So I put on flats...

[Houston]

SGT. Pepper -
Why (or how) would the lighter gauge be too loose?

[SGT. Pepper]

Depends on what he currently plays. The strings I recommended are the regular lights. D'Addario's aren't high tension flats. The super light guage 40-95's he may not like.

[Houston]

Are they just downright floppy? Is it something I'll notice more with my left hand than my right?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Houston

I put on my first set of flatwound strings since about 1979 or 1980 (Fender 9050) on my MIM Jazz. They certainly have a different voice and feel.
Had band practice last night; waited for some comments...and nobody noticed.

Oh well.

Don't feel bad. I played one night the first set completely on my fretless, rather than the fretted I normally play and the only person who noticed was the drummer. At the end of the night the guitarist asked-"why don't you play your fretless? You bring it to gigs but never play it."

[Shoewreck]

Originally Posted by 62bass

Don't feel bad. I played one night the first set completely on my fretless, rather than the fretted I normally play and the only person who noticed was the drummer. At the end of the night the guitarist asked-"why don't you play your fretless? You bring it to gigs but never play it."

Your intonation seems to be good...

[SGT. Pepper]

Originally Posted by Houston

Are they just downright floppy? Is it something I'll notice more with my left hand than my right?

They won't be floppy but a little thin. What guage do you presently use?

[Houston]

.045 - .100

[zombywoof5050]

IMO the 45-100 Chromes are still too tight.
I recommend the LaBella 760FL (043-104). Don't let the gauges fool you, they are lower tension than the Chromes.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Shoewreck

Your intonation seems to be good...

Or the guitarist's ear is bad.

[Houston]

I might be able to get away with using a lighter gauge just because I biamp. I've got a Bill Fitzmaurice Tuba 24 for everything below 100hz, and it is absolutely no problem to turn up the low end. This fall I might build a Titan 39. However, I don't want to sound like I'm using guitar strings.

[denton57]

[quote= I need some recommendations for some lower-tension flatwounds. And maybe a lighter gauge.[/QUOTE]

Try the TI flats. I had some on my Ric. Very low tension and extremely effortless to play. I never got tired and never even came close to developing a blister or anything. I played it exclusively from 3-06 until last week. I just bought a jazz and put Labellas on it...much stiffer, and I kinda felt tired at the end of my last gig. A totally different animal. Try the TI flats!

[seanm]

Originally Posted by denton57

Try the TI flats. I had some on my Ric. Very low tension and extremely effortless to play. I never got tired and never even came close to developing a blister or anything. I played it exclusively from 3-06 until last week. I just bought a jazz and put Labellas on it...much stiffer, and I kinda felt tired at the end of my last gig. A totally different animal. Try the TI flats!

Which gauge LaBella's did you try? I love the 760FLs. But I agree the TIs are much lower tension.

My problem with the TIs is that they are basically very smooth rounds and don't sound like flats. Of course this is very IMHO, YMMV, dealer may sell for less.