Are flatwounds fragile?

[FourtyOneHz]

I decided to dive into the world of flatwounds and bought a set of Rotosound 77s to put on my Precision. I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong but the e string broke at the tuner as I was beginning to put tension on it.

So I'm just wondering at this point if flatwounds are fragile and I need to be a bit more careful or if I just got a defective string. If it was a guitar string I'd just curse and grab another set, but since the 77s were $50 with tax it's a little harder to let go...

[Lo-E]

Not in my experience. Unless you were doing something wrong, it sounds to me like a defective string.

LaBella flats heve a reputation for not being able to make the tight turn when used on string-through basses, but Rotos - IME - are pretty robust.

[hdracer]

Roto 77's suck!

I had the same thing happen to me.
I called them and the sent me a new set. Same thing again.
I threw them in the trash and put a set of LaBella's on.

The only strings I have ever had brake on me like that were Roto's. Come to think of it, all the problems I have ever had with strings were always with Roto's.

[NYCbassist]

Too tight of a bend (Over 90 deg) can cause a string to break but it's extremely rare. Most music stores will help you out with a single string especially if you have the receipt. I have seen people do a 180 deg Bend, then pull it back to 90 deg and stick it in the hole in the machine head. This is a recipe for disaster.

[Pilgrim]

Are flatwounds fragile?

No. They last for decades.

Originally Posted by Lo-E

LaBella flats heve a reputation for not being able to make the tight turn when used on string-through basses, but Rotos - IME - are pretty robust.

The manufacturer specifically advises against installing most Labellas on string-through bridges. The problem is operator error in selecting and installing the strings, not in the strings.

[phangtonpower]

I love La Bella's and I will continue to use them, but my first set G string broke at the bridge from the ball end within a couple days. Jason at bass strings online sent me a new one shipped to Japan. A couple of weeks ago I had a 2 month old set on a different bass and the D sting broke at the tuning peg :/ Complained to La Bella and they replaced it.

[bassbully]

No. Put them on right and play them forever.

[VanillaThundah]

I had the same issue with a G string from a set of Fender (old formula) flats. Never had this issue with Chromes, and I've had a few pairs over the years.

[phangtonpower]

Originally Posted by bassbully

No. Put them on right and play them forever.

Wouldn't that mean that they are fragile if you don't put them on right compared to roundwound strings putting them on the same way?

[bassman10096]

Flats are generally tough as nails. One unfortunate exception I've found is Pyramid flats (about the most expensive strings out there). The E string tends to have problems at the tuner end and the bridge end. Both have happened to me. The good news/bad news is that the problem is well enough known that Pyramid has a liberal replacement policy (no need to return the defective string). It's a pain, but Pyramids are one of the sweetest, most responsive flats in the market.

[Lo-E]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

The manufacturer specifically advises against installing most Labellas on string-through bridges. The problem is operator error in selecting and installing the strings, not in the strings.

That's true. I was not assigning blame one way or another. The OP asked if flats were fragile, and this is a known characteristic of LaBellas. I was simply pointing it out.

[FourtyOneHz]

Originally Posted by bassbully

No. Put them on right and play them forever.

That was the plan...

[FourtyOneHz]

Thanks for the responses. I'll go back to the store and get them to replace the string.

[u84six]

I'm also not sure that Rotosound 77s are the best string for an introduction to flatwounds. Those strings feel like bridge cable to me and actually hurt my fingers while playing because they're so high tension (I admit that I have sensitive fingers, and I've always found that you play better when comfortable). There are definitely other, better options than Rotosound.

[FourtyOneHz]

Originally Posted by u84six

I'm also not sure that Rotosound 77s are the best string for an introduction to flatwounds. Those strings feel like bridge cable to me and actually hurt my fingers while playing because they're so high tension (I admit that I have sensitive fingers, and I've always found that you play better when comfortable). There are definitely other, better options than Rotosound.

Where I am there aren't a lot of options, everyone seems to stock only the 77s and Chromes. By everyone's description it seems that I would not be happy with Chromes (too bright) so the 77s are the way to go. I don't mind the 66s, which people describe as 'high tension' so the 77s probably won't feel too bad to me.

[3234718]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Roto 77's suck!

I had the same thing happen to me.
I called them and the sent me a new set. Same thing again.

+1
Worst flats I've ever played

Labella flats win.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Lo-E

That's true. I was not assigning blame one way or another. The OP asked if flats were fragile, and this is a known characteristic of LaBellas. I was simply pointing it out.

Fair enough!

Flats in general are long-lasting. My oldest set is about 41 years old now. Other sets range up to 10 years old.

[kai_ski]

Originally Posted by FourtyOneHz

I decided to dive into the world of flatwounds and bought a set of Rotosound 77s to put on my Precision. I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong but the e string broke at the tuner as I was beginning to put tension on it.

Don't let it go! But the same thing has happened to me with Labella's so it even happens with the "best."

[jbd5015]

chromes are good value if you want to try a set without breaking the bank. i put a set of Thomastik Infled Jazz flats on my guild and they are a true joy to play. I had some chromes on it before, and while they werent bad, there was something...stiff...about them. The guages on the TI's are perfect, worth every penny.

i think youll find that flats are more expressive than you ever thought they could be, much more dynamic string.

-Jeff

[Jay2U]

My Rotos didn't last for 24 hours. Something was definitely wrong with the E-string. It had a different feel and I kept tuning it. I took them off and went back to Chromes straight away. Nowadays I'm using Ernie Ball flats, which are a copy of Chromes, or maybe even made by d'Addario. I can buy these as singles, which saves mony for my BEAD tuned bass.