Just switched to flats!!! question

jamersonburton · #1 07-22-2011, 03:15 PM

Hello fellow bassists, i am new so please tell if this is not posted in the right area.

I have been playing bass for about 7 months now. the strings i used have been Ernie Ball hybrids (45-105), d'addario exl230 (55-110) and and the 50-105 daddarios. (i used to love my strings nice and fresh so i changed them every 2 months

i was in berlin and i bought some ghs percision flatwounds on sale.
I put them on my bass yesterday and holy ***!!!!

that was the best decision i have ever made. there was much more sustain than i thought there would be and the feel is amazing. but somethings a bit strange...
i am just using a Yamaha BB300 and a Fender Rumble 15... but this feels and sounds better than an MIA P bass i tried through a Fender Rumble 75 and stock roundwounds... i was wondering if this is due to my inexperienced mind or could my setup be better than the MIA. (the MIA wad amazing action and no sharp frets).

i understand this is a stupid question but its been bugging me for a couple hours. thanks for the replies in advanced.

electracoyote · #2 07-22-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

i understand this is a stupid question but its been bugging me for a couple hours. thanks for the replies in advanced.

It is entirely possible for a less-expensive bass with an excellent set-up to out-perform a more-expensive bass with an inferior set-up.

It could be that you have "flats euphoria."

It could be a combination of the two.

Either way, enjoy your good fortune and new-found string choice!

tabdog · #3 07-22-2011, 03:35 PM

Flats on a P bass is that sound we all recognize. (subconscious for most)

It looks like your Yamehammer is a P bass knock off.

If you got a decent split pole pup at the right distance from the bridge
with enough to anchor the strings properly, you may have it.

Putting flats on a P for the first time may give "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

WARNING, you may never completely recover from "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

Like was said, enjoy,

Tabdog

HEADLE · #4 07-22-2011, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabdog

Flats on a P bass is that sound we all recognize. (subconscious for most)

It looks like your Yamehammer is a P bass knock off.

If you got a decent split pole pup at the right distance from the bridge
with enough to anchor the strings properly, you may have it.

Putting flats on a P for the first time may give "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

WARNING, you may never completely recover from "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

Like was said, enjoy,

Tabdog

+1

H

waleross · #5 07-22-2011, 05:04 PM

Ok, my age will show but so what. I seem to remember when the only strings for Bass Guitars were Flats. I could be mistaken but when I first started playing and had my first bass it must have had flats. I played a Guild Starfire (Red) in the late 1960's and I just bought bass strings. It wasn't until I got my first Fender Jazz that I saw or heard other type strings. I must have bought GHS round wound ( I called them "ground round" ) and loved how they tore up my fingers. Today I just use strings that seem to be in the middle. My opinion on Fender Flats is that they don't seem to have that bright sound for to long and they go flat, just my opinion, however....

jamersonburton · #6 07-23-2011, 06:33 AM

thanks for the comments guys, another stupid question: is flats euphoria an addiction to flatwound strings?

this makes sense but im still having a hard time believing that my beat up 150$ bass (that i bought USED) outnumbers a brand new pbass

its kinda thrilling if u know what i mean. Thanks again.

jamersonburton · #7 07-23-2011, 06:33 AM

^ by the way, i never got the yamaha bb300 set up

Hopkins · #8 07-23-2011, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabdog

Flats on a P bass is that sound we all recognize. (subconscious for most)

It looks like your Yamehammer is a P bass knock off.

If you got a decent split pole pup at the right distance from the bridge
with enough to anchor the strings properly, you may have it.

Putting flats on a P for the first time may give "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

WARNING, you may never completely recover from "flats euphoria."

Like was said, enjoy,

Tabdog

I must be completely immune to "flats euphoria" because I had flats on my P for about 3 days before I went back to rounds. But I am a strange one

chadhargis · #9 07-23-2011, 06:58 AM

Welcome to the asylum of flatwound lovers.

I have two basses with rounds, and two with flats. Both types of strings have their merits, but I love the sound and feel of flats.

jamersonburton · #10 07-23-2011, 08:05 AM

i now have bad news...

where i live, there is only 1 store which sells flats (Ernie Ball Group III 45-100). and those are 50 Canadian bucks... i picked up the ghs ones 45-105 for 26 euros in berlin. i love the string tension of 45-105. i would have to order it online and my parents wont let me due to their paranoia. >

anyway, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP and i hope these flats dont break cuz i love the sound of dead and smooth.

Orkadewalvis · #11 07-23-2011, 09:32 AM

Well lucky for you... Flats tend to sound better with age. You dont have to buy new ones every month.

tekdiver500ft · #12 07-23-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabdog

Flats on a P bass is that sound we all recognize. (subconscious for most)

It looks like your Yamehammer is a P bass knock off.

If you got a decent split pole pup at the right distance from the bridge
with enough to anchor the strings properly, you may have it.

Putting flats on a P for the first time may give "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

WARNING, you may never completely recover from "flats euphoria."

That's just the way it is.

Like was said, enjoy,

Tabdog

Absolutely, especially about not getting over it. Flats on a P is like catsup on French fries: everyone likes it, even if they prefer something else.

tabdog · #13 07-23-2011, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waleross

Ok, my age will show but so what. I seem to remember when the only strings for Bass Guitars were Flats. I could be mistaken but when I first started playing and had my first bass it must have had flats. I played a Guild Starfire (Red) in the late 1960's and I just bought bass strings. It wasn't until I got my first Fender Jazz that I saw or heard other type strings. I must have bought GHS round wound ( I called them "ground round" ) and loved how they tore up my fingers. Today I just use strings that seem to be in the middle. My opinion on Fender Flats is that they don't seem to have that bright sound for to long and they go flat, just my opinion, however....

We don't all get to experience the euphoria associated
with flats.

That's just the way it is.

I'm 62. I played someone else's double bass in a bluegrass
band over 30 years ago. In 1984, I got a Beatle bass with
nylon coated flats that looked 30 years old. I replaced
with rounds. Not long after, I replaced the Beatle bass.
That was the only flats I ever played much until last month,
I got some ROTO 77LD flats on my MV P bass,

WOW!!!

I suddenly realized where that sound came from that I had
heard all my life, "flats euphoria."

I got them on a Peavey Patriot which transformed the sound
on that bass also, "flats euphoria."

I've had a month or so to get use to them.

I'm cool about it now,

Tabdog

tabdog · #14 07-23-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

Absolutely, especially about not getting over it. Flats on a P is like catsup on French fries: everyone likes it, even if they prefer something else.

#1

TD

tabdog · #15 07-23-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

i now have bad news...

where i live, there is only 1 store which sells flats (Ernie Ball Group III 45-100). and those are 50 Canadian bucks... i picked up the ghs ones 45-105 for 26 euros in berlin. i love the string tension of 45-105. i would have to order it online and my parents wont let me due to their paranoia. >

anyway, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP and i hope these flats dont break cuz i love the sound of dead and smooth.

(1)With any luck they could last really long.

(2)Find a friend. Get him/her hooked and order on their
parents account.

(3)You got it.

(4)Folks will steer you all over the place.

This is a (10) Flats will just rock your path,

Tabdog

jamersonburton · #16 07-23-2011, 10:39 AM

yah, i heard rumors about flats lasting a long time and in some cases getting better with age, thanks for confirming everything.

tekdiver500ft · #17 07-23-2011, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

yah, i heard rumors about flats lasting a long time and in some cases getting better with age, thanks for confirming everything.

Yup, Jamerson never once changed his LaBellas, unless he broke one.

fretlessguy · #18 07-24-2011, 03:56 PM

Sounds like you found your Holy Grail of strings to me. It takes most of us years to do that. Those GHS Precision Flats are good stuff. Have fun.

Shakin-Slim · #19 07-24-2011, 04:04 PM

I had GHS Precision's on my Jazz. Loved them! I now have GHS Brite Flats on my Jazz and plan on putting the Precision's on my... Precision

Duffy49 · #20 07-26-2011, 05:16 PM

I like flats a lot too. I have them on my Fender P bass and Squier J bass. I also plan on putting them on my Schecter five string Stiletto Elite. I have round wounds on my new SR500 and am sure that flats would tame it down some, but I'm not sure I want to. I'll roll with it for now.

As far as your bass, the fact that it sounds so good to you probably has a lot to do with your switch to flats, they have a characteristic mellow bassy sound. Also you are very familiar with your bass and the American P bass is a big bass, probably a lot different feeling than your bass. That difference is going to make a big difference; the big neck, the heavy body, the unfamiliar shape and balance. Plus the Fender probably has a different sound shaping electrical system including different pickups. And, the American has round wounds on it. Factory rounds that might not be nearly fresh

Also the Rumble 75 is a half way decent small bass amp and has a lot more power than the one you are familiar with plus it has a lot bigger speaker and a distinctively different sound. Since you have not had enough time to really "learn" the Fender and the bigger Rumble, it is hard to make more than a preliminary assessment of the capabilities of those unfamiliar items. Chances are that with time you would come to really like that particular combination.

Probably some of the best bass players are using equipment that is far from premium but they are so developed that they can really produce some fantastic tone and bass lines. I can only imagine what these people would be able to do with some really high quality stuff - but they would still probably sound best on their own familiar stuff for a while before they grew into their new expensive stuff, and would probably always have a special place in their heart for the stuff that they first attained real mastery on.