Feelings about Flatwound D'Addario Chromes?

[michael_t]

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.

D'Addario Chromes User Group- Chromeys Speak Out!

 

[Reiska]

D'Addario Chromes User Group- Chromeys Speak Out!

Thanks a lot!

 

[Aussie Player]

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

I agree with this, which is why I took them off my basses and relegated them to acoustic bass just so I wasn't totally wasting my money. They can spend eternity there and not be too hard on the fingers for general usage as I play the acoustic the least of my bases.

 

[BASS YODA]

You should always focus on string tension first before the thickness then the design of your bass (top-load or string-through-body mount, inline, 2+2 or 3+1 tuners / tuning machine heads), it will add length and tension...

Pay attention to the scale and string-through-body mount, you might need super long scale strings !

Flatwound strings are often more fragile than roundwound strings. They are more rigid and have less capacity to bend / fold. Favor a top-load bridge mount and big tuners (1/2" string post fits) to better wrap / roll the strings around !

D'ADDARIO ECB80 40-95 (total set tension 163.09 LBs) :
40-95 Super Light, Long Scale, XL Chromes Flat Wound Bass Guitar Strings | ECB80 | D'Addario
CB040 G 0.040 in 17.16 kgs
CB060 D 0.060 in 21.09 kgs
CB075 A 0.075 in 19.32 kgs
CB095 E 0.095 in 16.42 kgs

D'ADDARIO ECB84 40-100 (total set tension 172.13 LBs) :
40-100 Custom Light, Long Scale, XL Chromes Flat Wound Bass Guitar Strings | ECB84 | D'Addario
CB040 G 0.040 in 17.16 kgs
CB060 D 0.060 in 21.09 kgs
CB080 A 0.080 in 21.56 kgs
CB100 E 0.100 in 18.28 kgs

D'ADDARIO ECB81 45-100 (total set tension 199.75 LBs) :
45-100 Regular Light, Long Scale, XL Chromes Flat Wound Bass Guitar Strings | ECB81 | D'Addario
CB045 G 0.045 in 21.32 kgs
CB065 D 0.065 in 24.47 kgs
CB080 A 0.080 in 21.56 kgs
CB100 E 0.100 in 18.28 kgs

D'ADDARIO ECB82 50-105 (total set tension 224.00 LBs) :
50-105 Medium, Long Scale, XL Chromes Flat Wound Bass Guitar Strings | ECB82 | D'Addario
CB050 G 0.050 in 29.08 kgs
CB070 D 0.070 in 29.52 kgs
CB085 A 0.085 in 23.44 kgs
CB105 E 0.105 in 19.57 kgs

+ CB132 B 0.132 in 17.56 kgs

May the Groove be with you.

 

[GIBrat51]

I'm thinking about switching from rounds to flats soon...and I'm looking at these D'Addario Chromes for my Ibanez. They're cheap, and I don't think that it'd be a disaster soundwise, but I've never played with them before and I wouldn't know what they'd sound like exactly.

Essentially...are they good strings? Any problems anyone had with them? If you didn't like them, would you reccomend any other flats?

OK, here goes...
- How would they sound? Along with Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flats, D'Addario Chromes are considered the brightest, most roundwound-sounding flats. Followed - but not too closely - by TI Jazz Flats. Lots of people like that sound; lots of people (me included) do not...
- Are they "good" strings? Yes, D'Addario makes good strings. Good enough that they probably make more strings for more instruments - and for more other companies to sell under their own brand name - than just about anyone. For personal reasons, I hardly ever use them; but in my limited experience with their strings? They are pretty darn good - at the very least...
- Have I had problems with them? Yes, but it has nothing to do with their quality. Basically, something they use in their final polishing process makes my fingers itch like crazy. And the process to clean them enough to make them usable, involves a couple of fairly nasty solvents - and more time than I really want to spend. Especially when every other string I've ever used, involved nothing more than wiping them down; stringing them up; and then... just playing them...
- Would I recommend any other flats? Well, it really depends on what you want from a set of flats. Mostly mids and highs? Mostly lows and low-mids? Flexible - or stiff (which a lot of people confuse with low -or high tension)? Or a set of flats that are mostly in the middle? I've been playing basses with flats on them - almost exclusively - since I learned to play in 1968. On a '68 Rick 4001, with it's factory flats. There's an amazingly wide range of flats for basses. Most of the ones I use tend to be fairly stiff, hex core flats, with tones in the low/ low-mid/mids range, without much in the way of a high end. Which works really well for most of what I like to play...
However, I do use other flats, too. TI Jazz Flats on the Alembic bass I only use for Jazz, for instance. Very low tension Dogal "Jaco" flats on my '73 Rick 4001, which has neck issues that won't tolerate a lot of tension. The fact that they sound similar to the factory flats that it came with, is a nice bonus... Light gauge, flexible LA Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats, and light gauge Ernie Ball Group IV Flats, on 2 of my fretless basses; they have the full spectrum of tones, and I can bend them like crazy...
So, it just depends on what you want from your flats. Personally, though? For someone who's new to flats, I'd say; try a set of Fender 9050Ls. Just as inexpensive; they break in quickly (not all flats do, and can sound... weird... until they do); and as far as tone; flexibility and stiffness goes? They are just about dead center of the flatwound spectrum. I've used them on several basses for decades, and have them on two basses right now. And, finally?
Yes, I have used D'Addario Chromes. A few years ago, I put a well worn (and non-itchy) set of Chromes that I'd salvaged from a project bass, on a new-to-me G&L ASAT Bass. And, altough they were brighter than I'd have preferred, they didn't sound - or feel - bad at all. And, the semi-active ASAT tone controls kept them from sounding too bright. I was kind of sad when they died, about 2 years later (and, no; I have no idea how old and worn they were when I took them off the project bass). But, I didn't replace them with a new set of Chromes. I replaced them with a set of Fender 9050L's. however, I'm expecting a new Birdsong Fusion Bass in the next few weeks - and they ship with D'Addairio Chromes. So, I'll get to see how a new set of Chromes sounds, and how long they take to settle in. And, if they still make my fingers itchy...

 

[Bassfred78]

They are really good, even and versatile strings. Depends on the bass I guess, as with all strings, but my Yamaha BB2000 has never sounded and felt better. Really enjoy how the E-String feel and sound. Note: they are a pain in the ass/almost useless the first two weeks of playing… sticky and harsh, but it’s worth the wait ;-)