Are old and dead roundwound strings any similar to flatwound strings sound?

Nasnederis · #1 10-13-2008, 09:18 PM

Are old and dead roundwound strings any similar to flatwound strings sound?

I like very much how my dead and old roundwound string are sounding on my p bass, and I haven't try the flatwounds strings but I'm thinking to buy one set. Is there a similarity?

Dave Muscato · #2 10-13-2008, 09:21 PM

Eh, not really. Get some, try 'em out, see what you think. Every bassist should do it at least once anyway. Save the dead rounds if you don't like the flats and want to put them back on.

Ric5 · #3 10-13-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasnederis

Are old and dead roundwound strings any similar to flatwound strings sound?

I like very much how my dead and old roundwound string are sounding on my p bass, and I haven't try the flatwounds strings but I'm thinking to buy one set. Is there a similarity?

You get a similar sound from dead rounds as flats ... except you can't get that annoying clicking sound that comes from playing flats fingerstyle.

But to get flat sounding rounds taks a lot of playing and aging ...

bassbully · #4 10-13-2008, 11:33 PM

IMO the BEST string sound on a bass and a P bass for that fact is old worn out nickel rounds

I love the feel and how they sound like flats with a touch more mids and nice tension. To many flats feel like steel rods cuz the tension is way to high. Chromes were my favs besides old rounds but i prefer rounds. Like the other Tber said it takes about a year for me to get them dead to where they are just right.

JimmyM · #5 10-13-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasnederis

Are old and dead roundwound strings any similar to flatwound strings sound?

I like very much how my dead and old roundwound string are sounding on my p bass, and I haven't try the flatwounds strings but I'm thinking to buy one set. Is there a similarity?

Similar but different. A little more sustain, a little more grindy ringing tone, but not that much different.

dougjwray · #6 10-15-2008, 06:53 AM

I tend to disagree. In my experience, flatwounds lose their "twang" when broken in, but retain their volume and midrange even after years (on one bass, I've had the same set for 12 years), while dead roundwounds don't. They just sound... well, dead. Bleh.
And that click that you get from flatwounds? I used to hate that, too, until I found that it can really help you poke through a mix.
And yeah, Chromes are great.

waynobass · #7 10-22-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

IMO the BEST string sound on a bass ... is old worn out nickel rounds

+1. My evidence for this is a five-year-old Lakland Skyline Glaub with (I believe) the original strings.

Nyarlathotep · #8 10-22-2008, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjwray

I tend to disagree. In my experience, flatwounds lose their "twang" when broken in, but retain their volume and midrange even after years (on one bass, I've had the same set for 12 years), while dead roundwounds don't. They just sound... well, dead. Bleh.
And that click that you get from flatwounds? I used to hate that, too, until I found that it can really help you poke through a mix.
And yeah, Chromes are great.

+1. To get rid of the clack, just roll the tone off if you've got a passive. Then you just have the phat combo of bass and midrange

kirkm24 · #9 10-22-2008, 07:38 AM

The best rounds, IMO, for this purpose are Ernie Ball Slinkys. After you've played them about a month they dull out pretty good and sound nice and warm. Some of the more expensive strings are known for lasting longer (meaning they stay bright longer) and for what you want that would be bad. To answer the initial question though, yes, they can sound similar to flatwounds after they've been worn in. If I didn't have La Bellas on my P, I would put a set of Slinkys on it and never take them off. I played the same set of Slinkys on my old Stingray for 2 years before changing them. Now that I've been talking about it, I'm thinking about trying some Slinkys again.

bassbully · #10 10-22-2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynobass

+1. My evidence for this is a five-year-old Lakland Skyline Glaub with (I believe) the original strings.

Yep ...for me its my old 90's P/J squier with God knows how old nickels on her...that bass sounds so great like that. I wont change those strings till they break.

bassbully · #11 10-22-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkm24

The best rounds, IMO, for this purpose are Ernie Ball Slinkys. After you've played them about a month they dull out pretty good and sound nice and warm. Some of the more expensive strings are known for lasting longer (meaning they stay bright longer) and for what you want that would be bad. To answer the initial question though, yes, they can sound similar to flatwounds after they've been worn in. If I didn't have La Bellas on my P, I would put a set of Slinkys on it and never take them off. I played the same set of Slinkys on my old Stingray for 2 years before changing them. Now that I've been talking about it, I'm thinking about trying some Slinkys again.

I find the same thing with Fender nickels 7150's pure nickels. They are cheap go dead pretty easy and then sound great.

GianGian · #12 10-22-2008, 08:34 AM

Similar yes...but flatwounds have a deeper low end, with less brightness, even when compared to old roundwounds. And as everybody said, flatwounds have a somewhat more present clanking.

david fitch · #13 10-22-2008, 06:34 PM

I would have to say "No" ,but I do love the sound of very broken in Nickel Roundwounds and think they can get you close to the sound of Flatwounds but sound like Flats...not to my ears. Flats have a "Thump" and as GianGian says " Deeper Lows " that Rounds just can't get.

Jim Carr · #14 10-22-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasnederis

Are old and dead roundwound strings any similar to flatwound strings sound?

I like very much how my dead and old roundwound string are sounding on my p bass, and I haven't try the flatwounds strings but I'm thinking to buy one set. Is there a similarity?

Probably obvious, but it depends on which strings on which bass.

But to give you my opinion anyway: Not so similar, IMHO. One big difference is that dead RWs will go above and below their tuned pitch ('cause they're dead, after all), while new flats don't rise/sag in pitch when plucked.

On and On and On and On.

pjmuck · #15 10-22-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjwray

I tend to disagree. In my experience, flatwounds lose their "twang" when broken in, but retain their volume and midrange even after years (on one bass, I've had the same set for 12 years), while dead roundwounds don't. They just sound... well, dead. Bleh.
And that click that you get from flatwounds? I used to hate that, too, until I found that it can really help you poke through a mix.
And yeah, Chromes are great.

I tend to agree, since I've got a set of 10 year old Chromes on my P bass that still sound amazing, fat and warm. But I don't feel that flats are more prone to clackiness than rounds, as others have stated. It's been my experience that the opposite is true, and if you keep your plucking attack under control you've got less overall fret noise.

standupright · #16 10-22-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric5

You get a similar sound from dead rounds as flats ... except you can't get that annoying clicking sound that comes from playing flats fingerstyle.

But to get flat sounding rounds taks a lot of playing and aging ...

interesting....i play flats and don't get a clicking sound. technique maybe?

Nyarlathotep · #17 10-22-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standupright

interesting....i play flats and don't get a clicking sound. technique maybe?

Or just action. I had to raise my action when I decided to go from pick to fingerstyle (for tonal reasons, I don't think that one is better or worse). I still get some serious clack even after raising the action, but only if I play medium->hard. If I play soft I don't

dougjwray · #18 10-23-2008, 06:06 AM

The click that I'm talking about isn't fret noise, it's the attack (finger or pick on string).
It might be that it's present in roundwounds, too, but masked by the additional harmonics that you get with roundwounds. ("Harmonics" inherent in the tone, not "harmonics" in the Jaco sense.)
With flatwounds, the fundamental note seems so much more present in relation to the harmonics that you get a drier, less "wet" or lush sound that doesn't compete as much with other sounds around it. Thus, it can cut through better, particularly up against (just one example from my experience) an acoustic guitar being strummed forcefully.
At least, that's my impression... someone can correct me on the physics, or the terminology...

Bassmickeyd · #19 10-23-2008, 06:13 AM

I like round wounds that have a year on them. I don't play the same bass all the time so my strings last.
Dead Round Wounds are just awful. I see them on used basses in music stores. Maybe because of sweat in the strings or maybe because of bad manufacturing.
So, I'm saying there is a difference.

standupright · #20 10-23-2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielTulip

Or just action. I had to raise my action when I decided to go from pick to fingerstyle (for tonal reasons, I don't think that one is better or worse). I still get some serious clack even after raising the action, but only if I play medium->hard. If I play soft I don't

i guess it probably has a lot to do with the style of music you play. i play mostly blues and jazz, my action is slammed, but i let the pickups and the amp do the majority of the work.