Flats Decision for a Precision...

[johnson79]

I voted for Chromes, but I personally am enjoying a set of Fender 9050ML on my Squier P w/ a rosewood board and QP pickup. It sounds awesome.

I tried multiple sets of EB Cobalt flats and was completely underwhelmed by the tone of my E string. It was dull and dead compared to the rest on 2 different basses and 3 different E strings from different sets purchased over a few months. The Fenders are balanced and the tone is much more focused.

 

[Pet Sounds]

None of the above. Fender flats, GHS Precision flats, LaBellas, those are flats for P-Bass, imho.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I did not think I would like these but I do.
That Motown Sound
I do use a mute...
Link Removed
They are a bit high tension though...

Before......................After!

 

[Kukulkan61]

I use Chromes on my maple board Pbass but they sound killer on my Jazz bass too..ECB81s...

 

[Guiseppe]

Thomastik-Infelds are AMAZING. I've used Labella Deep Talkin' flats for years, and to my hands/ears, the TI's are just spectacular (and I DO love the Labella's!).

 

[Guiseppe]

I think that you will find that the same strings have varied tone qualities on different basses. So, IMHO, it pretty much depends both on the bass and the tone you seek.

FWIW, I've ran the full gamut of flatwound strings on multiple basses (and have 5x one gallon bags of strings to do it again if needed) - some basses like chromes, others like TI's/LaBella's/77's/Legends, Precision Flats, etc.

I'm using Chromes on one P and TI's on another. GHS Precision Flats are a bit too dark for me - but if I was looking for a "dark" string, that's where I'd go. LaBella's (IMHO) take too long to break in (but last almost forever) - though I do use a mix of LaBellas to get the feel/tension/gauge that I want on one bass. 77's weren't the tone I was looking for - neither were Pyramids.

However, Chromes have just a touch of treble that can be dialed down with the tone control - but the sound still cuts through. TI's however have great mids and lows and are lower tension.

Again IMHO, the quality/quantity of mids is where good flats shine. Pretty much all of them have various levels of initial brightness and solid lows after they are broken in. Each though has different flavors of mids that are either desirable or not.

Long story short, welcome to your tone search.

John

As always, the above is IMHO and YMMV.

Very good synopsis, John. My thoughts on TI's are just about spot on with yours.

 

[Kevin Teed]

I've gone to using Fender flats on my P's. They seem to work great whether the bass has a rosewood or maple board. Plenty of bite if I need it or just roll the tone back and they sweeten up nicely. I play with a pick or fingers and these handle it all.
TI flats are great too.

 

[LoTone]

I voted Rotosound with Chromes being a great choice too. No experience with Dr Legends though.

 

[Koog]

What pickups does your fretless have? I am wondering how the nylon flats compare to the chromes with a magnetic pickup.

Answered clockworkcorpse via PM to not take the thread off subject.

Koog

 

[gelinas666]

Fender 9050L's..

 

[Rickter]

I tried Roto flats some time back and I did like the brightness that they had initially. That brightness however dies off quickly. The Roto flats were definitely higher tension as I had to adjust my technique quite a bit until I got used to them. I want to get another set of them for my P5 now that I have discovered the EB String Cleaning Cloths so that maybe I can keep that brightness a little longer.

That said, I have a set of Chromes that I keep alternating to off and on. The EB string cleaning cloths help them retain some brightness and they've got a nice fundamental. The mids feel a little odd sometimes, but nothing I cant work with. I like them enough that I've kept them for several months and keep them in a pretty steady rotation.

 

[40Hz]

Of the three choices I’d vote Chromes.

Normally I’d use Tomastik Flats or GHS Precision Flats depending on the bass.

I have used Chromes in the past and liked them just fine. I think the 45-100 set sounds particularly good on a PB. But maybe that’s just me.

 

[808P123]

Dunlop Flats are almost as smooth feeling as LaBella's but with less tension.

 

[funkinbottom]

La Bella or Fender for me.

 

[Mastermold]

These threads always end up the same! Lol!

I'd try Chromes to start. Most P-basses tend to like them. Good luck!

 

[Jimbowhit7]

Hello all,

Looking for some insight on which set of flats to use on my P. Ideally, I want to find the best overall combination of tone, tension, and texture. I own these sets already, just haven't installed them yet.

Thanks!

If you're willing to pay for a different set, I highly recommend Fender Flatwounds (100-45 is what I use). Super low price point, but great sound and feel.

 

[lizardking837]

I loved having 77's on my P bass. I had a full, rounded thump to my tone. Perfect for a power trio with a manic drummer and Slash inspired guitar player.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

Good luck sorting through all the different options!

My vote is for TI Jazz flats. They’re expensive but they last. Great sustain, and their lower tension works well for me— I have a lighter touch. The basses I play the most are P/Js, and the pure P sound is warm and full. And they feel so good after they’re worn in.

The higher price makes it hard to buy without trying, but if you do you might be hooked...

 

[JOME77]

None of the above. Fender flats, GHS Precision flats, LaBellas, those are flats for P-Bass, imho.

I guess the Fender flats would be the other brand that I haven't tried. I guess that I need to order a set of those too (so when I decide to install the GHS Precision flats I can throw those into the mix and cover everything that I haven't tried). Of course it'll have to be on my Elite precision. The La Bella 760FS flats aren't coming off the RW 50's Precision. That bass sounds so good with those strings that it's literally a spiritual experience!

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

La Bella deep talkin flats

End. Of. Story