Anybody else went back to rounds?

[Just Wrong]

Has anybody else gone back to rounds after using flats exclusively or predominantly for a long period of time?

I’d been using flats almost exclusively on my Fenders for 4 or 5 years when I sold them last year and bought a short scale 6-string bass that could only be strung with rounds.

I hated the rounds at first — rough and overly bright — and when I bought another 4-string Fender last month I thought for sure I was going to string it with flats, but… rounds are kinda cooler.

Sure, they’re a bit rougher, but it’s really not as bad as some flats player want you to believe. The noise you get with the fretting hand isn’t as bad either.

They’re bright, but at least I have the ability to turn the brightness down with muting or foam or the tone and treble knobs.

And they’re so much more flexible! (Yes, I know TIs are flexible, but it’s nice that most rounds are flexible).

I don’t know. I guess I got on the TB flats train because I feared I was missing out, and stayed on the train, believing that all rounds were rough, overly bright and that the noise was unbearable.

But I guess I now see why people were excited about rounds when they first came out.

Anybody else? What’s your story?

 

[BruceG68]

I had TI flats on a G+L Fullerton Deluxe JB for about 2 years and just didn't like them the way I did on my Precision.I took them off and put on D Addario 170BT set and really like them

 

[michael_t]

I've been back and forth, back and forth between rounds and flats for the last 12 yrs. I own six basses, and currently one wears rounds and one flats, while the other four wear "rollerwound", ie GHS Pressurewounds/Ken Smith Compressors.

 

[petch]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

 

[Gopherbassist]

I've never tried flats. It seems like they tend to cost more and I don't hear a significant difference to rounds.

 

[jeffb28451]

Flame me, it’s okay, but I’ve tried TI’s, LaBella, Cobalts, etc. on my P’s over years and didn’t particularly care for them. Was recently thinking “maybe let’s try again” but heard a P bass player in a regular old rock band ( whatever that means) running through my own rig last night…nah, at 69 yoa, I’ll probably die before I try flats again. Maybe in a different context….yeah, yeah, yeah, but I ain’t heard it in 50 years. Then again, Entwhistle, Lake and Squire were my icons, so maybe my ears are just put on wrong.

 

[-Stingray]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

This 100%.

 

[Just Wrong]

I've been back and forth, back and forth between rounds and flats for the last 12 yrs. I own six basses, and currently one wears rounds and one flats, while the other four wear "rollerwound", ie GHS Pressurewounds/Ken Smith Compressors.

I really need to try Pressurewounds. Have you gotten the chance to compare them to GHS's balanced nickels by chance?

 

[burgerdj]

This 100%.

I support this


In fact, after a stint with Pressurewound and even SS rounds , I dug out a set of Cobalt flats that were probably at least 3 years old and they still sound great.

 

[kleinenenten]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

What would you describe as the differences between the Cobalts and rounds/flats (in general)? I've been interested in the Cobalts for some time, but never met anybody that has played them and am wary of just grabbing some as I don't usually change strings often.

As per the OP, I was a flats only player for a decade or so. I subscribed to the Steve Harris school of flats, and loved D'Addarios for their relative brightness. I also felt that they helped me in the mix, as I found myself getting lost in the distorted guitars with rounds (I play heavy stuff, so plenty of dirty guitars). The flats seemed to assert my bass emphasis better in the mix, though I wasn't able to cut as much. Flats did seem to have a bit more trouble finding dirt options that worked on bass, but that could also be a me problem. Anyway, about two years ago I slowly went back to rounds on all of my basses as I wanted to change some things on one of them and was willing to give it a go. I put them on, and instantly fell in love with them again. I'm still using D'Addario, but now rounds (previously my rounds experience was Ernie Ball Slinkys, as they were the cheapest and I was a poor high school/college student). Whether or not it was my improved ability to EQ, better dirt options, or my ability to better pick out bass among distorted guitars, I have no issues in discerning the bass in the mix these days, and I cut the mix much easier. I also have no problems supporting the mix with plenty of bass.

I'm not here to knock either flats or rounds, as they both certainly have their uses and lend themselves to excellent tones, but I think I'm solidly in rounds territory these days. And I would NOT have seen that coming a few years ago.

 

[sunbeast]

Do you play with other musicians? In an ensemble mix the differences become much clearer- I love rounds when playing by myself, but probably 3/4 of the times I play with other people the flats just punch/thump better in the mix and carve out their own frequency range better so I end up going with whatever bass I brought that has the flats. That will depend on the music and what I'm trying to do with the bass in it though- these days I'm doing a lot of groovier staccato stuff and I just love the way flats can hit in that context. I also am much pickier about the flats I use than with rounds since you can't really pleasantly bring back important frequencies that are just fundamentally lacking.

 

[InhumanResource]

Has anybody else gone back to rounds after using flats exclusively or predominantly for a long period of time?

I’d been using flats almost exclusively on my Fenders for 4 or 5 years when I sold them last year and bought a short scale 6-string bass that could only be strung with rounds.

I hated the rounds at first — rough and overly bright — and when I bought another 4-string Fender last month I thought for sure I was going to string it with flats, but… rounds are kinda cooler.

Sure, they’re a bit rougher, but it’s really not as bad as some flats player want you to believe. The noise you get with the fretting hand isn’t as bad either.

They’re bright, but at least I have the ability to turn the brightness down with muting or foam or the tone and treble knobs.

And they’re so much more flexible! (Yes, I know TIs are flexible, but it’s nice that most rounds are flexible).

I don’t know. I guess I got on the TB flats train because I feared I was missing out, and stayed on the train, believing that all rounds were rough, overly bright and that the noise was unbearable.

But I guess I now see why people were excited about rounds when they first came out.

Anybody else? What’s your story?

I did the TB endorsed precision with flats thing for a while, but it’s really just too dark for me so I put rounds back on it.

I like them a lot on a jazz, though! Especially with a tiny bit of drive.

 

[Lackey]

Flats suck





IMHO

 

[ColonelZulu]

Meeee!!! I loved the flats on my P Bass. La Bella Olindo. They were amazing. But my band changes up a lot from old Motown to 70-80s funk. So, I decided recently to swap back to my standard DR Sunbeams.

 

[blacktocomm]

Depends on the bass. Some like flats, some like rounds.

 

[blacktocomm]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

Cobalt flats really are the best of both worlds.

 

[noahw1]

I recently put rounds back on my p and thought “where’s the fundamental?” Sounds hollow.

 

[4stringz_77]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

Completely agree with you on this. Two of my Precisions have flats, others are roundwounds (I prefer a brighter midrange tone with some depth). Love the feel and tone when they're new, but to me they're ugly after a month. Changed my world with EB cobalt flats!

 

[michael_t]

I really need to try Pressurewounds. Have you gotten the chance to compare them to GHS's balanced nickels by chance?

Yes. I did like the Balanced Nickels on my P for their tonal quality. Warmer and smoother in their midrange than the Pressurewound. But I still prefer the PW for their smoother surface feel and reduced finger noise. The BN felt "rough" in comparison, ie typical roundwound feel.

 

[wyleeboxer]

For me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats have answered this question. I've played for more than 50 years, and in that time have tried countless strings/brands/gauges/windings/materials. These are my all-time fave because their sonic character is a wonderful mixture of flats and rounds with a signature tone. They reside on 5 of 6 in my stable.

I’ve landed on these after years on rounds trying some flats here and there, flats especially in the past couple years, but even on my P bass many flats were just too warm sounding. Until I tried the EB Cobalts, and now that they’ve settled in they’re just amazing strings! My other favorite strings on my jazz basses are Pressurewounds.