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Flats on a jazz bass

#21
markjazzbassist said:
jazz with flats is heaven, truly heaven.

i love it and my main axe is strung up with flats.

PLUS, you never have to change them, they sound better with age and wear.
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Funny how things change... I started on flats (that's what my J bass came with when I bought it new in '76) and switched to roundwounds right away... Now, i can't imagine a J bass with flats. A P bass... well, that's another issue. I had a old parted-together P bass that I put flats on for blues gigs - it was great. BIG fat, flat round sound. But it seems to me that the J bass really "wants" live strings. Maybe it's just me...
 
#22
Fender 9050's ml on my Standard jazz, Warm growly goodness.
Rotosound 45-105 jazz flats on my Geddy, creamy growly goodness.

I throw some light mutes on the Standard from time to time, and then dial in some extra gain. The result is a snarling monster.

The nice thing about flats is that your not fighting for sonic space to be heard. Your heard and felt much more. An open "E" string with flats is a great note to hit.

I like Labella's a lot, they are a great string. Chromes are a real good string as well.
 
#25
Crazy Ivan said:
Flats on a fretted J is a crime against bassmanity. Why clip the wings of such a brightly voiced bass? You have to let it sing its heart out with some 66's or Hi Beams.

Now fretless is a different story. Meatiest sound ever.
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I somehow fall into this philosophy.:hmm:
I don't think I'd get that punchy growl out of my J with rounds. Other basses and other situations, sure I'd go flats.
 
#27
Bongolation said:
So it won't sound so tinny, and sound like a bass instead of a bass guitar?

Maybe, but to extend fretlife, surely.

Just got [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], and those 8250Ms have to go. Freteaters, and it just doesn't sound like a bass with them. That neck can't help.
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a tinny sounding instrument can be credited to just about anything but roundwound strings..

anyway, flats on a J are a pretty killer oldschool sound...but when i think J bass, i think rounds (marcus miller, jaco, ext)
 
#28
tomvelsor said:
a tinny sounding instrument can be credited to just about anything but roundwound strings..

anyway, flats on a J are a pretty killer oldschool sound...but when i think J bass, i think rounds (marcus miller, jaco, ext)
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I'd love to try it-- the Rotosoud Flats I have on my SX P are too stiff, and put me off flats for a while.

And, it's silly, but my jazz is a "Marcus.." so I'd feel funny putting flats on it, even though I don't try to cop his tone or style at all.
 
#30
On a Jazz I like D'Addario Chromes. They are bright when you want them to be,
they allow the Jazz bass growl to come through, not stiff, nice and smooth,
you can still slap and pop with them, they get better with age, and they don't
cost a fortune.
 
#31
I have two Jazz basses,both with flats. I love flats. Check Joe Osborne out on America's "Horse With No Name." Also pretty much every Bob Marley recording with Family man Barrett. Search "inityband" on youtube to hear me playing a fretless JBass with flats. I'm playing it more like a fretted bass, and the eq is set for reggae, so it doesn't have that Jaco jazz tone (which I also appreciate).
 
#32
Again, Joe Osborne did NOT play on America's "Horse With No Name". On that first album the three members of America played bass. It might be a Jazz with flats, but I'm betting it's a Precision instead. Osborn DID play on later America stuff, and I think it's him on "Sister Golden Hair" and "Lonley People" but I'd have to check the credits on the album.

jte
 
#34
Mmmmm... you guys got me thinking. I might just have to slap some flats on my soon-to-arrive Nash '63 J replica. (Think I hear the FedEx truck now - oh goody! ... No, it's just a gust of wind.)

I enjoy Thomastik flats (they magically combine the THUMP of heavy gauge with the softer feel of light gauge). But since I already have them on a P and a 5-string fretless, maybe I should try something different.
 

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