All Flats are certainly not the same

[Thinline]

I played my Mustang Bass tonight for a spell with the strings I got with it.
Sound good and voice as expected. They have blue silk wrap and I'm not sure what brand.

I put a set of La Bella 760F-MUS (red silk wrap) and they certainly voice different than the other strings. Not necessarily better but in a direction I like.

So what's up with the Silk wrap on bass strings?
A guitar player for over 45 years and finally found a Bass I really like for some fun when not playing guitar. Learning plenty here at TalkBASS

Still want to try the round wounds but happy now

 

[michael_t]

I played my Mustang Bass tonight for a spell with the strings I got with it.
Sound good and voice as expected. They have blue silk wrap and I'm not sure what brand.

Do they have color-coded ball ends, gold-red-black-green?

 

[Thinline]

Yes, do you have an idea what brand those were with the blue wrap?

 

[michael_t]

Yes, do you have an idea what brand those were with the blue wrap?

Flats with blue silk and color-coded ball ends (gold-red-black-green) = D'Addario Chromes Flats. And you're right about them being very different in their tonal character from La Bella Flats.

 

[Thinline]

Thanks for clarifying identity.

 

[Thinline]

Been playing the Bass again this morning with the La Bella Flats and I still can't believe that I took flats off put these on and I really like the the way it sounds so much better. They are certainly not cheap but the purchase proved beneficial for my bass.

 

[Engle]

Been playing the Bass again this morning with the La Bella Flats and I still can't believe that I took flats off put these on and I really like the the way it sounds so much better. They are certainly not cheap but the purchase proved beneficial for my bass.

Strings make a huge difference. LaBella DTFs will last a long time. If you’re not playing that bass every day, you may never need to replace them!

 

[Persona87]

I’d say there’s more differences in flats than there are in rounds. Chromes are zingy with lots of high mids, and I don’t really like them. La Bellas are fantastic for an old school thump and remind me of a kick drum that can change pitch. TI flats have a ton of character and seem to sing. Cobalt flats sound like an aggressive round wound with more power. Tons of options!

 

[bikeplate]

Yea they all suck in different degrees

 

[Killing Floor]

Silks are an easy way to identify.

The DTF strings can be sticky and quite bright out of the package. Play them a week or so before you make your decision. Many flats start very different when they are brand new and take hours to settle in.

 

[Thinline]

Thanks - good to know.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Chromes need an extended break in period, and I usually drop a gauge from rounds as they're a tad stiffer than rounds.

Once they break in, they lose the zing and sound really nice.

 

[matante]

Silks are an easy way to identify.

The DTF strings can be sticky and quite bright out of the package. Play them a week or so before you make your decision. Many flats start very different when they are brand new and take hours to settle in.

I loved the La Bellas for about 3 or 4 months. They give me the quintessential Motown sound which I love if played with a pick. After that it was pure mud and I couldn't stand them. After trying a few more flats I've settled on stainless rounds and simply EQing to taste. If you use foam under the bridge and palm mute you can get that '60s sound without resorting to flats.

 

[Thinline]

I saved the Chromes but New versus New with respect to the La Bella 760F-MUS,
the La Bella's are definitely more to my liking. But that's the great thing about having choices,
everyone can find what works best for them. I was all set on going to roundwounds but now
that I have been playing on the La Bella Flats - I'm pretty hooked.
It's all good.

 

[Killing Floor]

I loved the La Bellas for about 3 or 4 months. They give me the quintessential Motown sound which I love if played with a pick. After that it was pure mud and I couldn't stand them. After trying a few more flats I've settled on stainless rounds and simply EQing to taste. If you use foam under the bridge and palm mute you can get that '60s sound without resorting to flats.

The Roto 77 get there too if you want to try flats that are thumpy and not too stiff.

 

[matante]

I saved the Chromes but New versus New with respect to the La Bella 760F-MUS,
the La Bella's are definitely more to my liking. But that's the great thing about having choices,
everyone can find what works best for them. I was all set on going to roundwounds but now
that I have been playing on the La Bella Flats - I'm pretty hooked.
It's all good.

You'll be back.

Bassists generally leave flats on for years before replacing them, so you don't really know what their tone is until you've had them on a few months. They settle in and stop changing much at that point.

 

[matante]

The Roto 77 get there too if you want to try flats that are thumpy and not too stiff.

Yeah. The Rotos are my favorite flats but I do find them as stiff as any other. If I had to use flats agin it would be the Rotos, but I said, I like the versatility of stainless rounds. It's all there and you just remove what you don't want.

 

[pbass2]

Chromes are zingy with lots of high mids, and I don’t really like them. La Bellas are fantastic for an old school thump

Truer words were never spoken. And Labellas actually get better and better - I shudder at the thought of changing them (I've got a 10 year old set on one bass). Chromes to me, past a certain point just start sounding kind of "meh". That said, I do have Chromes on one bass and use them as a "rock flat". When they're in the sweet spot of age, they are super versatile.

 

[logdrum]

GHS Precision Flats specially if you extra long scale basses - they can accommodate you They also have a lot of headroom it seems and perfect for the physical player but normal folks can use them as well. Will tolerate string through. Has been nicknamed "The Sound of Chocolate" -- I can't believe I have not used them and I started playing bass 35 years ago. I also use the divisive often maligned Brite Flats

 

[Jay2U]

I once used a set of Fender 9050 flats. After breaking in, they felt like fence wire. Never again. Nowadays I use Ernie Ball flats, which I like a lot.