No they don't. I almost exclusively play flats and people try to say the last for a year but that's not true. I notice a big difference after a few months.
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Affordable Flats?
- Thread starter Hutch801
- Start date
No they don't. I almost exclusively play flats and people try to say the last for a year but that's not true. I notice a big difference after a few months.
Flats are kinda like a dead roundwound tone, but even rounder, warmer, and thumpier than them. If you like that, then they only get warmer with age and will last years and just get more buttery.
but if you don’t like worn rounds, then I’m inclined to think you may not like flats.
You should notice a difference , it's just the settling in period.
After that you've years of good times ahead.
Well, no, they certainly don't last forever; no strings I've ever heard of can do that. But, if you keep them clean, and take reasonable care of them? Almost all flat wounds will last for several years - for most people. There are people who's body chemistry can kill any set of strings, quick as a bunny. It may take those people longer to kill a set of flats than it does to kill a set of rounds, but they can kill them pretty quickly...
As for the whole "dead" thing? IMO, most people that say "my last set of rounds went dead" are... well, let's just say that they're maybe a little confused. When metal bass guitar strings actually "die"? The first sign that they're dying (usually), is that they won't stay in tune for very long. When they won't stay in tune - and they either won't stay intonated, or won't intonate at all? That's when they really are dead. The symptoms - and the results - are the same for both rounds and flats. It just takes flats much, much longer to actually die... What most round wound players really mean when they say their strings are "dead", is that that initial bright zinginess is gone. Which they've been... conditioned... to desire, and to change those strings as soon as it goes away. Those strings are not "dead"; what they are, is Broken In. Which is how they're actually supposed to sound. And how they will sound, for as long as it takes you to get them to the point where they won't stay in tune, etc. etc. Flat wounds have their brand new, "zingy" period, too. Except that most brand new flats have 3 bright, zingy strings - and one that sounds like maybe it is already dead; the "dull/dead E string syndrome". It usually takes flats a lot longer to break in than rounds; as they're played, the "dull" E string will brighten up, and the other 3 will lose their zing. When they meet in the middle? They're now all broken in, and they will sound like that for a long, long time. How long? Well, TI Jazz Flats are considered the longest lived flats; there are members here that are still playing a set of TI's after 15 years - or more. The oldest flats I have, currently, are a set of Fender 9050L's. They've been on 3 basses; now on a Danelectro DC59 Pro, they're at least 9 years old. I have a set of D'Addario Chromes that were well broken in when I got them on a Kramer Forum III. They've been on my G&L Tom Hamilton ASAT Bass for almost 3 years, now. They still sound like they're supposed to; God only knows how old they really are. 12 or 13 years, at least; but, they've only been played for about 6 of those years... I'm kinda wishing they would die, actually; I have some other flats I'd like to try on that bass - before I get too old to care...
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Get the Fender flats, they are so cheap already. Amazon usually has crazy deals on strings, keep an eye.
Buy a set of TI flats from the classifieds here and you won't need another set of strings for half a decade or more. Compare that to buying a budget set for $25 less but replacing them every six months. If you don't like the TIs, you can usually sell them again for $5 more than you paid....
I been use and share the Alice flat here. Overall quality quite good, the tone something like fresh from pack GHS 3025 and the E string sound better clarity. Beware, This flatwound are black powder maker, after several months i play, my finger still get dirty, and overall tone become mute and dry but no old shcool thumb.
Hopehelp
Well, look like you need lasting fresh tone flat , try both EB Cobalt flat or Group flat.
I have a 17+ months old Cobalt flat 2814 on my current Bacchus j bass, the string migrant from previous Cort GB74JJ bass which i install on December 2020, then put on Bacchus J on October 2021 until current day.
Since the Kiloton are bright sounding bass, i think EB Cobalt flat still has enough top for him.
I've bought a bass with a very cheap set of flats installed a long time ago. Those felt like playing on a cheese grater because they were not properly polished and had sharp edges.
I crossed flats off my list and went on to search for rounds that sounded good when dead, which led me to elixir.
Those took about half a year to be good, but then stayed like that for a year.
Much later I gave flats a second chance, when I ran across a set of LaBella DTFs for very cheap (€60 for a 6 string set) and whow. Instant love affair. When I sold that bass, I was a bit sad to let that string set go, because they've been on for two years by then and I imagined the buyer would cut them off first thing (he messaged me a day later, asking for the name of the strings because they were blowing him away, too - so I guess he kept them).
I crossed flats off my list and went on to search for rounds that sounded good when dead, which led me to elixir.
Those took about half a year to be good, but then stayed like that for a year.
Much later I gave flats a second chance, when I ran across a set of LaBella DTFs for very cheap (€60 for a 6 string set) and whow. Instant love affair. When I sold that bass, I was a bit sad to let that string set go, because they've been on for two years by then and I imagined the buyer would cut them off first thing (he messaged me a day later, asking for the name of the strings because they were blowing him away, too - so I guess he kept them).
If emphasis is on the traditional mellow flatwound tone, I would skip Rotosound. They are my absolute favorite flats, and part of the reason is because they still have some zing to them.
However if you find you like the feel of flats but they are a little too mellow or dark, try Rotosound Monel Flats.
However if you find you like the feel of flats but they are a little too mellow or dark, try Rotosound Monel Flats.
I switched to flats several years ago and never looked back. I prefer chromes as they are sooooo smooth on my fingers and I can get a nice clean modern tone or a vintage tone depending on technique and eq settings. As far as I'm concerned, flats are worth every penny, especially where they will far outlast rounds. Try them you'll love 'em.
Considering you'll probably play the set you settle on for years (flats), even TIs aren't that expensive over time.
I personally like D'Addario Chromes and have several basses that have worn the same set for years and still achieve the sound I want.
I'm a numbers guy and tend to amortize the cost of almost everything I buy over the number of years I expect to use it. Works for me and it usually turns out I make good buying decisions. YMMV.
Koog
I personally like D'Addario Chromes and have several basses that have worn the same set for years and still achieve the sound I want.
I'm a numbers guy and tend to amortize the cost of almost everything I buy over the number of years I expect to use it. Works for me and it usually turns out I make good buying decisions. YMMV.
Koog
I like the GHS brite flats/ Precision flats... I have them on all my basses, and one bass has had them on for 20 years and still sounds great. 
You buy them, and may never have to change them if you like 'em.
You buy them, and may never have to change them if you like 'em.
- Sep 9, 2007
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Flats take a couple extra steps to make, hence the additional cost. One of those "it is what it is" situations.
Close. The three families (because the women were the ones winding the strings, not the men) left Squier in 1964, who were still making Fender brand strings.
I had a set of Chromes on one of my basses for over a decade... and never had any reason to change them! They sounded amazing the entire time. I just got that bass a complete electronics overhaul and decided to try rounds again for a bit so I could a bit more zing. They're great and all, but I do miss the inherent thump of my Chromes! I think once the zing of the rounds dies off, I may try the Cobalt Flats as they have more zing than my beloved Chromes. Point being, if you LIKE the tone of flats, price isn't an issue. My $45 Chromes lasted at least 10 years, so for $4.50 (or less) a year, it's well worth it. Considering it was $25 for my recent rounds, and they won't last anywhere near as long, I'm inclined to stick with flats in the future.
