I have a P Bass version.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Fender Flats
- Thread starter bdplaid
- Start date
A few days ago as I've been getting to know these strings on my Nash PB I switched on my preamp bright switch and was surprised by how extremely bright they sound, very much like new rounds.
For comparison, I tried my other basses with Dunlop flats with the bright switched on; not even close to the same.
Last edited:
Funny. When I was having second thoughts about the heavier 9050M and 9050ML at first, I thought about replacing them with LaBella 760FL. I was about to order a set, when they suddenly almost doubled in price on (Canadian) Amazon. So I kept the 9050ML on, and now I'm starting to like them.
Yeah... trying to find a decently priced set of LaBellas from any Canadian outlet these days is so hit and miss. I actually just order off the Talkbass shop. Even with currency conversion and shipping they're sometimes cheaper than buy through other marketplaces. Still steep though, but they last forever as long as I don't do something stupid.
Glad you're enjoying the 9050ML!
This is why I've dealt with Jason at Fret Nation for the last several years. He's always willing to be flexible with his pricing to offset the cost of international shipping. I've always saved money that way over buying locally (in Winnipeg).
They are very clacky at first but it goes away after a couple of months. I find them too mid-heavy for a P bass. Muddy. They are better on a Jazz bass because the fill the scooped midrange.
I have the 50-100 and I hate the uneven tension. The E string should be much heavier. That and the sound are why I'll be switching to Labella 49-109 when I can afford to.
I have the 50-100 and I hate the uneven tension. The E string should be much heavier. That and the sound are why I'll be switching to Labella 49-109 when I can afford to.
Yeah, even during COVID I still got my Chromes for a good price, I have no idea what happen, summer selling or new units? Everything went up, I wanted to get Chromes or Ernies but well that didn't happen haha. But I wonder why it just jumped up so quickly even my local small shop where I plan to take lessons is high, GC is high... got no idea!
Pv63 pup sound great with bright sounding flatwound bass string, Ti flat and EB cobalt flat.
Same here, 9050L sound better on jazz bass than P bass, but has no such juicy growl from EB Cobalt flat . The EB Cobalt flat tone are lasting and G string sound meaty full than 9050L.
Exactly so. I have the Fender 9050L's on a couple of basses, and the GHS Precision Flats on a couple of others. GHS is the initials of 3 people who worked for Fender's in-house string company way back when; Squier Strings. When I was looking for flats to give me the real, vintage Fender P-Bass sound from my '78 P? Turns out, no other strings would do. They're a little more articulate, with more low-mids/mids, than the 43-104 La Bella 760FLs I have on a couple of other basses (most of my 24 basses wear flats), but still quite Old School. If you want to sound like it's 1960, and you're on stage with your new P-Bass? The GHS P-Flats are what you want... The 9050L's, OTOH, are much more "mid range Modern". To be honest, to my ears? they sound an awful lot like TI Jazz Flats - which, of course, I have on yet another bass. While the basses are very different - the 9050L's on an Eastwood Magnum and a Dano DC59 Pro; the TI's on an Alembic Epic - they do sound remarkably similar, IMO. The tension and feel are, of course, quite different... Since I use my basses for different kinds/styles of music, my basses wear a bunch of different flats; and I like them all. Well, maybe not the old D'Addario Chromes I have on a G&L ASAT Bass; still undecided about those...
Last edited:
hasbeen
Commercial User
- Sep 23, 2004
- 4,806
- 2,668
- Disclosures
- Executive Vice President, The Adam Hall Group
I'm thrilled people are still liking these strings. I developed them with the assistance of some TB'ers. For your intel:Fender 9050 Custom Gauges
There has been a worldwide stainless steel shortage since early 2021. You’ll probably have noticed most SS strings have gone up in price, and some steel string lines have been discontinued recently as well I assume to focus on more popular string lines with existing materials.
I love the Fender flats- I’ve had the .045-.100 set on my Lakland P and one of my Rickenbackers, and they’ve found a semi-permanent home on the P for the last couple years and still sound punchy and alive. They are the best alternative I’ve tried yet to the old discontinued Sadowsky Black-Label flats- not the same by any means but at least retain a lot of similar mid punch and aggression in a mix. I still have a few sets of the Sadowsky’s I baby for my Ricks, but the Fenders are probably my favorite Precision bass flat now (alongside Cobalts, which are really their own thing)
I got my first set of 9050L flats a few weeks ago and I first tried them on my Nash PB. They were okay there but I prefer a bit more thump on my P basses so I've concluded that I prefer 45-105 Dunlop flats for that.
Tonight, I moved that 9050L set over to my jazz bass which had Dunlop stainless 40-100 flats prior. I think those Dunlops work well with the JB but I wanted to see. I concur with those who say the 9050 flats are best on a jazz bass; definitely better than on my P basses.
Tonight, I moved that 9050L set over to my jazz bass which had Dunlop stainless 40-100 flats prior. I think those Dunlops work well with the JB but I wanted to see. I concur with those who say the 9050 flats are best on a jazz bass; definitely better than on my P basses.
That's interesting to me, because I find both Dunlop and Fender flats to be strong in the midrange and not particularly thumpy like more traditional flats sound. Dunlops used to be my favorite until the blast off in price.
The Fender flats I have just about sounded like slightly used nickel steel rounds on my Nash and when I flipped the bright switch on my amp they sounded like new rounds.
The Dunlops aren't the most thumpy sounding flats around but they're definitely more-so than the 9050 flats, especially after a couple weeks of use.
My other P which is a based on a '58, with fat soft V 1-pc neck and Klein Epic '58 pickups, has 45-105 Dunlop flats that are a few weeks old; getting quite thumpy.
Last edited:
What I like about the Dunlop flats is that they do get some Labella-like thump as they wear in, but retain some of that gnarly mid as well - certainly not as pronounced as Chromes for instance, but present. I’ve only had them on for a while so will be interested if that lasts.
