Which flats that deliver the growl?

[markanini]

So I've been wearing my set of LaBella flats for a year now and the thud alone doesnt do it for me.
Which flatwounds have the harmonics extended into the mid frequencies?

[Dr. Toboggan]

I see chromes in your future.

[MarkusBass]

Fo shizzle

[Stick_Player]

I like Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on my fretless.

[jasper383]

Chromes, the new Fender flats, or TI Jazz Flats.

[markanini]

Thanks! I read the chromes were the most balanced flats tension wise so I guess that would one more thing to look forward to if I go with them.

[markanini]

New fender flats?! *heads off to fender.com*

[markanini]

Well, no info on fender.com site but I found the thread here on TB.
Now I only have to deal with the thought of buying from a company whose abundant industry prescense I loathe.
Thanks again everyone!

[trayner1]

I like GHS flats...they have a good growl and a mwah to them.

[markanini]

How can strings have mwah? Are you using a fretless?

Going on a ramble here: The LaBella set I've worn out started excibiting an odd phasing effect isolated to the A string once initial brightness wore off. It's not unlike fretless mwah. Really annoying as it throwed off string-to-string balance. I wrote a kind letter to LaBella about it twice and never heard back.
However I'm sure some strings sound more pleasant than others when bumping into frets or fretboards during their vibration.
Also if some clever string maker made a whole set that behaved like that funky A string I bet they'd make some good money

[Commreman]

Chromes. They are perfect on a passive Jazz.

[Jhaley]

Try the Sadowsky Flats

[strappa]

no flats growl like Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats

[pbass2]

Chromes are the roundwounds of flats
I use Labellas AND Chromes on different basses--you will find them VERY different from the Labellas

[markanini]

Well I've been scouring youtube for flatwound clips. I tried to extrapolate what I heard to the different pickup layouts and I ignored any clips with bad sound quality or impedance missmatch(unbuffered DI). I also listened to clips at basstasters and Lakland.

Obviously it's hard to account for varying EQ and other fenomenon so I'd apperciate if someone could confirm of refute my observations:

GHS, Ernie Ball and old Fender doesnt seem to be what I'm looking for.
TI are obviously a marvel to behold. For me the tension would be a problem tho as I like some tighness when sometimes playing near the neck for an upright like tone.
Rotos had bright attack without adding anything to the mids, kind of scooped.
Lakland and itialian Galli and Sadowky sounded nice, not much different from LaBellas.
Chromes didnt sound that impressive after hearing the above.
DR sounded very impressive!

BTW has anyone tried Optima chromes?

[canadian_man_44]

Chromes....nuff said.

[iceboxbass]

GHS Precision Stainless Steel flatwounds! I've tried d'Addario chrome FW for 3 months but just too bright sounding. So I stripped both Spector 4 and 5r and put back on the GHS Precisions. Ive been using them now for 2 years. I believe it also depends on what bass, passive or active PU that you're using for the tone you're looking for.

[Bassist4Life]

Originally Posted by strappa

no flats growl like Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats

Right. I believe that it's the lower tension that give them the growl; and of course, how you attack them.

[One Drop]

GHS do growl a lot, as do the Sadowskys. TIs are very middy and the growl is there, too, but not as deeply growly, to split hairs. Tiger hairs, that is.

I don't find Chromes particularly growly at all.

[Bigjohn]

Pluck HARD for growl.
Growly bass players play surprisingly HARD.