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Anyone else try lighter gauge flats?

#61
MrRiff said:
what gauge?
Click to expand...

GwenOnBass said:
.040 - .095
Click to expand...

It looks like Ernie Ball has new designations for the Stainless Steel Flats: (1, 2, 3, 4 instead of I, II, III, IV)

Group 1 = 55-75-90-110.
Group 2 = 50-70-85-105.
Group 2.5 = 45-65-85-105. - New!
Group 3 = 45-65-080-100.
Group 4 = 40-60-70-95.

Group 1 Short Scale = 50-70-90-110. - New!
Group 2 Short Scale = 45-65-85-105. - New!
 
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#62
michael_t said:
It looks like Ernie Ball has new designations for the Stainless Steel Flats: (1, 2, 3, 4 instead of I, II, III, IV)

Group 1 = 55-75-90-110.
Group 2 = 50-70-85-105.
Group 2.5 = 45-65-85-105. - New!
Group 3 = 45-65-080-100.
Group 4 = 40-60-70-95.

Group 1 Short Scale = 50-70-90-110. - New!
Group 2 Short Scale = 45-65-85-105. - New!
Click to expand...

The Group 4 set has a rather low pulling tension for flats, around 152 pounds IIRC. This suits the 45-year-old neck, which has been rock stable. The strings feel neither floppy nor stiff to me.
 
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#64
I tried the LTFs a few years ago, but it turns out that I'm a fan of high-tension strings.
105-50 Chromes on my P
105-50 Rotos on my Cabronita
105-50 XLs on my fretless P
105-50 GHS tapes on my AEB
100-45 XLs on my Jazz Bass
A few years ago my buddy was making the jump from upright to electric, and he told me he didn't like how floppy the E was on the electrics he had tried.
When I built him a bass, I put Chromes 105-50 on it.
He was quite happy with the tension!
 
#68
I can't decide between 40-95 or 40-100 for my P bass. Been going back and forth. One thing I discovered going down to .95 is my nut is too low on my 14 year old bass and has to replaced. It never ends does it?:meh:
 
#70
I haven't done a ton of research into the subject, just gone with what my own investigations found, so have some GHS Precision Flats in the light-gauge set on my '60 P. It's fascinating to have strings that can bend and punch physically, but respond like flatwounds should sonically. A bit more "transparent" than bridge-cable flats, in the sense that I have to roll down the tone knob to make them sound dubby or Motown-y, but that is not a complaint. I can even slap on them and have it sound like an early 70s funk record. Will report back in 10 years or so about how they're holding up.
 
#71
Relsom said:
Labella and D'Addario black tapewound flats are the lightest I've ever used. In order for the outer wrap to not be so huge, the core is very light. I would like them to have higher tension since the neck on my fretless 4003 has almost no relief with the truss rod nuts just barely finger tight. I love the way they sound and play on that bass, but it could stand to have a little more relief.
Click to expand...
I had the La Bella Blacks, Whites, and Gold Whites on various basses last year when I experimented with tapes. I decided to tune down to D Standard and there was very little tension, if any at all. I was recording a song one day with the Gold Whites. When I played it back, the bass was so out of tune that I decided to switch to D'Addario nickel rounds (50-105 gauge). That fixed the lack of tension problem and showed me that tapes are not the strings for me.

I've tried Rotosound 77s and La Bella Gold Flats (both 45-105) in the 2010s and I didn't like how tense they were for standard tuning. I also tried the 77s in D Standard back then and they were still too tense. Given the music I play (hard rock and heavy metal), I don't think flats are the right strings for me. But I also have a desire to continue experimenting and trying new strings for some reason. My next frontier is flats because I have limited experience with them and I keep hearing amazing things about them.

To answer the original question, no, unless you consider 45-105 as "lighter gauge".
 
#72
I finally got around to ordering Rotosounds RS77LE 50-110. I'll be using the 95 75 50 for EAD in BEAD tuning. I want to compare them with the 95 73 52 La Bella 54's I love as a low tension but firm EAD in BEAD. I reckon the gauges mentioned paired with a Rotosound 77 single 035 as G would represent a good light gauge EADG for those who do that tuning and want a lighter gauge with some teeth. This is what the tensions look like

Rotosound 77 gauges 035 050 075 095

E1/.095/38.68lbf
A1/.075/39.80lbf
D2/.050/35.08lbf
G2/.035/26.38lbf

TT = 139.94lbf
 
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#73
MrAB4003 said:
I don't think flats are the right strings for me. But I also have a desire to continue experimenting and trying new strings for some reason. My next frontier is flats because I have limited experience with them and I keep hearing amazing things about them.
Click to expand...
Flats are fine for Rock and Heavy metal. Just ask this guy
download.jpeg
 
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#75
Swerve said:
Another peculiarity is how the same gauge strings can feel more or less stiff on different basses of the same scale. The same flats (top loaded) on my Jazz bass always feel more taut than on my P bass (string through).
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Some argue neck stiffness, or lack of it is a prime candidate as to why a string might be more or less taut on basses with the same scale length. It's a perennial topic in the chase for B string satisfaction.

P.s Your brush with electrocution generated a lot of buzz, hope you on the mend
 
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#80
Prodigus Filius said:
I finally got around to ordering Rotosounds RS77LE 50-110. I'll be using the 95 75 50 for EAD in BEAD tuning. I want to compare them with the 95 73 52 La Bella 54's I love as a low tension but firm EAD in BEAD. I reckon the gauges mentioned paired with a Rotosound 77 single 035 as G would represent a good light gauge EADG for those who do that tuning and want a lighter gauge with some teeth. This is what the tensions look like

Rotosound 77 gauges 035 050 075 095

E1/.095/38.68lbf
A1/.075/39.80lbf
D2/.050/35.08lbf
G2/.035/26.38lbf

TT = 139.94lbf
Click to expand...
No wonder you're bringing up Steve Harris! You just got the same set that he uses (but without his signature on the package or the red and blue colored silks)!

I heard here on TB that the heavy gauge 77s are comparable in tension to the 1954 Original La Bellas. Both sets have been around for decades. But you can't get more "old school" than La Bella. Rotosounds are usually brighter than most other strings, especially their rounds and pressurewounds.
 

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