One last try with flats

JimmyM · #1 09-09-2011, 09:07 PM

So here's my history with flats:

1974-1997: Played a couple basses with flats, then nothing once I settled on rounds.

1997-2002: Decided flats might be fun to try out so I strung a bass with Fender flats and gave it a shot. Would bring two basses to my gigs, one with rounds, one with flats, and switch off as I felt like it.

2002-2009: Quit bringing two basses to my gigs and went back full-time with rounds.

2009-present: Got the urge to try flats again, decided I didn't care for the thick Fender strings, bought a couple sets of Chromes. Ever since then, I go in cycles...for a couple months I like them, then I have a bad experience trying to cop a sound and ditch them and go back to rounds until I decide I like the attack of flats on the high strings more, then I try them until the next bad experience.

So I've decided I can't keep switching strings constantly and I'm going to settle on one or the other. So now I've got flats on my main two Fenders, and if I end up not liking them this time, I'm going back to rounds permanently. I want to like flats, I really do. But I have a hard time dealing with the feel, and it's a really fine line between copping a good sound and copping either mud or cardboard, whereas rounds are plug and play for me. But the high end of the rounds takes me right out of the vibe of the music I play most of the time, which was pretty much all cut on flatwounds.

Why this stuff suddenly makes me psychotic after years of not caring, I don't know. I think I blame all of you.

Johnny Alien · #2 09-09-2011, 09:11 PM

Have you tried Thomastik flats? Because by your descriptions it sounds like they would make you a believer in flats. They are expensive but I can bet you will love them. Complex tones with great mids but they still get that thump. The lower tension makes them feel much more like rounds to play.

fu22ba55 · #3 09-09-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I want to like flats, I really do.

I hear you, man.

I just use rounds with the tone rolled all the way off because I still need the sustain. I can't deal with the rapid decay of the flats.

They sound killer when other people play them... I just can't wrap my head around them.

JimmyM · #4 09-09-2011, 09:19 PM

Sorry, but yeah, I tried TI's for a while but never could find the love. Too roundwoundy sounding for flats. I like flats that go dead good. It's totally one extreme or the other for me. Hate dead rounds, love dead flats

sikamikanico · #5 09-09-2011, 09:21 PM

I am in the opposite camp... I want to use rounds, but whenever I start using them, it takes me a year to start liking the way they sound (and they're nickel strings!)... then I figure - I might as well use flats, since I like the dead sound of rounds more and I love flats... but then after a while I begin wondering whether I'm missing anything with not using rounds... and i give them a try... (go to sentence one)

anyway, I currently have Chromes and I think they're a nice compromise and work well with the tone knob (PJ bass, mostly on P)

th30nlyAket · #6 09-09-2011, 09:22 PM

have your ever tried distorted or fuzz bass with flats..... you should

JimmyM · #7 09-09-2011, 09:26 PM

Oh heck yeah! Love distortion on the bass. I almost always have a little on. Helps thicken out the tone even if it's clean.

Johnny Alien · #8 09-09-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Sorry, but yeah, I tried TI's for a while but never could find the love. Too roundwoundy sounding for flats. I like flats that go dead good. It's totally one extreme or the other for me. Hate dead rounds, love dead flats

If you have tried Fenders, Chromes and TI's you have really experienced a very balanced spectrum. It might be that you really don't like flats which is not an awful place to be. I don't mind them but rarely ever have them on any of my basses.

TussinBot. · #9 09-09-2011, 09:34 PM

I was a rounds fan till I tried brite flats on my sb2, and thought they were good, till I switched back to rounds and missed them.

dont discount halfrounds or groundwounds

noeinstein · #10 09-09-2011, 09:35 PM

Somebody should sell "dead rounds." I just ordered a set of D'Addario Nickel Half Rounds hoping to satisfy my insatiable tone/feel quest.

Sayclean · #11 09-09-2011, 09:45 PM

..... I feel your pain... I spent two years playing live in bands switching between , steels, nlickels, 5 string, 4 strings, etc... When I started taking 3 basses per gig, I decided I had a problem.... I have about 10 basses at home.... not sure... I/ve lost count. But this is what I have recently decided. I have always played Fender jazz basses and I love the "growl" with the nickelwound strings. I recently bought the 60th anniversary Fender Pecission bass and I put flatwounds on it with the new Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 and B-15. I have fallin' in love with this bass and sound with the flatwounds on the "P" bass. So now I carry the Fender jazz with nickelwounds for the more rock sound and a pick if nessasary. And play the Fender "P" bass with flatwounds on most everything. Can dial in every tone and sound that I need with these two basses. It took many years of trial and trials for me..... I also use various pedals in board and compression to adjust my sound depending on gig..... just my thoughts ....

Sayclean · #12 09-09-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sayclean

..... I feel your pain... I spent two years playing live in bands switching between , steels, nlickels, 5 string, 4 strings, etc... When I started taking 3 basses per gig, I decided I had a problem.... I have about 10 basses at home.... not sure... I/ve lost count. But this is what I have recently decided. I have always played Fender jazz basses and I love the "growl" with the nickelwound strings. I recently bought the 60th anniversary Fender Pecission bass and I put flatwounds on it with the new Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 and B-15. I have fallin' in love with this bass and sound with the flatwounds on the "P" bass. So now I carry the Fender jazz with nickelwounds for the more rock sound and a pick if nessasary. And play the Fender "P" bass with flatwounds on most everything. Can dial in every tone and sound that I need with these two basses. It took many years of trial and trials for me..... I also use various pedals in board and compression to adjust my sound depending on gig..... just my thoughts ....

.... the flats are D'Addario and I also like the La Bella flats .... the nickels are D'Addario ....

JimmyM · #13 09-09-2011, 09:53 PM

Wow, you use about identically what I use, except my P's are all PJ's, and I have a PF350 instead.

Venom of God · #14 09-09-2011, 10:01 PM

I have flats on my Jazz just as an experiment really (I don't have a P and wanted to keep Roto 66's on my Tbird), some days I love them and other days I hate them. I feel they have too much tension or something for long sessions, the fingers on my right hand actually hurt more than they do with my Rotosounds (which don't hurt at all) and I miss my cutting highs in rock. For acoustic guitar based stuff I love them though! They sit perfectly behind it but still have this tough growl to them, and sliding from one fret to another is just a joy! Eventually I would like to get a P bass of some kind and try flats on it.

I grabbed the Ernie Ball ones if anyone's interested.

somegeezer · #15 09-09-2011, 10:02 PM

I'm using Ernie Ball "custom gauge" flats. I feel they went "dead" really nicely. I have a great, smooth high end, with a growly mid range you would usually have on something at least halfrounded. Bass can be dialed into them as much as you need too. I tend not to have a lot, as I prefer my middy sound.

Nightlyraider · #16 09-09-2011, 10:03 PM

Get some LaBella deep talkin' flats and be happy!

markanini · #17 09-09-2011, 11:15 PM

Try Rotosound Solo 55's. I can get almost any tone I want out of them via tone controls, vintage to modern.

http://soundcloud.com/roadtonever/all-blues

UnfortunateTony · #18 09-09-2011, 11:31 PM

I actually had this problem awhile back. Liked the bottom 2 rotosound strings, liked the top 2 chromes.

Solution?

Dead Rotosounds on the bottom 2, brand new Chromes on the top 2. You end up with some weird mismatched sets of strings lying around, but that happens anyways

I know it sounds weird and unnatural to be mixing the two, but it sounds surprisingly good!

Even if you think it sounds stupid, try it just once.

Mojo-Man · #19 09-09-2011, 11:39 PM

Jimmy try Ken Smith "Compressors" they are the best go between strings out there.
Leave them on forever, they get better.
Also GHS "Pressurewounds" are nice to.
I've used TI flats for years.
But lately, GHS Precision flat are getting some love.
Good balance, nice top end. They cut nice live.
They love a P-Bass.

IanAllison · #20 09-09-2011, 11:47 PM

Why not take a nod from the DB side and do a mixed set - use rounds on E and A - and flats on D and G!

In the lower register, all the punch and familiarity of rounds - but in the higher register, all the solid fundamental and smoothness of flats.

It could become your thing. Then manufacturers would make a Jimmy M set. I'd try that set.

do it. DO IT!