Affordable Flats?

[Bruiser Stone]

Flats are worth whatever the $ IF you like the tone and feel of them. TI’s are worth the scratch if you like the feel and mids. Every penny. La Bella’s are worth the $ if you like the tension and thump. Fenders are good as are GHS. Flats should be considered a long-term investment if you like them. Once you find the magic, stay put.

 

[cymbop]

Do they really last that long? My experience is limited to rounds and they certainly go dead. I have heard they last longer, but do they not go dead as well?

16 years now for the La Bellas on my P bass.

 

[wallawallabob]

16 years now for the La Bellas on my P bass.

I am also a BIG LaBella fan: I've got black tape-wounds on most of my bass guitars. I love the sound: good thump without the finger squeaks, and with fretless I can tone down the high to remove the "wah" for a more P/J sound. Or, turn up the highs for as much "wah" as you could possibly want.

 

[Holdsg]

Fender makes the best "value" flat.
EB Group IIIs in same boat.

me personally, I've tried virtually every flat wound string out there.
The ones I like tend to be on the lower tension side, but that's just what I like. (TI's and Labella LTFs)
Chromes too stiff, and GHS too compressed sounding.
EB Cobalt ("Slinky") Flats and Sadowsky Black Label Flats are my next favorite after the TI/LTFs.

 

[logdrum]

Sorry for the slight seqway but since this is a popular thread at the moment and we have a lot of string experts. Are the La Bella Copper tapes really low on output or did I just get a dud? I also have the White tapes and they are just a bit lower than regular flats/rounds

Back to OP. Even if you paid more for flats, it will last a while and even if you don't like it, just give them time. I think EBs and D'addario are the most affordable. I recently just went to GHS and they are great. I got the precision flats. Fender too

 

[GodPlayedBass]

Sure they change after a few months, that's when most people start liking them. They dull after a couple months and then people play them for the next ten years. That change is what most of us flats players are waiting for.
I don't think flats sound like dead rounds at all as others have said. I hate the sound of dead rounds, but flats I love. The flats on my two basses have been there for at least five years.

To each his own my friend

 

[_godspeed_]

One thing with flats, once you find the right string for you, you never have to change them if you don't want to.

This. Had TIs on my bass for 5 years (bought them used) and they just stays the same.

 

[bassdude51]

Flats are very affordable. They last forever.

 

[Pings Bass]

I keep reading this as "Adorable Flats" and, well, this is talk bass dot com

 

[Rapisme]

How are the Detroit Bass Flats?

 

[staurosjohn]

I only starting using flats within the past 5yrs (used Roto SS 66’s on my RIC for 35yrs)… I’ve ‘cycled thru’ TI’s, Labella LTF, D’A Chromes and various others - have settled on these (for now). I do rotate my basses - but these have lasted over a year, so far, whereas my Roto’s would give me 3-4mos at best. (keeping Roto’s on my Geddy Lee P)

 

[bass12]

Do they really last that long? My experience is limited to rounds and they certainly go dead. I have heard they last longer, but do they not go dead as well?

I've had the same set of flats for ten years (Thomastik-Infeld). Granted, I don't play that particular bass very often, but still.

 

[ELG60]

Do they really last that long? My experience is limited to rounds and they certainly go dead. I have heard they last longer, but do they not go dead as well?

I have TI Jazz Flats that will outlive me. For me, the price is immaterial when amortized over 10-20 years.

Edit: I think that what you decide to buy will depend upon the instrument, the way you play, and the tone you prefer. The flats I use are either the T.I.s or Ernie Ball Cobalts but I'd like to try the Optima Golds someday.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Do they really last that long? My experience is limited to rounds and they certainly go dead. I have heard they last longer, but do they not go dead as well?

Flats go dead, BUT, flats have such a different tone than rounds, the deader they get, the better they sound. Now, that isn’t universal across flats of all brands / gauges / materials. Some flats don’t get better sounding, they begin sounding and feeling like somebody is palm-muting them for you while you play, but there are a lot of flats that just get deeper and smoother sounding with age. If you like the broken in sound of flats, then the answer is “yes, they do last that long”, which can be multiple years.

 

[Lowendchamp]

I always felt that EB Cobalt Flats were cheap when you compare them to Tis and realize it's about 90% of the sound for half the price.

 

[ColdEye]

Yep. Get the lowest tension EB Flats, ALMOST like TI in tension and feel.

 

[Vinny_G]

I'm looking to experiment with flats on my G&L Kiloton, but the flats I have looked at are all in the $30 to $50 range. Are there any cheaper flats in the $20 range that sound good?

Be careful with anyone who tells you "since you will keep them for years, they will be more economical in the end". These people have not understood that you want to try flats to find out which ones you like. If you don't like TI flats for example, I doubt you'd be happy to stick with them for ten years.

What's more, some people prefer the sound of new flats.

To answer your question (rather than telling you what my favorite strings are), the Harley Benton HQS are $12.70. I haven't tried them, but they have good reviews:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_hqs_bass_45_100_flatwound.htm?reload=1

 

[roccobladr]

Not sure if it’s been stated already, but you can usually find a deal on Amazon “like-new” strings. Got a pack of chromes for much cheaper just because the box was damaged. Strings were still sealed in the inner package though.

 

[Polardog]

All flats are affordable. Would you spend $50 every ten years or so for flats, or $20 every two months for rounds?

I use GHS Precision Flats for my long scales, and Chromes for my short scale SG bass.

 

[bdplaid]

I'd spend $35 to try either Fender 9050 flats

This.