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Flats for legato playing?

Discussion in 'Strings [BG]' started by darwin-bass, Dec 29, 2014.

  1. Dec 29, 2014 #1
    darwin-bass

    darwin-bass

    Mar 29, 2013
    Salem OR
    We all know flats (esp on a P bass) are the cat's meow for staccto playing (e.g. mowtown) but what about 1/2 and hole notes? Do they work as well for that or does the sustain and midrange clarity of the round wound string save the day on those long notes?
     
  2. Dec 29, 2014 #2
    Jon Moody

    Jon Moody

    Sep 9, 2007
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
    They'll be fine for legato, and I'd argue they work really, really well. Especially if you're like me and come from a classical music background so you know how to really "milk" the nuance out of the strings.
     
  3. Dec 29, 2014 #3
    darwin-bass

    darwin-bass

    Mar 29, 2013
    Salem OR
    Well I'm not from a classical background (as evidenced by my misspelling of legato (fixed)). Most of the online demos I see are busy parts or are done in isolation so you don't get to hear the way things sound in the mix.
     
  4. Dec 29, 2014 #4
    Jon Moody

    Jon Moody

    Sep 9, 2007
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
    Legato playing really has a lot more to do with technique over the strings you use. Use a bit of vibrato, tie some notes and watch your attack when you're changing will all contribute to a good legato feel.
     
    Klonk likes this.
  5. Dec 29, 2014 #5
    Klonk

    Klonk

    Apr 28, 2011
    Norway
    Plenty of flatwounds that work nicely for longer lasting notes too, despite the myth about flats being all about thump. You could also argue that the existence (and use) of different dampening techniques (felt pieces, etc) is indication that even flats can sing. In my experience, some of the flats with decent sustain are Thomastik-Infeld, LaBella 760FS, Sadowsky black label flats. I have played blues gigs and even rock cover gigs with those flats on a P, and it all sounded nice, even the less busy numbers. There are probably lots more too, but those are the ones that stand out to me, I've tried 90% of the stock flats you can buy online.
     
    ZB5 likes this.