So, if flat wounds are so popular here, why aren't there more choices?

[Jim C]

Always played round wounds; bought a bass from a board memeber with flats and never looked back. A lot of players here use flats although we must be a minority. My local GC barely stocks them (usualy 1 size of Chromes). Even the online retailers have a limited selection and most manufacturers have just one type.
I'm thinking the masses don't use them and the manufacturers need to develop and market a vast range of rounds for this reason.

What do you think?

[Jazzdogg]

I've been using flats for years - playing TI JazzFlats exclusively for about five years. Flats seem to be a minority choice based upon my experience, and although the choices can be limited in local stores, I haven't had any trouble finding a wide variety of flats online.

[MarkusBass]

Yes...not as popular. The supply goes to the demand. Online is the place to find them.

[BluesWalker]

plus they last forever

[funkalicious101]

I don't think they lend themselves to variation as much as roundwounds.

[Jefenator]

I think there's plenty of selection - maybe even too much! (I've been on a flatwound kick all year and there's still plenty of brands I haven't managed to try yet.)

JustStrings.com has something for every taste (and budget).

[lmfreeman9]

Originally Posted by BluesWalker

plus they last forever

They do and because of that GC and everyone else makes less money.

[eyecandy]

flats last for a very long time so guitar shops do'n't usually stock them...unlike the usual rounds which lasts for about 4-6 months..

[mongo2]

You should've tried getting flats in the '80s and '90s.

I had to special order them at a store and in a couple of cases I resorted to buying a bass for it's flats and then restringing it with rounds and selling it (at a profit). One time a store manager let me buy a set of rounds and swap them for a set of flats on a bass he had hanging in the store.

Desperate times for flats players.

[GM60466]

Lakland is the only manufacturer that I know of who ships new basses with flats installed and set up play. You just can't take a set of Rotosounds off and put flats on and expect the bass to be perfect. Most shops don't want the complaints from customers that the strings they just bought don't sound right.


G

[ForestThump]

Shops seem to cater to the market which seems to be rife with pop n'twang "shredders" and Flea wannabees who seem to gravitate to roundwounds.

[debassr]

My local GC stocks Labella 740FL's and Chromes. Luckily, the Labellas are my first choice for my P and the Chromes are my first choice for my J.

I can't remember the last time I bought a set of rounds. All my basses are belong to flats.

[scotch]

So, if flat wounds are so popular here, why aren't there more choices?

Honestly, I think that the long & short of it is that TB 'buzz' doesn't always reflect actual market conditions. While the TB community is certainly diverse & fairly large- I often see odd trends in opinion develop that don't correlate with the "offline" reality I live in.

Flats are cool- I have 2 basses strung up with them! But, there's no way that a majority of bass consumers use or want them- despite my own interest. I'd be interested to hear from string manufacturers what the actual stats are, but I'd guess that roundwound demand outstrips flats on an order of 50 to 1!

[WoodyG3]

FWIW, the sticky thread at the top of this string forum has a poll which shows about 75% of TBers use rounds and about 18% use flats.

As others have said, I can get D'Addario Chromes in my local stores, but that's about it. I'm betting guitar strings outsell bass string by about 20 to 1, then rounds outsell flats by 10 to 1 or more, which leaves little room on the local music stores wall for flatwound strings.

[debassr]

Originally Posted by scotch

I'd be interested to hear from string manufacturers what the actual stats are, but I'd guess that roundwound demand outstrips flats on an order of 50 to 1!

I would be too, but since 99.9% of new basses ship with rounds, the numbers will be skewed significantly. We might get better numbers if they looked only at aftermarket sales.

[scotch]

Originally Posted by debassr

I would be too, but since 99.9% of new basses ship with rounds, the numbers will be skewed significantly. We might get better numbers if they looked only at aftermarket sales.

True that.

If what stores carry is any indication... then, I'm inclined to go with my gut instinct. 18% of TB flat users seems far higher than what I see day-to-day. And I live/work in 'Country Music USA'! You'd think every pro in town has at least 1 instrument with flats. Well, they don't. The big names & busiest session guys do, but they're still well in the minority!

This has me thinking I need another fretted Precision strung up w/ flats!

[Jazz Ad]

They are popular HERE.
Out of bass geeks, a few studio pros and old seasoned weekend warriors, nobody uses flats.
To top this, a set of flats will last for years, while rounds last for weeks.

[DanGouge]

Originally Posted by scotch

Honestly, I think that the long & short of it is that TB 'buzz' doesn't always reflect actual market conditions. While the TB community is certainly diverse & fairly large- I often see odd trends in opinion develop that don't correlate with the "offline" reality I live in.

+1

Most bass players I see around town go with Fender into Ampeg and likely use either Ernie Ball or D'Addario roundwounds (not that there's anything wrong with any of that). The gear fads around here probably infect 5-10% of the bass playing public (not even everyone on here gets into every fad). That said, a good set of flats can be a revelation.

[NickRich]

Originally Posted by debassr

I can't remember the last time I bought a set of rounds. All my basses are belong to flats.

See sig.

Nick

[bassbully]

I agree there is no way that flats are the target market for bass string companys. Rounds with thier several diffrent types rule here. Flats do last longer and have a strong dedicated following but rounds are clearly the top choice for most bass players.