Moving to Flats..odd gauges?

rydin4lifebass · #1 04-10-2011, 06:33 PM

I listened to a local country band and talked to the bass player and he's using fender nylon flatwounds and wanted to put a set on my ibanez. I read up on them and they're 58-72-92-110....which is quite different from my 45-65-80-100, just seems an odd size that might not be easy to replicate on another brand. What's the deal with the odd gauge on these and any thought's on moving to them? also..the fender nylon tapewounds, are they on flats or a roundwound string? I thought flats, but wanted to make sure.

rydin4lifebass · #2 04-10-2011, 07:19 PM

been reading more..sounds like its the nylon tape that makes it flat..and def what I'm looking for!

Sundogue · #3 04-10-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

been reading more..sounds like its the nylon tape that makes it flat..and def what I'm looking for!

Tapewounds are rounds with tape wrapping over them. NOT flats, even though they share some tonal characteristics.

7flat5 · #4 04-10-2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundogue

Tapewounds are rounds with tape wrapping over them. NOT flats, even though they share some tonal characteristics.

Flats are rounds with flat wrappings. Rounds are rounds with round wrappings. Almost all multi-layer wrapped strings have a round underwrap.

So, the difference is that flats have a metal outer wrap, "tapewounds" have a (usually flat) nylon outer wrap, and roundwounds have round outer wraps.

Sorry, I get so tired of hearing this "tapewounds are roundwounds with a tape wrap" thing. They are all roundwounds underneath.

rydin4lifebass · #5 04-11-2011, 06:15 AM

I gotcha...so since the outer wrap of the nylon is flat, it gives a similar sound to a flat metal wrap. Does the tapewound string have a round metal core with a round metal wrap and then flat tape on top, or just the round meta core with the nylon tape? I just really liked the sound of the bass I mentioned earlier and the feel of the strings was terriffic. They were fender strings, all black, nylon but he said they were flatwound..which is why I was asking all the questions, but again, after reading..definitly sounds like I'm just looking for the fender nylon tapewounds

7flat5 · #6 04-11-2011, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

I gotcha...so since the outer wrap of the nylon is flat, it gives a similar sound to a flat metal wrap. Does the tapewound string have a round metal core with a round metal wrap and then flat tape on top, or just the round meta core with the nylon tape? I just really liked the sound of the bass I mentioned earlier and the feel of the strings was terriffic. They were fender strings, all black, nylon but he said they were flatwound..which is why I was asking all the questions, but again, after reading..definitly sounds like I'm just looking for the fender nylon tapewounds

No, not quite. Most bass strings have a core wire, usually round or hexagonal in cross section, which is wrapped with one or more layers of other things. Thinner roundwound strings (and the DR Hellborg strings, by design) only have one layer of round wire wrap. Thicker strings often have two or three layers of wrap. On top of this, flatwounds have a layer of flat metal ribbon, tapewounds have a layer of flat nylon ribbon, roundwounds have an outer layer of round wire, and strings like "pressurewound" and "groundwound" or "bronzewound" have other variations on outer wraps.

Usually, people say "flats" when they mean the metal-wound flats and "tapes" when they mean the nylon flatwounds.

To add to the mix, Fender until recently also made a set of "nylon filament" wound strings with nylon round wraps, but they were kind of rare, and I think they are discontinued.

Most around here would understand what you want as "tapewounds" as opposed to "flatwounds" even though the tapes are flat.

harmendebresser · #7 04-11-2011, 10:29 AM

I really dig them on fretted / fretless acoustic basses, to get a nice upright type of sound.
Also love the sound of Herbie Flowers (on War of the Worlds for example) who uses them on electric bass - but found that impractical myself when the venue has light & sound plugged into the same powergroup...
You can't ground the bass by touching a string because the string surface isn't metal but nylon.

lunarpollen · #8 04-11-2011, 10:36 AM

You might have to have your nut slots widened a bit in order to accommodate the nylon tapewounds.

rydin4lifebass · #9 04-11-2011, 11:36 AM

Thanks for all the help..I'm taking my bass to my shop today to have a set put on and have everything set up. I'm really looking forward to them, and if I like them enough, I'll put a second sent on my other bass. It's odd to me that the fenders have such a wierd gauge setting, but as long as I can buy them readily, which it seems I can, I'll go with em and keep a set for back up purposes..thanks again guys!