Can't stand roundwound strings?

[Aidenn7]

I play DR Black beauties and Roto black nylons. I hate girth of the black nylons. but I hate that coating don't last as long as the nylons. the go between is labella's standard gauge nylon wraps.

 

[jwilson67]

I played flats a couple times but I really didn't see the point. You can get a flatwound sound with rounds but not vice-versa.

 

[Aidenn7]

I've tried flats twice now. The first set, Rotos, were too sticky for me. I just couldn't slide around as easily. The second set, can't remember the name, were slippery but the extra tension in the strings was too hard on my hands.

That said, when I had the last set on I recorded a bunch of songs with the band in a full professional studio with all the best gear and a pro producer. The sound on playback was astonishing.

I've got to find really slippery strings. Any suggestions?

fret sauce

 

[jwilson67]

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........

This begs the question - what kind of music do you play primarily?

 

[Sixgunn]

But once I got on the flatwound, holowbody train, I don't like anything but them.

I would literally give up bass if I had to play that, only

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Don't like flats because they feel sticky and they increase frictionon top of feeling very tense, it is one of the worse sensation to me.

 

[Deleted member 92857]

If you love the feel but don't care for the tone of flats, find someone who uses TI Jazz flats and ask to play their bass for a bit. I was a die hard roundwoound lover, until I played Jazz Flats. When I bought my Jerry Scheff Skyline 5 string, it had TI jazz flats on it. I tried to hate them, I really did, but I couldn't. I put roundwounds on it, but I couldn't forget the warm full tone, the lack of squeak as I slid from one position to the next, I had to put the TI Jazz flats back on. They are pricey, but now, no other string will do.

 

[klokker]

When I went to SS they were a little rougher than I liked. Went away after about 15 minutes of playing them. It's the sound I wanted and now I'm used to it.

 

[jwilson67]

If you love the feel but don't care for the tone of flats, find someone who uses TI Jazz flats and ask to play their bass for a bit. I was a die hard roundwoound lover, until I played Jazz Flats. When I bought my Jerry Scheff Skyline 5 string, it had TI jazz flats on it. I tried to hate them, I really did, but I couldn't. I put roundwounds on it, but I couldn't forget the warm full tone, the lack of squeak as I slid from one position to the next, I had to put the TI Jazz flats back on. They are pricey, but now, no other string will do.

Based on YouTube videos I've seen the Jazz Flats are great sounding strings but they are definitely flats! I'm not really hearing a round tone in there at all.
I guess I'd have to try them in person to hear what you are talking about.

 

[jwilson67]

The only flats I have played are Chromes and they had almost a "round" tone when they were new. Very good flats.

 

[Deleted member 92857]

Based on YouTube videos I've seen the Jazz Flats are great sounding strings but they are definitely flats! I'm not really hearing a round tone in there at all.
I guess I'd have to try them in person to hear what you are talking about.

I wouldn't go so far as to say they have a round tone, you'll never get a sound similar to the bass keys of a grand piano like you can with rounds, but I don't want to sound like a piano. I really like the sound of the TIs.

 

[Ant Illington]

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 can't stand chewing food, thank god that somebody invented the blender to make all things smooth.

 

[Sixgunn]

I played flats a couple times but I really didn't see the point. You can get a flatwound sound with rounds but not vice-versa.

This, times infinity!

 

[jwilson67]

EB Cobalt Flats are next up on my wish list of strings to try.

 

[Ric5]

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 always get bored with flats after a few minutes

 

[Flatwoundround]

You might want to try copper tapewounds from Labella. They are closer in tone to rounds and feel even smoother than flats and clean sounding but not dead sounding.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

I absolutely LOVE the feel of flatwound strings. However, I also love to play a slap groove from time to time (Forget Me Nots was one of my favorite songs even before I knew what a bass guitar was).

I cannot for the life of me find flatwound strings that have a decent slap tone. I'm not trying to get Flea's slap tone or anything, just something decent enough to play a cover of this for example

 

[Flatwoundround]

You might want to try copper tapewounds from Labella. They are closer in tone to rounds and feel even smoother than flats and clean sounding but not dead sounding.

Supposedly the Ernie Ball Slinky Flats were designed to sound more like rounds but the feel of Flats with low tension. I have a lower gauge set at home that I will try out soon.

Anybody have any thoughts about how the Ernie Ball Slinky Flats sound?

If someone could create a bright as steel round tapewound bass string that would be amazing.

 

[matante]

i think roundwounds and solidbodies are a lot cheesier than flats and hollows. I think one of the reasons they are so popular is they are just brighter, and brighter and louder is always "better". But once I got on the flatwound, holowbody train, I don't like anything but them. They just sit in the mix much better, sound smoother and round and warm, like a bass should sound IMO. Rounds cut through the mix which is only a good thing if you are a bass player. if you are an engineer or producer/composer, nothing cuts thorough a mix, you're only looking for euphony and balance. If the bass needs to be prominent, you bring it up or eq it.

I like this post because its about the sound, not the feel.

I can't stand how everyone on talkbass talks about feel when the subject of strings comes up, whether it's flats vs rounds or light gauges vs heavier gauges. People always talking about how their strings feel to them are completely missing the point and a reminder that talkbass can be a terrible place to seek advice.

Flatwounds have a certain SOUND. You either want/need that sound or you don't. It's that simple.

 

[jwilson67]

Supposedly the Ernie Ball Slinky Flats were designed to sound more like rounds but the feel of Flats with low tension. I have a lower gauge set at home that I will try out soon.

Anybody have any thoughts about how the Ernie Ball Slinky Flats sound?

If someone could create a bright as steel round tapewound bass string that would be amazing.

From the examples I've heard of these they don't sound like either rounds or flats. I love the Cobalt rounds so I am excited to try them.