Fenders are chromes like pizzas are really big hot sandwiches! Whilst similiar in some ways, not really the same thing at all.
Most people who don't like chromes usually likes Fenders though.
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Flats -darkest to brightest list
- Thread starter Grissle
- Start date
Most people who don't like chromes usually likes Fenders though.
I prefer the Fender flats over the Chromes...To my ears the Fenders are a little smoother in the mid-range and the Chromes a little harsher in the upper-mids. My favorite flats though are La Bella...I used to use the 760FM set but for the last couple years I've been using the 760FL on my P-Bass..very nice balanced tone...seem to get better with age.
Flatwound String Reviews
Flatwound String Reviews
anyone tried anything new? i had those pyramids on for a while but they got too dark for me, not enough definition or clarity in the mix for me. Back to TI"s for the time being, but starting to get fed up (like i do every year when i'm back to TI"S lol) with the lack of low end and a little too much high end. I"m going to adjust string heights to see if I can make them work. I love that damn midrange so much, it's punches through mixes so nicely, but i need more bottom!! the DR had plenty of mids but were way too tense for me. if only TI made a large set or DR made a smaller set.
It's not really anything new, but I've found light gauge Ernie Ball flats to be a good compromise between TIs and the thumpier flats. More tension, but not a lot more, more thud and still a reasonable amount of mids.
I recently felt the same way about the TIs on my '51 reissue Precision. For all my love of TI's feel, I missed the gravitas in the bass that I felt that kind of bass should have; and lacked with TIs.
I went with GHS Precision flats and, to counter the added tension, adjusted the relief for a very flat neck and a very low action. The tension's still higher than I'm used to, but I'm very happy with the resulting tone. We'll see how I feel about the tension over the long haul.
Ernie Ball are underrated flats. They have a little bit less growl than the Fenders.
Sadowsky flats are developing a large following here on the forum.
I've got to say again...superlight Chromes are, for me, a great compromise between the world of flats and rounds, especially if you keep them relatively clean and/or new. Very pliable, low tension but not as low as TI's...and very slappable.
I'm now using the new Labella LTF-4A low tension flats (LTF) on my Fender 50's P. The usual DTB sound and smooth feel without the higher tension of the other DTBs. The more supple feel is due to the round core in the LTFs vs hex core of the DTB flats.
I'll most likely never cough up the funds for TIs as they're well over a hundred bucks here in Canada, what with tax and all.
Read the online reviews as they can say it better than me.
They are also one of few nickel flatwounds out there. The nickel flats seem to me to have a woodier, or more organic, tone. Not saying that is better, but it's something that sets them apart from their SS counterparts.
Someone else mentioned TI flats and Pyramids as the two other nickel flats, but don't underestimate Optima. I have them on a 51 P MIJ reissue, maple board, sound great on that bass. Brighter than Pyramids, woody as the TIs, but closer to the Pyramids than the TIs in tension. Plus, cheaper than the other two.
yes i may be journeying back to the strings-go-round. the TI on recordings I just did in the Studio are so lost in the mix. No deep bottom end fundamental to hear in the low end of the mix and the midrange punch i'm just getting lost in the keyboards. I need a tone with my jazz bass that sits in the mix properly without having to be EQ'd a lot. Back to the drawing board. Gonna start with some Labella 760FL first.
Does it have to be flats?
I ask because, as a die-hard flatwound enthusiast, I've been quite pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying the GHS Pressurewounds (44-58-80-102) on my Jazz. Just enough bite and grind to hold a strong presence in the mix without the typical zing of rounds.
I find GHS precisions to be quite woody in tone as well, especially with the neck pup soloed on my Jazz.
I recently put a set of Ernie Ball flats (the traditional style, not the new cobalts) on one of my jazz basses and man, are they cool. Solid fundamental, punchy mids, and a smooth top end. They have that nice bark you get from Chromes but without the harsh, rather brittle highs. The E string is better balanced to the other strings too. I was really pleasantly surprised by them.
Can any of you guys who have tried the EB Cobalts say where they fit in this ranking and offer an opinion?
Sounds like simply a problem that the studio engineer could have easily fixed with volume and eq, both with you and the keys. You can bet a bad engineer can lose your sound with 760FL's just as easy as he can with TI's (or stainless or nickel rounds, or anything else).
I would place Cobalts at the "bright" end of the spectrum, but they have a really pleasant high end after break in.
It's tricky, because when people say "bright", they could be describing a string with a lot of treble zing but little of anything else!
The Cobalt 40-95 set I have on my Jazz Bass are "bright" for flats, in that they have substantial amount of treble clarity, but they also have SUPER well defined midrange. To me, that is their dominant tonal characteristic, and I love it because I can turn the tone knobs on my Jazz down to 50-70% to tame the treble without losing that growly midrange I love.In comparison: D'Addario Chromes, in my experience with a 45-100 set, had treble clarity but not much going on in the midrange. Turning down the tone on my bass got nice "thump" but didn't really leave any mids that cut through.
Hope that helps!
I've tried about every flat our there with the exception of the Sadowsky Flats and my favorites are Cobalts and TI's. The TI's are my absolute favorites and best sounding and feeling. The Cobalts are a little sticky at first but sound really good and sit perfectly in a full band mix. I guess for the money the Cobalts are hard to beat.
yeah no disagreement there, i just didn't like where they sit "tonally" as i feel they are more low mid to midrange and battle with other instruments. you get a thumpy bassy flat and its you and the kick, less to compete with.
also if an engineer has to drastically EQ, compress, amp sim your tone, you got issues. you should be able to go in, play DI/mic and it should need minimal EQ. otherwise you're not using the right tool for the musical style.
i can never really tell what the flats are doing, because i end up comparing them to my super dark voiced rw board 83 L2000 with long in the tooth dunlop nickel rounds
kinda experimenting with the new gold package dunlop flats the last week or so
not as stiff as the rotos on my vintage nordstrand loaded bullet bass
more even than the alleva coppolo flats by la bella on my sb-2, which can have a booming E if not addressed with the eq
not sure how dark the dunlops are going to get yet, but they seem to be a nice match with the g&l lynx for getting a very even and warm piano like tone and preserving what's left of the original frets remaining
kinda experimenting with the new gold package dunlop flats the last week or so
not as stiff as the rotos on my vintage nordstrand loaded bullet bass
more even than the alleva coppolo flats by la bella on my sb-2, which can have a booming E if not addressed with the eq
not sure how dark the dunlops are going to get yet, but they seem to be a nice match with the g&l lynx for getting a very even and warm piano like tone and preserving what's left of the original frets remaining
