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Fender Flatwounds???

#5
Stanley, with all due respect there is sooooooooo much written regarding Fender flats, and even comparing to other 'name brands' that you could be reading for weeks ... below I gave a couple links to get you started, but searching Fender flats or flatwounds should get you more than you ever want to know, and I venture to say you will probably get more than what anyone will chime in on here because it has been so common of a discussion ...

For starters, realize the current crop of Fender Flats are much different from the ones years ago, so take that in your reading to be relative to what is available today ... I have a set of 45-100's mounted, going on about 6-7 weeks, and still have not settled in completely, they are very smooth strings .. I like them, they have their place, but I also have a set of Sadowsky and a couple sets of Chromes on basses currently ... I like the Sads probably the best for overall, Chromes next and then the Fenders .. but it is more dependent on your situation vs mine, and all the rest of the gear in use to the end audio result ... to me, the Fenders are the smoothest of the three I am using though ... may want to take the 'opinions' on sound you receive with a grain of salt, unless you know all the situations/context they are used in, and how they relate to yours ... JMHO as always .. happy reading ... ;)

How are Fender Flatwounds? | Page 4 | TalkBass.com

Flatwound String Question | TalkBass.com
 
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#6
I definitely suggest you check out the other threads mentioned above.

Here's my post from a month ago in the "How Are Fender Flatwounds" thread:

michael_t said:
Since this is one of the threads that got me interested in trying out the Fender 9050 flats, I'm here to share a few of my initial impressions.

When I acquired my 2008 Fender Highway One Jazz five and a half years ago, I had it set up with a set of D'Addario Chromes (40-60-80-100), which stayed on it for the first four years. Then eighteen months ago, I (foolishly) decided to go on a string journey (ie detour) by flirting with rounds. Now, I'm very happy to be back with flats again.

Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100): (Keep in mind these are less than two weeks old.)
  • Clear and articulate tone with good sustain.
  • Nice playing feel in terms of overall tension - not too stiff, not too loose, just right. (Not quite as stiff as the Chromes.)
  • Not any harder to play on than the D'Addario EXL170BT set they replaced, except so much smoother as any flats should be. (Contrary to a few comments I've read, they are not "rough" in any way.)
  • Going from D'A Nickel Rounds (45-60-80-107) to this set, my bass needed very little adjustments in terms of setup - not even any truss rod tweak.
  • The 45G balances better with the rest both in terms of tension and tone. I didn't like the way the 40G on the Chromes stayed noticeably brighter than the rest even after four years.
  • I was quite upset when Fender decided to discontinue the 9050CL set (45-60-80-105) a short while ago as I thought it was the best-balanced set. So, I was a little concerned about the 100E on this new set at first, but pleasantly surprised at how strong it actually is. Slightly better note definition than the 100E on my old Chromes as well.
  • And last but not least, I like the way they fit my bass properly. (Gorgeous in Green) ;)
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]​
Click to expand...
 
#8
Agree with above, lots of threads about them.
But PLEASE if you do buy them, do not judge these strings untill you have at least 2-4 weeks of solid play time on them.
I find these flats to sound awful at first and was the reason back in the day i gave up on them.
But after weeks of play time they settle down and after a month or two they reach a level of outstanding.
 
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#9
shawshank72 said:
PLEASE if you do buy them, do not judge these strings untill you have at least 2-4 weeks of solid play time on them.
I find these flats to sound awful at first and was the reason back in the day i gave up on them.
But after weeks of play time they settle down and after a month or two they reach a level of outstanding.
Click to expand...

Just to add to this...

Never judge a set of flats until you've had a chance to hear them in a band mix, which is where they shine.
 
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#11
oysteivi said:
However for me, coming from rounds, the sound of a fresh 9050L set easily got me hooked.
Click to expand...

Based on my experience for the last month with my 9050L, I tend to agree they can almost mimic well-broken-in nickel rounds with the tone rolled off.

In fact, I was a bit surprised the difference in tone between them and the 6-mth-old D'A XL Nickels that they replaced was not as drastic as I had anticipated. All the warmth of the nickel rounds without the excess zing up top and the annoying finger noise.
 
#12
'78 P-Bass-1.JPG Picture was taken earlier, but there's a set of 9059MLs on my '78 P-Bass. They're not quite broken in yet, but with the mute in the bridge cover, it would fit right in with any late '50s-early '60s Rock or R&B band, I think. I have no complaints - other than the icky shade of green silk windings.:)
 
#13
I have the 9050L on my Jazz bass and liked the sound from the moment I installed them. I was coming from Chromes that I never cared for. What I noticed right away with the Fender flats was a stronger fundamental that helped fill out the scooped tone that my Jazz has inherently. While the Fenders do improve with age like all flats I've tried, I wouldn't hesitate to put them on for fear that my tone will suck for weeks, months, or years until they finally break in. Just put them on and carry on playing as usual.
 
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#16
They are awesome... I regularly play TI's and they are 15 years old on a 65 P bass..they sound warm and beautiful.. One of my students put on a set of the green wound Fender flats. They've been on 2 years now. I have to say , they are incredible sounding. Have the same warmth as my Thomastik's....love em..
Go Fender!
 
#17
I had Fender Flats, the much sought CL set of 45s to 105s. Had them on the bass for about 4 months. Played them a lot. Tried another brand. Fell in love with those instead.

Gave my Fenders away to a fellow leftie (we have a Québec facebook group for lefties) who put them on his spare MiM Jazz bass. Said it brought it back to life for him. Has been playing them constantly since.
 
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#18
I love them. I have them on my precision, and they sound and feel great (I like a stiffer string). They're brighter than the old Fender flats, but not quite as bright as D'Addario Chromes. Plus, while Chromes tend to keep their brightness for a long time, the Fender flats mellow out pretty quickly. They're not expensive, so the best way to find out if you like them is to get a set.
 

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