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Anyone know what Flats Stuart Zender uses on his p-basses?

#2
Dude! I posted a link to this exact vid in a different thread earlier today! This is my favorite P bass tone, hands down.

I can't tell you what strings he's using though, or if they're even flats at all. I can tell you that I can come pretty close with that tone on broken-in rounds or flats though.
 
#8
Those don't sound like rounds at all to me. If they are rounds, they are dead as can be. The highs are SUPER-punchy with no zing in them at all. Stu was known to use flats on his Fenders, especially when recording.

No help on what of strings, whether flats or rounds, from me though.
 
#14
When he is slapping, he is using a filter effect, which makes it nearly impossible to tell what kind of strings he is using. When playing fingerstyle, it sounds a lot more like flats than rounds to me, dead or otherwise. Especially when he has said in so many interviews that he favors flats on his Precision basses.
 
#15
Im aware that hes using a filter effect it is still pretty easy to distinguish flats from rounds wether effects are being used or not. Either way Im not saying theres no way its flats, just saying It doesnt sound like chromes to me.
 
#16
southpaw420 said:
Im aware that hes using a filter effect it is still pretty easy to distinguish flats from rounds wether effects are being used or not. Either way Im not saying theres no way its flats, just saying It doesnt sound like chromes to me.
Click to expand...

Really? That's interesting. I get a tone just like that with Ppickups and old Chromes.

To my ear, there's no question that he's playing flats on that tune. I use old rounds on most of my basses FWIW.
 
#17
shirojiro said:
Really? That's interesting. I get a tone just like that with Ppickups and old Chromes.

To my ear, there's no question that he's playing flats on that tune. I use old rounds on most of my basses FWIW.
Click to expand...

I can get a very similar tone to his with nickel rounds or flats, I guess it really depends on the bass. Something about it just doesnt sound like flats to me though. I guess the only way we'll ever know for sure is if Mr. Zender decides to shed some light on us.
 

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