I posted this on another site and I thought it might be of interest here:
I've been searching for the best flatwound string for my '62 Reissue Fender Jazz Bass for a while. Here's my experiences and opinions so far:
D'Addario Chromes - Very clear sounding, almost too bright for my tastes. Windings have gaps that make them feel a little sticky, like half-rounds. Medium tension. Good choice for someone wanting a bright sounding flat.
Fender 9050 - Smooth feeling flat with old school thump and sufficient high end. Clicky pick tones and vintage fingerstyle sounds. Very stiff and high tension, especially the medium-light (100-50) set that I tried at first. I found the lack of silk at the peghead end irritating. It made these string a pain in the ass to install. I used and enjoyed the light guage (95-45) set for a while.
Thomastik Jazz Flats - Unique midrange heavy sound that is very versatile, but way too light of a guage in for me (and I think I play with a fairly light touch). With these strings I experienced major fret buzz all over the neck. I tried setting up my bass differently and adjusting my technique to accomodate these strings, but ultimately decided I didn't want to do this (I shouldn't have too, really). If Thomastik would make these strings in a heavier guage, I'd try them again. BTW I have always liked Thomastik strings for jazz on my upright bass.
Rotosound Jazz Bass - No thanks! Very bright and rough feeling for a flat. These are brighter than a new set of GHS Boomers! Tension was fairly high on the 105-45 set and the output was very low (something to do with the magnetic properties of the outer windings, I am told). Nothing "old school" about the feel or sound of these strings. Again, maybe a good choice for someone seeking a very bright flatwound string.
LaBella Deep Talking Bass Flatwounds - Very smooth finish with the most vintage, old school thump, yet with enough top end to satisfy. The E string in particular is impressive in it's depth of sound, though it's a little thumpier than the other strings in this set. This is the 760FL set and the tension is similar to the Chromes, although the guages are quite different; Labella sets always seem to come with a heavy E & A and a light D & G compared to other manufacturers.
As of this writing, the LaBellas are my favorite, with the Fenders coming in second place and D'Addario Chromes a close third.
I've also tried three different brands of black nylon tapewounds:
Fender Nylon Tapewound - Textured feel and low tension. Fairly bright with "clacky" top end.
Rotosound Tru Bass - Smooth feel and huge guage. Sound was all thump & no sustain. The intonation was awful on the E string above the fifth fret with these strings. Did not posess an "upright bass" quality to my ears.
Labella Deep Talking Bass Nylon Tapewound - Smooth feel and fairly bright. Sound is articulate with nice warmth. Tension is about the same as light guage roundwounds.
Once again, the LaBella strings are my favorite in this category as well, this time by a much bigger margin. I use these strings on my recently acquired Godin A4 fretless and they are a perfect match for this bass. I even liked them on my Fender.
I hope this is helpful.
- Steve
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