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View Poll Results: Flats or Rounds?
Flats 42 45.16%
Rounds 51 54.84%
Voters: 93. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 05-22-2009, 07:34 AM
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For DB players who also play electic, flats or rounds?

Just curious of the DB players who also play electric, how many play flats. Thanks for voting!
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  #2  
Old 05-22-2009, 08:29 AM
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Play rounds on all my electrics except my fretless electric. Rock the rotosound flats on it.
  #3  
Old 05-22-2009, 08:30 AM
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flats on all my electrics, except for my acoustic electric which has bronze rounds.
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Old 05-22-2009, 08:30 AM
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Both. Rounds on my P/J and Fretless Jazz, and flats on my P.
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  #5  
Old 05-22-2009, 08:32 AM
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Flats on the fretless P, rounds on the Carvin.
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  #6  
Old 05-22-2009, 08:33 AM
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Tapes!
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Old 05-22-2009, 08:38 AM
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Have recently discovered the magic of flats on an electric bass. I have one fitted with with rounds but it's been taking a long rest...
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  #8  
Old 05-22-2009, 08:53 AM
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I have one electric, a fretless so naturally I am a flats guy.
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Old 05-22-2009, 09:05 AM
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I just got my first set of flats for my P, and I am going to try them on my J too, to see how that sounds. I got Fender 9050L's. I like how they have the feel and sound of flats, although they have some of the brightness of rounds too. Over time I hear that brightness goes away, which would be fine too. Also, they sound surprisingly adequate for slapping.
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  #10  
Old 05-22-2009, 09:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bassman_al View Post
Over time I hear that brightness goes away, which would be fine too. Also, they sound surprisingly adequate for slapping.
The brightness definitely goes away and turns into a really nice thump, and a really chunky clank if you roll the tone up. The slap tone is really chunky and thumpy as well vs. bright and defined slap tone like rounds. They also feel a lot different than rounds when you slap them.
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Old 05-22-2009, 09:25 AM
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Flats, explanation point.
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  #12  
Old 05-22-2009, 09:43 AM
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Flats on my Fender, absolutely!

I also have a cheap acoustic that has some tape wound strings that were stock on the instrument. Nothing I like that much either.
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Old 05-22-2009, 09:47 AM
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I'm 99% slab, but to answer the Q, I tend to prefer rounds. I would like to have one flat-strung P for when it's totally appropo.
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Old 05-22-2009, 10:16 AM
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I migrated from rounds to flats on my Fender before I really made the switch to DB. Now I rarely play electric and don't want to put my hands through the adjustment to round wound strings on the odd occasion when I do. But, I found that while I was trying to make my electric bass sound more DB-esque before, now my ear doesn't fall for that and it's not worth the lack of ability to cut through if I find myself doing some type of rock thing sometime.

So, I split the difference and am using Ken Smith Burners, which I think are actually ground wound. Easy on my fingers, I take the tone up or down depending on the situation. But honestly...it mostly sits in the case in the closet, poor thing.
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Old 05-22-2009, 11:25 AM
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Both.
  #16  
Old 05-22-2009, 12:19 PM
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DR HiBeam Flats on my fretless jazz, D'Addario Chrome flats on my fretted jazz, and D'Addario rounds on my acoustic Tacoma Thunderchief.
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  #17  
Old 05-22-2009, 12:22 PM
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I use both. I'm gigging on the upright 80% of the time.

Flats on my 66 Fender P, naturally; rounds on my Wal 5.
  #18  
Old 05-22-2009, 01:01 PM
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So sounds like a lot of people use flats on P-basses, which is what I am experimenting with now.

The J bass sounds like its more of a toss-up, although I am guessing with my '62 RI Jazz that it would sound better with flats. I'll have to try that out...

I like the Fender Flats that I just put on yesterday. Any other brand recommendations for that same sound? I like the looseness that I get with the lighter gauge Fenders.

My local store sells Labella Deep Talkin', also EB flats and Pyramid.

Thanks
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  #19  
Old 05-22-2009, 02:52 PM
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Heaviest flats I could find with near inch-high action
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  #20  
Old 05-22-2009, 07:43 PM
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I like the sound of flats. I used rounds for quite awhile due to the fact that it was all I could find. I was suprised at how bright the flats actually sound.
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