Affordable Flats

Matt Till · #1 10-23-2006, 09:32 PM

For a long time now, I've wanted to try some flatwound strings. The local music shop never carried them... now they do... but they cost 45 bucks! Surely that can't be common... can it?

Where can I buy flats online? Hopefully not too much for shipping...

Sorry if it's been done, doing a search for flatwounds yields some pretty impressive results.

fourstringdrums · #2 10-23-2006, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

For a long time now, I've wanted to try some flatwound strings. The local music shop never carried them... now they do... but they cost 45 bucks! Surely that can't be common... can it?

Where can I buy flats online? Hopefully not too much for shipping...

Sorry if it's been done, doing a search for flatwounds yields some pretty impressive results.

www.juststrings.com They're based out of New Hampshire and they have just about every string you can think of, and keep a pretty good stock. The times they didn't have what I wanted in stock they got it in the next day. They're very responsive to emails and their prices are great.

If you do a search for them you'll see that others have had great experiences with them as well.

SBassman · #3 10-23-2006, 10:10 PM

http://www.mymusicstuff.com/

It will ship in a hurry.

Trevorus · #4 10-23-2006, 10:18 PM

Fender flats sell locally here for 22 bucks. They are quite good, in fact.

Matt Till · #5 10-23-2006, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

www.juststrings.com They're based out of New Hampshire and they have just about every string you can think of, and keep a pretty good stock. The times they didn't have what I wanted in stock they got it in the next day. They're very responsive to emails and their prices are great.

If you do a search for them you'll see that others have had great experiences with them as well.

MAN! That's sweet. They even have a bulk section.

So... recommendation for n00b flats? Fender a good beginner choice? I know I love the tone of flats, but I know they might feel weird. I don't want to jump to top of the line, but I want something that will sound awesome.

Fender? Is that a good beginner set?

Thanks for the info ya'll

fourstringdrums · #6 10-23-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

MAN! That's sweet. They even have a bulk section.

So... recommendation for n00b flats? Fender a good beginner choice? I know I love the tone of flats, but I know they might feel weird. I don't want to jump to top of the line, but I want something that will sound awesome.

Fender? Is that a good beginner set?

I played a set of Fenders a few years ago (although they were a light set) and they were quite good. Can't go wrong there...but as I said it was a few years ago and it was on fretless I can't comment more

I've only used 3 others that I can comment on:

TI Jazz Flats - Great strings but the tension is looser and they are pricey $$.

D'Daddario Chromes - Hate em. I had them on my JB-2 for about 15 minutes and I immediately took them off. To me they are too bright to be considered flats tone wise (IMO). On the finger they had a bit more of a rough feeling and that "zing" on the finger that new roundwounds have. To me, flatwounds should be smooth feeling and have a deeper, rounder tone.

Labella Flats - I used these on the Read Custom Model P I had, and I had them on my MIM Jazz and then swapped them with the D'Daddario Chromes and put them on the JB-2. I LOVE these flats. Yeah they're about $38 for a pack unshipped, but they have great solid tension, even sounding string to string, and they have that nice smooth feel and round, deep tone I wanted. I definately recommend them.

canopener · #7 10-23-2006, 10:52 PM

Matt,
I've got an extra set of D'Addario Chromes and a set of Labella DTF that I'm not using. I can send a set out if you'd like. PM me if interested.

Matt Till · #8 10-23-2006, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canopener

Matt,
I've got an extra set of D'Addario Chromes and a set of Labella DTF that I'm not using. I can send a set out if you'd like. PM me if interested.

Consider a PM sent

Matt Till · #9 10-23-2006, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

I played a set of Fenders a few years ago (although they were a light set) and they were quite good. Can't go wrong there...but as I said it was a few years ago and it was on fretless I can't comment more

I've only used 3 others that I can comment on:

TI Jazz Flats - Great strings but the tension is looser and they are pricey $$.

D'Daddario Chromes - Hate em. I had them on my JB-2 for about 15 minutes and I immediately took them off. To me they are too bright to be considered flats tone wise (IMO). On the finger they had a bit more of a rough feeling and that "zing" on the finger that new roundwounds have. To me, flatwounds should be smooth feeling and have a deeper, rounder tone.

Labella Flats - I used these on the Read Custom Model P I had, and I had them on my MIM Jazz and then swapped them with the D'Daddario Chromes and put them on the JB-2. I LOVE these flats. Yeah they're about $38 for a pack unshipped, but they have great solid tension, even sounding string to string, and they have that nice smooth feel and round, deep tone I wanted. I definately recommend them.

The Chromes aren't hybrids? That's weird that flats would be... unflat.

Thanks for the reviews.

I feel so fancy, I think this is one of the two times I've used the strings forum.

SBassman · #10 10-24-2006, 04:58 AM

Just for another point of view:

I have been through many sets of DD Chromes. Mine have always been super smooth. Always feeling and sounding great.

These days, Chromes are all I use. All with a non-stratospheric price of about $22.

fourstringdrums · #11 10-24-2006, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

The Chromes aren't hybrids? That's weird that flats would be... unflat.

Thanks for the reviews.

I feel so fancy, I think this is one of the two times I've used the strings forum.

No they're not but keep in mind that's what they felt like to me. The feel on the finger is smooth like a flatwound but not as much to me as Labella or TI. I just felt that they had more of a bright zing to them that I associated with new round wounds and I didn't like that. Plus to top it off they were light gauge, bleck

canopener · #12 10-24-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

No they're not but keep in mind that's what they felt like to me. The feel on the finger is smooth like a flatwound but not as much to me as Labella or TI. I just felt that they had more of a bright zing to them that I associated with new round wounds and I didn't like that. Plus to top it off they were light gauge, bleck

How long did you give them? I thought the same thing as you, initially. After a while, the zing goes away and a nice thump emerges.

vindy500 · #13 10-24-2006, 03:56 PM

chromes take a little while to break in, they fealt so weird on my fingers, gave me a real weird feeling, could only play on em for about 20 minutes at a time, after a while tho they are fine, now my other bass strung with slinkys feels like its gonna rip my finger up lol

jumbosilverette · #14 10-24-2006, 04:36 PM

Rotosound Jazz 77's, A nice flat that will only put you back about $26

Jumbotron · #15 10-24-2006, 04:46 PM

Carvin has flats for really cheap. I think I read somewhere on TB a rumor that they're actually LaBellas under a different label.

nad · #16 10-24-2006, 04:55 PM

I've had Chrome flats on my P for about a year now, they do sorta feel and sound weird at first but they get better with time. I can't compare them to other flats because they are the only kind I've used (so far), but they don't sound or feel like rounds at all. They aren't super thuddy either, but there's no zing that I can hear.

http://www.juststrings.com/ kicks my dick in! I love those guys, fast, reliable, great service.

fourstringdrums · #17 10-24-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canopener

How long did you give them? I thought the same thing as you, initially. After a while, the zing goes away and a nice thump emerges.

I gave them a whole 15 minutes. I like Labella Flats and I knew that even after breaking them in they wouldn't sound how I want, because Labellas sound perfect for me out of the pack. That's why I took the Labellas off my MIM and put the Chromes on the MIM. I'm sending it to Buffalo Bros. so it doesn't matter

**cheezewiz** · #18 10-24-2006, 07:11 PM

I like Chromes, although they are brighter than other flats.

I recently got a set of Sadowsky Flats (I think made by LaBella) that are wonderful too, but they cost a bit more.
($38 for a 5 string set on ebay...which is $10 cheaper than Roger sells them direct). The Sads have more old school thump.

Mudfuzz · #19 10-25-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

No they're not but keep in mind that's what they felt like to me. The feel on the finger is smooth like a flatwound but not as much to me as Labella or TI. I just felt that they had more of a bright zing to them that I associated with new round wounds and I didn't like that. Plus to top it off they were light gauge, bleck

TIs don't feel smoother then Chromes to me. So far I've tried two set of Labellas the dano FW set where the open E and A sounded out of tune and and their tape wounds which I liked a lot but ended up trading in the bass they were on. Chromes take a few days to lose the brightness. For me they are THE string. They were what was on my first bass when I started playing and I can't find anything I like better.

BaldBass · #20 10-25-2006, 01:49 PM

I've used almost everything mentioned here and they all do the trick. personally I like the LaBella Deep Talking flats the best but I cut my teeth on Fender 9050's and I like the Chromes too I don't think you'd be unhappy with any of those 3 and any of them will give you a good indication of what to expect from flats