Flats that sound like GHS pressurewounds?

[LeighOnSea]

Hi
I am only learning, so this may be a daft question

I have experimented with strings and have settled on:

• La Bellas on my passive Sire P5R precision for a lovely mellow sound
• Ernie Ball Cobalt flats on my active Sire V3 jazz for a bright sound with flat feel
• GHS Pressure wounds on my active Sire P7 PJ, which are 'just right'

I am pretty happy with all of the above, but I do like the feel of flats
To me the GHS PW's are inbetweenies in term of feel but more like round wounds

Then there is the issue of the fretting noise on the GHS PW's

I have also tried Chromes

I feel that in order of tone (mellow to bright) these go:
LA Bellas
Chromes
GHS PWs
EB Co Flats

(Not necessarilly equally spaced in terms of tone)

So, my question is, are there any flats that have a similar tone to GHS pressure wounds?
Kind of between Chromes and EB Co Flats?

please

 

[michael_t]

PWs are more "roundwound" in their tonal character than "flatwound", so I was going to suggest the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, which are the most roundwound-like of all flats.

Something in between the Cobalts and the Chromes? None I can think of.

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is PWs are unique both in tone and feel.

 

[onda'bass]

For the bright flats I like chromes over the EB cobalt flats. They have more bottom and age wonderfully to my ears.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

You might try Fender 9050 flats which start out bright but gradually get darker but not like GHS Precision wounds or LaBella flats.

 

[LeighOnSea]

PWs are more "roundwound" in their tonal character than "flatwound", so I was going to suggest the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, which are the most roundwound-like of all flats.

Something in between the Cobalts and the Chromes? None I can think of.

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is PWs are unique both in tone and feel.

Thanks,
I am thinking perhaps to keep the GHS Pressure Wounds to make me develop my technique to reduce finger noise

For the bright flats I like chromes over the EB cobalt flats. They have more bottom and age wonderfully to my ears.

And I am also thinking of Chromes,

You might try Fender 9050 flats which start out bright but gradually get darker but not like GHS Precision wounds or LaBella flats.

........ and, that is a good indication, I didnt know about them
Where would they 'fit' on my brightness spectrum above, please?
(PS its GHS Pressure Wounds I know, not GHS Precision Flats - I will avoid my acronym GHS PWs from now on)

Edit, throwing another option into the mix - what about ground wounds?
I Tried D'addario Half wounds I think, what about the others (GHS, others?)

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Thanks,
I am thinking perhaps to keep the GHS Pressure Wounds to make me develop my technique to reduce finger noise



And I am also thinking of Chromes,




........ and, that is a good indication, I didnt know about them
Where would they 'fit' on my brightness spectrum above, please?
(PS its GHS Pressure Wounds I know, not GHS Precision Flats - I will avoid my acronym GHS PWs from now on)

Edit, throwing another option into the mix - what about ground wounds?
I Tried D'addario Half wounds I think, what about the others (GHS, others?)

Fender 9050 not as bright as Cobalts and Pressure wounds but bright compared to traditional flats...usually reasonably priced but I haven't checked in a while...I've got them on 80s Peavey foundation and Fury ; J and P types...no knowledge on ground wounds personally but am curious.

 

[michael_t]

Edit, throwing another option into the mix - what about ground wounds?
I Tried D'addario Half wounds I think, what about the others (GHS, others?)

I've tried the GHS Brite Flats (Alloy 52 half-rounds/groundwound) a few times in the past. Every time I tried them I ended up going back to the PW as their tonal character was too far into the flatwound territory. Besides, I didn't care for the sticky surface feel. PWs actually feel slicker.

 

[michael_t]

I am thinking perhaps to keep the GHS Pressure Wounds to make me develop my technique to reduce finger noise...

I'm very fussy about finger noise. So, I keep at least one bass with rounds on purpose so I can work on my technique. Then I come back to the PWs and appreciate their much smoother feel. The funny thing is PWs feel pretty much like any rounds if you're a regular flatwound player.

 

[BassicJazzy]

PWs do have a more gritty feel on the fretting fingers, but I've never gotten string noise off them. They just wear out my finger pads a little more than flats. Just keep working on your technique, minimum pressure on the fretting fingers, and problem solved.

 

[markjazzbassist]

TI Jazz flats, they sound like rounds

 

[micguy]

The funny thing is PWs feel pretty much like any rounds if you're a regular flatwound player.

PW's feel very much like flats to those of us who play rounds, and the finger noise (if your technique is honed on rounds) is pretty much non-existent.

 

[Passinwind]

Hi
I am only learning, so this may be a daft question

I have experimented with strings and have settled on:

• La Bellas on my passive Sire P5R precision for a lovely mellow sound
• Ernie Ball Cobalt flats on my active Sire V3 jazz for a bright sound with flat feel
• GHS Pressure wounds on my active Sire P7 PJ, which are 'just right'

I am pretty happy with all of the above, but I do like the feel of flats
To me the GHS PW's are inbetweenies in term of feel but more like round wounds

Then there is the issue of the fretting noise on the GHS PW's

I have also tried Chromes

I feel that in order of tone (mellow to bright) these go:
LA Bellas
Chromes
GHS PWs
EB Co Flats

IMNSHO SIT Silencers belong on that list too, at just slightly brighter than the GHS Pressurewounds. I find them a bit easier on my fingers too, but many others feel the opposite. But as a fretless-only player who solos a lot I definitely want a little squeak and the Pressurewounds are sometimes just a bit too tame. So for me one fretless with single coils and Pressurewounds and one with sidewinders and Silencers keeps me very happy, both landing in a pretty similar spot.

 

[ClassicJazz]

There is one that everyone missed and one of my favorite flat wound - Rotosound Jazz Bass 77. These are probably the brightest flat wound stings you can get. They have a wonderful warm yet punchy tone without the high end zing just like the GHS PW strings (which I love and use as well). My second favorite are the D'Addario Chromes. I love the feel and tone of those strings.

 

[Altitude]

PWs are more "roundwound" in their tonal character than "flatwound", so I was going to suggest the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, which are the most roundwound-like of all flats.

Something in between the Cobalts and the Chromes? None I can think of.

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is PWs are unique both in tone and feel.

This is the answer.

However - Cobalt Flats have a feel situation that doesn't work for everyone. The windings, which are flat, have tiny spaces between each wrap. This contributes to the unique tone but also creates more friction than you expect. It's a sticky feeling to me, especially when my hands get a little sweaty. It was bothersome enough on gigs that I took the Cobalts off of my J bass and put the Pressurewounds back on. The Cobalts are on my P-bass now, which I don't play out as much. They do sound good.

On the Pressurewounds - if the string noise bothers you, consider knocking 15% or so off of your tone knob.

 

[BassicJazzy]

This is the answer.

However - Cobalt Flats have a feel situation that doesn't work for everyone. The windings, which are flat, have tiny spaces between each wrap. This contributes to the unique tone but also creates more friction than you expect. It's a sticky feeling to me, especially when my hands get a little sweaty. It was bothersome enough on gigs that I took the Cobalts off of my J bass and put the Pressurewounds back on. The Cobalts are on my P-bass now, which I don't play out as much. They do sound good.

On the Pressurewounds - if the string noise bothers you, consider knocking 15% or so off of your tone knob.

That happens to me with Labella LTFs, they get sticky feeling. Not with Chromes. Supposedly wiping the strings with rubbing alcohol from time to time will reduce that sticky feeling? Maybe something builds up on the strings and that removes it?

 

[michael_t]

That happens to me with Labella LTFs, they get sticky feeling. Not with Chromes. Supposedly wiping the strings with rubbing alcohol from time to time will reduce that sticky feeling? Maybe something builds up on the strings and that removes it?

The stickiness @Altitude is talking about comes from the way the outer winding on the Cobalt flats have tiny little gaps in between. The same with half-rounds/groundwound. Cleaning with alcohol may help to a certain degree, but not 100%.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I am thinking perhaps to keep the GHS Pressure Wounds to make me develop my technique to reduce finger noise

Playing Pressurewounds (Smith Compressors) on my StingRay since July, after close to four years with EB Group IV flats on the instrument ...

There is everything to like with Pressurewounds, is what I hear when I play back my videos. They do, in fact, record very well.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Hi
I am only learning, so this may be a daft question

I have experimented with strings and have settled on:

• La Bellas on my passive Sire P5R precision for a lovely mellow sound
• Ernie Ball Cobalt flats on my active Sire V3 jazz for a bright sound with flat feel
• GHS Pressure wounds on my active Sire P7 PJ, which are 'just right'

I am pretty happy with all of the above, but I do like the feel of flats
To me the GHS PW's are inbetweenies in term of feel but more like round wounds

Then there is the issue of the fretting noise on the GHS PW's

I have also tried Chromes

I feel that in order of tone (mellow to bright) these go:
LA Bellas
Chromes
GHS PWs
EB Co Flats

(Not necessarilly equally spaced in terms of tone)

So, my question is, are there any flats that have a similar tone to GHS pressure wounds?
Kind of between Chromes and EB Co Flats?

please

EB Cobalt Flats, for sure!

 

[funkinbottom]

Fender 9050

Great sounding strings. (to me anyway) I've used them for many years on my '60 Jazz. I also really like Dunlop flats. I have two 5 string basses with Dunlop. Very excellent to my ears.

 

[HelpImaRock]

The stickiness @Altitude is talking about comes from the way the outer winding on the Cobalt flats have tiny little gaps in between. The same with half-rounds/groundwound. Cleaning with alcohol may help to a certain degree, but not 100%.

I put some GHS Brite Flats on my Reverend Watt today, and had a chance to compare them to the LaBella Super Polished on my Squier Mustang and LTFs on my Guild Starfire.

1. Neither the Super Polished or the Brite Flats sound like flatwounds. The LaBellas are stainless steel and the GHS are nickel/iron. And they sound comparable to stainless steel and nickel rounds, respectively.

2. LTFs are super smooth. Super Polished are not as smooth. Brite Flats are rougher still, but nowhere near as rough as Pressurewounds or "normal" rounds.

3. I'm guessing the Brite Flats will smooth out a little, and mellow out, over the next month or so. The Super Polished sure have.

4. The Brite Flats are 49-109 and I can play them in E standard. I cannot say the same for the Labella DTF 49-109 set they replaced, which I had in D standard.

5. Like with the Super Polished, I wiped down the strings with a microfiber cloth after I tuned up. They're not sticky now.