jazz or p for flats

phreddy · #1 11-05-2007, 03:02 PM

Ii am getting another bass to put flats on and am trying to decide which to get. I don’t have access to either with flats on so I cant hear for myself. what do you like best and why.

iplay4-5 · #2 11-05-2007, 03:04 PM

humm idk pending on what kinda tone you want P+flats=huge thump and bottom well the jamerson tone
jazz+flats= alot of lower midrange and more added thump....but for the shapen tone of flats i'd go P
or even a P/J to mix and match what you want

TrevorOfDoom · #3 11-05-2007, 03:06 PM

y'know, i usually buy the bass and then worry about what strings to put on it, not the other way around. weirdo.

p.s. go with the P and don't look back!

Caca de Kick · #4 11-05-2007, 05:03 PM

I prefer using flats on my P's and rounds on my J's.

JimmyM · #5 11-05-2007, 05:12 PM

Either bass sounds awesome with flats.

nastyn8c · #6 11-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Flats on the P. It helps accentuate the tonal differences between a P and J.

bthiemann80 · #7 11-05-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nastyn8c

Flats on the P. It helps accentuate the tonal differences between a P and J.

+1

Precision basses sound a bit on the harsh side to my ears when strung up w/ rounds. Jazz basses do sound good with flats but not as good as P basses.

bassbully · #8 11-05-2007, 06:02 PM

Ya my jazzes sing real pretty with rounds. P bass and flats go together like peanut butter and jelly....MMMMmmmmmmm!

Luckydog · #9 11-05-2007, 06:34 PM

well from your profile you already have the P. If you get another bass, why not get a different one. Flats on Jazz is very nice, but for me, in a loud band setting, the Jazz with flats doesn't have enough presence. With rounds it is heard better. A Pbass with flats (IMO) will be heard in any setting, and you don't need to use TI's to be heard, most any set of good flats will be good on the P. I like Labellas, Chromes, Fenders, Sadowsky flats, and (even) TI's. Others less so.

SLaPiNFuNK · #10 11-05-2007, 06:42 PM

IMHO - Flats belong on an upright...

JimmyM · #11 11-05-2007, 08:25 PM

For those who don't dig flats on a Jazz, I direct you to the two greatest electric bassists in reggae history...Family Man and Robbie Shakespeare. And for those who don't dig rounds on a Precision, I direct you to Mike Dirnt and Mark Hoppus

I know that's the traditional way to go with flats on a P and rounds on a J, but don't be afraid to be different and try them the other way. I think you will be surprised at the results.

phreddy · #12 11-05-2007, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog

well from your profile you already have the P. If you get another bass, why not get a different one. Flats on Jazz is very nice, but for me, in a loud band setting, the Jazz with flats doesn't have enough presence. With rounds it is heard better. A Pbass with flats (IMO) will be heard in any setting, and you don't need to use TI's to be heard, most any set of good flats will be good on the P. I like Labellas, Chromes, Fenders, Sadowsky flats, and (even) TI's. Others less so.

oh I have gotten some new gear since then and just forgot to update my profile, I now have a jag along with a new amp. my parents might be getting me a new bass for Christmas (around 200) I was thinking of a sx and since it would be like 150 plus 30-40 for some flats.

nastyn8c · #13 11-05-2007, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

For those who don't dig flats on a Jazz, I direct you to the two greatest electric bassists in reggae history...Family Man and Robbie Shakespeare. And for those who don't dig rounds on a Precision, I direct you to Mike Dirnt and Mark Hoppus

I know that's the traditional way to go with flats on a P and rounds on a J, but don't be afraid to be different and try them the other way. I think you will be surprised at the results.

I certainly do like flats and rounds in different situations, and I don't necessarily have a preference about them needing to be on a specific bass. However, if I was going to have a P and a J, I'd put flats on the P and rounds on the J. Then you'd really have two basses with opposing tones.

Of course there are other ways of getting different sounds, but I'm just assuming the only variables are P-bass/J-bass and flats/rounds.

bassbully · #14 11-06-2007, 07:04 AM

Rounds on a P bass with a pick sound good...meaty!

DavePlaysBass · #15 11-06-2007, 08:22 AM

I am backwards relative to the trend. I have gone the traditional route of rounds on a J, flats on a P but I have a J that loves flats and a P that loves rounds.

I have TI Jazz flats on a 61 Jazz. The tone is rich and punchy. I think that bass has found a soul mate. That bass went thru a number of rounds that were OK but never really super in a band setting.

As for my P, I am really digging the Fender 7250 nickel round wounds. They have some bite but the tone control can back them off a bit. I took off the 760FLs (sacrelige I know) to go back to rounds. The flats on the MIM 50s P seemed to take away some of its personality I thought.

Dave

PSPookie · #16 11-06-2007, 08:30 AM

flats go with P bass like cake goes with ice cream

DavePlaysBass · #17 11-06-2007, 08:41 AM

In my limited experience, I think flats go with rosewood and rounds go with maple. And my J is rosewood and my P is maple.

morebass! · #18 11-06-2007, 08:55 AM

I wrestle with this issue too and have tried both types of strings (many varieties of each) on several different Precisions and Jazzes. I play live a lot but do little recording so I'm looking for a sound I can use all night long. I currently have Ti flats on my jazz deluxe and rounds on my '71 Precision. I think the bottom line is that each bass is an individual and your ears are subjective. You'll have to try it and see. For me, the slap sound on the jazz with flats just doesn't cut it. And the TIs seem to lack a little bottom. I've pretty happy with the rounds on the P. The tone control on a P is very useful for taming the highs while still cutting through live. I don't think flats have more bottom. I'm leaning towards rounds on both basses but that is because I like to slap occasionally. One real plus with flats is that they get better with age.

One Drop · #19 11-09-2007, 12:50 PM

Although it's probably more common to put rounds on a jazz and flats on a P for a big tonal contrast, I go the other way, but for very specific reasons. I'm in two bands, one reggae and one pop/punk, both cover bands. My dream tone on bass is fingerstyle on a J with flats, and the reggae setting in which the bass is way up in the mix, and the only time the bass is obscured by guitars is when the guitarist doubles my lines cleanly,so the full round tone of the jazz is very clear and present.

With the rock band it's the opposite: busy mix, bass blends mostly instead of cutting. Here I use a growly bright P (actually an early '80s Tokai Hard Puncher) with fresh Roto rounds, usually picked. The difference is massive, yet both acheive classic tones that are just made for the music.

I think the end result you are looking for should inform your choice as much as the tone of the bass in a vacuum. If I was playing more funk, soul and blues, or classic rock, I'd probably put flats on my P instead.