• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Been playing bass 28 years...

#23
Humbled said:
I've been playing bass for 43 years (since 14) and played flats from about 20yo to 23yo.

Sorry, I can't get the love anymore either. Relatively run-of the-mill nickle-rounds are more to my liking. From about week two to week one-hundred or so, most any brand, they work for me. Maybe I'm just a moron.
Click to expand...
It's what you like brother. I have never played nickle-rounds yet either. I may like them better than flats.

Thanks for your input. That's why I love these forums.
 
#24
Nomogram said:
I put the old TI Flats back on my bass, turned a few knobs on the B7K and nailed a sweeter tone than I've ever had before, a real (pleasant) surprise. So now the Flats are there to stay, I'm a total convert. For me, the biggest benefit is the feel and lower tension of the TI Flats, they are really something else. They are expensive as all get out, but totally worth it for me.

To answer the other questions, Modern Country and Classic Rock, and I play out 5-8 paid club gigs a month.
Click to expand...

Besides fretless, Im an exclusive rounds user, but its not like I never used flats before.....When I did my first session for Bruce Swedein at his project studio in Florida, I was so nervous about a person of his producing/engineering magnitude, that I did my first session with Brite Flats to eliminate as much fretting hand noise as possible. The session was a "singer songwriter" session and didnt require slap bass or other "roundwound-oriented" techniques....I used my 2004 Jazz Bass (which Bruce liked) and -- Get This! -- The preamp he made me DI in was this big ugly box built by Craig Anderton that was the same preamp that Louis Johnson played through!!!

To make a long story short, I was actually surprised just how "Bright" and "Round-like" the Brite Flats were and the Jazz - for this particular "Earthy" session - worked perfect. I used them on all subsequent sessions. Im still using rounds as a Pro player, but I occasionally think about experimenting again with the Brite Flats

Im mentioning this because, in Modern Country where that bass top-end is so crucial to it sounding "modern", you may want to give them a try
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oldschool94, mikeyjm2, MYLOWFREQ and 2 others
#25
A couple of years ago, my Brother gave me a set of La Bella Deep Talkin Flats, and I put them on my P Bass.
They ain't coming off. (My J is strung with Rotos, so I still have a Bass with rounds.)
As per Spazz the Bassists request, I play Classic Rock and Blues.
As far as changing them is concerned, well, I'm in my 50's, so I'd be willing to consider the possibility that they may outlast me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpazzTheBassist and since197three
#27
erayser said:
Funny, I just discovered this forum to research my 30+ year old Fender P-bass to see how much it was worth. I was considering selling/trading for a Fender Jazz. While reading through the P-bass thread, I noticed how popular flats were in the thread... all I ever used were roundwounds. I bought a new Tort PG and threw on some flats, and now I'm in love with how good my bass looks and sounds. :)
Click to expand...
this post pretty much sums up talkbass.com for 90% of users.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oldschool94, mikeyjm2, ThuzzleFump and 1 other person
#28
since197three said:
And this my first time playing with Flats!! :eek: Lovin' them!!!

After reading some posts about flats I
ordered some LaBella Deep Talkin' flats from bassstringsonline and put them on my Pbass special.

Now that's what a bass should sound like!

I've always played metal and hardcore so always used roundwounds but these feel great for a low end tone.

Late to the party :roflmao:
Click to expand...

The first time I even ever heard of flats, much less played them, was after 20 years of playing the bass (back in 2006).
Now I don't feel so bad. ;)
 
#29
I'm late to the party too. I started really playing when I was 15 (first high-school band) - I'm 47 now and just recently started craving the tone of a P-bass with flats.

I owned an Epi Viola for a short while that I put flats on to get closer to Paul's tone (it comes with rounds from the factory), but I never really bonded with that bass. Had nothing to do with the strings though... The bass just sounded boring to me, no matter what kind of strings I had on it.

After that, I never gave flats another thought. I've always been more interested in a growly/grindy kind of tone (ala Jazz or jazz-like basses), and to me, rounds were always the gateway to that world - ever convincing myself that I can get "close enough" with the neck pickup and EQ whenever I need a fatter (flatter) tone.

But lately, "close enough" just isn't anymore. I want to play more '60s material outside of the Beatles/British invasion type stuff (Motown, R&B, etc) but on a Jazz bass with rounds, it just doesn't sound/feel authentic. So, for the first time in my life, I'm gassing for a P-bass, just so I can throw a set of flats on it and get my Jamerson on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: since197three
#30
by the way -- because this is a "Pics or it didnt happen" forum, heres a couple pics at Bruce Swedein's studio....In the first one, you can see him...In the second one, you can see him on the couch still, me with the Jazz with the Brite Flats, and the big ugly box in front of me is the PreAmp I mentioned

0000aa.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: since197three, Growlmonkee and Nomogram
#32
Nighthound said:
Does anyone use flats if they using the bass for exclusively using slapping and plucking techniques for funk?
Click to expand...

this is one of the handful of reasons why added the "Questionnaire" in this thread: The one thing I did not like with the Brite Flats is I did not like the slap bass sound or response. Hoping others with better luck will chime in
 
#33
I only play flats (Chromes), I put them on my P bass about 10 yr's ago , or so...I gig 2 times a week most weeks, the only thing is they don't last...that P bass is on its 4th set now!, the bottoms get flat spots from the frets after only a couple of years, but it's the price you pay for that awesome punch, no finger noise, silky feel, and tight tone. I only know how to play finger style..in public.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpazzTheBassist and Nomogram
#38
Humbled said:
I've been playing bass for 43 years (since 14) and played flats from about 20yo to 23yo.

Sorry, I can't get the love anymore either. Relatively run-of the-mill nickle-rounds are more to my liking. From about week two to week one-hundred or so, most any brand, in a medium-guage, they work for me. Maybe I'm just a moron.
Click to expand...


More like somebody who gave it some thought, knows what they like, and doesn't feel the need to justify or apologize for it.

That's refreshing. Don't ever change. :thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: since197three
#39
40Hz said:
More like somebody who gave it some thought, knows what they like, and doesn't feel the need to justify or apologize for it.

That's refreshing. Don't ever change. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I like the flats for what they are and playing certain kind of music. Not with heavy distorted guitars.

Playing heavier music I can never see myself using them because I like some high end to cut through.

Flats for anything else will be my goto for now on.
 
#40
GF was out this evening, dog went to bed early, and I got bored. So I rummaged through my parts collection and decided to mod my Matt Freeman PB. New electronics, pickguard, and an Aguilera AG-4P-60 pickup plus 45 minutes and it was done. It's now a totally different beast. Sounds awesome with rounds, but right now I'm debating putting this new set of Chromes I had lying around (and which I keep trying to like) on it. You can never have too many basses strung with flats IMO. And right now I've only got flats on two of mine.

Hmm...decisions, decisions...
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back