Have used D'Addario Chromes on G&L L2500 and Ibby. Kind of "thuddy", but that is sort of the point, yeah...?
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FLATS ON A 5? (Flats on a string ray?)
- Thread starter Bill Murray
- Start date
I've recently started bringing that Devon out to play live again and have had a number of very competent and knowledgeable players complement my tone. The TI Jazz Flats are at least partially responsible.
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Lots of great information, insight, and opinions in this thread. Thanks for all the input! I'm going to head to a local music store tomorrow and pick up a set of flats for a test round. I'd love to grab the TIs but don't wanna invest that much initially.
Ps. Most of what I'll be playing is Reggae, R&B, and Soul so based on feedback this far I think the flats are going to rule
Ps. Most of what I'll be playing is Reggae, R&B, and Soul so based on feedback this far I think the flats are going to rule
Go for it.
I've had TI Jazz flats on my fretless G&L L2500 for at least 5yrs. This track is the bridge pickup soloed.
I'll have to listen to that on decent speakers when I get home from work, but that sounded like some pretty fat bass tone for an L's bridge pickup. Sounded pretty nice!
Great playing. I'd never have known that was fretless on a casual listen (very much meant as a compliment).
Really fat bridge sound.
Ben
Thank you both! It really is a fat bridge tone, and I was using parallel mode, and passive. I really love the TIs on it as it has a very natural, organic, "woody" tone that gets lost with rounds. I have other fretless basses with rounds, but the G&L w/TIs is warm, woody, fat, and still articulate enough to be heard. Very much like my upright w/TI Spirocores. That fat, woody tone is as much of the reason I use it as being able to slip and slide around on the fretless board, which I'm happy to do when the song calls for it.
It still has a nice growl to it on the lower notes which really helps it sit nicely in the mix. Cool tone!
Ben
I've had success with and would highly recommend:
-TI Jazz Flats
-Cobalt Flats
-Sadowsky Blue Flats
-TI Jazz Flats
-Cobalt Flats
-Sadowsky Blue Flats
TI's work great on my Sandberg VM5 and Modulus Funk 5. On a whim, I just picked up a Warmoth necked parts P5 with Aguliar 60's pu that came with new TI's, and the B sounds hollow with no low end. I raised that side of the pickup some and that didn't do much. I wasn't sure if the B sting will get better with age and I should just keep playing these strings or maybe try something else as each bass likes its own string. In the past I didn't like EB cobalt, and Chromes have sounded good but I didn't like the feel as it seemed kind of roundwound-like. I have sets of used Labella's and Progressives lights (kind of a flat) that I may try. Thanks everyone for their insight on this thread.
I did play with my basement jam group last week and took my L-2500 with the new GHS Precision Flats on it. WOW! They definitely did not remove the teeth from that bass. I liked the Chromes that I had on it for about 3 years (the same set) but the GHS are a different kind of fantastic. Whereas the Chromes had more high end than these, these strings let the lows and lower mids come through better. We were only a three piece - guitar, drums, and me - and probalby will be until more of our group gets vaccinated, so I still want to hear these strings in a denser mix once the pandemic is over and we get back to normal (we sometimes have 6 or 7 players and four of us sing, so that will be a good test). The Chromes always handled it well, hoping these do too.I had DR nickel Lo Riders on my Stingray 5HH for a long time and, even though I'd try other strings once in a while, I always went back to the Lo Riders. Then I tried Chromes on it and was amazed by the tone. It still had enough growl and high end for me (it's a 2007, so it has the preamp and the 5 string ceramic pickups from the Sterling of that time) but it also had a deeper and more satisfying ... grunt... than it did before. I then tried a set of Pressurewounds again about a year ago. Nice enough strings, but I just put another set of Chromes on it and am much happier.
FWIW, my band plays classic rock, blues rock, and blues. That bass with those strings sounded fantastic on those songs. I love the sound, my band was happy with my sound (especially our drummer!), and my sound has gotten compliments from musician friends of the band.
I also just did something probably crazier and put a set of GHS Precision Flats on my L-2500. Those are even more vintage sounding strings on an arguably more aggressive sounding bass. It sounds amazing to me and I'm looking forward to taking that bass to the next basement jam I'm playing in to hear it in a band context (our material is mostly classic rock, similar to my band's play list). If it sounds as good as I hope, I might be tempted to take the Chromes off my Stingray, even though they're not even broken in yet, and put a set of Precision Flats on it.
I love flats on my Stingray - and my other five string basses.
The one thing I did notice is that the Precision Flats B string does sound noticeably thuimpier with more thud than the Chromes. That might sway my opinion over time, including wherther or not to try them on my Stingray, but time will tell.
I've also been playing my Stingray a lot lately since putting the Chromes back on it a couple of weeks ago and my opinion of them hasn't hasn't changed. The Pressurewounds I previously on it were good, but I like the flats on my Stingray enough to keep them on for a while again. They've been such a good pairing for me, in my band as well as in the rotating cast of many players in that basement jam.
Finally had to chance to listen to all the audio with my headphones
I was really surprised with how sweet the low B sounded. Thanks for sharing!
I was really surprised with how sweet the low B sounded. Thanks for sharing!
I went to both GC and a local music shop in search of flatwounds, I know I could buy whatever online, but I try to stay local if possible. GC is obviously not a mom and pop shop but I try to also give them some business when I can, anyways they had nothing for 5 string sets.
The local music store only had the EBMM custom gauge stainless steel in a 5r so that's what I put on.
initially I was pumped but once I had all the strings on I noticed a considerable decrease in volume on the Low B...
It's been a little over a week but I've been playing 4-5 hours a day (lots of material to learn). The difference has either mellowed out from using the stings or my ear has just adapted and accepted it. I was able to get some recordings done and used it at a rehearsal with no red flags.
I actually really enjoy the flats on the low B, I'm a pretty clean/smooth player anyways but now it's just that much smoother.
thanks for all the input. I can absolutely see why some people would hate this but I'm digging it.
The local music store only had the EBMM custom gauge stainless steel in a 5r so that's what I put on.
initially I was pumped but once I had all the strings on I noticed a considerable decrease in volume on the Low B...
It's been a little over a week but I've been playing 4-5 hours a day (lots of material to learn). The difference has either mellowed out from using the stings or my ear has just adapted and accepted it. I was able to get some recordings done and used it at a rehearsal with no red flags.
I actually really enjoy the flats on the low B, I'm a pretty clean/smooth player anyways but now it's just that much smoother.
thanks for all the input. I can absolutely see why some people would hate this but I'm digging it.
And, if you do decide that you'd rather go back to rounds, it's WAY cheaper to change strings than to change basses.
But I'm guessing you'll stick with the flats for a while.
But I'm guessing you'll stick with the flats for a while.
Hey guys, very interesting thread! I only used flats on my former 4 string P-bass, and loved it. Now I have a Warwick Corvette $$ with rounds on, and I wanna put flats on her just to hear what gives. Any of you ever had flats on a $$?
No, but I sold my FNA Jazzman to a friend of mine and he replaced the set of Sunbeams I had on it with a set of LaBella Deep Talkin' Flats. He recently asked if we could swap that bass with my Precision V for a couple of weeks because he was considering buying a Precision V and wanted to try mine out. I didn't hesitate.
It's not the same bass as a $$ but it's still an pretty aggressive sounding bass. Honestly, I thought the LaBellas sounded fantastic. They seemed to zig where the bass zagged (to borrow a phrase from Duke LeJuene of Audiokinesis Cabinets) so they complemented the bass rather than removing it's teeth.
YMMV, of course.
It's not the same bass as a $$ but it's still an pretty aggressive sounding bass. Honestly, I thought the LaBellas sounded fantastic. They seemed to zig where the bass zagged (to borrow a phrase from Duke LeJuene of Audiokinesis Cabinets) so they complemented the bass rather than removing it's teeth.
YMMV, of course.
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+1 on the Labella Low Tensions. I wanted a set of Flats for my 5HH fretted SRS and on a whim ordered a set and put them on about 3 hours ago, been playing them non stop! What a great combination! It smooths the aggressive nature of the 18v pre, while still being fairly bright. The band I'm in now has been adding some old school funk classics and these will fit in perfectly! Highly recommended for a Ray!
That's cool to hear @2milehighspike ! Congrats on the new setup.
Alright, I've got a new development for this debate.
My initial impression was accurate. I had my first gig with the SR5 (with EB stainless flats) last night and there is significant volume loss on the Low B. I play mostly reggae, R&B, and Soul so I live on that string, definitely a deal breaker for me.
Has anyone else had experience with this? I'm wondering if this is a Stingray or Flatwound issue? Maybe just these particular strings?
I am going to grab some rounds and try them at my gig next week so I'll have that for comparison but would love to hear any stories/input/advice
My initial impression was accurate. I had my first gig with the SR5 (with EB stainless flats) last night and there is significant volume loss on the Low B. I play mostly reggae, R&B, and Soul so I live on that string, definitely a deal breaker for me.
Has anyone else had experience with this? I'm wondering if this is a Stingray or Flatwound issue? Maybe just these particular strings?
I am going to grab some rounds and try them at my gig next week so I'll have that for comparison but would love to hear any stories/input/advice
