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(5 string) P Bass: "1 with rounds, 1 with flats." So which flats?

Bassaga

Bassaga

Sep 4, 2015
444
1,186
Arizona
#1
I'm pretty comfortable with rounds. They make sense to me, they work the way I expect expect. But my (admittedly limited) history with flats is that they just sound like neutered rounds. I haven't found whatever it is you all have that inspires such romance in the way we talk about flats on a p bass.

My second p style is coming in a few days, and it'll get rounds. Pretty sure I'll try flats on my current one and see if I can find the magic.

So, 5 string flatwounds. There aren't all that many to choose from, but supposing I have a limited budget so I can't just try them all, which set do you all reckon would be the "P Bass With Flats"iest flats?
 
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#3
What flats have you tried? What flat sound do you want?

For me it is TI Jazz Flats followed by Labella Deep Talkin Flats.

Decent number of people like D'Addario Chromes, but I have hated every set I have tried. Tacky feeling (which apparently goes away with time) and never have the tone I am after (again this apparently settles in with time). I have never been able to tolerate Chromes long enough for them to break in.
 
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#6
I have the Ernie Ball Group 4 Stainless Steel Flats on my P bass and am very happy with them. Not too bright, not too dark and thumpy; a nice middle-of-the-road flat with a smooth but clear midrange.

You can get a 5-string set (45-130) for $55.

fretnation.com

Ernie Ball Traditional Flatwound Bass Strings Long Scale - 5-String 45

Ernie Ball Traditional Flatwound Bass Strings Long Scale 5-String Group 5 45-130 2810 - .045 .065 .080 .100 .130 Ernie Ball Long Scale strings feature a 37.25" Winding from Ball End to Taper. Fits most 34" scale and some 35" scale basses. Ernie Ball Flatwound Electric Bass Strings. Ernie Ball...
fretnation.com fretnation.com
 
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#8
ahbass2500 said:
What flats have you tried? What flat sound do you want?

For me it is TI Jazz Flats followed by Labella Deep Talkin Flats.

Decent number of people like D'Addario Chromes, but I have hated every set I have tried. Tacky feeling (which apparently goes away with time) and never have the tone I am after (again this apparently settles in with time). I have never been able to tolerate Chromes long enough for them to break in.
Click to expand...
You have to wipe them off before you install them. The tackiness is from the manufacturing process. Would be nice if they did that for us but
 
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#10
Not a P, but I really dig the DR Legends I put on my G&L Kiloton 5(which can be P-like). Tried them on a whim (have had various fivers including a Fender P5 with Chromes and Labellas in the past). The Legends are in Labella territory but have their own thing going on. I was skeptical about the 125 B string (vs a 130) but I really like it and I think it's actually clearer-sounding than a 130 (at least on that bass).
Chromes to me are just "OK". And IMO they don't get better and better with age like a flat should. They plateau and then start sounding lifeless.
My four-bangers - P's, J's, et al - with flats all get Labella DTFs. Still can't go wrong with those.
If you wanna stick with rounds, FWIW all my basses with rounds--4's and 5's -- get DR Nickel LoRiders. I call those "rounds for flats lovers". They can thump if you want, leave 'em on forever.
 
#11
It’s what flats don’t have that makes them attractive. They attenuate a lot of frequencies that otherwise may fight in the mix with other instruments when you play with rounds. If that’s not your thing, so be it. Set expectations accordingly, also know that flats on a 5 is its own special challenge. Getting a consistent sound and feel down to the low B string is tricky. Lighter low B string will have better clarity. Suggest the lightest flat low B available or else it can sound super dead vs. how the high strings sound. A heavy gauge 4 string set in drop tuning like D or C standard can be pretty awesome, the looser tuning makes them easier to deal with and imparts a bit more openness to the sound.
 
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#12
Bassaga said:
I'm pretty comfortable with rounds. They make sense to me, they work the way I expect expect. But my (admittedly limited) history with flats is that they just sound like neutered rounds. I haven't found whatever it is you all have that inspires such romance in the way we talk about flats on a p bass.

My second p style is coming in a few days, and it'll get rounds. Pretty sure I'll try flats on my current one and see if I can find the magic.

So, 5 string flatwounds. There aren't all that many to choose from, but supposing I have a limited budget so I can't just try them all, which set do you all reckon would be the "P Bass With Flats"iest flats?
Click to expand...
Personally, I think rounds on a PB is a highly underrated experience. But I have played BBs with flats. The only compelling reason I would put flats on one of my PB is a producer held a gun to my head or wallet (I’m not sure which is more threatening)… in such of an event they are looking for that vintage sound, and what better flat wound than your basic plain old Fender flats. Just give them a hard work out to knock the snot out of the brightness and head to the studio.
 
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#13
dfp said:
It’s what flats don’t have that makes them attractive. They attenuate a lot of frequencies that otherwise may fight in the mix with other instruments when you play with rounds.
Click to expand...
One thing that flats have that rounds don't, is the kind of attack and envelope to the sound you get with a pick with some treble cranked up. You can get that distinct "click" or "thunk" sound at the front of the note. Very percussive. No matter how dead your rounds are, they simply won't do that. If I only played fingerstyle I'd be fine with either old nickel rounds or flats. But I play a lot of pickstyle and the flats/pick vibe is essential for me. A P with flats/pick? An iconic tone.
 
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#15
For me it took a long while to get used to flats because, yes, they sound like neutered rounds when practicing but it's when playing with a band that they truly shine. The strong fundamental offlats allows me to sit perfectly where I need to be in the mix. Rounds are more difficult to find that sweet spot with all the overtones.

My go-to flats are Thomastik jazz flatwounds.
 
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#18
My name is Mdogs and I am a long time basher of flats (at least outside of the studio and by studio, I mean actual recording studio, not the extra bedroom that everyone calls a studio). Currently, I have four different types of flats on basses:

1. A single coil P bass with a Curtis Novak gold foil pickup (which is fantastic) with Labella LTF's, these strings don't do much for me
2. A split coil P with an Aguilar Hot P pickup with well worn TJIF's. I really like the sound of the TJIF's when they are new, they get too thumpy for me after a while. But, on this P, the thump does not seem as pronounced.
3. A split coil P with Geezer EMG's with a brand new set of EB Pino cobalt flats, so far I am not loving the strings, but I just installed them on Saturday. I anticipated that they would be more like the regular cobalt flats, but they really are not much like them at all.
4. A PJ with regular EB cobalt flats, so far this is my favorite combination
5. A J with regular EB cobalt flats, this should be my favorite combination. The bass needs some setup work and I just have not gotten to it yet.

What I suppose I should do is to get a set of EB Group flats and put them on my Stingray, Joe Dart's sound has really become one of my favorite sounds.

But, as a 45 year user of rounds, I am getting to where I really like the EB cobalts, I can dial out the clank, for the most part, without dialing out the tone.
 
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#19
Stranger Danger said:
You have to wipe them off before you install them. The tackiness is from the manufacturing process. Would be nice if they did that for us but
Click to expand...

Confirmed. Chromes are plenty smooth if you wipe them down before you put them on (I use a very lightly damp cloth and then dry them thoroughly, some folks have recommended using rubbing alcohol).
 
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#20
I've gotten good results with Chromes on P-basses, which are on the bright side for flats. They do break in nicely, and are available for fives. These would not be a bad place to start IMO. (Come to think of it, I should try them on my Sandberg TT-5.)

For serious old-school P-bass tone with major booty, GHS Precision Flats are amazing IMO, but I don't think they come in five-string sets, which is a bummer.

I also like DR's Legend flats, which is no surprise because I love DR strings generally. But I can't vouch for them on a P-bass, because I've only tried them on my G&L M-2500.
 
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