Flats: Smooth vs Sticky vs Grippy

[pbass2]

I recently used my '62 P bass reissue which has Sadowsky flats, which I believe are made by LaBella. It was an outdoor gig and it was hot and humid. I absolutely wished I was playing a bass with roundwounds. Very sticky.

ps. no I WAS NOT wearing shorts

Something to this, for sure. I've gone back to mostly using a P with old nickel rounds for almost all gigs after being staunchly flats-always for a number of years, mainly just to change it up. I didn't really think about it beforehand, but there are indeed times when the rounds just don't get sticky but the flats would. Add a glossy neck finish to the equation and man, you can start feeling pretty hung up.

 

[Whale guy]

I recently put D'addario chrome half rounds on my P bass. They were so glue like that they rendered it unplayable for a good while. After playing, they left my fingers sticky. I had to play my backup bass for 2 gigs. I finally rubbed the strings rather aggressively with rubbing alcohol repeatedly until the stickiness was not as bad. I can't wait to throw those away and get a new set.

Very interesting thread. Kudos.

 

[packhowitzer]

While we're at it:
Do you guys ever change your flats?

The chromes on my stingray were put on in 2009 or 2010. I don't have any plans to change them any time soon. They sound good to my ears and feel good to my hands.

 

[Iofflight]

I recall the D'addario Chromes feeling grippy on a secondhand bass I bought, the La Bellas are definitely sticky. Due to this tendency of some flats towards being grippy or sticky, I've been hesitant to step much outside my comfort zone. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Dunlop flats. They came with a bass that I purchased and I'd definitely get them again though currently, other than that bass, my others are primarily TI flats and one set of Dogal Hellborgs which feel beautiful.

 

[Dust2Dust]

If your strings are sticky/grabby, just rub your nose with your fingertips.

That's my method too

 

[groovepump]

While we're at it:
Do you guys ever change your flats?

In the recent past, string changes were forced on me because of my rigorous one-in-one-out policy. Whenever I bought a new bass, an old one had to go and since I'm not exactly a worshiper of the FSO, I could not really keep the worn flats. I did a lot of cleaning up in my stable and my current oldest bass has come into my possession in 2020. The flats on there are close to three years now, and those are just perfect.
I plan on leaving them on there for as long as they stay the way they are now.

Viewing it from this angle, I don't really care how they feel the first few weeks.

HA! Same. I have a 4 string Jazz I bought used in 2015. Had rounds on it. I put new strings on it 2 years ago. Didn't feel right. Didn't sound right. So I put the dead rounds back on. Back in biz.

 

[GIBrat51]

I've been working my way through various flat strings to see what I like best. In addition to the oft-discussed bright vs thumpy scale or string stiffness, I'm also noticing that the surface feel varies quite a bit as well. Generally this is only mentioned in passing, though it's well-known that on the roundwound side nickel strings feel softer than stainless most of the time. I guess I'm sorting flats into three categories: Sticky, grippy, or smooth. Most flats I think are trying to be smooth. I've seen comments that some of the sticky strings will become smooth as they break in. Grippy, the string is smooth, but it catches at you if you are pressing harder.

Anyway, feel free to add your evaluations, or disagree with one of mine. Here's what I've tried so far...

Smooth:
- Fender 9050
- D'Addario Chromes
- GHS Precision
- (honorable mention) D'Addario tapewound

Sticky:
- D'Addario Half Rounds

Grippy:
- Rotosound 77 Jazz
- GHS Pressurewound (on the border of being smooth though)

Thoughts?

Thanks in Advance!

Well...
IME - I've been playing flats; all kinds of them, for many years - most flats are a little... sticky... right out of the package. As I recall, Fender 9050s, GHS P-Flats, Dogals, Gallis, and DR Legends weren't sticky - even a little. The one set of D'Addario Chromes I've played, were very, very well broken-in when I put them on a bass; so, I couldn't say what they were like when new. All the others that I've played - or currently play - were sticky - but not much. And, a little playing time always cures it, anyway. The only flats that I've ever had trouble with, are La Bella's DTGF Gold Flats. They're positively grabby - and nothing I've tried - short of bacon grease - will fix them. I'm pretty sure the problem is that they have a brass outer wrap - and this grabbiness is just a thing with brass. If I didn't love their tone on the bass they're on, they'd have met Mr. Dumpster a while ago... And, they may, yet...
Tapewounds? They're smooth by their very nature. I've only played a couple kinds - Roto TruBass88s, and La Bella Black Tapes. While they weren't goose-grease slick, they were certainly smooth. And, like flats, they got slicker with use...
Smoothness and flats? They do tend to vary quite a bit. Dogal R44s are pretty smooth, and yes; 9050's and D'Addario Chromes are, too. Not much of a surprise though; D'Addario makes both of them. The smoothest flats I've ever played, though, are Galli's JF4505 Jazz Flats. Those things are smooth as Teflon over wet ice...
Half Rounds and Pressurewounds? Never played those, so... I can't comment on them.
I only have 2 basses - out of 23 - that don't wear some kind of flat wounds. One of those 2 wears Roto Tapes; the other wears TI Jazz Rounds. Even my 3 guitars wear flats...

 

[Iofflight]

Interesting I've not tried Galli flats. I really liked their rounds until I discovered TI rounds and never went back.

 

[Selim]

That flats get sticky and “slow” when I’m playing in a hot n humid environment is probably the ONLY reason I use well broken in rounds instead.

If I found a way to overcome this, I’d use the flats every time.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Dunlop flats are smooth and don't grab. Never found them to be sticky either. Galli strings seem interesting. Unfortunately doesn't look like the 45-130 set can be sourced domestically in Aussieland.