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Balanced, characterful flatwound strings

Boneless

Boneless

Inactive
Jan 2, 2007
1,238
1,564
Monopoli (Bari), Italy
#1
I've been playing Fender flats for years on one of my basses. They are quite good, I must say, despite their relatively low price. They are very even sounding and they manage to sound balanced across all four strings, which is a quality I very much like. On the other hand, they are a bit plain sounding, with little of the heft and character you often hear with flatwound strings, and they're also quite stiff so maybe something a bit looser would be nice. So, I'd like to try out something else, but since flatwound strings are bloody expensive, I'd like to make at least an informed choice (not necessarily will I like them, of course).

I've been reading wonders about Pyramid Gold strings, as they are supposedly very thick and "classic" sounding, and quite loose too. I fear they might not be very balanced though. Otherwise, the DR Legend strings look like they could be what I'm looking for (some of the opinions state "they sound like warmer LaBella strings but with a smoother feel").

So, any thoughts?
 
#3
Read up on Labella. IMO, Labella defines the tone and I believe are the traditional flats used on hundreds of classic songs heard around the world. 760FL are considered “light”, and I find they provide the absolute perfect tone I like for most songs where flats are appropriate. And they are not hard on the hands.
 
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#5
I highly recommend the Pyramid Gold (640) set. I once bought the 640/1 by mistake and found them too high in tension. The 640 set is slightly heavier than TI flats, with the exception of the big ole E string. Out of the package, the strings are supple and beautiful. However, when you first put them on, the tone is odd. The E is super thuddy and the D & G are quite bright, almost like guitar strings. However, once you play them for a few weeks, the sound begins to balance out, and you get this rich and meaty tone all over the neck. Although I am more of a fingerstyle player, they sound absolutely superb with a pick (I favor light nylon picks, go figure). The key, for me at least, was to have some patience during the break-in process, and to allow my hearing to adjust to them. As far as overall tension/feel, I use hex core roundwounds 40-100 and the flexibility is similar, other than the E. Also, if you dig in on the Pyramids you get this pleasant, funky sound not that irritating fretted-out tone that some strings yield.

I recommend that you to record yourself with any new string brand/type, even if it's just with your phone, just so you can hear yourself without actually physically playing. Even when the Pyramids are broken in, they may not wow you coming out of your amp. However, if you play back a recording, you really appreciate how good they sound. The E never fully matches the other strings, but it gets close, and just feels authoritative.

With a pick, my P-bass tone gets into the neighborhood of classic Phil Lesh (pseudo Phil bombs are exemplary) and Paul McCartney; played fingerstyle I can evoke tones from Meters-era George Porter Jr. and early Bernard Edwards. Can you guess who my favorite players not named John Entwistle are?

To help frame my opinion, over the past 20 years I have used and either gigged or at least rehearsed in a full band with TIs; LaBella LTFs as well as DTFs in L, FL, FM; Rotosound Monel flats; D'Addario Chromes; Fender 9050 flats - both the current version and the ones before D'Addario began mfg.; EB group flats and Cobalt/Slinky flats; GHS Precision Flats; DR Legend flats; Sadowsky flats; and Dean Markley flats (discontinued).

Of course, this is all my opinion, YMMV.

p.s. You can find them new for around $55/set so please don't pay $80+ if you can avoid it.
p.p.s. I do not have any affiliation with Pyramid Strings. I am just a fan.
 
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#6
@droberts444 what's that about the 640/1 and the 640 set? I've checked and apparently the 640/1 set is for long scale basses and has a .075 string instead of a .070, and a .105 string instead of a .100 one. The 640 set is ostensibly for Hoefner basses (and I've just bought one, and I might buy a set if the stock strings are crap, after all they supposedly nail the Macca tone), and I know that strings for Hoefner basses are practically long scale strings because that's what they need, but I'd fear buying a set to mount on my long scale P-clone and discovering that the silk goes beyond the nut.

There is also a 640/A set which is a .045 .065 .085 .105 set and I can see how these could be too heavy a gauge.
 
#7
You are correct Boneless The 640/A set is too heavy for me. It is the 640/1 is my favorite set. Sorry about that. I typed my little diatribe without checking the specs. Also, full disclosure, I recently sold a Hofner on which I preferred the LaBella DTBHB2 (.039 to .096) over the OEM Hofner (which are really Pyramid) flats. I don't know why that is...especially given my preference for the long scale Pyramids.
 
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#8
droberts444 said:
You are correct Boneless The 640/A set is too heavy for me. It is the 640/1 is my favorite set. Sorry about that. I typed my little diatribe without checking the specs. Also, full disclosure, I recently sold a Hofner on which I preferred the LaBella DTBHB2 (.039 to .096) over the OEM Hofner (which are really Pyramid) flats. I don't know why that is...especially given my preference for the long scale Pyramids.
Click to expand...

No problem about that. For some reason Pyramid flats fascinate me, I might go with them after all.
 
#10
20201005_175727.jpg


Pyramid Gold 640/1 flatwounds are my favourite strings, I have used those on my main P-Bass for many, many years. Compared to, say, TI Jazz Flats they have more tension, but the roundcore construction gives them a nice bouncy supple feel. As for tone, when new the E is deader than the other strings but that balances out when the strings settle a bit. They are handmade and polished, so the string surfaces have a super smooth luxurious feel under your fingers. The tone is classic old school; I play classic rock (late 1960s/ early 1970s), southern soul, blues, R&B, old school country and country-rock and for those genres the tone is just right. I live in Europe so the Pyramid prices are lower here (no import tax and lower shipping costs), but do look around to find the best price should you want to try them.
 
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#11
The OP wants a set of flats that have character. If by stating he has played Fender flats for "years," which if that means more like "decades," then it is possible he still has the older Fender flats rather than the newer flats. The newer flats have more mid grind or growl than the old flats, which were more woody or organic in tone.

Other flats to consider:
Ernie Ball stainless - not quite as much growl as Fender; very underrated strings
Optima RB flats - the spiritual successor and re-creation of the Rickenbacker OEM Maxima flats of the '60's and '70's
La Bella - very smooth, even, neutral, probably not what the OP is after, but they always slot the mix well.
GHS Precision - the "chocolate syrup" of strings: warm, round, tasty.
 
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#12
Luckydog said:
Read up on Labella. IMO, Labella defines the tone and I believe are the traditional flats used on hundreds of classic songs heard around the world. 760FL are considered “light”, and I find they provide the absolute perfect tone I like for most songs where flats are appropriate. And they are not hard on the hands.
Click to expand...
Always amuses me when the 760fl set is said to be light, tension figures where released for the 760fl a while ago and they are around 185ibs tension which is not particularly light, I always found the 760fl really stiff personally
 
#13
shoulderpet said:
Always amuses me when the 760fl set is said to be light, tension figures where released for the 760fl a while ago and they are around 185ibs tension which is not particularly light, I always found the 760fl really stiff personally
Click to expand...

I didn't know that La Bella released their tension figures, I would love to know what the numbers are for their flatwounds especially the 760fx-CB set. I emailed them a week or so ago asking about tension, they said their figures for the flats were not published with the exception of the the low tension flats.

upload_2020-10-6_12-44-23.png
 
#14
thabassmon said:
I didn't know that La Bella released their tension figures, I would love to know what the numbers are for their flatwounds especially the 760fx-CB set. I emailed them a week or so ago asking about tension, they said their figures for the flats were not published with the exception of the the low tension flats.

View attachment 4008097
Click to expand...
It was a while ago that I read it , lots of companies claim that they don't release tension data but sometimes it seems that if you are lucky enough for the right person to answer your query you will get the answer, I know Rotosound don't release tension figures and often refuse to give this information but I remember someone on here asked them a while ago and got the information. Really though anyone with a decent, very sensitive set of scales and a set of wire cutters to cut the string to the appropriate length can work out tension information, I can't remember what the formula is though.
 
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#16
droberts444 said:
I highly recommend the Pyramid Gold (640) set. I once bought the 640/1 by mistake and found them too high in tension. The 640 set is slightly heavier than TI flats, with the exception of the big ole E string. Out of the package, the strings are supple and beautiful. However, when you first put them on, the tone is odd. The E is super thuddy and the D & G are quite bright, almost like guitar strings. However, once you play them for a few weeks, the sound begins to balance out, and you get this rich and meaty tone all over the neck. Although I am more of a fingerstyle player, they sound absolutely superb with a pick (I favor light nylon picks, go figure). The key, for me at least, was to have some patience during the break-in process, and to allow my hearing to adjust to them. As far as overall tension/feel, I use hex core roundwounds 40-100 and the flexibility is similar, other than the E. Also, if you dig in on the Pyramids you get this pleasant, funky sound not that irritating fretted-out tone that some strings yield.

I recommend that you to record yourself with any new string brand/type, even if it's just with your phone, just so you can hear yourself without actually physically playing. Even when the Pyramids are broken in, they may not wow you coming out of your amp. However, if you play back a recording, you really appreciate how good they sound. The E never fully matches the other strings, but it gets close, and just feels authoritative.

With a pick, my P-bass tone gets into the neighborhood of classic Phil Lesh (pseudo Phil bombs are exemplary) and Paul McCartney; played fingerstyle I can evoke tones from Meters-era George Porter Jr. and early Bernard Edwards. Can you guess who my favorite players not named John Entwistle are?

To help frame my opinion, over the past 20 years I have used and either gigged or at least rehearsed in a full band with TIs; LaBella LTFs as well as DTFs in L, FL, FM; Rotosound Monel flats; D'Addario Chromes; Fender 9050 flats - both the current version and the ones before D'Addario began mfg.; EB group flats and Cobalt/Slinky flats; GHS Precision Flats; DR Legend flats; Sadowsky flats; and Dean Markley flats (discontinued).

Of course, this is all my opinion, YMMV.

p.s. You can find them new for around $55/set so please don't pay $80+ if you can avoid it.
p.p.s. I do not have any affiliation with Pyramid Strings. I am just a fan.
Click to expand...

How would you describe the difference between the Pyramid Gold and the DR Legend, in terms of tone and playability?
 
#17
hotbass57 said:
DR Legends tension/stiffness about like the Fender even though round core. They're old school sounding. The Labella Low Tension flats are very smooth well balanced and the tension/stiffness is perfect. A little bright at first but settle down the more you play. My second fav flat next to my TI's. I have the Labella on the SD Curlee in my pic.
Click to expand...
Love the LaBella low tensions and the TI's. I think right out of the pack the LaBellas are a little more "broken in" sounding than the TI's.
 
#19
iiipopes said:
The OP wants a set of flats that have character. If by stating he has played Fender flats for "years," which if that means more like "decades," then it is possible he still has the older Fender flats rather than the newer flats. The newer flats have more mid grind or growl than the old flats, which were more woody or organic in tone.

Other flats to consider:
Ernie Ball stainless - not quite as much growl as Fender; very underrated strings
Optima RB flats - the spiritual successor and re-creation of the Rickenbacker OEM Maxima flats of the '60's and '70's
La Bella - very smooth, even, neutral, probably not what the OP is after, but they always slot the mix well.
GHS Precision - the "chocolate syrup" of strings: warm, round, tasty.
Click to expand...

I was getting ready to post about Fender Flats and then I read iipopes comment. Exactly! The old Fender Flats were made in Mexico of USA materials and they had the turquoise silk only on the ball end. I've heard that the new Fender Flats are made by D'Addarrio and they have silk on both ends.

The old Fender Flats had a really nice classic flat sound and high tension. I find the new Fender Flats to be on the bright side but they have less tension.

I have a bass with Pyramid Flats. They sound good with a classic type flat wound sound but I find the E string to be too fat in gauge to match the other strings. But the E sounds OK to the other strings.

My favorite flats are TI Flats. I don't know how any flat wound could sound better. The low tension (even lower than rounds) is not to everybody's liking. They are VERY expensive strings! A major turn off to try them! But, they are known to last 6 to 10 years.

I don't think anyone can tell us what kind of string we should buy. We have to let our ears tell us.
 

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