Recommend me some flats

[superfunk47]

Planning on getting a VM P within the next few months and getting it a tort guard (can't live without that white/tort in my life ) and I want to keep flats on it for a long time. I have a set of GHS precision flats that I've been tossing around between my basses for about a year, but I'm really just not a fan of their tone. Not thumpy enough, even after a year.

So what would be some good flats to leave on a bass for years and years that will be nice and round sounding from the get-go, and will keep getting better with age?

[trb6pJM2]

TI flats are pretty much amazing. The sound is as smooth and jazzy as you could want, and after about a year of intensive playing (2-3 if its not your main) a new sound bursts out, it's really weird, I liked it though.

[WayneS]

Rotosound Monel flats. Nothing else even compares!

[envika]

+1 on TIs. great low-tension design on them. my bass teacher says that he used to love rotosounds but they're too inconsistent from set to set. stay away from d'addario chromes.

and i would recommend GHS flats, but i guess not. maybe try tapewounds?

[pandrew]

i like labella jamerson flats on my p bass

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by pandrew

i like labella jamerson flats on my p bass

+1 on La Bellas. Also look at Fender M or ML guage flats. Some people dig TIs, and they do have their own sound, but they are about the least thumpy flat made; more of a midrange twang. Fender medium flats and La Bella Jamersons will have big league thump once broken in!

[badboy1984]

No one mention about D'Addario Chromes yet. I'm a big fan of their strings.

[mario222]

+1 on the Rotosound flats. Great strings!

[lonote]

I use Fender 9050 flats on my P-Basses, the newest set is almost 3 years old.

[Fine Cut]

i've got Fender stainless flats on my jazz...great sound

[CThompson]

I came here looking for a thread on flats and found it without even searching! Looking for a set to buy to put on a Squier P that I managed to snag on ebay for $40.

I realize that these strings last and last, but good god, $50 for a set of LaBellas? $55 for a set of TIs? That's a bit hard to swallow considering it's more than I paid for the bass

I think I'm going to snag a set of Fenders for $25, or a set of Chromes for $30.

[bassist4dalord]

Originally Posted by badboy1984

No one mention about D'Addario Chromes yet. I'm a big fan of their strings.

A big +1000 to Chromes!!! I have them on both my Squier Affinity Jazz V and Fender BG-31 ABG and I just love 'em!!!

[John Wentzien]

http://www.webstrings.com/flatwound_bass_strings.html

[CPplaysBASS]

I played my first gig last night with RotoSound Jazz77 flats. I loved the sound playing at home, but last night was the first real test and it really was the best tone I've ever had (have played enough gigs in rooms of different sizes with the same gear to confidently say it was the strings making the difference).

Specifically, I really loved being able to cut through in the mix while retaining the truest fullest deep bass tone ever, which was impossible for me to get before.

I played with round wounds for the past 12 months, and still have them on my other bass on stage for some songs, but I ended up sticking with my Fender MIA Jazz (passive) with the Roto flats for the entire gig. It was really cool, especially when I increased the gain setting on my amp to add some grit.

The last time I played flats was over a year ago (and is what I started with) ... Dean Markleys on an active bass (Godin BG4) which also really cut through the mix, but was very mid-rangey to the extreme.

I sacrificed nothing last night to be able to find my magic spot in the mix. RotoSound has a lifetime customer in me now.

[Pilgrim]

Labella Deep Talkin' flats. Last forever, sound like flats are supposed to sound.

The Rotosound 77 flats would be my second choice. I have them on a Univox hollowbody and they sound great at three years old.

[greencow]

Keep away from Ernie Balls. They tend to fall out of tuning after 6 months or so.... Also my set developed a small defect on one f the strings after about the 1st month or so...

[DavePlaysBass]

760FLs do it on a P for me.

[Jactap]

+1 on the Fender 9050s stainless flats

[unclekebm]

my top 3
1. LaBella 760FL, (classic flats tone, thumpy and articulate)
2. TI, (very versatile, I use these on my main gigging bass)
3. Fender 9050ML (THUMP!)

[Honk'n_down-low]

With the Jamerson set do you have to file the nut - if you have to is there an issue when going back to a medium set with a 105 E?