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Active P type with flatwounds question

R

RobD_BritBass

Aug 25, 2021
249
605
#1
A bit of a query for anyone out there using an active p pickup equipped bass with flatwounds.
Does it work? Is there anything you approach differently? Am I going to end up hating it?

I know, just buy a set and try it, which I'll probably end up doing anyway, but just thought I'd reach out to see if anyone has any advice on any strings that particularly work in this situation etc.

For context, I have an 80s Yamaha BB1100s that does a pretty nice P tone when soloed with rounds, but I'm thinking of getting rid of my squier p that I use for the flats thing, but if I'm going to hate an active flatwound combination then it might not be the best use for that bass.
 
#3
I run flats on almost everything. I have an active jazz with DR Legends which are slightly brighter flats that are very percussive/punchy. I find on the active Jazz I can enhance those natural dynamics easily with the mid boost. Sounds great.
 
#4
When I had flats on an active bass, I found that the natural earthy tones of flatwound strings really didn't fit in with the "sculpt your sound" thing of using a 3 band EQ to get the tone really focussed. And the flats were Chromes, so scarcely very woody-sounding.
 
#7
I've used flats on two types of active basses, a StingRay and an EMG loaded P bass.

I found that in both instances, Rotosound flats were my personal preference. I never found any logical, technical explanation for it; using those strings just sounded better. I was able to get a defined, clear tone without being quite as up-front in the mix as I was with rounds. This was something the guitarists in the band really appreciated: my friend the drummer, less so.

With the active P, the Rotos were all I tried, but I did more experimentation on the 'Ray. I tried D'addarios, LaBella's, and even Webstrings (BelgaBass on YouTube swears by them on his vintage MusicMan basses). I found that the LaBella's had the best feel but easily got lost in a mix on an active instrument. D'addario's weren't really my thing, decent sound but not enough to justify the feel/ tension, which I wasn't keen on. The Webstrings set was similar to D'addario chromes, but I preferred their tone. Only trouble was they never had a great sound when I played with a pick, and that's a deal breaker for me.

Hope you find the flats that suit your style/ budget!
 
#8
RobD_BritBass said:
Yeah I get the amp is active aspect, but with the onboard pre it's going to lose the cable capacitance element which is why I usually play passive basses.
For the sake of a set of strings I'll just suck it and see
Click to expand...
It will work just fine.

And I think you might be surprised how many famous “P bass” hits were actually recorded with Alembic and Wal and MusicMan.

Try it. Don’t talk yourself out of something musical. Try it.
 
#11
RobD_BritBass said:
A bit of a query for anyone out there using an active p pickup equipped bass with flatwounds.
Does it work? Is there anything you approach differently? Am I going to end up hating it?

I know, just buy a set and try it, which I'll probably end up doing anyway, but just thought I'd reach out to see if anyone has any advice on any strings that particularly work in this situation etc.

For context, I have an 80s Yamaha BB1100s that does a pretty nice P tone when soloed with rounds, but I'm thinking of getting rid of my squier p that I use for the flats thing, but if I'm going to hate an active flatwound combination then it might not be the best use for that bass.
Click to expand...
Well, Okay.... My answers, in order:
- Does it work? Yes, of course it does. Whether or not it will sound good to you, is a different question. However; there are lots of different flats, and they mostly sound very different from one another. The trick - just as with rounds - is to have at least some idea of the sound you want - and choose your flats accordingly.
- Is there anything I approach differently? No, not really. Since I've been playing bass for 50+ years, and almost all of them wore flats or tapes - and still do? I have a pretty good idea of how I want a new bass - active or passive - to sound, with flats... The only "difference" that I've noticed, is that I have more tonal choices with an active bass. But, since I pretty much know what I want to hear from any my basses? It's analogous to having something I want painted, say, red. With an active bass, I have more shades of red to choose from, than I would with most passive basses.
- Are you going to wind up hating it? Well... sorry, but that's pretty much up to you. If you pick a set of flats that don't sound anything like what you want to hear; they feel like bridge cables; and your hands ache after trying to play them for more than 5 minutes? You bet your tuchus you'll hate it... But, there are lots of flats that aren't like that - at all. It just depends on what you want to hear - and feel.
If you have little/no experience with flat wounds? In cases like that, I usually recommend a set of Fender 9050L flats. IMO, they're "Goldilocks" flats; not too stiff; not too "thumpy"; not "bright like rounds"; and (for flats) not too expensive. They're... "just right". On my "Flat wound Tonal Scale"? They're the flats at the midpoint. All the other flats I've ever used, have all been brighter - or "thumpier". The 9050L's are a good set to start with, since they'll let you know if you do want "Thumpier" (more low end), or "Brighter" (more mids and highs). Plus, they're simply really nice flats. Lots of people here have them on P-Basses - and Jazz Basses. I currently have them on a '98 Danelectro DC59 Pro, and a '15 Tom Hamilton Sig. G&L ASAT Bass. Which is more or less an active bass - although I seldom bother putting a battery in the thing... IMO< they suit that ASAT Bass very well...
My other active basses? The '95 Alembic Epic wears TI Jazz Flats; for what I play with it? No better strings. My '20 EBMM 4HH Stingray Special wears Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats. A little thumpier than the Fenders, but they give m a ton of tonal options on that bass. The Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL-LH wears EB Group IV Flats. Same tonal ballpark as the Galli's, but lighter gauge - and more flexible. On this fretless bass? Just about perfect... Finally, my '24 G&L Kiloton Fretless. It wears La Bella LTF-4A Flexible flats. Low tension, but slightly stiffer than the TI's. To my ears? Just a hair on the darker side of the 9050's, but that might come down to the different basses they're on. But, on a fretless bass? Kinda hard to beat... What does my '78 Fender P-Bass wear? Well, it wore the Fender 9050's for several years - and sounded very good. But, I decided that I wanted it to sound like it did when it came from the factory - with it's Squier-made Fender Flats under the foam mute in the bridge cover. Closest I can come to that sound now? GHS #3025 light gauge Precision Flats, under the foam mute in my bridge cover. Which, since most of the music I play was probably recorded with a bass just like that? Makes me happy...
So... yes flats will work just fine on your active bass. Just decide on the tone you want - and choose the flats you want, accordingly... :cool:
 
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#12
Thanks for the advice guys, I hadn't really thought about some of the classic flats on an active bass users like that. I've ordered another set of the Labellas that I use on my current P bass, worth a shot, and hopefully I won't just end up using the BB in passive mode all the time.
 
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