Dunlop SS Flats - DBFS45125S

[KenD]

I just installed a set of these on my Martin Keith 5 string fretless with one MJS custom single coil running through a 3 band Richter EQ setup. I'm very impressed so far; we'll see how they play in.

- feel is very smooth and slick
- good frequency extension at both ends, perhaps a tad bright or just seems so because a tad mid scooped
- mids are present but not forward
- great sustain

FYI these are listed as "short scale" but they fit perfectly on this 32" scale bass with string thru body.

 

[John D Harris]

I just installed a set of these on my Martin Keith 5 string fretless with one MJS custom single coil running through a 3 band Richter EQ setup. I'm very impressed so far; we'll see how they play in.

- feel is very smooth and slick
- good frequency extension at both ends, perhaps a tad bright or just seems so because a tad mid scooped
- mids are present but not forward
- great sustain

FYI these are listed as "short scale" but they fit perfectly on this 32" scale bass with string thru body.

How are those working out for you?

I just bought a set of long scale of the same type SS flatwounds (DBFS45125), but I haven't put them on yet.

I'm using a 5 month old set of EB Cobalt Flats, that I like a lot, but I wasn't keeping them wiped down and they started getting grungy feeling (somewhat grungy sounding as well).

I bought some stuff to clean them with and will then decide on when to swap them out for the Dunlops.

 

[KenD]

How are those working out for you?

I just bought a set of long scale of the same type SS flatwounds (DBFS45125), but I haven't put them on yet.

I'm using a 5 month old set of EB Cobalt Flats, that I like a lot, but I wasn't keeping them wiped down and they started getting grungy feeling (somewhat grungy sounding as well).

I bought some stuff to clean them with and will then decide on when to swap them out for the Dunlops.

After playing them in for a few weeks they were pretty much as I described initially. I liked them. However, that bass has become a bit of an experimental platform for me and I have been swapping preamp modules, etc. Right now it's running an Underhill filter preamp setup and the strings are LaBella Super Polished which are very nice but a bit "flabby" in feel compared to the Dunlops.

Of course, so much depends on what one expects from a fretless. I don't like the always on "mwah", only want it when I dig in a bit and to my ears the Dunlops were better at that. So far, on that bass and through all the experiments, I have actually preferred Rotosound Solo Bass 55. They're a pressure wound, not a flat wound, but the feel under the fingers is close enough to flats and the tone on that bass gives a bit of a string effect reminiscent of the string on fingerboard sound of a double bass.

 

[John D Harris]

After playing them in for a few weeks they were pretty much as I described initially. I liked them. However, that bass has become a bit of an experimental platform for me and I have been swapping preamp modules, etc. Right now it's running an Underhill filter preamp setup and the strings are LaBella Super Polished which are very nice but a bit "flabby" in feel compared to the Dunlops.

Of course, so much depends on what one expects from a fretless. I don't like the always on "mwah", only want it when I dig in a bit and to my ears the Dunlops were better at that. So far, on that bass and through all the experiments, I have actually preferred Rotosound Solo Bass 55. They're a pressure wound, not a flat wound, but the feel under the fingers is close enough to flats and the tone on that bass gives a bit of a string effect reminiscent of the string on fingerboard sound of a double bass.

Thanks!

I'm still deciding whether to put the Dunlops on now or to wait a bit.

I tried a 5 string set of Rotosound RS775LD Jazz 77 Monel Flatwound's that had nickel in them somehow (I forget), but I did not like them (they sounded tubby and the 'D' and 'G' strings went dead really quickly) and swapped them out for the EB Cobalt Flats.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I tried a 5 string set of Rotosound RS775LD Jazz 77 Monel Flatwound's that had nickel in them somehow (I forget)

Monel is a specific range of nickel-copper alloys, with traces of other elements:

Monel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org