Retiring my Flats, for now...

[::Saint::]

Yes.. sadly, I am finding my Rotosound 77's just too dark for my current band. This is a situation I never in a million years thought I would find myself in. I have always been a very low-down, dark, and fat kind of bass player.. but suddenly I am in this band - quite aggressive alternative rock with a lot of guitar going on, and I don't want to lose my presence by just blending..

So suddenly I am finding myself cranking up the treble and craving the high-end growl that I've never really been into before ... can't get enough of it, in fact, and these Rotosound Flats just aren't cutting it, as bright as they are, for flats. They sound great in recordings mind you, but for live they just aren't cutting through, especially with the Passive PJ I am currently using.

I'm also find they aren't getting the response out my effects pedals that I would like. I never heard the difference until I rented this Passive P with the stock round-wounds and heard some major articulation coming from my distortion and fuzz pedals that I hadn't heard before. My main effects are an MXR Blowtorch and Ibanez PD-7 and SB-7 pedals, as we as an OC-3 which I am probably going to trade in for an MXR El Grande Fuzz once there is one available.

Anyway.. does anyone know if flat-wounds are generally less conversant with effects? Everything just seems duller and less "Active" .. when I've used roundwounds the effects just seem to come to life.

Curious anyway.. been using flats for quite awhile now, as long as I have been using much in the way of effects anyway.. never really heard the difference until now. I'm renting this Passive P just until my new ATK 305 arrives, and I'm hoping the flats may be better on a more aggressive bass, but maybe not.

[joelb79]

Sounds like you need a set of Ernie Ball slinkys. Those growl for days.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by joelb79

Sounds like you need a set of Ernie Ball slinkys. Those growl for days.

or maybe Stainless Steels!

[joelb79]

Maybe. I was thinking something mellower might work for him since hes used to flats. Steels would be culture shock. I'd recommend nickel strings.

[::Saint::]

Yeah I think I still want to retain the low-end power.. don't want to go ALL-OUT steel.. plus my fingers get chopped up fairly easily. I have small hands, and never learned how to use my pinky for fretting, so my play-style tends to be a little sloppy, thus I think stainless steels would be a little too "revealing" if you know what I mean.

But can anyone tell me if it an expected thing for flats not to be great with effects in general? At least distortion / fuzz effects anyway..?

[Parabolic Box]

Distortion, in the distinct guitar sound, makes use of the high overtones (practically non-existent in flats) to create that desired sound, if that's what you mean. It's why zingy steels sound great with distortion.

[::Saint::]

Hmmm.. duly noted.. no wonder it sounds so much better with rounds, then. I'll be switching tonight!