Flats that sound like rounds?

[BassGreaser]

I've been using Chromes on my Pbass, and I'm looking for more of a round wound sound, but not the RW feel. So what do you guys say?

[JimmyM]

TI Jazz Flats. Has so much of a roundwound sound I had to get rid of them. They're really rounds disguised as flats.

[Jeb]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

TI Jazz Flats...... They're really rounds disguised as flats.

Jimmy's got a point. "Gritty-est" flats I've ever heard. And the flavor lasts and lasts...

[travatron4000]

D'addario's Half Rounds. I tried them so I could have flat feel with round sound. They sound really "round". They aren't quite as smooth feeling as chromes especially but they're very close.

[MCT]

Do the TI's have the same tension as Fender 9050's. Because I'm looking for some new strings and this is what it's down to.

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by travatron4000

D'addario's Half Rounds. I tried them so I could have flat feel with round sound. They sound really "round". They aren't quite as smooth feeling as chormes especially but they're very close.

they get my vote! Great sounding strings for a warm roundwoundish tone.

[Mike]

ken smith compressor series are nice for a little twang. they are ground like flats but have a bright, snappy tone with some thump. i use them pretty regularly and have always liked them.

[JimmyM]

TI's have the same tension as Fender 9050's? Not even close. TI's are a very loose string. If you want comparable tension to 9050's, I would try those ground or compression wound strings.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

TI Jazz Flats. Has so much of a roundwound sound I had to get rid of them. They're really rounds disguised as flats.

+1.

Totally unscientific anecdote FWIW: I was testing a new bass recently (a Bongo) to see if I wanted one (I do), comparing it to my main fretted bass, which has TI Jazz Flats. I took the brand-new TI Jazz Flats off my fretless and put them on the Bongo.

Everything went great until at one point the D string slipped on the peg because it was too short (different headstock configuration, not enough wraps) so I put the Bongo's original brand-new roundwound Ernie Ball D string back on.

To my utter astonishment, the sound was nearly the same. The TI's were a tad thicker, and a tad less zingy, but just a tad... it was so close that when playing with other instruments you really couldn't hear any difference. Kind of like the diff between a brand-new roundwound and one that's starting to break in, but isn't dead yet. This may have been, and probably was, influeced by the aggressive preamp in the Bongo...you might not get the same results out of a garden-variety Jazz bass.

Those TIs are great. No finger noise. They should last forever. Fretwear is not an issue.

YMMV, etc.

[bgavin]

My TI Jazz Flats have been installed on my MIM-P since 2000, and still going strong. I wipe down after the gig, but nothing else special.

I'm thinking about moving them to my J-Fretless, because I want more thump from the P. Somehow, it doesn't seem that TI Flats have much thump. Considering DA Chromes or LaBella Deep Talkin' Flats for thump. Fender 9050 thump but go dead very fast.

[MCT]

How about GHS brite flats vs. the TI Jazz flats?