Best flatwounds for a Rickenbacker 4003?

[iiipopes]

I absolutely disagree with the TI's. They are floppy rubber bands with no presence in the mix.

If you must do something with extra light tension, then the La Bella LTF's are steel wrap instead of nickel and will have a presence that brings out the tone of a 4003.

 

[trothwell]

How's the Rickenbacker tone with flatwounds vs., say, a Precision bass? Does the unique Rickenbacker tone come through, or do the flat wound strings subdue it?

 

[woodyng2]

How's the Rickenbacker tone with flatwounds vs., say, a Precision bass? Does the unique Rickenbacker tone come through, or do the flat wound strings subdue it?

On my white 4000, I’ve used Pyramid,Chromes,and Optima RBs. (Actually, original ‘70s Rick/Maxima 4440 set).
It sounds really great with any of those, still sounds exactly as a Rick bass should.
(Minus the rw grind, just replaced with a nice treble bark).
I think the best sound of those 3 was the Chromes, because they had a brighter edge.
But even with their lightest, softest gauge, I didn’t like the stiff feel of them.
I’ve used Chromes on a fender 57 P avri and a GL LB100, great sounding strings on both.
For the P/Rick comparo, I found the Rick with flats still had that unique audio presence that cut through,
where the pbasses blended in more. (Which is why I no longer have them.)
I had a set of the Labella LTF on another neckthrough 4000 that had an HB pickup,
and they sounded huge, but still very distinct, on that bass.
I had an old set of the Maximas on my black Laredo, but I never thought they brought out the best
in that bass. I sold it recently, and gave the buyer a set of Kalium hybrid rw strings….looking forward to checking it out when he puts those on.

 

[GIBrat51]

I am going to buy a rickenbacker 4003 in a month or so and I want to put flats on it. Any suggestions ?

Well, since the OP posted this... 9 years ago, next week, I think it's safe to call it a Zombie Thread. However, I also think the question is still a valid one, and will be valid as long as there are flats and Rick basses. So...
In general? Put any kind of flat wound strings you want, on your Rick bass. Unless it's a really old one - like my '73 4001 - or older. Those old ones - with the neck pickup right up under the heel of the fretboard - ofttimes don't deal with high tension strings too well. The neck can start to lift - like a draw bridge - right there in the pickup rout; and it's hard; time consuming; and expensive - to fix. Lighter gauge flats and/or the low tension ones only, please... But, on a 4003? Please yourself - although I wouldn't put the Roto Steve Harris SH77's, or the La Bella Jamerson's, on my '01 4003...
Personally? Got to be the Optima RB flats; the ones that give me the sound of the original factory Maxima flats I fell in love with on my friends '68 4001. The bass that I learned to play on - in 1968. For me, that is "the Rick sound" - and nothing else will do...

 

[iiipopes]

How's the Rickenbacker tone with flatwounds vs., say, a Precision bass? Does the unique Rickenbacker tone come through, or do the flat wound strings subdue it?

Compare the tone of Sir Macca on the Sgt. Pepper album with the tone of any west coast hit of the same era recorded by Carol Kaye of the Wrecking Crew studio backing band.