• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Favorite flat wound string poll

Check all that apply

  • Rotosound jazz

    Votes: 13 7.1%

  • Daddario Chromes

    Votes: 28 15.4%

  • Dunlop

    Votes: 9 4.9%

  • Ernie Ball cobalt flats

    Votes: 25 13.7%

  • Ernie Ball flat wound

    Votes: 6 3.3%

  • GHS

    Votes: 20 11.0%

  • DR

    Votes: 8 4.4%

  • Fender

    Votes: 15 8.2%

  • La Bella deep talkin'

    Votes: 43 23.6%

  • La Bella low tension flexible flats

    Votes: 30 16.5%

  • Thomastik-infeld

    Votes: 52 28.6%

  • Pyramid

    Votes: 12 6.6%

  • Medium standard gauge ~45-105

    Votes: 25 13.7%

  • Lighter gauge

    Votes: 36 19.8%

  • Heavier gauge

    Votes: 8 4.4%
  • Total voters
    182
Doug4321

Doug4321

May 29, 2017
1,315
1,376
Oregon
#1
This has been done before but I thought I'd update.

What are your favorites? I'd like some ideas which to try next anyway.

Based on this https://www.bassplayer.com/gear/flat-world-a-roundup-of-flatwound-strings
and other sources they are in three general groups.

Bright flats (metallic overtones): the first four.

Old school (darker, stiffer, clunky E string): the middle four.

New school/orchestral (looser, pronounced midrange, greater sustain, clear fundamental): the last three.

Also included a gauge question.
 
#2
I've tried rotos and chromes on my jazz bass. The 45-105 rotos were too stiff. Both were too clanky for my taste, although I suppose you can eq out the ringing.

Just put la bella flexible flats on my Guild Starfire. Very nice woody rubbery tone right out of the box. A favorite so far.
 
#7
Sorry, no Sadowsky option. Oops.

Are the Dunlops a more bright tone string? I got that impression but haven't tried them.

Multiple choices allowed in the poll, so you can put in you general string gauges too.
 
#9
For me, the tone I want from a particular bass (and I have 24 of them) determines which brand of string I put on it. Right now, 3 of my basses are being worked on, and have no strings; 3 of them have tape wounds; 10 of them have rounds; and the other 8 have flats; one each with Roto 77s; Chromes; and Fender 9050Ls. The rest are LaBella DTFs in various gauges and scales. Of the 10 with round wounds, only 2 have them because I actually like the strings. But, one of those (my Rick 4003) has rounds that I haven't been able to get for several years, and it's wearing my last set. When they die (and it'll be pretty soon, now) it will get some Optima RB Flat wounds. The rest of them have EB Hybrid Slinkys. They're my "baseline"string, to start my search for the sound I'm after for a particular bass. I know for sure that 2 of them will get GHS Precision Flats; one will get TIs; and one will get Fender 9050ls. A couple of them might actually keep the Hybrid Slinkys, because, IMO, they work really well for a "generic bass" tone. As for all the rest? One of those is definitely getting Roto 88 Tapes, and one (probably the Alembic) is getting the set of Dogal R 44s. I have a raft of other flat wounds to experiment with, so... they'll certainly wind up with flats of some kind, but right now, I can't say what they'll be... :whistle:
 
#10
If this were a month ago, I would’ve voted for LaBella Deep Talkin’ flats.

2 weeks ago, I finally tried LaBella Low Tension Flexible flats and they’re now my new favorite. IMHO, you get everything that most people love about DTF’s but as their name suggests, they’re a lot more flexible and broken in sounding right out of the package. I’ve tried Chromes and I liked the feel but not the sound as much as LaBellas. With these, I feel you get the best of both worlds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RNG1
#15
Doug4321 said:
I've tried rotos and chromes on my jazz bass. The 45-105 rotos were too stiff. Both were too clanky for my taste, although I suppose you can eq out the ringing.

Just put la bella flexible flats on my Guild Starfire. Very nice woody rubbery tone right out of the box. A favorite so far.
Click to expand...
I put a set of LaBella Flexible Flats on my American Fender Jazz Bass not expecting it to work. I did it because the LaBellas had Been in my equipment bag and I thought "Why not". It seems counter intuitive but it was synergistic. The two single coils and the Flexible Flats sounded great. They actually had very good definition. Of course they are not going to ring out like round wounds.
 
#16
IMG_20241103_170022573.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steve Fox
#17
If someone pointed a gun at my kids and told me that I had to play flats for the rest of my days or else...I'd choose Pyramids, hands down.

Having said that, several years ago I did a setup on a friend's '73 4001 where I installed Roto flats. Now that sound was...just plain wow.

Off my soap box and back to my rounds and tapes... :laugh:
 
#18
GIBrat51 said:
For me, the tone I want from a particular bass (and I have 24 of them) determines which brand of string I put on it. Right now, 3 of my basses are being worked on, and have no strings; 3 of them have tape wounds; 10 of them have rounds; and the other 8 have flats; one each with Roto 77s; Chromes; and Fender 9050Ls. The rest are LaBella DTFs in various gauges and scales. Of the 10 with round wounds, only 2 have them because I actually like the strings. But, one of those (my Rick 4003) has rounds that I haven't been able to get for several years, and it's wearing my last set. When they die (and it'll be pretty soon, now) it will get some Optima RB Flat wounds. The rest of them have EB Hybrid Slinkys. They're my "baseline"string, to start my search for the sound I'm after for a particular bass. I know for sure that 2 of them will get GHS Precision Flats; one will get TIs; and one will get Fender 9050ls. A couple of them might actually keep the Hybrid Slinkys, because, IMO, they work really well for a "generic bass" tone. As for all the rest? One of those is definitely getting Roto 88 Tapes, and one (probably the Alembic) is getting the set of Dogal R 44s. I have a raft of other flat wounds to experiment with, so... they'll certainly wind up with flats of some kind, but right now, I can't say what they'll be... :whistle:
Click to expand...
Well...
This old post is pretty much obsolete. I finally completed my "Bass Herd" at the end of this May. Only took me 34 years (don't let anybody fool you; most of the time? Being left handed really does suck). I finally wound up with 27 basses; one wears round wounds; two wear tape wounds; one is still a work in progress, and has no strings. All of the rest? They wear flats. All kinds, scale lengths, and gauges of flats. A lot of them are not on your poll; which, other than there being no "Carrot" option, is why I didn't vote. But, any way... Here's a list of which bass wears what strings... And, with 3 exceptions, I'll skip the reasons why, except to say; I like to match the strings to the bass - and the bass, to the music that I play with it...
- Alembic Epic; Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flats. Long scale.
- Birdsong Fusion lined fretless: D'Addario ECB82 "Chromes". Long scale flats - on a 31" scale bass... 🤔
- Carvin LB-20; Optima 4099L "Chromes". Flats.
- Danelectro DC59 Pro: La Bella 760FX DTF's. Long scales.
- Danelectro DC59 Pro; Fender 9050L Flats.
- Danelectro Longhorn Bass; La Bella 760FX DTF's. Short scales.
- Eastwood "Flying Vee" Bass; GHS #3020 Precision Flats. Short scales.
- EBMM 4HH Stingray Special; Galli JF4505 Jazz Flats.
- Epiphone Jack Casady Bass; La Bella 760FGS Gold Flats.
- Fender Precision Bass; GHS #M3050 Precision Flats.
- Fury Anthem lined fretless: Rotosound TruBass 88M Tape wounds. Medium scale. This bass was custom built to sound as much like an upright bass as possible; and to wear tape wound strings - ONLY. It sounds like 2 tomcats fighting, if it doesn't. Don't ask me how I know...
- Gibson Thunderbird: Dogal R44 "Traditional" Flats.
- G&L Tom Hamilton Signature ASAT Bass; Fender 9050L Flats.
- G&L Kiloton lined fretless. La Bella LTF-4A Low Tension Flexible Flats.
- Gretsch G6119BO-LH Broadkaster Bass; Thomastik-Infeld JR324 Jazz Rounds. "Short" scale. The Broadkaster wears the only rounds in my herd, because - after 12 years of trying strings on it? They're the only strings that make it sound anything like a bass. I'd much rather it wore flats of some kind, but... none of the ones I tried, sounded like anything but a hippo fart in deep mud...
- Guild Starfire I; GHS #3120MS Precision Flats. Medium scale.
- Hofner 500/2 Club Bass: Factory Hofner flat wounds.
- Kramer 450B; La Bella 760FS DTF's.
- Kramer "The Duke" Special; DR SFL Legends. Short scale flat wounds.
- Kramer Forum III; A long suffering "project bass"; it currently has no strings. No idea what kind of flats it will wear - IF it ever gets finished...
- Rickenbacker 4001; Dogal JC106A "Jaco" Carbonsteel Flats. These are extremely low tension strings. This bass wears them because it's developing the neck problem that some older Rick 4001 basses develop, from wearing strings with more tension than the neck/body transition area can tolerate. Which is the reason why RIC said "always use factory strings" for decades - NOT because they were worried about your frets...
- Rickenbacker 4003; Optima 4440L RB ("Rickenbacker Bass") Flats.
- Rogue VB-100 violin bass: Rotosound TruBass 88M Tape wounds. Medium scale.
-Serek Sacramento Bass; Dunlop DBFS45105 Flats. Short scale.
- Schecter Stiletto Studio-4FL lined fretless: Ernie Ball Group IV Flats.
- Starfire violin bass; La Bella 760FL DTF's. Medium scale.
- Tokai TB48 Thunderbird; Optima 4099RL "Chromes". Flats.
- Warmoth 30" scale Mini-Precision Bass; La Bella 760FL DTF's. Short scale.
So, that's it. Which bass wears what strings. And, in case you're wondering; is it all a pain to keep track of? Why, yes; yes it is. And, since I like to have a spare string set for each bass? It's pretty damn expensive, too. Dogals, Optimas, Dunlops, and TI's are definitely not cheap... :facepalm:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Pimpernel Smith
#19
I use GHS Precision Flats and Fender 9050M I have P's and J's with each. The ghs seems to take a little longer to break in, the 9050's seemed to settle quickly, like them both for different reasons.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back