Are flats good for slap?

[THIAGO Ibanez]

HEllo guys. I wanna try flats on my Ibanez SR 5005 but are they good for slap? What do u guys recomend? Should I buy a Fender pbass or MM StingRay and use flats on them? Thanks

 

[TortillaChip520]

Well, alot of people here on TB LOVE flats, but I personally don't like the sound...
here's a video w/ some flatwound slap. You can find more on youtube.

 

[Plstrns]

Only if you like upright slap tone.

 

[Matt R.]

Check out the chorus of "Peg" by Steely Dan. Therein lies the answer to your question.

Which incidentally is: "Why, yes, flats rule for slap."

 

[Meatrus]

No .

If you want a typical slap tone like Flea, Miller, Wooten, Claypool etc (not suggesting to copy them, just a similar sound), forget flats. You can slap them of course but it wont sound anything like "normal" slap. Some strings will be better for it, but they always sound different.

 

[travisivart]

I wouldn't recommend flats for slap when you have a high output active bass like your Ibanez. Slapping and popping with flats on an active bass will just sound like really REALLY crappy, dead round wounds. IMO you need a passive bass to get a "good" passive slap tone and even then it's not gonna be like Flea or Miller.

 

[Kael]

Only if you like upright slap tone.

Flats or rounds is irrelevant. Upright slap sounds nothing like slap on a bass guitar.

 

[southpaw420]

Theres been atleast two threads about this same topic very recently, check the search engine for some useful info. Flats can be great for slap but it is a very different sound than slapping with rounds. It all
really depends on howyou like your slap tone. I personally love
both.

 

[M0ses]

I've never heard flats do a good slap sound. But then, I'm not sure I've ever really heard rounds do a good slap sound, either. Overall, though, flats beat the heck out of rounds.

 

[rarbass]

Yeah depends what kind of slap tone you want.

For Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten slap, or your standard slap tone, you'd want roundwounds. I use Ernie Ball Slinkies on my 5 string Ibanez.

Slapping with flats would sound more like slapping on an upright. Depends on your own taste.
I suggest trying it out.

 

[Gearhead43]

Flats or rounds is irrelevant. Upright slap sounds nothing like slap on a bass guitar.

+1 Apples and rocks.

If flats on Bass Guitar are not good for slap than I wish more basses would come standard with them. Then I wouldn't have to listen to that crap at guitar center every time I go into the bass area. Barf.

 

[line6bassist]

i remember seeing a video on Reggie hamiliton at at bass player live clinic when he is using flats for his slap and it sounds pretty darn good.......just cant find the vid thou

 

[groooooove]

I've never heard flats do a good slap sound. But then, I'm not sure I've ever really heard rounds do a good slap sound, either. Overall, though, flats beat the heck out of rounds.

yeah, someone needs to give marcus miller a call and tell him that "flats beat the heck out of rounds."

for slapping you want a bright sound, wich is inherent to roundwound strings. any slapping you've ever heard, was almost definately with roundwound strings- marcus, stanley, victor, flea, claypool, ext.

 

[thudfromafar]

No.

^

 

[Jefenator]

This is how my passive J-bass sounds with 6-month-old D'Addario Chrome flats:

Link Removed

I think of flats as being best suited for the old-school "Larry Graham" '70s slap sound. (No idea what he actually used - just works out that way for me.) Though with the above mentioned axe & strings thru my Mesa tube head, there's enough treble to literally hurt someone if I don't ease off on my attack.

 

[bassdreams]

NO

 

[chipvibe]

My first thought. Chuck Rainey said he sort of hid it from Becker and Fagen when he did it. But you kinda have to be Chuck Rainey to get away with it. The sound is very subtle, not something I could do myself. I can emulate it a lot just with fingers, but you have to get the rhythmic feel, not easy, either.

 

[jcphockey16]

you can get decent slap sound out of rotosound 77s. i have them on my jazz bass

and if you go to laklands website, there are soundclips of basses with flats. including slap

 

[John Webb]

NO

+ passed infinity

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

In my experience, no.