I am thinking about putting flat wounds on my Allen Woody RumbleKat. Brand? Tape or coated? Advice would be a big help.
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Flat wound
- Thread starter Steve-D
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Highly biased answer, which is also a popular one here: Labella Deep Talkin' Flats. For a Rumblekat? Perfect!
Edit: I have them on most of my dozen basses, as they seem to be a complement to almost anything.
Edit: I have them on most of my dozen basses, as they seem to be a complement to almost anything.
Flats or Tapes...both are good choices. Personally I use Fender brand and have been very happy with them.
Been hearing flats are great on a RumbleKat, that's why I want to try them. Thanks for your help.
Gotta remember that taped strings do not allow grounding but other than that, they are cool.
Since the Rumble Cat is kind of a dark sounding bass, DAddarrio Chromes might be a good choice since they have some brightness.
Put TI flats on it and be in heaven but they are expensive!
Since the Rumble Cat is kind of a dark sounding bass, DAddarrio Chromes might be a good choice since they have some brightness.
Put TI flats on it and be in heaven but they are expensive!
Flats and Tapes could be very different in sound since most of tapewounds are rounds with an extra layer of nylon
chromes & fenders are safe choices in getting your feet wet in flat land.
I don't have a rumble cat. But, I have two Jack Casady's and they LOVE TI's.
+1 This is an inexpensive experiment that's easily reversible. I prefer Fenders myself. Both sound good, but I prefer the tension of the Fenders – I think they are slightly more balanced from string to string. I have LaBella's on at least one bass. They are superior to the Fenders in every way except price. At the end of the day, the Fenders do the job at a very reasonable price.
For tapes, I would suggest trying D'Addario Nylon Tapewound strings as they should bit nicely in the nut with no filing needed.
My favorite strings of all time, however, are TI flats. They have a nice, woody, complex tone.
Since the bass you're looking at doing this on looks to be a 30" inch neck, finding the right scale for these could require some extra searching to get the correct length strings.
My favorite strings of all time, however, are TI flats. They have a nice, woody, complex tone.
Since the bass you're looking at doing this on looks to be a 30" inch neck, finding the right scale for these could require some extra searching to get the correct length strings.
I have been really liking the Ernie Ball Super Slinky and Regular Slinky Flatwound.
I vote for D'Addarrio light gauge chromes. I've used them for years and swear by them. They are bright at first but once they are broken in you are good to go for many many years. 
OK. Here are my experiences.
Tape wound strings:
1) Rotosound: too much thump, as they are designed to emulate a double bass, and the G string is wayyyy too tight compared to the rest of the set.
2) D'Addario are too skinny a gauge under the nylon wrap to be stable on a short-scale basses.
3) If you want to go tapewound, but have some brightness, LaBella white tapes regular gauge short scale are good, but you need to widen the nut slots. Don't use the light gauge for the same reason as D'Addarios: too flimsy to be stable on a short scale bass. The other La Bellas have different tones, with gold sounding like well-worn NPS, copper having a different midrange characteristic, and blacks being the darkest tone.
4) Fender only come in long scale, so they are moot on a short scale bass.
5) None of the others I have tried, and I have tried them all since Fender sleeve nylon strings in the 70's, amount to anything.
Flats: Especially for short scale basses, LaBella have the best overall tone, flexibility, consistency and balance, especially for the price. Yes, Chromes start brighter, but quickly fade to thud which are even worse. Fender flats and some others only come in long scale. I have not tried other manufacturers' short scale flats offerings, so your mileage may vary.
Finally, remember to measure the length from the ball anchor to the tuner side of the nut, and then measure the length from the ball anchor to the edge of the tuner, to make sure you are purchasing strings with the proper speaking length, as some manufacturers' short scale are not the same as other manufacturers, and the Epiphone bridge has a different afterlength than does a Fender plate style bridge. Consult Jason's chart at fretnation.com or the individual string manufacturers' websites if in doubt.
Tape wound strings:
1) Rotosound: too much thump, as they are designed to emulate a double bass, and the G string is wayyyy too tight compared to the rest of the set.
2) D'Addario are too skinny a gauge under the nylon wrap to be stable on a short-scale basses.
3) If you want to go tapewound, but have some brightness, LaBella white tapes regular gauge short scale are good, but you need to widen the nut slots. Don't use the light gauge for the same reason as D'Addarios: too flimsy to be stable on a short scale bass. The other La Bellas have different tones, with gold sounding like well-worn NPS, copper having a different midrange characteristic, and blacks being the darkest tone.
4) Fender only come in long scale, so they are moot on a short scale bass.
5) None of the others I have tried, and I have tried them all since Fender sleeve nylon strings in the 70's, amount to anything.
Flats: Especially for short scale basses, LaBella have the best overall tone, flexibility, consistency and balance, especially for the price. Yes, Chromes start brighter, but quickly fade to thud which are even worse. Fender flats and some others only come in long scale. I have not tried other manufacturers' short scale flats offerings, so your mileage may vary.
Finally, remember to measure the length from the ball anchor to the tuner side of the nut, and then measure the length from the ball anchor to the edge of the tuner, to make sure you are purchasing strings with the proper speaking length, as some manufacturers' short scale are not the same as other manufacturers, and the Epiphone bridge has a different afterlength than does a Fender plate style bridge. Consult Jason's chart at fretnation.com or the individual string manufacturers' websites if in doubt.
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I use them and love them. They don't break the bank either. At the very least a good place to start.
Tapes, always go for the Tape wounds They would sound great and look way cool on the Allen Woody RumbleKat.
D'Addario tapes are available in short scale. They sound and feel great on my Mustang.
I have Chromes on my Danelectro. Sounds great. Records great. Nice feel. Not too stiff or too soft.
I have GHS Pressurewounds on my RumbleKat. A tad less boomy than if I had flats on it. All tastes are in nature.
