I know strings arnt that expensive but as soon as my funds permit im goin to buy some ernie ball stage III flats. i think they might be just what im looking for.
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Flats for the first time
- Thread starter jacobm
- Start date
I just strung up my P-bass a couple of weeks ago with Chromes and im lovin em!
Great string and love the tone and feel . Im in a blues/retro rock band and they fit real good there. I tried a couple of other brands of flats thru the years and they were like bridge cables. Chromes remind me of rounds and are easy on the fingers.
Great string and love the tone and feel . Im in a blues/retro rock band and they fit real good there. I tried a couple of other brands of flats thru the years and they were like bridge cables. Chromes remind me of rounds and are easy on the fingers.
Erne balls are good flats , a little bright at first but they settle down after a while to a nice balanced sound and feel really smooth , you will find them to be much lower lower tension than the Fenders as well. I love the ernie ball flats but will be trying the labellas soon as I am after a more traditional sound and feel that these may be the strings to handle that. As said before dont be afraid to try different brands as flatwounds vary quite a lot in sound from brand to brand
I've only tried La Bella flats and the same sets have been on both of my basses since June. This is the longest I've ever keep the same set of strings on a bass and I still like the sound and feel.
BTW, La Bella's are "medium" tension flats.
BTW, La Bella's are "medium" tension flats.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
TI Jazz Flats have been on my main Jazz and will probably stay there for a long, long time. They have both a strong fundamental and a lot of mids for flatwounds. A set will be going on my fretless (now strung with Fender 9050's) any day now. The only drawback is the lower tension which requires a bit higher setup, but the playability is still very nice.
Howdy..for 30 years I resisted flats...and then several years ago heard about Thomastik Infeld Jazz flats #jf344..I wish I'd put them on years ago being the resistant dumb-ass that i am, these are the Ferrari of bass strings.IMO....I tried some other flats and they felt awful/scratchy and didn't sound that great.
I've never had a string that sounded so good, felt so slick like they're greased and is the most fun to play..You want to ALWAYS pick up your bass and practice.Their light tension is bizarre, very light and slinky, you can really dig into these things..It takes a little getting used to after years of high tension.
You can actually raise your action for a better tone and you won't notice it for more than 5 minutes.
I now have them on ALL my basses and the several bands I play in are blown away by the tone.I play blues to very heavy old classic rock stuff, with a smidge of country.
They are NOT super bright like a roundwound...don't even expect that..A real good inboard preamp like an Audere and cranking of the amp treble should get you enough brightness.
The best 40 bucks per set I've ever spent, and I regret all the years I used other strings..
I've never had a string that sounded so good, felt so slick like they're greased and is the most fun to play..You want to ALWAYS pick up your bass and practice.Their light tension is bizarre, very light and slinky, you can really dig into these things..It takes a little getting used to after years of high tension.
You can actually raise your action for a better tone and you won't notice it for more than 5 minutes.
I now have them on ALL my basses and the several bands I play in are blown away by the tone.I play blues to very heavy old classic rock stuff, with a smidge of country.
They are NOT super bright like a roundwound...don't even expect that..A real good inboard preamp like an Audere and cranking of the amp treble should get you enough brightness.
The best 40 bucks per set I've ever spent, and I regret all the years I used other strings..
Howdy..for 30 years I resisted flats...and then several years ago heard about Thomastik Infeld Jazz flats #jf344..I wish I'd put them on years ago being the resistant dumb-ass that i am, these are the Ferrari of bass strings.IMO....I tried some other flats and they felt awful/scratchy and didn't sound that great.
I've never had a string that sounded so good, felt so slick like they're greased and is the most fun to play..You want to ALWAYS pick up your bass and practice.Their light tension is bizarre, very light and slinky, you can really dig into these things..It takes a little getting used to after years of high tension.
You can actually raise your action for a better tone and you won't notice it for more than 5 minutes.
I now have them on ALL my basses and the several bands I play in are blown away by the tone.I play blues to very heavy old classic rock stuff, with a smidge of country.
They are NOT super bright like a roundwound...don't even expect that..A real good inboard preamp like an Audere and cranking of the amp treble should get you enough brightness.
The best 40 bucks per set I've ever spent, and I regret all the years I used other strings..
Just curious, which other flats did you try? I found the TIs to be by far the roughest flats I have ever used.
I have tried Fenders, LaBellas and Chromes flats and Rotosound tapewounds. All where much much smoother than the TIs.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I don't think the TI's are smooth at all. The E and A have gaps between the winding that remind me of GHS Brite Flats. However, the tension is so low and they are so easy to play that I don't notice the roughness when playing. I'll take a low tension string over a smooth but stiff string any day.
Fenders and Labells are the smoothest I've played, with EBs and Chromes Second, and TIs and bright flats (ground wounds) third.
- Mar 9, 2005
- 1,946
- 11
- Disclosures
- Avatar Club#12 Eden Club Lucky# 13--USA Peavey Club#37 Carvin Club#5
Your thoughts on flats made me laugh. Thats exactly how I feel about them. It dates both of us. At 54, I remember when I first started playing, there were no round wounds, to be had.Those Fender Flats, were all that most all of the music stores in our area had, or would have. Their dull thud sound, was all there was for us, and yes the tension on the neck was way too great, and was the main cause of truss rod breakage, just trying to get your neck to hold them. I remember my first set of Roto-Sound round wounds, man I was in heaven. I must have been about 22 or 3 when I finally got those. Had to loosen my truss rod, and man for the ringing tone and snappiness. I have never looked back. But lately, with all the hub bub on here about the new flats, I have decided to try a set again on one of my basses. I love DR Highbeams, and they have a low tension to them, so I think I'll try DR's flats. I will give just one set a try. If I get the same result again, and still feel as you do, that;ll be the last set I ever try. Good Luck!
- Sep 17, 2007
- 118
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- Disclosures
- Executive Editor, Bass Musician Magazine
I have got flats on My 71 Fernandez. Rio Grande Pick ups. At first a little odd but I have grown to really like them! Nice resonance in the higher end of the fretboard.
Hey guys thanks for the replys, i actually thought this thread had died.
but that would be awesome if you post a review or a thread about those DR flats.
Take it easy gentlemen.
but that would be awesome if you post a review or a thread about those DR flats.
Take it easy gentlemen.
Flat 
I find that flats (at least on a P bass) cut through all by themselves. So no special EQ is needed.
So just EQ for the room and your style.
I find that flats (at least on a P bass) cut through all by themselves. So no special EQ is needed.So just EQ for the room and your style.
I'm planning on getting some flats for my P-bass I would like a Hard Rock/ Motown sound but also need it to cut through any recommendations??
I've played rotosound and fender flats. The tapewound fenders I do not like at all. Currently I have fender flats on a p bass, which is nice. And I would say, they feel better over time.
But when I finish my new jazz build
( http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=376641 ),
I'm going to go with TI Labella Flats. I've never tried them, but I hear good things...
But when I finish my new jazz build
( http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=376641 ),
I'm going to go with TI Labella Flats. I've never tried them, but I hear good things...
Eq flat with slight boost in the mids around 400-500 hz usually works well for me
I use my friends bass who has some REALY thick strings that are flats. the thickness makes all the differance in flats
my primary is a 99 american jazz
but ive also got a MIM squire P that is strung ADGC right now, but i could consider putting the flats on that one
would a double-buck Spector-type bass be a horrible place to put the flats?
but ive also got a MIM squire P that is strung ADGC right now, but i could consider putting the flats on that one
would a double-buck Spector-type bass be a horrible place to put the flats?
I use my friends bass who has some REALY thick strings that are flats. the thickness makes all the differance in flats
+1 , Heavier gauge flats always sound better , heavier gauges seem to kill some of the higher frequencies and give more thump
