P + Flats and J + Rounds -> P + Rounds and J + Flats

[Ryan Mohr]

Today I decided to switch the strings on my basses, and I am glad I did. The flats balance out the high end on the jazz and the rounds balance out the warmth of the precision. Before my two basses were extremes tone-wise, but now they are closer together. Anyone else have a similar experience?

[badboy1984]

is personal thing this. I strung my jazz with flats, but some like it better with round.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by AqueousView11

Today I decided to switch the strings on my basses, and I am glad I did. The flats balance out the high end on the jazz and the rounds balance out the warmth of the precision. Before my two basses were extremes tone-wise, but now they are closer together. Anyone else have a similar experience?

J's with flats are cool...
P's with rounds are cool, too...

I don't think they are similar tone-wise...but I do feel that both basses can use either type effectively.

I like rounds on everything but my piezo-only Carvin which has nylon tapes.

[JimmyM]

I've always thought the P-flats/J-rounds mantra on here was a crock. But not because it makes them sound closer to each other, but just because rounds sound cool on Precisions and flats sound cool on Jazzes. I always find it fun to shake up conventional Talkbass wisdom, because so much of it is based on parroting things they read in BP.

[cripula]

My solution to the dilemma:

P with rounds
J with flats
P with flats
J with rounds

I like both with both

[Oric]

^^

could just make it easier and get two P/Js, one with rounds and one with flats. of course, there's the problem of which neck/body, and then you don't want to even start talking about fretlesses.

so two doubleneck P/Js, each one with a P neck and a J neck, that are convertible to fretless, one with rounds and one with flats (might need more if you want steel or nickel rounds, and halfwounds in the equation also)
this is how you will be set for any gig.

Or just bring a dang P with rounds to the gig, play the dang thing, and no one in the audience will know the difference anyway, and you get paid anyway.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Oric

Or just bring a dang P with rounds to the gig, play the dang thing, and no one in the audience will know the difference anyway, and you get paid anyway.

DINGDINGDINGDINGDING! We have a winner!

[sotjian]

My P has D'Addario flats on and it just feels right for that P. My old Jazz didn't sound right until I put DR Low Riders on.. still haven't found the right combo for my Lakland 55-01.

It's all about the strings for me.

[sotjian]

Originally Posted by Oric

Or just bring a dang P with rounds to the gig, play the dang thing, and no one in the audience will know the difference anyway, and you get paid anyway.

How right you are sir.

[Ryan Mohr]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I've always thought the P-flats/J-rounds mantra on here was a crock. But not because it makes them sound closer to each other, but just because rounds sound cool on Precisions and flats sound cool on Jazzes. I always find it fun to shake up conventional Talkbass wisdom, because so much of it is based on parroting things they read in BP.

+1, although I will say Ben Kenney was my inspiration for the change.

Originally Posted by Oric

Or just bring a dang P with rounds to the gig, play the dang thing, and no one in the audience will know the difference anyway, and you get paid anyway.

As much as I agree with you, I won't be gigging much, so most of it is for recording and jamming, when you can tell the difference. Live however, I think rounds sound best.

[Pilgrim]

Note edits:

Originally Posted by Oric

Or just bring a dang P or J with rounds or flats to the gig, play the dang thing, and no one in the audience will know the difference anyway, and you get paid anyway.

There you go. The audience likes music, and the rest is of limited interest to them.

[Fine Cut]

i've had flats on my Jazz for nearly a year. now that i've got a P bass on the way, i've strung up the jazz with rounds, and im glad i did...i think the jazz w/ rounds; pbass w/ flats is the most versatile combo you can have.

[Oric]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Note edits:



There you go. The audience likes music, and the rest is of limited interest to them.

Yea, I just picked instrument and string type based on what's probably more common. I don't really know though. And another possible edit to that quote would be "and hopefully you get paid anyway"

[DavePlaysBass]

I like flats on a J. If going rounds I like steels on the J especially if its alder and rosewood. I think Nickel rounds can get lost in the mix on an alder / rosewood J.

I also love nickel rounds on a P (not to crazy about steels on a P). Fender 7250s sing on a P. But so do Labella flats. I need a second P bass so I can have one with rounds.

I currently have Labella Flats on my P and Steels on my 5 string J. And I have a 61 J with TI flats (super sweet in the right setting). But I miss the round wound P tone. My G&L L-2000 just does not do the P round wound tone.

[Ryan Mohr]

anyone else?

[bassbully]

With a jazz it will be rounds always will be. But i really only play my P basses now. My strings had been chromes and i liked them alot. I loved the smoothness and zing for flats but my bandleader said he couldnt hear me once i played off the E or A strings? I tried EQing my amps and it really didnt help i was dropping off live when i did walks/ runs etc on the D and G strings.

I then went back to Fender rounds nickels 9150/9250s and love the tone and feel as much as the chromes really. I get no more problems being heard so all is good.

[EricF]

I love the sound of a P with rounds. I also love the sound of a P with flats. This is why I have one of each. I'm more of a P guy and only have one J (currently with rounds, but it's worn flats from time to time). If I was more of a J guy, I'd use the same approach.

[Ryan Mohr]

My next bass will either be a jazz with rounds or a p with flats, which combination of 3 basses would give me the most tonal variety?

[patzilla83]

IMO, i think that basses with strings sound the best.


seriously though, i played a p w/ flats and i thought it was great. got bored, put rounds on, thought it was great, got bored put flats back on. sounds great, but sooner or later i'll get bored and change again.

i think a drastic change like that on any bass is going to be such a difference in tone that you'll like it just cause it's "new" and makes playing that bass exciting again.

just my 2 cents.

[Big String]

Originally Posted by patzilla83

IMO, i think that basses with strings sound the best.


seriously though, i played a p w/ flats and i thought it was great. got bored, put rounds on, thought it was great, got bored put flats back on. sounds great, but sooner or later i'll get bored and change again.

i think a drastic change like that on any bass is going to be such a difference in tone that you'll like it just cause it's "new" and makes playing that bass exciting again.

just my 2 cents.

This soundz like me....
I haven't had a P that long but I keep changing the strings. I love flats on it and have always preferred the standard type flat with med/heavy tension. But lately they feel like too much tention so I'm going to put back on the TI Jazz flats for the third time... I tried one set of Rounds and didn't like it much but I didn't change the action either.. so.

I didn't care for flats that much on my Sadowsky Jazz which is Ash/Rosewood. The SS DR Lo-Riders are the best sounding on this bass. A bit zingy but thats more me than the string.