Flatwound break-in time

5F6-A · #1 05-09-2007, 05:24 AM

I've ordered some flat for my '80 G&L bass.
This is my first experience with flatwound strings.
At the moment I have mied emotions about them.
I have to say that I had rotosound swing 45 - 105 strings before ( about 3 years old ).
I have noticed that they sustain slightly less that the Rotos... I was expecting some loss at the sustain department but I noticed it a bit more than I expected. Then I noticed that although they are flatwound they are fairly bright without the big booming bass I got with the Rotos... Is this normal?
Do they need to break-in a bit? What do you think?

Any info will be greatly appreciated....

SuperSnake2012 · #2 05-09-2007, 05:37 AM

I just put on some new Chromes on my P bass... I love the feel, but I'm waiting for the sound.

I hear it takes about a month or so to break in the flats. They're like wine, they get better with age

62bass · #3 05-09-2007, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5F6-A

I've ordered some flat for my '80 G&L bass.
This is my first experience with flatwound strings.
At the moment I have mied emotions about them.
I have to say that I had rotosound swing 45 - 105 strings before ( about 3 years old ).
I have noticed that they sustain slightly less that the Rotos... I was expecting some loss at the sustain department but I noticed it a bit more than I expected. Then I noticed that although they are flatwound they are fairly bright without the big booming bass I got with the Rotos... Is this normal?
Do they need to break-in a bit? What do you think?

Any info will be greatly appreciated....

I've used a few different flatwounds. Naturally they do sound different from rounds. I don't know what brand you bought but that could be the problem. My favourite, and the only ones I'll use now are Thomastic flats. They sound good right out of the box but warm up considerably after a few days of playing and stay that way for many years. Other flats I've tried aren't as nice sounding to me. The best of the other flats I've tried in my opinion were the Rotosound flats. I didn't like the LaBellas. Too stiff and not very musical sounding to me. Some guys like that dull thud though. Other guys swear by Chromes but I haven't tried them.

Most flatwounds cost more than rounds but they last a long time so that offsets the cost. The Thomastics are among the most expensive but sound good the longest to me. I have a set over 6 years old on a bass I've played live a lot and they still sound good and even still intonate well. They cost me $60 Canadian so that works out to $10 a year. Pretty good deal in my opinion. I may change them sometime this year. Then again, I might not.

So, you may just not like the sound of flatwounds, or might not like the brand you bought. They are unique and quite different from roundwounds, particularly Rotosound rounds.

But flatwounds were the original strings Fender used on electric bass and that's the sound you hear on most classic rock from the late 50s up to the late 60s. Played right and recorded well they give you a bass sound that perfectly supports the band. I use nothing but flats, all Thomastic, live now and the sound is perfect for me and all those I work with are very happy with my bass sound.

If you're into slap and pop or Marcus Miller style "jazz" or Flea or any of the other guy's sounds who want the bass to stand out over the top of everything, then flatwounds probably won't do it for you.

PSPookie · #4 05-09-2007, 07:08 AM

Yup, it takes about a month to get the full goodness out of flats. They're going to be a bit bright until then. Be patient, the sound is worth the wait IMO.

5F6-A · #5 05-09-2007, 09:06 AM

the strings are Fender 5090s
My style of music is blues, old style jazz, gospel, 60's and 70's rock.

For instance players I love; Andy Fraser from Free, Denis Dunaway ( Alice Cooper ), J Jamerson, John Deacon ( Queen ), ....

I think flats are for me but I'll have to wait for the tone.

Pilgrim · #6 05-09-2007, 12:09 PM

I agree with comments above - it takes at least 2-3 months for flats to settle in. After a year or so they're doing what they're going to do for a looooong time.

zombywoof5050 · #7 05-09-2007, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62bass

I didn't like the LaBellas. Too stiff and not very musical sounding to me. Some guys like that dull thud though.

I read comments like this all the time about the LaBella flats, and it's just not true. You must have tried one of the heavy gauged sets. The lighter gauged sets (760FL or 760FX) are not near as stiff and also not as thuddy sounding.

62bass · #8 05-09-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombywoof5050

I read comments like this all the time about the LaBella flats, and it's just not true. You must have tried one of the heavy gauged sets. The lighter gauged sets (760FL or 760FX) are not near as stiff and also not as thuddy sounding.

Yes, it was a heavy guage set. I haven't tried their lighter guage sets.

spade2you · #9 05-09-2007, 06:15 PM

Also depends on how much you play the bass. Obviously, the break in time will be shorter if you keep thumpin'. Before I had to send my Rob Allen MB2 back cuz I broked it, the strings sounded great. When I got it back, I felt that the new set sounded kinda metallic. It has been this way for a while, but I am playing my Mouse 30 so much.

SamTheButcher · #10 05-11-2007, 06:55 PM

The three sets of flats I've used are the Rotosound RS77, Fender 9050ML and the Labella Deep Talking 760FL. The Roto's were the brightest of the three and the stiffest. The Fenders really start thumping after a couple of months, almost percussive. I liked the Labellas best with the Fenders a close second. IMHO they don't call them "Deep Talking" for nothing. They really mellowed out after a while, very nice fundamental tones. Don't judge the Lab's on the heavy gauge alone; the gauge in the Labellas DOES make all the difference, the medium gauge sound way better (to me) than the heavys.
AS always, YMMV.

robertoleyte · #11 05-14-2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

The Fenders really start thumping after a couple of months, almost percussive. I liked the Labellas best with the Fenders a close second. IMHO they don't call them "Deep Talking" for nothing.

+1. I used Fenders for 4 years on my Precision Fretless 78 and it was great for Blues and Funk, but I have just changed to La Bellas 760FM and I´m loving it! It has a little lower tension than Fenders and the sound is richer and Deep, as they Advertise about it! You just have to roll off the tone knob in the beginning. If you play everyday, after a month or so it will break-in and be happy for years!

Interviewer to Donald Dunn: "how often do you change strings?" The "Duck" answered: "Never!"

Disc · #12 05-14-2007, 11:39 PM

Yeah Ive waited 3 weeks with my flats and so far Im really hating them. I love the flatwound sound on Ps but theirs something about this brand (GHS or something like that) that is terrible. The E string is way too boomy with no definition/sustain, while the rest of the strings have a nice flatwound sound I was looking for. i hoped they would even out over time but no such luck. I think Im gonna switch them out for some DR black beauties and try a different brand of flats later, when I get over loosing 35$

. So should I stick it out for another week or just take my loss?

PilbaraBass · #13 05-15-2007, 12:10 AM

for me, what I always wanted in flats, I've found in Nylon Tapes...

SamTheButcher · #14 05-17-2007, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disc

Yeah Ive waited 3 weeks with my flats and so far Im really hating them. I love the flatwound sound on Ps but theirs something about this brand (GHS or something like that) that is terrible. The E string is way too boomy with no definition/sustain, while the rest of the strings have a nice flatwound sound I was looking for. i hoped they would even out over time but no such luck. I think Im gonna switch them out for some DR black beauties and try a different brand of flats later, when I get over loosing 35$

. So should I stick it out for another week or just take my loss?

I also remember having an E string booming issue on my Jazz w/ flats at one time. I lowered the neck pickup on the E string side a little and that helped. You could also try favoring the bridge pickup volume a little, but that will start getting you away from that "P" type sound that most people associate flats with.

Three weeks IMO is not enough time. Try sticking it out a little longer, at least a couple of weeks. How often/long do you play? That also has a bearing on the break in time.
Good luck with it, hope it works out.

us lefties gotta stick together......

Jo6Pak · #15 05-18-2007, 07:43 PM

I started out using flats back in 'the day', then everyone did rounds and I went with. A few years ago I switched back and now flats are the only thing I use. Depending on the bass, my two mainstays are D'A ECB80 or TI JF344, with the occasional tapewound something (not Fender) for fretless...

Marley's Ghost · #16 05-18-2007, 08:48 PM

I have the LaBella 760FL's and they are just starting to settle in after 6 months.

ibnzneksrul · #17 05-18-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

I started out using flats back in 'the day', then everyone did rounds and I went with. A few years ago I switched back and now flats are the only thing I use. Depending on the bass, my two mainstays are D'A ECB80 or TI JF344, with the occasional tapewound something (not Fender) for fretless...

+1, except I like the D'A ECB81 medium set. 6 weeks break-in and they sound mahvelous.

Mojo-Man · #18 05-20-2007, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSnake2012

I just put on some new Chromes on my P bass... I love the feel, but I'm waiting for the sound.

I hear it takes about a month or so to break in the flats. They're like wine, they get better with age

Like he said.

armybass · #19 05-20-2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamTheButcher

... I liked the Labellas best... IMHO they don't call them "Deep Talking" for nothing. They really mellowed out after a while, very nice fundamental tones. Don't judge the Lab's on the heavy gauge alone; the gauge in the Labellas DOES make all the difference, the medium gauge sound way better (to me) than the heavys.
AS always, YMMV.

Could not agree more. Excellently stated. TI's are my close second and I think they settle in a bit faster but the LaBella's are my flats of choice and it does take them a bit longer as most folks have said.

SamTheButcher · #20 05-22-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armybass

Could not agree more. Excellently stated. TI's are my close second and I think they settle in a bit faster but the LaBella's are my flats of choice and it does take them a bit longer as most folks have said.

Been wanting to try the TI's but have been scared off by the alledged lack of tension (and the price)

. I kinda like my strings w/ a little tension. I'm using DR hi-beam rounds right now (a throw-in with some gear I bought); they're about the least tensioned strings I've ever used, still trying to get used to them. About the polar opposite of flats, but eventually I always go back.