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are flatwounds too mellow for rock?

#43
Check out Incubus if you want a more modern example of flats kicking major butt in rock music. His set-up is Jazz style basses, ghs precision flats (and a couple other brands), and a Mesa rig. Plus a good compressor and fulltone bassdrive
 
#45
After playing nothing but chromes and precision flats for a long time - I switched back to rounds. It was only after I started recording myself and playing it back that I realized I don't like the sound of flats so much anymore. In a rock style song - my flats just sounded like mush. Rounds? Now I'm happy.
 
#54
Sixgunn said:
I think Mr. Entwistle, Mr. Squire, Mr. Lee and countless others would disagree. I'm not a soloist by any means but sitting in the background playing rubber bands is definitely not for me.
Click to expand...

Nor is it for Steve Harris. :eyebrow: In fact, that really wasn't the question. If a player can't get an edgy, aggressive sound from his instrument, is it really the instrument or its strings' problem, or the player's?

Also, I guarantee you that "dull and lifeless" doesn't begin to describe flatwound strings' signature sound which makes them useful and popular (again). Thick, focused, solid...all characteristics that are useful to some folks in some scenarios over the zing of roundwounds. Doesn't make them rubber bands. :rollno:

How's this for an advantage - changing strings multiple times a month or year is definitely not for me. (Even when I use rounds!)
 
#56
To the OP, if you've never tried flats you owe it to yourself to experiment and see if they are for you. They'll feel a little strange at first. You'll love the smooth feeling but the higher string tension will take getting used to. You might find that your plucking fingers have to work less hard (assuming you use your fingers). No need to dig in quite as much.

I put Chromes on my Jazz and P lately. Really love them on the Jazz. They sounded good on the P as well, but I ended up putting rounds back on. I have only two basses and decided I could cover more sounds by keeping one in flats and the other rounds.
 
#57
superfunk47 said:
Nor is it for Steve Harris. :eyebrow: In fact, that really wasn't the question. If a player can't get an edgy, aggressive sound from his instrument, is it really the instrument or its strings' problem, or the player's?

Also, I guarantee you that "dull and lifeless" doesn't begin to describe flatwound strings' signature sound which makes them useful and popular (again). Thick, focused, solid...all characteristics that are useful to some folks in some scenarios over the zing of roundwounds. Doesn't make them rubber bands. :rollno:

How's this for an advantage - changing strings multiple times a month or year is definitely not for me. (Even when I use rounds!)
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Unfortunately, as much as I love Steve Harris, I've always though his tone is terrible. I often fantasized about how awesome he'd sound with rounds!! :hyper:

I AM familiar with flats "signature sound" and hate it and I have no idea what you are talking about about some perceived "advantage" in string changes. If you like dead sounding strings, rounds or flats, don't change 'em often. Simple. :rollno:
 
#58
As many have said, just try em! Chromes are pretty reasonably priced (relatively speaking) and if you don't like them on the bass you have now, you can always hold on to them and try them on a different bass later on, or sell them on tb if you really need to unload them.

I'm fortunate enough to own 5 basses, so I keep two strung with rounds, one with half rounds, one with nylons, and one with flats. I use the bass with flats (mp telecaster bass)mainly for mellower, slower songs that require a more full, booming sound, but they really work for any style, and they can produce a rather thunderous, booming sound for straight ahead 8th note lines. They also maintain their bottom end very well when used with overdrive or distortion. It's true that they don't have as much of the mid range growl and definition of rounds, but often (in rock), those tonal components are eaten up by overdriven guitars anyways (though the differences are obvious if the bass is soloed).

As for other suggestions, give nylons a try (if you haven't already). They can be pretty warm and full too, but have more high end definition than flats.

Sixgunn...I think the advantage to string change mentioned is due to the fact that flats tend to break less than rounds (don't ask me why).

imo, ime, ymmv, and whatnot...
 

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