New to flats with a few questions.

Chief2112 · #1 12-23-2011, 02:40 PM

Got an early Xmas gift from the wife. She got me a set of D'Addario XL Chrome Flatwound strings. My first time using flats.

I'm loving how they sound and feel to a certain extent. I know flats are more "grippy" than rounds so I'm dealing with that different feelings after playing rounds. I'm assuming I'll get used to that. I do like the overall feel but is there anything you can do to help with that in the beginning?

Another big question for me is sliding. When I slide with the flats the strings really buzz a lot. More so than with the rounds. Is this normal? I'd read somewhere that some people raise their string height a little when putting flats on after rounds. Is that false? I haven't changed my setup at all from the way my bass was with rounds.

Thanks and Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, etc.

alxi · #2 12-23-2011, 02:54 PM

Is it the same gauge( obvious question, but i had to ask ) you may have to let them sit in for a few days then re-set your bass. The Buzz is probably due to not enough release in the neck or the strings beeing too low. I personnaly find flatwounds to be more comfortable to play then roundwounds.

Chief2112 · #3 12-23-2011, 03:18 PM

I have no clue. The strings on my bass were what came with it. I have an Ibanez GSR200FM. I'm assuming they were 45, 65, 85, 105?

My flats are different than that. I have 45, 65, 80, 100.

mlove · #4 12-23-2011, 03:27 PM

when d'addario chromes are new they are real bright and snappy for flats - maybe that is it. They should settle down after a you put a few hours on them. Mine have a fair amount of fret buzz acoustically but it doesn't make it through an amp.

**lowendfriend** · #5 12-23-2011, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief2112

Got an early Xmas gift from the wife. She got me a set of D'Addario XL Chrome Flatwound strings. My first time using flats.

I'm loving how they sound and feel to a certain extent. I know flats are more "grippy" than rounds so I'm dealing with that different feelings after playing rounds. I'm assuming I'll get used to that. I do like the overall feel but is there anything you can do to help with that in the beginning?

Another big question for me is sliding. When I slide with the flats the strings really buzz a lot. More so than with the rounds. Is this normal? I'd read somewhere that some people raise their string height a little when putting flats on after rounds. Is that false? I haven't changed my setup at all from the way my bass was with rounds.

Thanks and Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, etc.

When you say "grippy", I presume you mean to the right hand. That stands to reason since the right hand fingers are encountering more surface area that on a round wound string.

As far as buzzing goes, that is probably more due to string gauge than flat vs round. Take the advice, let it rest a few days and then do a fresh pass at set-up. If you want a handy reference, I'd recommend the Jerzy Drozd Ultimate Guide.

Flats are a real different kind of string and D'addario Chromes are different than a lot of flats, though are walking away the most popular flats.

JB36 · #6 12-23-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alxi

Is it the same gauge( obvious question, but i had to ask ) you may have to let them sit in for a few days then re-set your bass. The Buzz is probably due to not enough release in the neck or the strings beeing too low. I personnaly find flatwounds to be more comfortable to play then roundwounds.

Like mentioned here, you may need to adjust the truss rod unless the tension is marginal of difference between between your old strings and the flats.

Chromes are also not the smoothest flats out there. Some people have stated they were sticky when newly installed. I wiped them down before I installed them. They weren't grippy, but not supper smooth either.

swspiers · #7 12-24-2011, 05:27 AM

I have to raise my action slightly with Chromes. Not much- just a little. I know some players have been able to take a little relief out of their neck by adjusting the truss rod, because the Chromes are higher tension than most rounds.

and yeah- they do settle down after a few hours.

Jay2U · #8 12-24-2011, 12:06 PM

The grippy feel is common to new flats. After a while it wears down. You might help it a bit by applying some metal polish where your fingers hit the strings. Especially with d'Addario chromes I experienced a lot of greasy substance, leaving grey stains on my fingers. So if I now restring my bass, I clean the strings with a cloth drenched in alcohol. You'll be amazed, how much grey/black slurry comes off.

Another known issue is the higher tension of flats with respect to equally sized rounds. Flats do have more material in the same diameter, so there is more mass. More mass moving around means more tension for the same tuning. More tension leads to the necessity of tightening the trussrod a bit. The action is a matter of taste. It depends on how hard you hit those strings. As they are a little less floppy than rounds, I wouldn't expect higher action te be required.

Chief2112 · #9 12-24-2011, 12:47 PM

The only strings that are really giving me fret buzz when sliding are my E and A strings. Those are the two strings that are different(45, 65, 80, 100) from my original strings(45, 65, 85, 105). Should I adjust just the two saddles for those strings first?

In reply to above, if I tighten my truss rod I'm just lowering the action aren't I?

I appreciate the helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks!

Jay2U · #10 12-24-2011, 01:37 PM

Tightening the trussrod straightens the neck. It may bow a little more forward, caused by the extra tension. So this is primarily about straightness. A forward bowing neck causes possible buzz when you fret at higher positions (above 7). If the neck is overtightened you may experience buzz at the lower fret positions. That done, leaves you with the possibility of having to re-adjust the saddles. If buzzing continues adjusting the action will certainly help. But if the action becomes higher, the intonation should be checked. Higher action means some extra tension if fretting at higher positions. This brings a little more de-tuning, which can be cancelled out by adjusting the intonation. It's only a few minutes work.

Even if you don't play a Lakland, this demo may be useful: Lakland Bass Setup With Carl Pedigo (Part 1 of 2) - YouTube There is a part two too.

By the way, I saw in your profile a GSR200. Is that the one we are writing about? Mine is a GSR200 EX. I removed the electronics as it simply sounds better and doesn't ask for batteries. The body and neck of our basses are the same. From my experience a small adjustment of the truss rod is required if you go from rounds to flats, like you (and I a year ago) did. However, identical looking basses from the same factory don't have to be equal. They are still made from wood, making them unique instruments.