So, I tried out flatwounds..

Armaz · #1 06-09-2007, 02:09 PM

Finally, my new bass (MIM active P-bass special) has arrived, and decided to put on some flatwounds to see why so many people seem to like them.

After some playing around with sound settings, all I can say is that I'm really really impressed, the sound is just great, couldn't imagine strings would make such a difference. Their "bad" part is the tension, am slowly adjusting the truss rod, little by little over the days until I get it just right. They're also far more tiering than roundwounds to play, due to the tension.

Just my opinion.

BassMan250 · #2 06-09-2007, 04:30 PM

What flats are you using? I used to use Fender 9050M's and they gave a good thump but were really stiff ... I put them on another bass to use for hand excercises and put D'Addario Chromes on my main axe, they're brighter than Fenders and have less tension also. If you're not using Chromes I recommend you try them out.

Nighthawk551 · #3 06-09-2007, 09:30 PM

+1 on the Chromes. I just put a set on my P-Bass yesterday, and I am impressed. They can be very bright, but if you roll back the tone knob a little, they have that thump.

PaulMacCnj · #4 06-09-2007, 09:39 PM

There's been a lot of talk about flatwound strings lately... for good reason... They sound and play great! The La Bella flats are not high tension and give a solid thump. On a Fender P-bass you get the thump and a ton of low end thunder. As others have mentioned, if you want more top end, look to the D'Addario Chromes, or the GHS's.

Armaz · #5 06-09-2007, 10:06 PM

I'm using Roto RS77 LE (no wonder all that tension..)

JtGrrrl · #6 06-09-2007, 10:17 PM

Dang I tried the suckers and found they muted the full sound I was looking for on my ESP Viper. The original strings gave more thump and others commented too. Looks like I might have to try them on one of my others - I have a Hondo that is a bit tinny so I'll try them on there.

#7 06-09-2007, 10:26 PM

If you want the classic flatwound sound and smooth feel with less tension, try the La Bella 760FL's they are medium tension and incredibly smooth. The sound I get with them on my P/J is a deep warm bottom with a smooth top.

George

KrispyJones · #8 06-10-2007, 12:46 PM

i played the fende LMs which were to stiff, the 9050L are perfect and the d tuner still works

can anybody reccomend me a similar set for a 5 string or string which are similar ?

greets and thanks in advance

chris

vivaknoxvegas · #9 06-11-2007, 06:02 AM

Does changing from round to flats require a fresh set up?

One Drop · #10 06-11-2007, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaknoxvegas

Does changing from round to flats require a fresh set up?

Maybe. It depends on the tension and gauges of the old and the new strings. I find any different set of strings usually requires a tweak or two at least, and you might find your attack changes with flats as well.