Feelings about Flatwound D'Addario Chromes?

[pinz]

Chromes were the first flats I tried after reading about flats here on TB two years ago. I switched them for TI flats after finding Chromes too bright, and too high tension for my liking.

Same here I used to use D'Addario chrome flats and agree with your summation,my thoughts exactly,and I used them for quite some time over lots of gigs,well after bed in.
Then after reading lots of goodness here I lashed out and had a set of TI flats shipped to NZ and they turned my MIJ P into a bass I am 100% happy with,finally.

 

[Major Softie]

Chromes are okay, but I don't like them nearly as well as Roto tapes.

Either way: smooth is good.

 

[Herrick]

I like them on my 5-string Warwick Corvette. The G is still very bright though. I don't like that.

 

[Smit_Dogg]

One of the reasons i love chromes is because of their brightness. They have that half round sound to them that makes them so versatile. They're warm enough for soul yet can cut it for rock music (the primary music I play) . I see it as i have these strings on my bass, that get nicer sounding with age, and i can play a wide range of genres with them with minimal adjusting of my eq's. I really can't stick roundwounds any more. They feel so feeble and scratchy.

 

[overclockerd]

I used the 45-100 Chromes and i was very satisfied. At first they are much brighter than any other flat that comes on my mind, and then they begin to lose brightness and become warmer and they get better and better. But IME that happens slower opposed to other flats. It depends if you want the classic flat sound or something a bit brighter and different, even slap sounded ok on chromes I'm more of a roundwound guy, but chromes were pretty nice even for heavier sounding music.

 

[Smit_Dogg]

, even slap sounded ok on chromes .

+1

Very true, they sound fantastic for slap, they have that deep thump off the thumb and a pleasingly dampened trebly pop to them, my perfect string..

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Definitely great strings, I love mine on my p-bass. Takes a while to break them in, but when you do they are GREAT!

 

[Klonk]

Same here I used to use D'Addario chrome flats and agree with your summation,my thoughts exactly,and I used them for quite some time over lots of gigs,well after bed in.
Then after reading lots of goodness here I lashed out and had a set of TI flats shipped to NZ and they turned my MIJ P into a bass I am 100% happy with,finally.

Guess we're close to bass soulmates then, my go-to bass last 5 months (since I got it) is a MIJ P-bass with TI flats

 

[Diamond_Dave]

Reviving this zombie thread to say I'm modding a Squier pbass and am throwing a set of D'addario chrome flats on it. I'm kinda glad to hear they're less "flat" than other flats because I'm a jazz bass guy in the vein of Geddy's jazz tone--I like more growl and less thump. I'd be happy with thump and a hint of growl on this project bass.

 

[ThudThudThud]

I like them. They need to break in to really come into their own. The stiffness did cause some initial pain for me playing fingerstyle. You have to get used to them.

 

[michael_t]

Reviving this zombie thread to say I'm modding a Squier pbass and am throwing a set of D'addario chrome flats on it. I'm kinda glad to hear they're less "flat" than other flats because I'm a jazz bass guy in the vein of Geddy's jazz tone--I like more growl and less thump. I'd be happy with thump and a hint of growl on this project bass.

I tried both the D'A Chromes and the Fender 9050s in the past and prefer the 9050s on my Jazz bass.

Based on my experience, the Fender 9050 flats, once broken in, have more of the "growl and grind" than the Chromes, while the Chromes sounded a bit too metallic and clanky to my ears in comparison.

 

[primusfan1989]

Hate them, hate the feel, the tone is unremarkable to me. I like the DR flat wounds best, they have what chromes don't have to me (I know this is a totally subjective thing, not saying they are crap, only that I don't like them at all)

 

[Tommy V]

i'm running these on my short scale Jaguar.. that bass has never sounded or played better.

 

[shoulderpet]

Not a fan, too stiff and too scooped for me, lots of boom and clank , no thank you

 

[mbell75]

They are excellent strings IMO and sound awesome picksyle. Just put some on my new Epiphone Embassy Pro bass today and putting them on my P and J basses tomorrow. I much prefer them to LaBella DTFs and RotoSound 77s.

 

[GrapeBass]

My goodness, I've just acquired a Squier VM Precision (amber) and dude has chromes (I think) on it. P/up looks like it was changed too... I'll be changing the electronics and swapping to a tort pick guard (as per my TalkBass agreement). Sounds sweet and wonderfully different from my other basses (see sig.).

 

[ThudThudThud]

I found they hurt my fingers because they were so stiff. I like the way they sound.

^ This.

 

[michael_t]

My goodness, I've just acquired a Squier VM Precision (amber) and dude has chromes (I think) on it.

If they have blue silk and color-coded ball ends, Gold-Red-Black-Green (E-G), then yes, they are the D'A Chromes.

 

[GrapeBass]

If they have blue silk and color-coded ball ends, Gold-Red-Black-Green (E-G), then yes, they are the D'A Chromes.

Thanks, they’re Chromes! Woot Woot!

 

[Reiska]

Reviving the Chromes thread. Went back to 40-100 gauges Chromes on both my fretless J and fretted P after using XL nickel roundwounds in 45-105 gauges for a year or so. The P I knew would sound great, but the fretless J was a surprise. Great clarity, serious sustain, great center of intonation, growls and purrs but lack overhelming mwahh. Can go growly rock'n'roll, aggressive punk, Motown, new wave or whatever, can sound like fretted bass if needed, extremely versatile unlike any other flatwound I've tried. Feels great and will deliver super clean sound if needed, will deliver CLARITY unlike any other flatwound string. I think I found the missing link between rounds and flats.