintage R&B, soul, or Motown bass voicing on your rig, this is the answer. If you want heavier flatwound or a different alloy, see the comparison row above and step to La Bella's 760M medium or Rotosound's SH77 respectively.

La Bella

760FL Deep Talkin' Stainless Flatwound (.043–.104)

.043 – .104

Price tier: $$$

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The historical bassist on this lineage: James Jamerson, Motown Funk Brothers session bassist 1959 to 1973.
Heavier La Bella alternative: La Bella 0760M "1954 Original" review.
Heavy-metal flatwound alternative: Rotosound SH77 Steve Harris Signature review.
Stock-Fender roundwound alternative: Fender Super 7250 Bass review.

Frequently asked questions

What gauge is La Bella 760FL?

.043, .060, .082, .104. Long-scale (34-inch) standard. The light-gauge entry in the Deep Talkin' Flats family; medium (760M) sits at .049 to .109 and heavy variants extend further.

Are these the same strings James Jamerson played?

These are the lineage product to Jamerson's session strings. Bass Player Magazine's flatwound roundup documents La Bella flatwounds as the go-to choice for Motown session work, and the modern 760FL is the contemporary 43-104 light flat in that family. Jamerson's actual on-record strings were rarely changed; the 760FL is the lineage string for chasing his sound today.

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How does this compare to Rotosound SH77?

Different alloy, different gauge, different lane. SH77 is Monel flatwound at heavy gauge .050 to .110, the heavy-metal lane. 760FL is stainless flatwound at light gauge .043 to .104, the Motown vintage lane. Both are flat-tone, but SH77 is darker and heavier; 760FL is warmer and lighter.

How does this compare to a roundwound set?

Flatwound strings have a polished flat outer wrap instead of the textured roundwound surface. Result: smoother under the fingers, no fret-squeak noise, less harmonic content, much darker tone. Flatwounds also outlast roundwounds by 5x to 10x and are far gentler on frets. Tradeoff: flat tops kill the bright snap roundwounds give for slap and modern pop styles.

Will these fit a Fender Precision Bass?

Yes. Long-scale 34-inch fit covers Fender Precision, Jazz, Music Man, Höfner Beatle Bass (with the 760FHB short-scale variant), and most production 4-string basses. The Deep Talkin' family ships in long, short, medium, and Beatle Bass variants; pick by your bass's scale length.

How long do these last?

Flatwound strings outlast roundwounds dramatically. A daily player can run a 760FL set for 6 to 18 months without significant tone change. Studio-only set: years. Touring bassist: tour-cycle replacement is common practice. Flatwounds work-harden into their tone, the playing tone improves over the first weeks of use rather than degrading.

What other gauges does La Bella ship in the Deep Talkin' family?

760FL light (.043–.104, this set, long scale), 760FS standard (.045–.105 long scale), 760FM medium (.049–.109), 760FX extra heavy (.060–.128), plus short-scale (760FL-S, 760FS-S), through-body (760FS-TB), and Beatle Bass (760FHB) variants. The 760FL is the standard light flatwound for Precision and Jazz.