Half Flats opinions please

[p-time bass guy]

I have a P with flats and a Jazz with rounds.
Hate to sound uninformed but ... just heard about 1/2 flats. At times wished the P had rounds & Jazz had flats.
Will the 1/2 flats kind of give me the best of both worlds???

[mongo2]

IMO, half-rounds are tweener strings but sound more like flats that rounds.

I prefer flats.

[p-time bass guy]

are the 1/2Flats ... like flats but with a little more bright/growl??
probably wont really know till i put them on.
Thinking of in place of the rounds on the jazz.
i'm a classic rock cover band. like the brights i get from rounds, and basically can tone down for a 'P' sound but the idea of 1/2 Flats sound kind of neat.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by p-time bass guy

are the 1/2Flats ... like flats but with a little more bright/growl??

Yeah, pretty much. My Precision loves GHS Brite Flats. You do have to make a commitment to them though. Ground rounds feel really sticky when you first put them on. Once you play 2 or 3 gigs with them, they feel really comfortable though.

They are pretty thumpy, but they'll sing if you spank em.

[Todd GT5]

I'm really stuck on the Ken Smith Slick Rounds. I play in a classic rock cover band and use an SX with Jazz PU's and a GGS with Nordstrand Big Singles. I get all the thump I need and when needed plenty of highs for me.

They feel a little wierd at first, but break in to feel great after a while. They also last a long time. All of the songs on my band's myspace are with them.

-Todd

[mellowgerman]

I would say get some of those "Brite" flats... probably give you what you're looking for in a more comfortable package. I love flats, can deal with rounds, but I can't handle the 1/2 rounds... way too weird to my fingertips

[Mugwump]

Would 1/2 rounds give me more sustain than flats with a similar sounds to flats?

[mellowgerman]

I've never experienced any lack of sustain with my flats. Sounds like a myth founded in dud sets or non-resonant, dull wood.

[selowitch]

D'Addario Chromes is another option for a flatwound set that sounds a bit more lively. I like them and they aren't expensive.

[p-time bass guy]

i think i switching to drums. but i am definately going to try something for a change. my rounds have been on for about 3 years. Switching now is a bit early for me but i do like the idea of some sort of flats. .... i think. i must go to a lousy store 'cause they dont seem to have much of a selection. guess i have to order on-line and pay the shipping

[cloclo]

i think it's the best of both yes
it's not both at the same time mind you
i only know them from a precision bass perspective ...

i posted about a bassmute once and there is a little mp3-clip:
Foam under the bridge - P bass

also, on our facebook-page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/Marvelassomething
the song "Little craver" is recorded with new semi-flats on a precision (and a wee bit of distortion)

hope this gives you an idea

[squashedOpossum]

Originally Posted by selowitch

D'Addario Chromes is another option for a flatwound set that sounds a bit more lively. I like them and they aren't expensive.

Agreed! Chromes rock on a Jazz bass, especially for classic rock.

[Brubass]

I bought my Jazz used with a pretty fresh set of rounds on it. I thought the sound was just a bit too twangy (I've been mostly a P-Bass with flats guy in the past, but wanted to try something new). I put on half-round Elixirs and really didn't get what I was looking for. They still sound twangy, but are a little easier on my fingers. I'm going to throw a set of Chromes on it to see how they play. Maybe I'm just a flats kind of guy, though....

[squashedOpossum]

Originally Posted by Brubass

I bought my Jazz used with a pretty fresh set of rounds on it. I thought the sound was just a bit too twangy (I've been mostly a P-Bass with flats guy in the past, but wanted to try something new). I put on half-round Elixirs and really didn't get what I was looking for. They still sound twangy, but are a little easier on my fingers. I'm going to throw a set of Chromes on it to see how they play. Maybe I'm just a flats kind of guy, though....

Give the chromes a little while to mellow. They're pretty zingy for flats right out of the box.

[mellowgerman]

Originally Posted by p-time bass guy

i think i switching to drums. but i am definately going to try something for a change. my rounds have been on for about 3 years. Switching now is a bit early for me but i do like the idea of some sort of flats. .... i think. i must go to a lousy store 'cause they dont seem to have much of a selection. guess i have to order on-line and pay the shipping

Just get them from sweetwater.com
Free shipping and excellent customer service. Same prices as all the corporate giants

[hdracer]

I just put a set of D'Addario half rounds on my Ric. It was to bright with Roto 66's and did not sound right with chromes. The Half's are just right on that bass

[BigOldHarry]

Half flats = bleh.

[p-time bass guy]

Before i screw up. Do the D'Addario Chromes come in Flats and Rounds?? or is 'Chromes' the flats we are all talking about??
And could i get a little more info as to the diff between Chromes and Flats?? Do they feel about the same but with a little more life??
again, i am a classic rock cover guy

I'll use Sweetwater. been there before.

[IntrepidCellist]

Originally Posted by Brubass

I bought my Jazz used with a pretty fresh set of rounds on it. I thought the sound was just a bit too twangy (I've been mostly a P-Bass with flats guy in the past, but wanted to try something new). I put on half-round Elixirs and really didn't get what I was looking for. They still sound twangy, but are a little easier on my fingers. I'm going to throw a set of Chromes on it to see how they play. Maybe I'm just a flats kind of guy, though....

Elixir makes half rounds?

I thought they only did rounds.

[JTE]

A. Modified rounds (e.g. GHS Brite-Flats and D'Addario Half-Rounds) are round-wound strings with the outer surface polished, burnished, or ground so it feels flat to your fingers. They're more like a round wound than a flat wound. My personal experience (I used both for several years in the '80s) is that they're about the worst of both worlds. They sound much like dead rounds without the fundamental "thump" that characterizes a good flat-wound.

B. Flats vary a LOT depending on the core wire, the inner wrap wires, and how the outer wrap is put on. Thomastic-Infield (called TI) flats are very good strings, but they're not a traditional round-wound sound at all. I'd suggest you try a set of those in your quest for sound too. GHS Precision flats are my favorite flat- they have all the thump that a good flat should have, but they're more flexible (after broken in) than many others, and they still have a definite note in them- a critical factor missing for me in LaBella Old Originals. The tension on the GHS is about the same as the DR Hi-Beams (stainless rounds) I use on other basses. All the Fender flats I've tried in the last ten years or so were very annoyingly twangy, and very very stiff.

I've not tried D'Addario Chromes, which is what D'Addario calls their flatwound sets, but I'm a long-time fan of D'Addario strings (I've been using them on my guitars since at least 1976, and used them on my basses until I had to switch brands because D'Addario regular long-scale won't fit a bass that strings through the body, nor on a 2-Tek bridge). They come highly recommended by folks here and on other sites too. If I ever change strings on my Precison I'll try a set of Chromes.

C. The only way to tell unfortunately is to try some sets yourself. See if you can find someone nearby who has a bass similar to yours with some different strings to see if modified rounds are what you're looking for.

John