flats with tension like DR fatbeams

[masprague]

ok, on my warwick fretless I have been using Chromes for my flats, to prevent destruction of my fretboard. I was achieving a great deal of "mwah" and everything else.

However, a problem arose when I put some DR MM Fatbeams on my fretted 62 RI Jazz.

I instantly fell in love with the low tension that these strings provided versus the strings that were on there before.

So now when I reach for the fretless, which I love to play, I find myself hating the high tension that is the Chromes. It seems so hard to play. I usually play on the fretless about 15 min, before I start reaching for that low tension Jazz.

So I have taken off the chromes and stuck on leftover set of DR colored coated strings, that are much lower in tension than the Chromes.

So I want to know is there a great sounding low tension flatwound string? I realize that most string companies are not posting their tension charts....but someone must have been in the same place I am....

I need to get these rounds off my bass before they chew a groove.

[Gyoon]

I think Thomastik-Infeld Flats would do the trick. This was a concern of mine when I was going for a flatwound sound that wouldn't give me tendonitis or something like that. They are very low tension for a flat, comparable to your average set of rounds.

Glenn

[masprague]

has anyone tried the DR flats??? are they low tension?

At least compared to the Chromes??

[One Drop]

Don't forget flats generally feel stiffer than rounds in the same gauge due to the ribbon winding.

Tension and stiffness are two different things, which seldom gets mentioned.

LaBella 760MLs are looser feeling and lower tension than the Chromes, as are Sadowsky flats. But the only real low tension flats I know of are the TIs, and they are even more flexible because of the silk winding around the core.

[GM60466]

GHS 3050s do it for me.

GM

[Jazzin']

Originally Posted by masprague

has anyone tried the DR flats??? are they low tension?

At least compared to the Chromes??

They're pretty high tension. Slightly higher than chromes.

[TriggerHappy]

has anyone ever put flatwounds on a fretted? im not sure if itd just be stupid or if itd be worth it.

[fretman4god]

I used to put flats on my 5-er all the time. Chromes in fact. The only thing I didn't like was the high tension. They sounded amazing though.

[derrico1]

+1 to the T-I flats (JF344) for a low tension option.

I've liked them on fretted Jazz and P, as well as fretless.

Do a search here for TI flats and you'll find lots of positive opinions.