La Bella Expands Ian Martin Allison Signature Strings
La Bella Expands Ian Martin Allison Signature Super Polished Strings with Short Scale Sets Following the success of the original Ian Martin Allison Signature Super Polished strings, La Bella Strings has expanded the lineup with a new short scale option. Available in both four- and five-string sets, the new release delivers the same feel and custom gauges that made the original signature set a favorite among bass players. When developing his signature strings, Allison wanted to capture the punch and articulation of stainless steel roundwounds while retaining the smooth, comfortable feel of flatwounds. The result was La Bella’s Super Polished formula, featuring polished stainless steel round wound wrap wire over a hex core for a unique balance of clarity, warmth, and playability. “When Ian Martin Allison approached us about doing a signature set of Super Polished strings, he loved the original recipe: the punch of stainless rounds but the smooth feel of flats,” La Bella explains. “But he wanted a couple of tweaks to the formula to suit his broad needs as a session and touring bassist.” The new short scale sets carry over the same custom gauges as the original release. The four-string set includes .045, .063, .083, and .103 gauges, while the five-string version adds a .125 B string. With the addition of a short scale option, players with compact-scale basses can now experience the same signature feel and balanced response that helped make Allison’s original Super Polished set such a hit.