Do you use different flats on different basses?

[armybass]

I think I can safely admit that I am a flat wound bass string junkie. I purchased a bass last month just so I could try a new set of flats on it. Issues..... I know! Anyhoo.... Just wondering if anyone else has different basses for different flats or vice versa? I have LaBella Low Tension flats on my main bass... AVRI 63 P for my "groove" band. I have a set of TI's on my Stingray for that "Stingray with flats" sound. I have a regular set of LaBella 760FL's on an AVRI 64 Jazz for the flats on a Jazz vibe and a set of Pyramid flats on a 4003s for the British vibe. I still have four basses with rounds on them but I feel their days are numbered given my trajectory. I am constantly on the prowl for a new set of flats to obsess over.

Who's with me?!?!?!

 

[michael_t]

Just wondering if anyone else has different basses for different flats or vice versa?

Here's my experience...

My first set of flats were D'A Chromes 40-100 on a Fender MIM P bass, which my son used for the high school jazz band for 3 years and they sounded great. So, I got the same set when I got my J, but somehow they didn't sound quite as good.

Then I discovered the Fender 9050 flats and found them to be a better match for the J. I once tried the La Bella 760FL on that same J bass but wasn't so enthused about the overall tone I got. So far the Fender 9050s are the only flats I've liked on my J.

Meanwhile, my Am Std P has always sounded great with either the 760FL or the Sadowsky Black Label flats 40-100, but not so with the Fender 9050s.

So, there you go... Different flats for different basses.

 

[Thuddy Waters]

Yes, I use different flats for different basses. I use La Bella 760FL flats on my basses that I want a super thumpy classic sound from and I use Chromes on basses that I want more high end frequency from. For instance, I have La Bellas on my P Bass and Chromes on my Jazz Bass. Chromes are as close as I get to using round wounds.

 

[Abner]

Yep. Gotta find the right strings for each bass. GHS flats on an Ibanez fretted Musician; Sadowsky Black Label flats on the fretless Musician; LaBella '54s (Jamersons) on a fretted Roadster; Ernie Ball flats (not the cobalts, the regular heavy flats) on a fretless Roadster; Rotosound monel flats on a fretted Roadstar II; Pyramid flats on an Artcore semi-hollow; trying out some new LaBella gold flats on a fretless Vantage.

I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but you get the picture.

-Alex

 

[hotbass57]

Chromes Med Scale on my Hofner Copy, TI's on my Jazz and Lakland 4401 and Labella LTF's on my Yamaha.

 

[2saddleslab]

Nope, all sport TI Flats. But I could understand why others might.

 

[shawshank72]

Yes I do.
Ernie Ball Flatwounds are my favourite but I use others depending on the bass and what it craves.

 

[GIBrat51]

Yes I do. Next question?

 

[Basshappi]

Yamaha BB400 - TI Jazz Flats
SX Jazz - Chromes

 

[Klonk]

Yep, gotta find the perfect sound combination of bass + strings I keep coming back to LaBella, Sadowsky, TI, Pyramid, with the occasional Chromes or Rotos. I have 4 "gig-worthy" basses, and they all sport different flats. At the moment they have TIs (CS 59 P), LaBella 760FM (AVRI 57 P), LaBella Gold Flats (MIJ 51 P) and Sadowsky SBF45 (Sandberg California VS4).

 

[woodyng2]

Yep. Mostly still finding what i like,and what works best on a given bass.
Most of my basses i have Kalium RW strings on,but these are my non-RW set up basses;
Rickenbacker Cheyenne 1-Labella Coppercore White Tapewounds
Rickenbacker Cii fretless-Labella Low Tension Flats
Fender AVRI 57 Precision-Chromes 40-100 (jury's still out on these for feel. I'm still waiting after nearly 9 monthes of playing for them to "de-clang". i do like the sound,overall,though).
Fender Am.Std Jazz-chromes that came on the bass,not sure of the exact type. I do know that they sound the way i wish the new ones i put on the Precision would sound. (Thuddy and fantastic with a pick,clang-free!)
And my Rick 4000 has had a set of the old Rick/Maxima strings on it,which sound fabulous.
It also sounds great with a set of Sunbeam DR's,on it currently.
I've got a set of used DR flats,that i haven't tried out yet. I would've put them on the P,but they were cut for a 2+2 type headstock. They may get tried on a Guild bass that's been languishing.

 

[quickfix]

Yup. Labella LTF on one Precision and Labella 760FS on the other right now.
The Chromes, ECB81 and ECB82 sets are sitting in standby on the shelf. I'm back and forth between these four sets. They've been on and off the basses numerous times. Takes about five minutes to change string sets. Set up takes another five, if required.

 

[ZenG]

Yes.

 

[nerkoids]

GHS Precision flats on my P-bass kit, also on my Squier VM70s Jazz. Rotosound Monel 77s on my violin bass, and some large Webstrings flats (huge behemoths, 50-110s) on my nightmare orange S-101 P bass, which I have come to love, once my neck got used to them. The GHS set on my kit P-bass are all kinked up though, and I'm in the process of re-leveling my neck (so I can sell the bass, I have two people interested in it. Yes, it's the Hintoa branded P-bass, go figure) so most likely, it will be getting the Optima Chrome flats, that when I took them off last year, really mellowed into a nice deep tone and an okay amount of thumpiness.

 

[stringtapper]

Yep. Medium gauge Chromes on at least four basses, EB Cobalt Flats on two others, and EB Custom Gauge Series I (55–110) on the P-bass.

Oh and the stock Fender flats that come on a new fretless Jazz. Still haven't changed those yet.

 

[onosson]

Every one of my basses has a different set/brand of strings, none of them rounds.

Fretted Jazz: Fender black nylon tapewounds
Fretless Jazz: Ernie Ball cobalt flatwounds
Precision: Rotosound 77 monel flatwounds
Fretless MusicMan: LaBella black nylon tapewounds
Ibanez semi-hollow: D'Addario Chromes
Kala U-bass: Kala Pahoehoe strings

 

[ldryder]

Absolutely!
Lakland 44-14 Sadowsky Black Label - Light
Fender '63 AVRI Pyramid Gold
Hofner 500/1-62 La Bella LB_760FHB2

 

[armybass]

So we are all Flatwound fanatics.... anyone bought a bass just to put a set of strings on?

 

[woodyng2]

So we are all Flatwound fanatics.... anyone bought a bass just to put a set of strings on?

I was looking at buying a Lakland HB with the idea of putting these on it......but i think my fever broke.

 

[armybass]

Cool! Where did you get those?