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Are you a string swinger?
- Thread starter MultiScaleMale
- Start date
D
Yeah definitely, but I've got basses with flats/rounds permanently installed so I'm probably more of a bass swinger.
I've actually purchased new basses just because I needed a bass for a specific type of strings. Changing to a different type of strings is by far the cheapest way to completely alter the tone of a bass. It's also the most effective way (apart from adjusting your playing technique). Upgrading something like the pickup(s) will usually provide a negligible difference compared to simply changing the strings to a different type. I'm a strong believer in matching the right type of strings with the right bass.
After years of going back and forth between rounds/flats I've finally landed on what works for me most of the time:
Flats for recording, rounds for playing live. This applies even when playing the same songs with the same bands. Not always but most of the time.
My reasoning is that unless the song/genre really needs roundwounds (and some do) I find that flats nearly always "sit" much nicer in a mix and needs less eq/processing. But when playing live I need the extra upper mid "cut" from roundwounds to hear myself properly on stage. 99% of the audience won't notice the difference anyway, at least not in a dense mix. I tend to use mellow sounding roundwounds though. The difference will obviously be much bigger for songs/genres that need a more aggressive/clanky roundwound tone.
I've actually purchased new basses just because I needed a bass for a specific type of strings. Changing to a different type of strings is by far the cheapest way to completely alter the tone of a bass. It's also the most effective way (apart from adjusting your playing technique). Upgrading something like the pickup(s) will usually provide a negligible difference compared to simply changing the strings to a different type. I'm a strong believer in matching the right type of strings with the right bass.After years of going back and forth between rounds/flats I've finally landed on what works for me most of the time:
Flats for recording, rounds for playing live. This applies even when playing the same songs with the same bands. Not always but most of the time.
My reasoning is that unless the song/genre really needs roundwounds (and some do) I find that flats nearly always "sit" much nicer in a mix and needs less eq/processing. But when playing live I need the extra upper mid "cut" from roundwounds to hear myself properly on stage. 99% of the audience won't notice the difference anyway, at least not in a dense mix. I tend to use mellow sounding roundwounds though. The difference will obviously be much bigger for songs/genres that need a more aggressive/clanky roundwound tone.
I've done this a bit, but more in the search for the right circumstances for getting flats into my life.
I had a TRBX604. Chromes gave it real tone, but the husky edge of flats seemed weird in with the very focused sound I was getting from the preamp. Both bass and strings went.
When I got my SB-1, 760FMs sounded and felt fantastic, but their attack and the variation in tone across the strings were all wrong for what I play on that bass. Which now has Roto Bass.
I gave a quick try of Roto Monel flats on my P, but scuttled back to Pro Steels very quickly.
And yet I long for a bass with flats. A PJ with the La Bellas? A Jazz with 9050s? Big Splits with Chromes? My head is full of confusion. If I had any sense I would just forget about them. But but but......
I had a TRBX604. Chromes gave it real tone, but the husky edge of flats seemed weird in with the very focused sound I was getting from the preamp. Both bass and strings went.
When I got my SB-1, 760FMs sounded and felt fantastic, but their attack and the variation in tone across the strings were all wrong for what I play on that bass. Which now has Roto Bass.
I gave a quick try of Roto Monel flats on my P, but scuttled back to Pro Steels very quickly.
And yet I long for a bass with flats. A PJ with the La Bellas? A Jazz with 9050s? Big Splits with Chromes? My head is full of confusion. If I had any sense I would just forget about them. But but but......
La Bella DTFs will only fit on two of my main four basses otherwise I’d have them on all of them. Chromes on the other two. They may get changed at some point but no plans so far.
I should have followed this example!
Rounds on SB1,
Pro Steels with DiMarzio —
Flats unneeded here....
Definitely. Still havent found the perfect string for me.
Right now I'm trying out the EB cobalt flats, in all the gauges. They are stiff AF, but the sound is pretty dope.
But I'll probably go back to roto swings or coated eb/elixirs, atleast for funk and rock.
God idea for a thread, I always enjoy reading other peoples experiences on stuff like this. People dont leave enough good, in-dept reviews on strings on the shop websites imo
Right now I'm trying out the EB cobalt flats, in all the gauges. They are stiff AF, but the sound is pretty dope.
But I'll probably go back to roto swings or coated eb/elixirs, atleast for funk and rock.
God idea for a thread, I always enjoy reading other peoples experiences on stuff like this. People dont leave enough good, in-dept reviews on strings on the shop websites imo
I mix and match all the time. Whenever I get bored with a bass I will change the string type and give it a new life. I was almost fully off the rounds for a period but now am running about a 50/50 mix. I just got into lighter hex core rounds and that has really opened me back up to round wounds. Today, I am running 2 with chromes 100-40 ( a P and a Bronco), two with Daddario nickel rounds 95-40 (Stingray and Jazz), three with TI Flats (PJ, Hollow and Jazz Fretless), a 51P with Labella 760FL flats and a P with Super Brights 105-45.
the PJ and 51P string choices are currently fluid. I just built the 51P and the PJ is my oldest bass.
I am luckily in a position to take any of these to my gig. I will have a subtle different vibe and style with different basses. Only a few will pickup up on the differences. No one cares one way or the other. I play in a diverse, sometimes eccentric, cover band.
edit, I just got two Uke basses. One with Flats, I dig, and one with the rubber strings. The one with flats is 'electric bass like' enough to be a backup. I have not gigged with these yet.
the PJ and 51P string choices are currently fluid. I just built the 51P and the PJ is my oldest bass.
I am luckily in a position to take any of these to my gig. I will have a subtle different vibe and style with different basses. Only a few will pickup up on the differences. No one cares one way or the other. I play in a diverse, sometimes eccentric, cover band.
edit, I just got two Uke basses. One with Flats, I dig, and one with the rubber strings. The one with flats is 'electric bass like' enough to be a backup. I have not gigged with these yet.
Anyone else in the same boat?
Oh, yes! Toss in tape wounds to the discussion and you described me perfectly. The good thing, for me, is that the swapping of strings between my basses is happening less frequently now. On my (retirement) budget, tapes are just too expensive. The majority of my instruments are short scale. I really like flats but from time to time I want a tiny bit of clear articulation that they don't give me on a 30" scale.
Oh, yes! Toss in tape wounds to the discussion and you described me perfectly. The good thing, for me, is that the swapping of strings between my basses is happening less frequently now. On my (retirement) budget, tapes are just too expensive. The majority of my instruments are short scale. I really like flats but from time to time I want a tiny bit of clear articulation that they don't give me on a 30" scale.
I choose strings that best suit the bass. For example:
Yamaha BBP35 gets Cobalt Flats
Muckelroy Pro Player 4 (jazz style) Roto Swing 66
Muckelroy Jazz (my #1) GHS Pressure wounds
Sanberg MV2 fretless: GHS Pressure wounds or tapes
Yamaha BBP35 gets Cobalt Flats
Muckelroy Pro Player 4 (jazz style) Roto Swing 66
Muckelroy Jazz (my #1) GHS Pressure wounds
Sanberg MV2 fretless: GHS Pressure wounds or tapes
Like many of us, I've tried various strings and different gauges. I've found that I prefer the feel and sound of SIT power wound light strings...40-95 gauge. They are on all my basses.
I keep building more basses so that I can keep trying new strings.
or EB Cobolt Flats. They have solved at least 2 enigmas of mine. But I like changing sounds with effects too. On one trumpet I use 4 different mouthpieces of same rim but different depth, each makes a different sound- shallow ones for lead and deep ones for mellower sounds.
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Wow...
I am surprised at how many round lovers there are out there. I use TI Jazz flats on all three of my basses and would never switch. Had my roundwound days awhile back and never cared for the feel of the tone. Once I tried flats, I felt like I was home.
I am surprised at how many round lovers there are out there. I use TI Jazz flats on all three of my basses and would never switch. Had my roundwound days awhile back and never cared for the feel of the tone. Once I tried flats, I felt like I was home.
The zing is real benefit for chords- sustain and for evenness of attack and you can always get rid of highs. Part of the virtue of flats is the attack and lack of sustain more like a Tuba (like bass is supposed to be) or double bass. If your goal is more cello like, rounds.
