Anybody mix flats and rounds?

sonicvi · #1 06-20-2008, 08:27 AM

Does anyone here mix flats and rounds on the same bass, like flats for the E and A and rounds for D and G? I like the sound of flats on the lower stirngs but the better sustain of rounds on the higher strings.

CapnSev · #2 06-20-2008, 08:34 AM

I think that would give you some pretty screwy tension on your neck. I would imagine that it could lead to neck damage in the long run.

Dave Muscato · #3 06-20-2008, 08:35 AM

I started a similar thread awhile back. Let me see if I can find it with the Search function...

edit:

Here you go:

Flats & rounds @ the same time.... Anybody try this?

Hoover · #4 06-20-2008, 09:42 AM

Never on purpose! But that's how I discovered roundwound strings in the first place: 30+ years ago I had only ever used flatwounds. Had a gig coming up, my bass was broken or unavailable for some reason, our singer said her boyfriend had a bass I could use...it showed up with 3 flats & a roundwound G string. My first impression was "this sucks!"

Two hours later I was like "holy crap, I've gotta get a bass strung up with all roundwounds, these things are awesome!"

================

I read an old GP interview with Fernando Saunders where he said he strings up his fretless Modulus 5-string with all rounds except for a flat low B...or maybe it was the other way around, all flats except for a round low B? Said he did it because he liked how the tension & guage of that particular B string matched the rest of his set.

**Mark Wilson** · #5 06-20-2008, 10:21 AM

There's a guy on here, Andyroo, who did that.
He used an MTD Z6, and had TI Jazz flats, but in a few songs it required him to be thumping on the E string. So everything (If I remember correctly) was Ti jazz, except the E.

COOL AND DEADLY · #6 06-20-2008, 10:24 AM

Yeah, I broke my Flat G-string and had only a round to replace it. It's still there. It's my back up bass.

jasper383 · #7 06-20-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapnSev

I think that would give you some pretty screwy tension on your neck. I would imagine that it could lead to neck damage in the long run.

I doubt that the neck "sees" different tensions string to string, but rather the overall tension of all the strings.

I think sound is the biggest issue here. If you like the sound, why not?

Sahm · #8 06-20-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapnSev

I think that would give you some pretty screwy tension on your neck. I would imagine that it could lead to neck damage in the long run.

Why is that? What's the difference in tension between flats and rounds?

jasyr · #9 06-21-2008, 03:59 PM

i use half round d'addario on g,d,a and a round wound on the e. it feels great when i'm doing a run and then hit the low string and there's that wound bite there to meet me. mind you i play slightly distorted & with a pick. there's usually keyboards going on so there's already a full spectrum happening. and since i palm mute the E to a certain degree its always in check. sort of like having it go to 11... know what i mean?

skiltrip · #10 06-24-2008, 01:52 PM

When I was a little kid, I bought my first bass used from some other kid (A big red Cort). It had all rounds except the high G was a flat. I was like.. what is this weirdo string???? I was a guitar player, so all I knew was roundwounds.

Who woulda thought, that 20 years later I'd actually switch over to those "weirdo" strings for good!?

Hella · #11 06-25-2008, 07:42 PM

On my Jazz, I have E and A flat with D and G round

Yvarg · #12 06-28-2008, 03:50 PM

Not yet, but I'm working on a semi-acoustic bass right now where I defretted the E and A string half of the neck and left the D and G half fretted; I'm gonna string the bottom half with flats and the top with rounds, but they'll both just be the E and A strings.

WarriorJoe7 · #13 06-28-2008, 03:53 PM

Yeah I have all 4 strings flatwound up to the 12th fret, then they are roundwounds the rest of the way.

Yvarg · #14 06-28-2008, 04:02 PM

Ha! I'd try that if they made them.

Nappa · #15 06-28-2008, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarriorJoe7

Yeah I have all 4 strings flatwound up to the 12th fret, then they are roundwounds the rest of the way.

I use Ernie Ball's flat(wound) top, round(wound) bottom strings.

SpaceYourBass · #16 06-29-2008, 12:19 AM

I once used a flat for my G when the round G was worn out. It just didn't go well as far as sound goes. I think you'd have better luck putting on one round and 3 flats. You could use the round for slapping or popping and the rest of the strings would still be that good old flat sound. I would try to find some strings that give the same tension either way.