My guess is we are about the same age. If this is the case, you and I have seen trends come and go in music and bass.
I enjoyed your post. BTW I was born in ‘62.
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Anyone Prefer Dead Roundwounds to Flats?
- Thread starter funkmaster p
- Start date
I enjoyed your post. BTW I was born in ‘62.
I also like well played in rounds, what many players would consider “dead.”
I also like flats, but find that “dead” rounds still have a certain crunch you can’t get otherwise.
I also like flats, but find that “dead” rounds still have a certain crunch you can’t get otherwise.
I was born in '60. Started playing in the early 70's. I "discovered" flats in the mid 90's (after being a diehard bright new rounds guy since I started playing). I consider myself an "early adopter" of flats
, well, for the second wave of flats as you describe it that is! I was playing lots of old school country and western swing, and the bands I was in all went for the total vibe--the gear, vintage clothes, etc. And yes, it was hard to find flats then!Things always come around I guess.
Exactly this! I prefer a bright tone, but I don't mind it the strings lose a little brightness if they all lose it at the same rate. Once there's an imbalance in the tone from string to string, that set is toast and it's time for a new set.
Personally? No. For one thing; I hate round wound bass strings, and have ever since I learned to play bass - on a friend's brand new '68 Rick 4001. Which was wearing it's factory Maxima Flats. Currently, out of 23 basses in my herd? Only one wears rounds; a Gretsch Broadkaster with TI JR324 Jazz Rounds. And, if it didn't sound like
with any of the many, many flats I've put on it? It wouldn't be wearing the TI's... In any case, to answer your "dead rounds vs. flats" question:I assume that by "dead", you mean "very well broken in". Strings that really are dead, won't stay in tune and won't intonate any longer. Just between you and me? I never met anybody who liked strings that wouldn't intonate or stay in tune....
But, lots of people seem to like what they call "dead rounds". To me, they just sound like what they are; rounds that need to be replaced - real soon. And, to ears that have played all kinds of basses with all kinds of flats, for more than half a century? They really don't sound like any flatwound string that I've ever played. But, again; some people think they do - kinda, sorta... The bottom line of the argument for me, though, is simply that I can't stand how rounds feel, to fingers that have been badly frostbitten over many years. I can go out in my garage and run my fingers up and down a wood rasp, any time I'm feeling masochistic. I don't need the pain while trying to play one of my basses... The finger squeak that comes with rounds annoys the bejeezus out of me, too. To the point that even my 4 guitars wear flats... But, that's just me. By all means; play those moribund rounds to your heart's content...
As for the TIJR's on the Gretsch? I can tolerate them; mainly because they are extremely smooth - for rounds; they don't squeak; and a bum shoulder joint won't let me play a big hollowbody bass for very long, anyway...
A lot of folks like the sound of older, deadish rounds because it emulates a lot of old school bass tone on modern class D rigs. Funny thing is a lot of the classic tones were done with super fresh strings through massive tube amps like the SUNN 2000s where I feel a lot of articulation and definition are lost when you crank em, making it sound like old string were used.
I totally agree; I stick with Rotosound Swing Bass strings at the moment because they all seem to lose their top end really consistently, which hasn't been my experience with a host of other roundwounds. I am trying to branch out with my string choices and not be so brand loyal, and one of my friends has D'addario NYXL's on his B.C. Rich Mockingbird which I really like.
I have a set of D'addario XLs that have been on a jazz bass for over 5 years. Sound good to me.
I used to struggle with my tone until I realised it was the treble overtones clouding the sound. Now I use flats and well broken in rounds. Plenty of mid punch and clarity without the treble I don't need.
I used to struggle with my tone until I realised it was the treble overtones clouding the sound. Now I use flats and well broken in rounds. Plenty of mid punch and clarity without the treble I don't need.
Depends on the strings. Fender 9050s have loads of mids while some rounds are pretty scooped. I think rounds, as they age, develop more mids as the treble and bass frequencies reduce
As always: music context — obviously “dead” (in quotes meaning they are still useful) rounds won’t make it in some music contexts, but I’ll bet that if you ask the people who like “dead” rounds, they’ll qualify their use by saying they are good in the musical context they are working in.
I toured hard with a set of DR nickel Lo riders last year (old school reggae). This year I changed them out for a new set, as well as experimented with Pressurewounds. Neither of them gave me quite what I needed. So I put last years set back on. Problem solved!
I toured hard with a set of DR nickel Lo riders last year (old school reggae). This year I changed them out for a new set, as well as experimented with Pressurewounds. Neither of them gave me quite what I needed. So I put last years set back on. Problem solved!
You're hitting on something really interesting to me. I liked that you achieved your tone at the source. There are many people in your situation that would have just turned down their tone knob and then said "problem solved".
