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Ti Flats.
Best feel, best tone, best tension, best silk color.
More thump, Labella DTF, or GHS Precision Flats.
More aggressive, Fender 9050.
Best feel, best tone, best tension, best silk color.
More thump, Labella DTF, or GHS Precision Flats.
More aggressive, Fender 9050.
Deep and pillowy and super extra smooth. But rather on the stiff side. Probably my favorites when wanting to take a trip to the lush realms of the bass tropics.
I have used a few of those on my 5 string P/PJs, and a couple not on the list (EB Cobalt, Sadowskys). There is no best. There is only what tone I'm going for at the time. Lately, I've been on TI's. For years I was on Chromes and have them in rotation on my 35" that I rarely play. Cobalts show up on my fretless. DTFs and Sadowskys are out as I don't care for the tapered B. LTF's are the next string I'll try.
But I never throw flats away, so I always have 'the best' set that I need at that time.
But I never throw flats away, so I always have 'the best' set that I need at that time.
I love my Fender basses. But their flats? Not so much. Just never liked them at all.
I voted for the LaBella DTF's, but strongly considered the DR Legends. I went with the LaBellas because I've used them much more. I've only used the Legends on one bass so far. Absolutely love them, but I'm not yet sure if they'll be consistent from set to set over a proven period of time. But so far so good.
I like Chromes, but only after they've been on for about 6 months. Too bright when new, and seem to have a very long breaking-in period.
Always liked GHS Precision Flats a lot as well. But since they stopped making regular Long Scale, the only basses I use them (Long Scale +) on now are the through-body strung basses.
Bottom line for me is:
1. LaBella DTF's
1a. DR Legends
3. Chromes.
4. GHS Precision Flats
The first set of Dunlops were very good. Tried two sets after that and neither seemed as even from string-to-string. E-string sounded weak (which is something I can't tolerate!!).
I've never had that problem with the LaBella's, Chromes, or GHS Precision Flats. (Can't say about the Legends yet since I've only used the one {awesome} set.)
As always, just my opinion...
I voted for the LaBella DTF's, but strongly considered the DR Legends. I went with the LaBellas because I've used them much more. I've only used the Legends on one bass so far. Absolutely love them, but I'm not yet sure if they'll be consistent from set to set over a proven period of time. But so far so good.
I like Chromes, but only after they've been on for about 6 months. Too bright when new, and seem to have a very long breaking-in period.
Always liked GHS Precision Flats a lot as well. But since they stopped making regular Long Scale, the only basses I use them (Long Scale +) on now are the through-body strung basses.
Bottom line for me is:
1. LaBella DTF's
1a. DR Legends
3. Chromes.
4. GHS Precision Flats
The first set of Dunlops were very good. Tried two sets after that and neither seemed as even from string-to-string. E-string sounded weak (which is something I can't tolerate!!).
I've never had that problem with the LaBella's, Chromes, or GHS Precision Flats. (Can't say about the Legends yet since I've only used the one {awesome} set.) As always, just my opinion...
I'd say it really depends on the tone you're going for. I've had two different sets of flats on my Precision V, love the sound of both, but they both had their own unique sound. I had Chromes on it for a few years, then went back to rounds (DR nickel Lo Riders, my favorite overall string, including on this bass), and have now had LaBella Deep Talkin's Flats on it for a couple of years.
Overall, I prefer the Chromes, which are my favorite flatwounds out of the ones I've tried. They sounded great for anything I used them for, including the basement jam I mention in the next paragraph, but did especially well in a rock setting. They also made me wish I was a better pick player because they sounded fantastic with a pick and some overdrive. I love a stiff feeling string and the Chromes definitely aren't floppy, but I don't think they're TOO stiff (although I do know that some would disagree).
I put the LaBella DTF's on it because I thought they'd be a good fit for a basement jam I was playing in that did a lot of British Invasion and 70's style acoustic-ish rock. They worked really well for that and would probalby sound great if I was playing Motown and R&B-flavored songs from that era. I'm not playing with that group anymore, but I left them on because, before the pandemic, my band was discussing acoustifying some of our songs and adding other acoustic-flavored songs so we could do an acoustic first set at some of the places we play. I think they're pretty stiff feeling, which another thing I love about them. But, if you don't want a string that's too stiff, these might not work for you.
I currnetly have a set of GHS Precision flats on my short scale, semi-hollow Ibanez AGB-205 and they sound SO good on that bass. I suspect they'd also sound great on my Precision for a tubbier, vintagey tone like the Labella DTF's, though I haven't tried them on it yet. I find them to be not as stiff feeling as the Labellas
FWIW, the previous owner of my P shipped it to me with TI Jazz Flats. They were very smooth and very comfortable to play, and I thought they sounded good on it (although NOT on my L-2500, didn't like the sound of them on that bass at all). However, they were WAY too floppy feeling for me.
Overall, I prefer the Chromes, which are my favorite flatwounds out of the ones I've tried. They sounded great for anything I used them for, including the basement jam I mention in the next paragraph, but did especially well in a rock setting. They also made me wish I was a better pick player because they sounded fantastic with a pick and some overdrive. I love a stiff feeling string and the Chromes definitely aren't floppy, but I don't think they're TOO stiff (although I do know that some would disagree).
I put the LaBella DTF's on it because I thought they'd be a good fit for a basement jam I was playing in that did a lot of British Invasion and 70's style acoustic-ish rock. They worked really well for that and would probalby sound great if I was playing Motown and R&B-flavored songs from that era. I'm not playing with that group anymore, but I left them on because, before the pandemic, my band was discussing acoustifying some of our songs and adding other acoustic-flavored songs so we could do an acoustic first set at some of the places we play. I think they're pretty stiff feeling, which another thing I love about them. But, if you don't want a string that's too stiff, these might not work for you.
I currnetly have a set of GHS Precision flats on my short scale, semi-hollow Ibanez AGB-205 and they sound SO good on that bass. I suspect they'd also sound great on my Precision for a tubbier, vintagey tone like the Labella DTF's, though I haven't tried them on it yet. I find them to be not as stiff feeling as the Labellas
FWIW, the previous owner of my P shipped it to me with TI Jazz Flats. They were very smooth and very comfortable to play, and I thought they sounded good on it (although NOT on my L-2500, didn't like the sound of them on that bass at all). However, they were WAY too floppy feeling for me.
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Maybe a friendly moderator will add Optima Flats and Pyramid Gold to the poll
If you haven't done so, you can use the "Report" link in your original post to send in your request.
I voted LaBella Deep Talkin'. Their '55 "Jamerson" set plays like a brick ****house (in not the best possible way) but you get some wrecking ball caliber thump for your efforts.
Not on the list is Pyramid Gold, which is what I currently have on my P. Nice and old-school without being quite as extreme as the '55s.
These ideas are for a standard fretted solid body P-bass. I might go with something lighter and "mwah"ier on a fretless semi-hollow like the one depicted in the OP. (Like TIs or the tape wounds that are already on there.)
Not on the list is Pyramid Gold, which is what I currently have on my P. Nice and old-school without being quite as extreme as the '55s.
These ideas are for a standard fretted solid body P-bass. I might go with something lighter and "mwah"ier on a fretless semi-hollow like the one depicted in the OP. (Like TIs or the tape wounds that are already on there.)
I would specifically cite the Jamerson flats for LaBella and the Harris Rotos as choices with the preference for the Jamersons
The sound I’m going for w/ flats happens after being broken-in REALLY well…we’re talking 6 months and it keeps getting better from there. I’ve found that at that point the differences in tone between “brands” is a bit more muted. For this reason I go for feel/tension/softness….I’ve had good luck w/ TI’s, Chromes and LaBella so long as they’re the lower tension/smaller gauge sets(that’s what I like).
I voted Chromes because those are the flats I like on my P's, but given your "not too stiff" criteria, they probably aren't right for you.
This is why I like the La Bella 760FL set. You still get that smooth feel and classic tone without the stiffness. They are about the same tension as a medium set of roundwounds.
- Steve
I don't know about fretless, but I've tried TIs and La Bella LTFs on both a vintage Yamaha and a Lull p-basses (both fretted). I didn't like either. I did like the tone of the TIs, but felt they were too flexible. My fingers kept slipping under the strings and getting caught between the fretboard and the string. To be fair, this is really a function of skill development. I kept the TIs on for over a month and the finger slipping improved with time and practice, but they did take getting used to. The La Bella LTFs just didn't cut it for me. They were also overly flexible for me (though less so than the TIs). More importantly, I didn't think much of the tone. Not that it was bad, it just didn't have the presence and thump of the La Bella DTF.
I also tried the La Bella DTF 760FS. These sounded great, but were fairly stiff and my right hand felt it after a couple of hours. My "happy strings" are the La Bella DTF 760FL. Great fat tone, even across the strings, and very playable. They have that smooth, silky La Bella feel and I can play them for hours without fatigue.
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Solo’d, a set of La Bella 760FS (45-105) sounds like Barry White reading Canterbury Tales.
In a mix, GHS Precisions find their spot and still stay woody and classic. So do TI’s, but they’re looser than Tunica slots.
In a mix, GHS Precisions find their spot and still stay woody and classic. So do TI’s, but they’re looser than Tunica slots.
I have a fretless ESP PJ that I run with only the p pickup on, so essentially a P. I use La Bella 760 FS flats. Very mellow and smooth, and smooth to the touch. They really work for me.
My preference for a P bass is GHS Precision Flats. Warmer than LaBella, more even output than Rotos, smoother than Chromes, and nice tension IMO. TIs have too many mids for an already mid-forward bass like a Precision for my liking. I'd like to try DR Legends at some point.
OP: "Looking for smooth feel, not too stiff, not too dull, even output across the set."
Those are the reasons that I use the Dunlops. Great sustain too and flexibility
Those are the reasons that I use the Dunlops. Great sustain too and flexibility
