Flat wound help

[bigdaddybass12]

Guys, i am testing a bass to keep. It came with flat wounds. Do flat wounds have less output than round wounds? At my small gig last night I noticed I had to turn the amp up noticeably more than usual. Side note, bass will probably go back to GC. Seemed to have more neck dive than my others. Plus it was just not “loud enough” for me!

 

[ahbass2500]

What is the bass? Volume difference is usually more due to pickups than the strings.

 

[mazdah]

IF the strings are very low quality (like Harley Benton and cheaper) they can have low output.

If you are seriously considering it I would put a new strings, or used - but known to you.

 

[michael_t]

Do flat wounds have less output than round wounds?

It all depends on the brand and on the bass. Properly set up, flats can have a healthy output. One thing about flats in general is they don't have a lot of the upper harmonics that rounds have, which could be perceived as "low output".

 

[michael_t]

i am testing a bass to keep. It came with flat wounds...

What specific bass and what specific brand of flats?

If you're not sure about those strings as to the brand, you can post a couple of pics - one at the headstock and one at the bridge, including the ball ends - so we can ID them for you.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

What is the bass? Volume difference is usually more due to pickups than the strings.

Thanks for the reply, like I said, I’ve never played flat rounds. The bass is a fender black top.. Just a sidenote, this blacktop should say it’s USA made, made extremely well. But has neck dive and seems to have a low output.

 

[michael_t]

I’ve never played flat rounds...

As I indicated earlier, this could be a matter of perception. Flats in general are darker and mellower than rounds. The lack of harmonic overtones that you normally hear in rounds are not there, which can be perceived as "low output".

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Guys, i am testing a bass to keep. It came with flat wounds. Do flat wounds have less output than round wounds? At my small gig last night I noticed I had to turn the amp up noticeably more than usual. Side note, bass will probably go back to GC. Seemed to have more neck dive than my others. Plus it was just not “loud enough” for me!

Not my experience at all with flats. My guess it’s the bass or set up of the bass (pickups,and or string height), Or could be a low output gain which might make it a candidate to return without other redeeming characteristics.

I will add using round wounds primarily, they seem more articulate which makes them easier to hear in the mix.

 

[Kyle_S]

The only flats I've ever played with noticeably lower output than rounds or other flats are the Rotosound Monel flats.

 

[ardgedee]

As I indicated earlier, this could be a matter of perception. Flats in general are darker and mellower than rounds. The lack of harmonic overtones that you normally hear in rounds are not there, which can be perceived as "low output".

Adding to that: If they're strings that came with the bass they might be old and dead, which'll kill any overtones they might have once had.

 

[Hawk620]

As others have suggested, I would replace the strings before fully evaluating the bass tonally. Neck dive is a separate issues with other potential solutions.

 

[FullumMusic]

I think it could be a few things being conflated with the strings being the issue.

- Could be the pickups on this bass have lower output.

- Could be the action on the bass is too high and the strings are further away from the magnetic field.

- Could be the pickups are too low and the strings are further away from the magnetic field.

- Could be the bass is outputting the same level, but the frequencies are different from what you're used to hearing. Don't know what pickup layout your personal bass has, but the combination of those pickups + rounds could be more present in the frequencies human ears are more attuned to hearing a la the Fletcher Munson Curve. While this other bass's pickups + flats are as loud, but in frequencies human ears aren't attuned to hearing and it sounds lower at the same volume.

- I think least likely is that the strings themselves are "lower output". Not completely impossible. Just least likely.

 

[darwin-bass]

Flats I've used have more output than rounds on the same instrument. I'd suspect the PU to string distance is large and that all strings would be quiet on this bass.

Neckdive? Welcome to Fender. Some of us don't notice, some of us do. For about $100 you can switch to light weight tuners. If you return it don't expect the next Fender to be any better. It might be, if the body weighs a ton but no guarantees.

 

[JazznFunk]

I've never noticed any difference in output when I've gone from rounds to flats on a given bass. The frequency response is different, which may give the perception of 'different output', but unless you changed the pickup height or string height with a setup in a drastic way, the differences should be minimal. If this is a 'new to you' bass with flatwounds that you've never had rounds on before.... it's impossible to say the strings are the difference. There are missing variables to the equation. I have 2 identical Lakland 44-01 basses and one wears rounds, one wears flats. I can switch between them on the same gig and never have to worry about level adjustments.

 

[pbass2]

Low output compared to what? What other bass are you typically using?

 

[deepestend]

It's all perceptional volume. Might sound quieter, but it's a result of less high frequency emphasis.

 

[klokker]

Yeah, I'm not getting "low output" strings. I have basses that have more or less output. Just turn up the amp. I agree that since flats can less bright, that this is being perceived as "low out put". EQ, set up etc.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Yeah, when I switched from rounds to flats on my Sire P5 I picked up more in the low end and "thump" than in the high end and "twang" that I lost. I sure didn't lose any volume. Regarding flats going bad, do flats ever go bad? I have always heard that, if properly cared for, they will outlive most players?

 

[bwildt]

Yeah, I'm not getting "low output" strings. I have basses that have more or less output. Just turn up the amp.

Just turn up the amp. That's it's job. My thought: If it produces the sound you want or like, who cares if you need a little extra gain.

Output volume of the instrument isn't everything. I installed a Seymour Duncan Quarter-pounder in a Fender p-bass. It was plenty loud, but I immediately realized that I didn't like how it sounded. I replaced it with a Fender '62 Vintage pickup. The output wasn't as loud, but I just turned up the amp and found the sound that I was looking for.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Some strings definitely have lower output than others. It very much depend what material the wrapping is made of (the core is always steel, although it can be different types of steel).

Generally, from high output to low output:

-Superalloys/Alloy52
-Stainless steel
-Nickel plated steel
-Pure nickel
-Monel

I guess tapewounds are probably also in the lower end of the scale, but I very rarely use tapewounds, and only one ONE of my basses so I'm not really sure how they compare to other strings.

Flatwound strings do not have inherently lower output than roundwounds though, unless you're comparing strings that are made from different materials.

The lowest output strings I've ever played were the roundwounds that came factory installed on a cheap, entry-level Harley Benton bass. They were utterly useless (but not the same as the strings HB sell separately, which are actually quite good).

The lowest output GOOD strings I've played are Rotosound 77 flats (monel). They are lovely sounding strings, one of my personal favorites, but they have noticeably lower output than most other strings.

There are of course other factors that can affect the output too. Active basses often have significantly higher output than passive basses, and some pickups have significantly higher/lower output than others. The lowest output pickups I've ever played (except maybe the pickups in some old quirky 60s basses like Eko) are probably the Fender V-Mod P-bass pickups.

And of course, the setup (pickup height) can affect the output volume too.

Broken-in flats generally have a more mellow tone than roundwounds though, so I guess you could say they have lower output from the upper mids an upwards. But NOT a lower overall output volume.