Why would you chose flatwounds over roundwounds?

[fireincairo]

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

[colorblindbass]

a Verrrry Mellow Bass-y Fat sound.

the 60's Sound

Motown, The Beatles,

it makes your bass sound more like an upright.

[fireincairo]

I see.

Is there any benefit to the wear and tear on your frets? I seem to recall reading someone saying they didn't want to mess up their frets with roundwounds.

[ogrossman]

Flat wounds can give you more of an upright bass sound. I use bright flats which are round wounds ground flat. They are plenty bright for my taste, they're easier on the fingers and they last longer than round wounds.

[bigchad64]

Originally Posted by fireincairo

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

You're fired...

[someguy0105]

I use them for a fatter, fuller, rounder, darker sound.

[colorblindbass]

Originally Posted by fireincairo

I see.

Is there any benefit to the wear and tear on your frets? I seem to recall reading someone saying they didn't want to mess up their frets with roundwounds.

Yes, they wont hurt your frets MUCH.

if you play round wounds for 5 years, you will have dents in your frets.
if you play flat wounds for 5 years, the dents wont be as bad.

[someguy0105]

If there is any difference at all, they would cause less wear.

[w33nie]

Easier on your fingers, too

Also, people say you can't slap with flatwounds, but my bass sounds fine slapped with flats. Maybe it's because my stuff is so crap you can't tell

[jebersole]

It may be my age, it may be that I'm doing more recording now than I used to, but I am finding that fresh roundwounds hide the meat of an electric bass with all the overtones and zingy-ness.

I'm still at the beginning stages of discovering the wonders of flatwounds, but give them a chance. You might be pleasantly suprised.

[mrhardy]

Originally Posted by fireincairo

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

This! Wait for it. Big fat jazz bass tone, turn it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3BXr...eature=related

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by fireincairo

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

Fire,
Well since I've played uprignt for a few years here's my two cents.
Flatwound's produce very little finger noise when you move from note to note. So, for jazz bass lines they sound similar to the upright. If you had been playing bass in the 60's that was the sound of the times. Once Rotosound got into the picture things changed fast. All the other string makers like GHS had to scurry to produce roundwounds because it was a brighter more defined sound.
So my passive fender has Tomastik flatwounds, but my Lakland 55-94 has Half Rounds. I haven't quite made the transition to Roundwounds.
Motown and Stax tunes were played on basses with flats. So if you want to emulate that sound flats are necessary. IMHO

Ric

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by fireincairo

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

I actually prefer flats! I love the smooth feel and the higher relative tension as compared to rounds.

There are a bunch of different brands of flats and they vary in their brightness. GHS Precision Flats are very dead sounding right out of the box, but they're meant to give the dead thuddy sound of well worn flats (Motown, etc). D'Addario Chromes are so bright they almost sound like rounds. I prefer Sadowsky flats. They're more solid sounding than rounds (which sound scooped and hollow to me) but have a lot of clarity.

[fireincairo]

Originally Posted by bigchad64

You're fired...

Fired? I quit!

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by someguy0105

If there is any difference at all, they would cause less wear.

If you can't hear the difference in sound between flats & rounds, I'd strongly suggest a hearing test.

[fireincairo]

I will say this, the jazz bridge never sounded fatter with these flatwounds.

[mongo2]

Simple, roundwounds just don't say "bass" to me so it's flats or nylon tapewounds for me.

[Fealach]

I like rounds. They sound good, and feel "normal" to me where flats sound dead and feel icky. I get a pretty good upright sound out of my uprights so that's not an issue for me. I like zing. Most of my basses are from the 80's and have always had roundwounds without needing fretwork.

[Tim Skaggs]

I just received a bass I bought online and it has flatwounds. I'm no expert, but I've always disliked the feel and deadness to the tone of flatwounds.

Q: What are people trying to achieve when they opt for these kinds of strings?

A: Feel and deadness

[pbass2]

If you only have one bass, then go with your fave. But if you have two or more, make sure some have flats and some rounds. All the differences in bass design, pickups, preamps, etc. aside, the biggest difference you can make to an electric bass sound is the difference between rounds and flats. They are both crucial to have in your arsenal.