Flatwounds on a Fretted??

[Johnny BoomBoom]

I put a set of flats on my P-bass a few months ago!!! Yuk - not for me!!!! The feel is fine, and the lack of handling noise sure is good, but I really don't like the sound they give.

I just out a set of Roto 66s back on it last night!!!

Flats sound fine on my Fretless Jazz, but not on my fretted P-bass. There ain't no way I'll ever put flatwounds on a fretted bass again!

[savagelucy]

anyone else have a bad experience with the flats on the frets?

[DW]

Originally posted by savagelucy
anyone else have a bad experience with the flats on the frets?

Mike, there are no issues with flats on frets, period. I've used them for close to 40 years on fretted basses. Rounds for bass weren't even available at all until the late '60s and not widely available until the '70s. We got along quite well before rounds!

Now as for the sound, that's just a matter of personal preference. You just have to try some and find out. And there are differences between the brands just like there are between rounds.

If you wind up liking the smooth feel and lack of noise, but not liking the sound as well, you might try GHS Pressurewounds (compressed rounds).

[lushfreak]

Originally posted by savagelucy
anyone else have a bad experience with the flats on the frets?

I've been using flats on my fretted 4 for almost a year now and I love them! I may switch back to rounds for variety's sake, but there's nothing inherently wrong with putting flats on a fretted bass. Like everything else, it's about personal preference and experimentation...

[savagelucy]

in a couple months i'll have my j so its only a matter of time before i find out how the flats sound/feel. this may sound wierd, but, i'm a little excited to find out what they're like

[Brendan]

Bump.

Just wondering about this myself. Ya'll say it's more thumpy...but usually an increase in thump can mean a decrease in volume and/or clarity. How do you guys respond to this? I'm doing the metal thang, and was kind of toying with the idea of flatwounds

[The Lowest]

If you have more than one bass try keeping a set of flats on one and rounds on the other. I've been doing that for about the past two years and it works out fine....and I've been finding that I usually reach for the ax with the flats.

I've been playing since the mid 60'. I started on La Bella flats (760 set) and used them until around 1975 when I started using Roundwounds exclusively.
I got curious a couple of years ago and put a set of flats onto one of my Precisions. I had been noticing that whenever I heard a record from the 60's I dug the bass sound more than what I was hearing on most newer records. I Immediately liked the flats. They were closer to the sound that I was hearing in my mind.

The flats I'm currently using are the Fender Stainless Steel Mediums. I find them to be a good set. They feel and sound balanced. The LaBella 760s are heavier and used to cause me to tighten the truss rod every so often. The Fender Lights that are nickle wound gave me a problem with the E string as far as intonation and clarity. For a while I used that set but with a round E. (slappers can use a round E AND A). The Fender stainless sound fine as is - I don't need to do that.

[bgavin]

Originally posted by The Lowest
If you have more than one bass try keeping a set of flats on one and rounds on the other.

I'm running TI Jazz Flats all the time on my P-bass. The MIM J fretless is still in the experimentation phase, but it looks like it will continue with rounds, even though they are harder on the finger board. I love the mway from rounds.

My RB5 has been through GHS rounds, then TI Jazz Flats, all in a failed attempt to make it sound like a 5-string Precision. I gave up and bought a P instead, so the RB5 is now lined up to receive a set of TI PowerBass rounds.

One gets very spoiled playing flats. The RB5 was a delight to play, and so is the P. I had Fender 9050M stainless flats on the fretless (stock) and they feel great. I don't mind huge strings, and actually prefer them. The feel of flats is wonderful.

[HeavyDuty]

I'm another big fan of flats, to the point I'm converting 100%. I run Fender 9050Ms on my Sterling, AmStd Jazz, and DeArmond Starfire, and am looking for a low-tension set (probably T-I) for my Ric 4001. Even the new Steinberger XM2A wears flats (Status Graphite)!

[Dave Siff]

I think it depends on the bass. I've got TI Jazz Flats on my Ovation Magnum and I like them a lot on that bass. I tried them on my Reverend and didn't like them -- that bass just sounds and feels way better with roundwounds. YMMV, of course.

[shirojiro]

Reviving old threads is like being able to store a conversation and whip it out when people don't expect it...

I've been an avowed Jazz bass man since 1979, when I bought my first Kent Jazz bass copy. I have never owned a Pbass, or any bass with a split pickup.

Until this week.

I bought a used MIM Pbass that looks terrible with a home refinish - it was stripped and stained, but it's terribly uneven. There's a Badass II bridge, but I'm ambivalent about it. I may even prefer a Fender bridge, I don't know yet.

The neck was severely bowed, and I've fixed that. The action is playable now.

And now I just put flats on it. Holy cow. I should have done this 20 yrs ago.

I still have my headphones on because it sounds so good . This is the tone I've been hearing in my head for so long. I've tried flats on my Jazz basses, and my fretless still has TI flats, but I've never understood why folks are so into flats. They always seemed, so...well... *flat*. (duh)

This time, there's a subtle growl from the pickup ,and the tone is thick and creamy. What a great sound. They're Ernie Ball flat wounds, and I'm totally digging them.

This is totally that old, Motown sound. What a great purchase. Who knew that MIM Pbass and some leftover flats from a failed experiment would sound so great?

Grinning from ear to ear,

-Shin