Best flatwound for a Chris Squire tone?

[aidanmay]

I'm playing Squier prescision bass (it has his name on it so it must sound like him, right?) through a Fender rumble 15 and I heard he uses fresh flatwounds for every concert, so I was wondering what flatwound you would recommend. I have to show a friend the bassline for Roundabout.

 

[AdamR]

Something brite. Chromes or Roto Jazz 77s

 

[SteveC]

Well, a Squier P bass has nothing to do with Chris Squire of Yes. He plays a Ric with bright round wounds.

 

[Jazz Ad]

English speaking people seem to have difficulties with the spelling of these.
Fender Squier
Chris Squire.

 

[Lindsey Burke]

I'm playing Squier prescision bass (it has his name on it so it must sound like him, right?) through a Fender rumble 15 and I heard he uses fresh flatwounds for every concert, so I was wondering what flatwound you would recommend. I have to show a friend the bassline for Roundabout.

Any flatwounds will do the job, but to get the true sound they have to be coated in barbeque sauce.

 

[CnB77]

Well, a Squier P bass has nothing to do with Chris Squire of Yes. He plays a Ric with bright round wounds.

WHOOSH
I believe he was making a joke.

 

[Charley Umbria]

Based on my recent experience with them, I'd say Roto 77's (R77LD, 45-105): Clank, growl, boing!

 

[4001]

Based on my recent experience with them, I'd say Roto 77's (R77LD, 45-105): Clank, growl, boing!

The 77's sound great at the beginning....but they loose that shiny top end and settle into a great flatwound string with a lot of punch, but not the kind of tone that is needed to replicate the Chris Squire sound.

Rotosound RS66LD 45-105
Yes-Rehearsal in NYC-1996-Roundabout - YouTube

 

[Ric5]

A gibson EB0 with flats playing into a powered subwoofer with all of the treble and mids rolled off should give you the Squire tone ... NOT

 

[Phendyr_Loon]

Chris Squire on flats which are replaced before every show?

Don't flats last for a long time? At least that has been my experience.
To me that's the equivalent of putting a new Diehard battery in you car every time you drive it.

I would think Chris Squire is the most unlikely bassist to use flats, maybe in the early days when flats were more popular. Hearing his tone now I always hear round wounds.

 

[f.c.geil]

Chris Squire plays Rotosound SwingBass 66s - the steel ones, not nickel. You will never get his tone from flats.

 

[mccartneyman]

Chris Squire plays Rotosound SwingBass 66s - the steel ones, not nickel. You will never get his tone from flats.

Yep.

 

[SJLee]

Chris Squire plays Rotosound SwingBass 66s - the steel ones, not nickel. You will never get his tone from flats.

This^^^

You might consider Round Wounds unless you are trying to achieve his tone as closely as you can get with flats. If your primary goal is to get Chris Squire's sound, I would use the strings he uses. Then focus on your hands.

 

[RickenBoogie]

Correct. Not flats, but rather stainless steel roundwounds. Roto 66's exactly.

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[SactoBass]

A gibson EB0 with flats playing into a powered subwoofer with all of the treble and mids rolled off should give you the Squire tone

I was thinking a broomstick, a rope, and a wash tub. Perfect for Roundabout, and maybe The Gates of Delirium too, but not Tempus Fugit.

 

[SJLee]

That or a tuba.

 

[5StringBlues]

I'll post my armpit fart version of "The Revealing Science of God" later tonight.

 

[SJLee]

 

[aidanmay]

I was thinking a broomstick, a rope, and a wash tub. Perfect for Roundabout, and maybe The Gates of Delirium too, but not Tempus Fugit.

Thanks man, I'll try that out. Yeah I can get a pretty good sound for Tempus Fugit by putting the bass through 3 different flangers with all the knobs set to 0.