Flats on Acoustic Bass?

SwamiRob · #1 01-26-2009, 09:27 PM

Anyone have any experience with flats on ABG? Would probably suit what I'm using it for but am worried about a drop in volume unplugged which I do need occasionally.

Fred19137 · #2 01-26-2009, 09:29 PM

Dude never go with flats unless ur using an upright bass. The flats have soooo little tone!

Richard Lindsey · #3 01-26-2009, 09:52 PM

I use T-I Jazz Flats on my ABG. I love the tone. They're quite expensive, but they compensate by lasting a long time.

It's all personal taste of course, but i don't like bronze or steel or nickel roundwounds on ABG. Just makes it sound like a large and mediocre guitar to me.

Jason Hollar · #4 01-26-2009, 09:59 PM

I owned a cheap Dean ABG a while back. Strung it with whatever I had as spares -- D'addario, Ernie Ball, whatever. Plenty of tone and a fun, warm vibe. I hated the zingy bronze strings that came with the bass...

ztpbassman · #5 01-26-2009, 10:14 PM

I put the GHS tapewound flats on my Martin bass, hoping to warm it up, but it didn't happen. I did some recording with them and had to patch in a spot or two. Believe it or not I got a bit too much fret rattle as compared to the Martin SP strings.
I put back the Martin strings and I'm a lot happier with the playability. As for the sound - you can put whatever you want on there, it's still not an upright bass. I like the sound and have worked to develop a voice on the instrument, but it is what it is. It is a hybrid. My Juzek upright sounds better, and my Fodera bass plays better and sounds better plugged in!
But, curiously enough, it's the bass I play the most at home. It's lightweight and does have a nice sound for what it is, and I don't have to plug anything in. I dig it and have tried to work the bass into this little Django jazz quartet I play in. Sitting in the yard with a mandolin and a guitar it works.
Other flatwound strings I don't know. I like them for upright, but for ABG, I think they're a tradeoff. You lose projection on an instrument that's already hampered in terms of pushing air. My humble opinion

SwamiRob · #6 01-27-2009, 10:22 AM

I'm not really concerned with it sounding like an upright, although I can see why you might have thought that, I just want something that I can dig in with that's not gonna sound clicky. I can't really stand bronze strings either, so I'm using 110 nickle EBs at the moment, but if I'm gonna lose alot of unplugged volume then it's probably a bad idea to switch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred19137

Dude never go with flats unless ur using an upright bass. The flats have soooo little tone!

I think you need to listen to some maiden man, can't say that Steve Harris doesn't have tone.

fretlessguy · #7 01-27-2009, 10:51 AM

I use a set of GHS Precision Flatwounds on my Carvin AC40 Fretless ABG. They sound great. Those Phosphor Bronze things had too much noise and were quite twangy.
The GHS strings didn't have the volume the PBs had, but then, almost every ABG is worthless as a true acoustic instrument anyway (except for practicng by one's self), so it was a good change on my part.

Philbiker · #8 01-27-2009, 11:01 AM

Try Nylon Tapewound strings. They feel like flats, volume is about the same.

pointbass · #9 01-27-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lindsey

I use T-I Jazz Flats on my ABG. I love the tone. They're quite expensive, but they compensate by lasting a long time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Try Nylon Tapewound strings. They feel like flats, volume is about the same.

Both good suggestions .... I had LaBella flats on mine for quite a while but the strings have so much tension that the volume was unnaturally low acoustically .... the TI's were a great improvement, and while I haven't tried the tapewounds I'd imagine they would work well, too ....

Mojo-Man · #10 01-27-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lindsey

I use T-I Jazz Flats on my ABG. I love the tone. They're quite expensive, but they compensate by lasting a long time.

It's all personal taste of course, but i don't like bronze or steel or nickel roundwounds on ABG. Just makes it sound like a large and mediocre guitar to me.

Big plus one.
TI-flats work great on my ABG.
Never liked tone of Bronze strings.
And the die very fast, in both volume, and tone.

MNAirHead · #11 01-27-2009, 11:23 AM

I have my acoustic done with flats..

I've yet to play an acoustic that didn't need a little amp kick in a group setting.

My preference is to use this for a bit more thud..

HINT.. I also plug the hole to get a boxier sound.

I've tried just about every string I could find on my acoustic - couldn't find anthing roundwound that sounded real.

I've asked folks who were not into gear for feedback.. seems as if they can either hear the new stingy bartoloni type sound.. or the Carol Kaye thud sound.. many of we bass players obsess over things the average person can not hear.

PM me if you'd like any more details.

Hope to help.

Tim

SwamiRob · #12 01-27-2009, 01:32 PM

Cheers for the advice guys, I know I'm not gonna get enough volume acoustic, especially since the acoustic band I'm in is now a 6 piece, but I just want it to be loud enough for there to be something behind the tunes when we busk and play completely unplugged house shows.

Can see why people dislike rounds on AGBs though, there are ALOT of harmonics compared to fundamentals, I kinda like the sound of it to be honest but I think a warmer less growly sound would suit now we have so many other instruments that need to come through (our lineup is conga, acoustic guitar/mandolin, acoustic guitar/violin, bouzouki, 12 string acoustic guitar... and me)

Joel S. · #13 01-27-2009, 01:42 PM

I had these on my Acoustic for a while:
http://www.bigcitystringshop.com/ser...r-Round/Detail

Impossible to find anywhere but there, but they sounded great, gave a little increase in volume and felt good. Did I say they sounded great? Got LOTS of compliments on the tone of the ABG with them on... now if only they made a 5 string set.

jwoiton · #14 01-27-2009, 01:50 PM

In my opinion, acoustic basses are always hurting for volume when played with an acoustic 6-string. You need the loudest and brightest strings that you can get. Flats don't usually cut it.

superiorpine · #15 01-27-2009, 01:57 PM

I use TI flats on my fretted Tacoma 5, strung E to C. Totally love them. Great feel, nice tone, and no volume issues with the Tacoma. Wonderful recorded sound as well.

I use bronze rounds on my Tacoma fretless 4. Bronze and frets don't seem to go well for my tastes. And of the two, I enjoy the TIs on the fretted way more.

FWIW, YMMV etc.

J.D.B. · #16 01-27-2009, 02:53 PM

I have GHS 3025's on mine an they sound great! Plenty of tone and no noisey left hand.

Josh

Gintaras · #17 01-27-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.D.B.

I have GHS 3025's on mine an they sound great! Plenty of tone and no noisey left hand.

Josh

How is the tension of the GHS's. I am concerned about having too much tension. I have read on this forum that high tension strings can cause damage to an ABG

Richard Lindsey · #18 01-27-2009, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwoiton

In my opinion, acoustic basses are always hurting for volume when played with an acoustic 6-string. You need the loudest and brightest strings that you can get. Flats don't usually cut it.

Well, experience differs, true. IME even "the loudest and brightest strings that you can get" probably aren't going to make enough of a volume difference to allow you to be loud enough with a largish ensemble if you're totally unplugged, and if they did they likely wouldn't sound all that good (meaning that you'd hear a lot of treble and string noise but not much real bass). So one perspective is that you might as well sacrifice a bit of the volume to get a better sound.

J.D.B. · #19 01-27-2009, 04:41 PM

Gintaras, the 3025's gauges are from .45 to .95. Plenty light enough that my relief didn't change. I tune it EADG and it behaves as it ever did with rounds. Yup, they feel tighter. I'm quite used to that, already. I should have had them on there when I first restrung. Very nice. Hell, my WIFE even noticed how nice the sound got. Stainless flats.....I've come to really like them on just about all my basses. Try them for a week or so. If you really hate them, and your headstock is the usual square tuner layout, I'll buy em off ya. My set ran about $32.00 at my local shop.

Josh

Gintaras · #20 01-27-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.D.B.

Gintaras, the 3025's gauges are from .45 to .95. Plenty light enough that my relief didn't change. I tune it EADG and it behaves as it ever did with rounds. Yup, they feel tighter. I'm quite used to that, already. I should have had them on there when I first restrung. Very nice. Hell, my WIFE even noticed how nice the sound got. Stainless flats.....I've come to really like them on just about all my basses. Try them for a week or so. If you really hate them, and your headstock is the usual square tuner layout, I'll buy em off ya. My set ran about $32.00 at my local shop.

Josh

thanks for the response. I had a set of DR Stainless flats on a Carvin AC40 and really liked them. I found a set of the 3025's on ebay for $22.85 Looking forward to getting them on my bass. The seller had 10 sets at that price

http://cgi.ebay.com/GHS-3025-PRECISI...QQcmdZViewItem