Can't stand roundwound strings?

[BAG]

I really can't stand the feel of roundwound strings. I've got three full scale basses with flats and two shorty's with ground wound (would update them to flats but I hardly play them and at $60 per set i'm too cheap to change them). The only bass with rounds is my ABG which never gets played.

Whenever I try out basses at shops now it just keeps reminding me of how much nicer it is to play a bass with flats........

 

[tangentmusic]

To each his own.
I've been playing rounds (Roto's in particular) almost exclusively for decades and wouldn't have it any other way..

 

[michael_t]

Flats give me the feel I love, while rounds give me the tone I need. I'm not willing to sacrifice the tone completely for the sake of the feel. That's why I play the GHS Pressurewounds. It's a compromise, but a darn good one!

 

[buldog5151bass]

I have both. Just takes getting used to. Gives you an entirely new sound pallet to use. FWIW, your technique has to be better. You also don't have to spend $70 on flats. For example Chromes - one of the more popular sets, are around $25.

 

[shawshank72]

Damn right!

 

[two fingers]

Flats give me the feel I love, while rounds give me the tone I need. I'm not willing to sacrifice the tone completely for the sake of the feel. That's why I play the GHS Pressurewounds. It's a compromise, but a darn good one!

Pretty much this. Now that I suddenly have three P basses, one of them is gonna wind up (pun intended) with flats. But for the most part it's D'Addario XL nickels for me. I've tried them all and keep coming back.

 

[petrus61]

I have one bass, so TI's.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

$70 per set?

 

[bikeplate]

Can't stand flatwound strings?

 

[Badwater]

I like both, and have 1 bass with flats and passive pickups, and the other with rounds and active pickup. Both have different feel and tone, and both serve their purpose.

 

[mmbongo]

I'm just the opposite, I can't stand the feel or tone of flats. I think there's a reason no manufacturers ship their basses with flats installed

 

[socialleper]

The feeling of flats has its pluses. They are stable and are a little kinder on your fingers. Its the sound I can't get past. It sounds like playing rubber bands to me. All the chararcter and articulation go out the window. Just not my thang.

 

[michael_t]

I think there's a reason no manufacturers ship their basses with flats installed

It's called repeat business. The stuff people need to replace every 1-3 mths would generate more business than something that only needs to be changed every 5-10 yrs.

 

[Geri O]

I stand rounds just fine. No interest in flats.

However, it's a big ol' world, I'm happy that the flats guys and ladies can find happiness with flats. That's as about as far as I think about this subject....

 

[BAG]

I could see us pulling off a Crowded House song or two...not a trio, I know.

I have both. Just takes getting used to. Gives you an entirely new sound pallet to use. FWIW, your technique has to be better. You also don't have to spend $70 on flats. For example Chromes - one of the more popular sets, are around $25.

I'm in Australia..... and I was talking about Chromes as they are the cheapest here..... but I did make a typo as I meant to say $60 which is the cheapest place I've found here in Oz..... most major stores they are over $70
Invalid Link Removed

$70 per set?

The last set I got off you ended up just over $50 Australian after shipping and currency exchange...... which is why i'll continue to get strings off you. Mind you, that'd still be just over $100 to restring two basses that get played very little.


I've edited the OP to show $60 per set.

 

[JGbassman]

I'm primarily a SS roundwounds player, but flsts have a definite place in my heart and they are a perfect fit for my '55 p bass replica. I also use them on my fretless jazz as well. I'm going to switch to a set of ti Jazz flats for a bass, I'm just not sure which one right now.

I feel like I play quicker with the roundwounds, and have to watch my technique a little more. Plus I love the sound of new roundwounds.

I play differently with flats, more slides and less notes for some reason. They are really starting to grow on me, and they definitely have a place in my sonic toolbox

 

[wintremute]

I really can't stand the feel of roundwound strings. I've got three full scale basses with flats and two shorty's with ground wound (would update them to flats but I hardly play them and at $60 per set i'm too cheap to change them). The only bass with rounds is my ABG which never gets played.

Whenever I try out basses at shops now it just keeps reminding me of how much nicer it is to play a bass with flats........

I concur. No screeching and scratching for me.

 

[40Hz]

I carefully select the strings to bring out what I think is the best in the bass they're on. So right now I'm using flats, steel and nickel rounds, pressure wounds, phosphor-bronze, and white nylon tapewounds. No two basses I own uses the same string set.

Can't say I really have a preference for one particular type of string over another. I play whatever I think sounds best on a particular bass and figure getting comfortable with how they feel just goes with the territory.

But that's me. YMMV.

 

[BAG]

Its the sound I can't get past. It sounds like playing rubber bands to me.

I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't be able to get the bright tone I like when I first got some groundwound strings on the Jag shorty. I got them for the extra tension so I could have a lower action, which worked... and I found that I still could get as good a tone in a mix as with the rounds.

The first full scale bass I bought already had flats on and I can still get a nice bright tone with great clarity. The fact that I play 90% or more with a pick might have something to do with it as well. I don't go for the dull thumpy double bass sound at all.

 

[jasonmatthews]

I used flatwound strings once.

... Once.