D'Addario Chromes flatwound

mullet0909 · #1 01-10-2007, 09:45 PM

I just bought a Schecter Custom 5 off of ebay and the seller told me that he just put new strings on...flatwounds. Ive never used flatwounds before and i'm worried that I wont have enough treble. I have heard good things about these strings though. I wont recieve the bass until next week probably but I want to know what to expect and if I should buy some roundwounds in the meantime just in case.

p.s. yes it is a fretted bass.

Kael · #2 01-10-2007, 10:06 PM

Chromes are pretty bright for a flat, but all flats have noticeably less high end info than rounds. If I were you I'd wait and see if I liked the Chromes before buying any new strings.

AshenBassist · #3 01-10-2007, 10:48 PM

D'Addario Chrome flats are great! They played alot better than all the other flats i've tried before and they sounded good. Kinda like 2 month old rounds. So if you love new string snap and clank then get some new strings on that bass. But this is a way to experiment without wasting money.

moobass · #4 01-10-2007, 10:56 PM

I've found Rotosound Flats to be one of the brightest. They seem to be on par with Nickel round wounds but more mellow than stainless steel round wounds. I like them better than D'Addario Chrome flats.

canopener · #5 01-10-2007, 11:31 PM

Chromes could be the best all around string for anything but slap.

vcs700s · #6 01-11-2007, 08:18 AM

I love my Chromes! Go for it!!

BillySid · #7 01-11-2007, 08:59 AM

Hey, it's good to see that another TB'er bought this bass from me!

Alexander · #8 01-11-2007, 09:16 AM

I love Chromes as well, though I just took them off my main bass after a couple of months and restrung with rounds. (I did keep the Chromes, though for future use). I think they're awesome overall - warm, smooth, thick. I just wasn't getting the cut I needed - I found Chromes thump, but don't cut (if that makes sense). For me, it has to be on the right bass - my maple\ash jazz wasn't it.

MarcosJr · #9 01-11-2007, 10:08 AM

i love those strings (even though there's little less high end from 'em) but never tried 'em on my fretted bass, just on the fretless one

Ole Man Blues · #10 01-11-2007, 06:15 PM

The last 2 sets of Chromes I bought were not a good. The 1st set had a bad A string and the next set had a bad E string. What I mean by bad I mean they were dead sounding. They sustained about half as much as the other strings.

So off they came and I'll not buy another set. I put some DR Hi Beams on and these work just fine. Strings noise and string feel will take some getting used to after playing flats for quite a while, but the overall tone is great, plenty of sustain.

I had at one point mixed the 2 sets together, works great in a pinch but I nixed the idea for long term.......

OMB

tornadobass · #11 01-12-2007, 06:35 AM

Both my fretted basses wear light gauge Chromes. The ones on my alder/maple Jazz sound bright and clear. The ones on my mahogany/ebony L-1000 are darker with less sustain and more thump. But maybe that's the woods, too.

I tried going back to my old standby D'Addario nickel rounds, but the finger noise and other clanking sounds sent me back to the Chromes. I never slap, so the Chromes do the job nicely for mostly old school blues and R&B.

I've also tried TI flats and Fender flats, but the Chromes come close to aged nickel strings, only less noise and a nice smooth bottom end.

LoveThatBass · #12 01-14-2007, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moobass

I've found Rotosound Flats to be one of the brightest. They seem to be on par with Nickel round wounds but more mellow than stainless steel round wounds. I like them better than D'Addario Chrome flats.

Rotosounds are my favorite flat as far as tone goes but they get dull sounding in about 2 to 3 weeks in my experience.

JanusZarate · #13 01-15-2007, 01:31 AM

I'm currently using D'Addario Chromes, and they're awesome for most styles because of their unusual brightness and long life. They're definitely very bright compared to other flatwounds. However, they will not have the "zing" of stainless steel roundwounds. I'd say, don't change them yet - give them a try when you get the bass, and see if you like them!

Sammy Camden · #14 01-15-2007, 08:22 AM

Chromes are one of the best flats around. Great sound, solid thump, and good harmonics. And yes, they aren't as bright as rounds. But, I've found that playing around with the EQ on the amp will provide the "cut" while I still get that great thump/thud that flats are famous for.

As for dead strings with the D'Addario chromes, well... I've gotten a few over time. But, to D'Addario's credit, when I emailed them about the problem, they sent me replacement strings without any hassle. One time when I had a set with two dead strings, they sent me a new complete set.

Great strings and a great company to deal with.

Give those Chromes a solid workout, home and band practice, and most definitely on a gig or two. If you don't, you won't find out just how good they are.

Good luck.