Mixing Rounds and Flats

[DeivoxCarnal]

I was just wondering if anyone does this regularly.

I find that I like both types of strings for different reasons and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I don't have a back-up bass that I like well enough to use one with flats and the other with rounds. I'm so indecisive.

I was thinking of mixing every other string, so my E would be round, A flat, D round, and G flat, or vice versa.
Either that or use my heavier strings as rounds and have flats on the thinner ones.

So do you mix rounds and flats? why or why not?

also which strings do you use as flats vs. rounds?

[seanm]

I would think having flats and rounds on every other string would give you a very unbalanced sound.

Subscribed to see where this goes.

[Nic.]

Heavier flats and thinner rounds (or the other way around, depending on what you're going for) sounds more feasible. It'll be like having both sounds with you, you can riff on the heavier strings, then jump high up the neck on the higher strings for the zing when you're doing a solo or something. It reminds me of basses that're half fretted half unfretted.

[GianGian]

It must be very odd. If I did it, the top would be round and the bottom flat.
I think it would feel odd when you are playing something that uses the A and the D, like a riff or something. It will sound like two different basses. Not to mention severe equaliser and volume (different outputs between the strings) problems.
I would stick to flats and wait until I have money for another bass, but this is the boring way to do it right?

[Zitch]

Or get a set of Chrome flats, i feel they kind of give me the best of both worlds.

[J. Crawford]

Originally Posted by Zitch

Or get a set of Chrome flats, i feel they kind of give me the best of both worlds.

I disagree.. my Chromes are perfectly "flat." But go with Sadowsky flats. I hated em, sounded to round!

[Zitch]

Originally Posted by J. Crawford

I disagree.. my Chromes are perfectly "flat." But go with Sadowsky flats. I hated em, sounded to round!

They might be "flat wound" but the sound I get from em are a cross between flats and rounds.

[J. Crawford]

Hmm.. See, I get straight out flats! Weird!

[Zitch]

well I see your using a p bass, maybe thats why yours sound more flat, im using a $$ so I can dial in more highs. Not knocking a p bass so dont mis-understand my reply.

[5string5fingers]

When chromes are broken in they are very flatwound like,get get nice and warm,but compared to something like labellas,they're still very bright. I remember going back to chromes after years right out of the box on my p bass they sounded almost identical to rounds,but they rounded off after a week of heavy playing.

Back to the OP. I've heard many 5 string people using a roundwound B string and the rest flats.