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Flats guidance for two diferrent needs

S

Sir Toby

May 3, 2020
191
102
#1
Hi everyone.

I have two basses with flats, one is the Ibanez TMB500 PJ bass with Nordstrand design pickups. The other is a medium scale semi hollow Ibanez ABG200.

On the TMB I have TI jazz flats and love the finger style and pick tone clarity but when I dig in to get a little growl they are too floppy. And slapping is a real struggle since they are so loose. I am thinking of putting on some Fender 9050l (or maybe ml) to get more growl when I dig in and still still have a slappable tone. Does that seem like a reasonable way to fix the issues with my TI flats? Also thinking of going with the Dunlops. I don't want old school thump since I like a little growl and a decent slap tone but don't want rounds on it. A little darker than the TI is fine but the growl factor is important and a decent slap tone. I like the slap tone on flats like La Bellas so it is not a zingy round wound slap tone I am after. But the TI's are too floppy.

On the semi hollow I want a more thumpy woody rubbery tone. It has Chromes on at the moment but they are too bright, metallic and clacky. I want more old school. I don't however want a dead E, I need the E to keep some definition so maybe Pyramids are not the way to go. Maybe the La Bella FHBB or FHB2 since I need medium scale? Are the GHS Precision flats a good solution? I can't get the medium scale Dunlops in Swedish shops or from European retailers. I have had the chromes on for three months and they are better now after some break in but I need a little more thump and bounce in the sound.

I know asking for recommendations is a sure way to get 100 different answers due to preferences but if you were to give your opinion based on how I feel about the strings I have tried and what I am looking for?
 
#2
Sir Toby said:
I can't get the medium scale Dunlops in Swedish shops or from European retailers.
Click to expand...
Dunlop flats are indeed not super-easy to find, this end of the Gulf Stream, and prices are through the roof:

Invalid Link Removed
^ light set (DBFS40100M) and still a relatively light price

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
^ medium set (DBFS45105M), best prices I could find at a quick g-search

In stock here but, ouch:
DUNLOP DBFS45105M
Stainless Steel Flats 45-105 DBFS45105
 
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#3
Sir Toby said:
On the TMB I have TI jazz flats and love the finger style and pick tone clarity but when I dig in to get a little growl they are too floppy. And slapping is a real struggle since they are so loose. I am thinking of putting on some Fender 9050l (or maybe ml) to get more growl when I dig in and still still have a slappable tone. Does that seem like a reasonable way to fix the issues with my TI flats? Also thinking of going with the Dunlops. I don't want old school thump since I like a little growl and a decent slap tone but don't want rounds on it. A little darker than the TI is fine but the growl factor is important and a decent slap tone. I like the slap tone on flats like La Bellas so it is not a zingy round wound slap tone I am after. But the TI's are too floppy.
Click to expand...

Fender 9050L are my favorite flats for my Jazz. I don't see why they wouldn't sound good on a PJ. Nice medium tension/stiffness (not too tight, not too loose) and semi-modern flavor in tonal character with a strong and somewhat unique midrange. I'm not a slapper myself, but they should work fine in that regard.

Sir Toby said:
On the semi hollow I want a more thumpy woody rubbery tone. It has Chromes on at the moment but they are too bright, metallic and clacky. I want more old school. I don't however want a dead E, I need the E to keep some definition so maybe Pyramids are not the way to go. Maybe the La Bella FHBB or FHB2 since I need medium scale? Are the GHS Precision flats a good solution? I can't get the medium scale Dunlops in Swedish shops or from European retailers. I have had the chromes on for three months and they are better now after some break in but I need a little more thump and bounce in the sound.
Click to expand...

I've always liked the GHS Precision Flats in the light set (45-60-75-95) on my P bass for their overall tonal balance. Those are the same gauges as the medium-scale set. The 95E in particular is clean and clear without being thuddy or muddy like some flatwound E's tend to be. I would describe their overall tone as "woody warmth with focused punch".
 
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#4
Maybe a set of La Bella 760FL could be a better choice than the TI's also? The
HaphAsSard said:
Dunlop flats are indeed not super-easy to find, this end of the Gulf Stream, and prices are through the roof:

Invalid Link Removed
^ light set (DBFS40100M) and still a relatively light price

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
^ medium set (DBFS45105M), best prices I could find at a quick g-search

In stock here but, ouch:
DUNLOP DBFS45105M
Stainless Steel Flats 45-105 DBFS45105
Click to expand...

Thank you! The Dunlops were mainly for the long scale TMB but good to know they are available for my medium scale as well. I wanted to try these before I hot the chromes for the medium scale but now I want to go even more old school dark thumpy so the Dunlops may be a perfect middle ground of the flatwound spectrum but I want to go to the dark side on the semi hollow.
I do however think the long scale Dunlops are a contender for my TMB! A little more old school than the TI's but still with some clarity!
 
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#5
michael_t said:
Fender 9050L are my favorite flats for my Jazz. I don't see why they wouldn't sound good on a PJ. Nice medium tension/stiffness (not too tight, not too loose) and semi-modern flavor in tonal character with a strong and somewhat unique midrange. I'm not a slapper myself, but they should work fine in that regard.



I've always liked the GHS Precision Flats in the light set (45-60-75-95) on my P bass for their overall tonal balance. Those are the same gauges as the medium-scale set. The 95E in particular is clean and clear without being thuddy or muddy like some flatwound E's tend to be. I would describe their overall tone as "woody warmth with focused punch".
Click to expand...

Great to hear!! I think I will go for the Fender for the TMB! The 9950l will be more suited for slap and a little growl breakup than the 9050ml, right?

The GHS sound amazing from your description! It will probably come down to either those or the La Bella 760fhb2.
 
#8
Sir Toby said:
Hi everyone.

I have two basses with flats, one is the Ibanez TMB500 PJ bass with Nordstrand design pickups. The other is a medium scale semi hollow Ibanez ABG200.

On the TMB I have TI jazz flats and love the finger style and pick tone clarity but when I dig in to get a little growl they are too floppy. And slapping is a real struggle since they are so loose. I am thinking of putting on some Fender 9050l (or maybe ml) to get more growl when I dig in and still still have a slappable tone. Does that seem like a reasonable way to fix the issues with my TI flats? Also thinking of going with the Dunlops. I don't want old school thump since I like a little growl and a decent slap tone but don't want rounds on it. A little darker than the TI is fine but the growl factor is important and a decent slap tone. I like the slap tone on flats like La Bellas so it is not a zingy round wound slap tone I am after. But the TI's are too floppy.

On the semi hollow I want a more thumpy woody rubbery tone. It has Chromes on at the moment but they are too bright, metallic and clacky. I want more old school. I don't however want a dead E, I need the E to keep some definition so maybe Pyramids are not the way to go. Maybe the La Bella FHBB or FHB2 since I need medium scale? Are the GHS Precision flats a good solution? I can't get the medium scale Dunlops in Swedish shops or from European retailers. I have had the chromes on for three months and they are better now after some break in but I need a little more thump and bounce in the sound.

I know asking for recommendations is a sure way to get 100 different answers due to preferences but if you were to give your opinion based on how I feel about the strings I have tried and what I am looking for?
Click to expand...

The 9050s do have some growl and they're not floppy. Yet they are not high tension and they are fairly flexible. They have considerably less tension and are more flexible than equivalent gauge LaBella DTF, DR, Pyramid etc. I prefer the 9050s over the Dunlop, which are also low tension and flexible. The 9050 have more body to their tone.

On your semi hollow I'd try the DR Legend, if they fit the scale. As of the Pyramid Gold, I've had a couple of sets and E string was alright. Just make sure you kink the Pyramid and the DR before cutting them (past the kink, obviously).
 
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#9
If you slap and don’t like TI flats you should probably be playing bright rounds. I can get a good slap/pop tone from TIJF but when I am slapping for reals I grab my bass with DR High Beams. Because slap and thud are different no matter how you adjust your technique, some things come down to the right string for you.
There’s no best. Experiment.
 
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#12
Sir Toby said:
Hi everyone.

I have two basses with flats, one is the Ibanez TMB500 PJ bass with Nordstrand design pickups. The other is a medium scale semi hollow Ibanez ABG200.

On the TMB I have TI jazz flats and love the finger style and pick tone clarity but when I dig in to get a little growl they are too floppy. And slapping is a real struggle since they are so loose. I am thinking of putting on some Fender 9050l (or maybe ml) to get more growl when I dig in and still still have a slappable tone. Does that seem like a reasonable way to fix the issues with my TI flats? Also thinking of going with the Dunlops. I don't want old school thump since I like a little growl and a decent slap tone but don't want rounds on it. A little darker than the TI is fine but the growl factor is important and a decent slap tone. I like the slap tone on flats like La Bellas so it is not a zingy round wound slap tone I am after. But the TI's are too floppy.

On the semi hollow I want a more thumpy woody rubbery tone. It has Chromes on at the moment but they are too bright, metallic and clacky. I want more old school. I don't however want a dead E, I need the E to keep some definition so maybe Pyramids are not the way to go. Maybe the La Bella FHBB or FHB2 since I need medium scale? Are the GHS Precision flats a good solution? I can't get the medium scale Dunlops in Swedish shops or from European retailers. I have had the chromes on for three months and they are better now after some break in but I need a little more thump and bounce in the sound.

I know asking for recommendations is a sure way to get 100 different answers due to preferences but if you were to give your opinion based on how I feel about the strings I have tried and what I am looking for?
Click to expand...

For the semihollow I'd try D'Addario black nylon tapewound strings. Use the passive tone control to adjust the amount of 'rubbery' tone. That's what I go for on an Epi EB-0 and a Precision, for the same tonal goals you describe, more or less.
 
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#13
Phaidrus said:
The 9050s do have some growl and they're not floppy. Yet they are not high tension and they are fairly flexible. They have considerably less tension and are more flexible than equivalent gauge LaBella DTF, DR, Pyramid etc. I prefer the 9050s over the Dunlop, which are also low tension and flexible. The 9050 have more body to their tone.

On your semi hollow I'd try the DR Legend, if they fit the scale. As of the Pyramid Gold, I've had a couple of sets and E string was alright. Just make sure you kink the Pyramid and the DR before cutting them (past the kink, obviously).
Click to expand...

Yes! Sounds good. I will give the 9050l a try, then.

About the DR; they could be a great fit for the semi hollow!
 
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#14
Sir Toby said:
On the TMB I have TI jazz flats and love the finger style and pick tone clarity but when I dig in to get a little growl they are too floppy. And slapping is a real struggle since they are so loose. I am thinking of putting on some Fender 9050l (or maybe ml) to get more growl when I dig in and still still have a slappable tone.
Click to expand...
I liked the (discontinued) Fender 9050CL set and I imagine I would like and recommend the 9050L but, I have to ask, have you already considered the Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound (cobalt flats) sets? I've never tried them but they're universally described as the brightest flats out there, and I'd imagine they make for an eminently slappable string.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The "Extra Slinky" 2815 set (40-60-80-95) has only 8 pounds more tension than the Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flat JF344 set
EB Cobalt Flats vs TI Flats Tension
but is probably a touch stiffer. The next are the "Super Slinky" (2814, 45-65-80-100) and "Hybrid Slinky" (2813, 45-65-85-105). For slap 'n' pop I wouldn't bother with the heaviest two ["Regular" (2812, 50-105) and "Power Slinky" (2811, 55-110)], personally.
 
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#15
Sir Toby said:
Yes! Sounds good. I will give the 9050l a try, then.

About the DR; they could be a great fit for the semi hollow!
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:

Just a note to say that the 9050 are quite loose/flexible for flats, maybe you'd like the ML better than the L for slapping. Maybe not.

When I switched from LaBella 760FS (45-65-85-105) to Fender 9050M (55-70-90-105) I was getting frett buzz and had to play lighter.
 
#16
Killing Floor said:
If you slap and don’t like TI flats you should probably be playing bright rounds. I can get a good slap/pop tone from TIJF but when I am slapping for reals I grab my bass with DR High Beams. Because slap and thud are different no matter how you adjust your technique, some things come down to the right string for you.
There’s no best. Experiment.
Click to expand...

I hear you! You can't get the best of two worlds. I actually like the sound of slap on flats. And the TI's sound good as far as brightness goes. But the floppyness makes it wierd to get a good bounce recoil from the thumb and popping feels like pulling a bowl of spaghetti. I tried adjusting truss rod and string height multiple times but they remain too loose. Then again I might just have crappy technique.
Chromes on the other hand feel great for both slap and pop but I don't like the metallic sound, too hollow. I was hoping the chromes would be good once they settled but after 6 months they have only mellowed a tiny bit.
Maybe I should just wait a few months and stop overanalyzing...
The Fender do sound like they would fix the tension problem of the TI's and stay bright enough for slap with some growl and neither too mid scooped or with too dead sounding E string.
 
#18
mcnach said:
For the semihollow I'd try D'Addario black nylon tapewound strings. Use the passive tone control to adjust the amount of 'rubbery' tone. That's what I go for on an Epi EB-0 and a Precision, for the same tonal goals you describe, more or less.
Click to expand...

Wow! I hadn't even considered tapewounds. Mind blown!! A completely new rabbit hole to dive down and get lost in. I have some reading to do and some sound clips to browse!
 
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#20
To be fair, I’ve got an entire kitchen sized plastic trash bag filled with strings; at least a dozen sets. If one could have, say a half dozen identical instruments- which is impossible-and a half dozen identical amp/cable/cabinet setups, it would still be somewhat difficult to find the best string of the six you’re looking at. I have had two sets of the same string sound different. Be aware also that Dunlop is, or was at one point actually making Sadowsky strings (to Roger’s specifications) and that there are very limited sources of wire. You could buy six sets of strings, and they could ALL be wrapped around the same core. This is a tedious process that is HIGHLY subjective. You want to think that a $90 set of strings is better than a $30 set of strings, and the metrics of what is “better” is thrown out the window. One of the strings the OP mentions- the Tomastiks were the worst sounding strings I ever fooled with, and it wasn’t even close. No one string sounded like the other, and I paid over twice as much for them as I did for any other string I auditioned. I wound up with five different string manufacturers on six basses, and I’m sure there is room for improvement, but the lack of consistency in the process of selecting the “perfect” string is a perpetual Sisyphean process.
 
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