Flats or Rounds?

[BeauZooka]

I voted flats. Go Chromes so you’ll still have some growl.

 

[mrjim123]

I don't see squarewounds so I'm not voting.

 

[Altitude]

A P-Bass with flats is a super cool sound, but if you only have one of them I think you probably want rounds on it for versatility. Try both though.

 

[oldskoolskatedad]

I really, really enjoy flats on my Squier Matt Freeman P. I have a set of TI flats for every bass I own as I find they last forever and seem to only get better with time. Some of my basses, Ric 4003 and G&L 1505 especially, tend to have rounds on them more often than not but the P never goes without flats for very long. I tend to dial up a fairly gritty and punchy tube tone with plenty of mids with both pick and fingers and I find the P with flats really works great for this.

 

[wmhill]

 

[mcrawfordmusic]

I voted for flats for two reasons...

1) You already have a jazz bass that has rounds on it.
2) A P bass with flats kills it for blues and rock.

Having one with each will cover just about any sound you want for a blues/rock band.

 

[JOME77]

Hello there

I'm going to be purchasing a Presicion type bass in the next few weeks, and I'm currently debating on whether I should put rounds or flats on it; I currently play in a blues/blues rock band

- Sam

That's all that you had to say ..... Precision, Blues/blues rock

Take from a guy that's played RW's exclusively for most of the last 30 years...

I recently got a gig playing classic rock, blues and R&B. As I started working on the tunes I noticed that as I was learning the tunes, while I was playing the parts correctly, it just didn't have the feel of the original bass part.
Then I had a light bulb moment, I bought some EB Cobalt flat wound string for my Fender Jazz and suddenly the bass parts took on the character of the songs.
Then I took it a step further, and bought a new Fender American Pro P-Bass. As soon as it arrived I installed some D'addario Chrome Flat wound strings. WOW!! That's the holy grail of bass tone!

To sum it up: That is the heart and soul of classic rock, blues and R&B bass!

Quit debating and install some Flat Wounds!
TI Jazz flats, D'addario Chrome Flats, EB Cobalt Flats or Labella Deep Talking flats. All great flat wound strings.

 

[chuck1073]

I started with nylon tape flats on my 5-string P Bass. The B string sucked.
My happy medium is DR Black Beauties. More sustain than the tape flats with a warm/
mellow tone.

 

[mikewalker]

Has anyone mentioned the obvious "MAX-VERSATILITY" option?

for a 4-string P, you string it with one flatwound, one groundwound, one roundwound, and one tapewound.
FOUR BASSES IN ONE!

 

[AboutSweetSue]

I’d start with rounds despite the fact I’m a diehard flats user. I’d start with DR Sunbeams.

Then, when those rounds have run their life out, I’d change them to flats. You’ll be so impressed with the flats you’ll never try rounds again. Or, you will, then you’ll put flats back on. Ah yes, the cycle begins.

 

[zoonose]

Flats, baby. I play mostly rock and metal with Chromes

 

[Element Zero]

Flats or rounds? Clearly the correct answer is... Yes.

 

[socialleper]

TB is a bubble. Flats are nowhere near as common in the real world as one would think by reading TB. You will have a hard time finding more than one set, if that, in a physical store.
Round wounds are what 90% of the world uses. Join us.

 

[rtslinger]

Both have a place in my Job of covering Classic Rock music

 

[morgansterne]

I just put SIT silencers on my precision.
They are awesome. Character of rounds without so much finger noise!

Edit; just put=about a month ago

 

[Axtman]

Boxers or briefs?

 

[patrickj]

Flats belong on a fretless. All others, rounds.

 

[mikewalker]

TB is a bubble. Flats are nowhere near as common in the real world as one would think by reading TB. You will have a hard time finding more than one set, if that, in a physical store.
Round wounds are what 90% of the world uses. Join us.

that's somewhat true in my neck of the woods... my local music shoppe USED to have one set of flats in stock ( fender)... but now they have ZERO. And tapewounds? FAHGEHHDDABOUDIT!

Needless to say, I buy all of my strings by mailorder...

 

[Pops OB]

What are “Rounds”?

 

[Fender_Bender]

Have you tried playing around with the tone knob yet?.