Flats, friends, or Rounds???

[colorblindbass]

no flames here, this is a happy thread,

im just wondering, what everyone is using nowadays

Roundwounds

Flats,

or Funny strings (eg. tapes, earth, half, nylon ect.)


hmm?

[bthiemann80]

Flats before hoes

[Foxworthy925]

there should be an option "both". I have a p bass with flats, and an srx700 with rounds.

[colorblindbass]

then whichever gets more play

[pbass2]

Depends on the bass. Every one of my basses has a different brand/wound of string(though I must admit, 3/4 of 'em sport flats of some kind

[Jazzdogg]

I have Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds on my electric and upright basses. My acoustic bass guitar still has the bronze/phosphor strings it came with; I can't stand their thin, trebly sound, and abundant finger noise, but I play it so infrequently that I keep forgetting to try other strings.

I think a lot of my preferences come from an aversion to percussive high notes (I find them painful), and growing up listening to upright players and thumpy P-style players (Duck Dunne, et al). I switched to flats shortly before I defretted my P-bass several decades ago, and haven't looked back.

That being said, however, my stage rig is set to provide far more mid-range and treble than I like when practicing or soloing, which allows me to cut through the mix and hear my intonation clearly; when I solo, I change my equalization to compensate.

[Tony G]

My current string preference is DR Hi-Beams or Fat Beams. Both are stainless steel round wound strings wound on a round core.

[emblymouse]

Ground wounds, Ken Smith Slicks. Closer to flats in sound and feel, but not without liveliness.

[BellBottomBlues]

Rotosound or La Bella flats for me

[colorblindbass]

Originally Posted by BellBottomBlues

Rotosound or La Bella flats for me

there ya go

[CElton]

Ken Smith Rock Masters. SS round wound. Love 'em. Nice zing and last a long time.

[colorblindbass]

im a master of digging up threads

[glwanabe]

Flats for me.

Fenders, Labella's, Roto's or Chromes. Any of them will do.

[BigSwami]

I've normally played roundwounds, the brighter the better, without regard to how they feel at all. Recently that has been Elixirs, but in the past it has been DRs and before that, Rotosounds. I'm starting to realize that most of the sparkle that roundwound strings deliver gets lost in the mix - at least in lots of the music I listen to. I realize they make quite an impression in records by Rush or The Who, and that's a key element of the sound of those bands. Unfortunately, roundwounds also make a big impression in the sound of Korn, too.

I learned how to play bass on flats and I remember HATING rounds the first time I ever played them (I think I was 13 at the time, lol). I remember thinking "how come everything sounds so twangy and thin? Where did all my mellowness go?" I actually took my bass to the music store to demonstrate my complaint to the guy behind the counter. He must have gotten a laugh out of it.

[Pilgrim]

6 of my 9 basses have flats, with one fretless using tapewounds, two solid bodies with rounds (one of which, an Epi EB-0 will soon have flats), and one ABG which has the original rounds - soon to be replaced with either tapes or flats.

[tZer]

Both for me. MMSR5 = rounds, Jazz V = flats

I am experimenting with a variety of approaches on our tunes and being able to try nice, thuddy, old-school sounding McCartney/Jamerson style, then switch to bright, gritty, Squire/Geddy style instantly is great.


for now...

[7flat5]

All of the above.

[rickfan63]

I use DR Hi-Beams and nickel Lo-Riders on my basses right now. I want to try the Sunbeams too The DR's are best roundwounds made IMHO. I also like D'Addario Chromes for flats.

[BassJunkie730]

Chromes

all day

all night

[bkbirge]

flats on my P's, rounds on my Dano bass VI but I'd put flats on it if I could find 'em. I even have flats on my old Silvertone guitars, gets that pure rockabilly sound.