Whats some mainstream songs recorded with flats?

[lttoler]

I am thinking of switching to flats on my P-Bass, but would like some examples of some songs. I saw a thread a couple of years ago with some mainstream songs (90's and up) that were recorded using flats, but i cant seem to find that thread anymore. Anyone got any suggestions for me to check out? Thanks in advance

[BigOldHarry]

tons of tunes before the mid '70s when rounds became easier to find... but since?

I'll wager very few indeed.

[bassingeorge]

Listen to the John Mayer Trio....Pino Palladino plays in that trio. I'm sure he records with TI flats.

[king_biscuit]

I don't listen to much current pop music, but I'd bet there is quite a bit of recording going on with flats. There is a clip on youtube with Justin Meldal-Johnsen where he says that producers are asking for and into the flat sound again.

[Joospocks]

As far as I know, Nick Oliveri (formerly of Queens of the Stone Age) used a p-bass with flats.

[lowfreqgeek]

Ben Kenney from Incubus is known for playing flats pretty exclusively.

YouTube - Ben Kenney - "Eulogy" (Live) - not Incubus, but pretty cool.

[Gasman]

Ben Shepard- Soundgarden
A lot of Pink Floyd

[bassingeorge]

Originally Posted by Joospocks

As far as I know, Nick Oliveri (formerly of Queens of the Stone Age) used a p-bass with flats.

His bass did sound pretty dull-like on "no one knows", only with some overdrive.

[thombo]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

tons of tunes before the mid '70s when rounds became easier to find... but since?

I'll wager very few indeed.

i respectfully challenge your wager... in my experiences (interwebs, magazines, tb, conversations, etc), many players talk about having a p-bass w/ flats in their stable because that's what a lot of producers want.

[Marton]

Originally Posted by bassingeorge

Listen to the John Mayer Trio....Pino Palladino plays in that trio. I'm sure he records with TI flats.

Yep he use TI flats. He sound really good on the continuum album, lot of cool basslines.

Also, I'm pretty sure that some of the Jamiroquai stuff is done on flats.

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

tons of tunes before the mid '70s when rounds became easier to find... but since?

I'll wager very few indeed.

So many recordings of all types (pop, country, rock, jingles, ads, soundtracks, etc.) are recorded with flats these days, even more than recently since there is a lot less slap required.

And not just for 'that traditional flat sound' but for all kinds of bass tones.

You'd lose that wager handily.

[faulknersj]

Regardless, a P or J bass with flats, once properly dialed, is something every bass player should experience for themselves. It is a beautiful sound imo...ya know...what a bass is supposed to soundlike in the mix. And to those that say flats are bad for slap tone...I doubt if you have spanked a bass with flats...cause man...THAT is THE slap tone imo!

[Sleeq]

Hear the bass on this:

YouTube - Jamiroquai - Runaway Live from Abbey Road

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by faulknersj

Regardless, a P or J bass with flats, once properly dialed, is something every bass player should experience for themselves. It is a beautiful sound imo...ya know...what a bass is supposed to soundlike in the mix. And to those that say flats are bad for slap tone...I doubt if you have spanked a bass with flats...cause man...THAT is THE slap tone imo!

I agree, my comment being more about modern roundwound scooped slap tones that were de riguer on almost everything for a few years, until recently.

I think a lot of people would be amazed to hear how bright even traditional flats can sound when recorded, pre-EQ. Maybe not zingy, but honestly, how many recordings really need or have that kind of top end?

[guroove]

Any Amy Winehouse song, or any song by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

[faulknersj]

Good take one drop! I just did a studio session for the first time using an MIA P with flats, and a 73' Jazz with flats. I am really stoked and surprised at how great it came out. I used a foam mute I cut from an industrial sponge under the bridge on some of the tunes and it just nailed that vintage sound with more of an Upright Double Bass sort of attack. I will be using flats in the studio again for sure!

[faulknersj]

Oh, and to the OP, the slap bass part in 'California Gurlz' by Katy Perry sounds like flats to me.

[gnjpowell]

Let's remember, the electric bass as invented by Leo Fender had flats. Mustah been a reason for this.....

[lowfreqgeek]

Originally Posted by One Drop

I think a lot of people would be amazed to hear how bright even traditional flats can sound when recorded, pre-EQ. Maybe not zingy, but honestly, how many recordings really need or have that kind of top end?

I'm seriously contemplating dropping some TI's on my EBMM SR5. I've been tracking with Nickel strings and they sound really, really nice, but there's still a bit more zing than I want and EQ is the less desirable option. Would rather capture the sound as closely as I can to the end result than have massive amounts of EQ. However, I know from experience that cutting TOO much high end early on can be detrimental and unfixable. I love the TIs on my Pbass, but those tracks were on the dark side for this project, even with EQ (they have been on a long time and have many, many hours on them). The SR5 overall is brighter than the Pbass, so I think the TIs will be a safe bet.

Maybe I need 2 SR5s, and 2 Pbasses, and 2 Jbasses, and 2 G&Ls and 2 of everything else? Yes please.

[lowfreqgeek]

Originally Posted by gnjpowell

Let's remember, the electric bass as invented by Leo Fender had flats. Mustah been a reason for this.....

Yeah...

The reason is that there were no such thing as "round wound" bass strings at the time. Didn't exist in 1950.