Combining Flats and Rounds

[SMILEYSIXX]

Recently, I picked up a set of rounds to play with and after a few minutes, missed my thick low end from my flats, but realized how much I loved the bright highs on my rounds. So my P is strung with flat E and A and round D and G. I don't think I'll ever go back to all flats or all rounds again. It works exactly as what I need it for, thick basslines and bright solos. Anyone else do this? I read once that Tom Wolk did it on one of his P's.

And to anyone who thinks it's a strange way to go, try it. I thought it would be weird at first, but it feels like my bass is a whole new instrument.

[pacojas]

sounds like it has it's place, gl.

[line6man]

It would seem like there would be big differences in tension and feel between your strings when you play?

[darkstorm]

If your doing scaler playing rather then across the various strings for scales. I could see that working ok. Where the E&A string are regarded as low bass instrument and the D&G string are regarded as high bass instrument. But Id hate to try to get a good string to string balanced sound when playing across the strings rather then up and down each individually with mixed flats and rounds.

[SMILEYSIXX]

There's a slight difference in tension but nothing too major. I had to do a slight truss rod adjustment with the rounds, but that's it.

[Duckwater]

I did this for a while but my D & G weren't able to cut through in a band situation.

[DylanB]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

I did this for a while but my D & G weren't able to cut through in a band situation.

This.

Like so many of these things, I'm sure it sounds great when you're on your own but when you're playing in a band sometimes it's the small percentages of difference between strings that make all the difference.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Actually, I'm primarily using it in a drum and bass band, so there's really not much to cut through.