Flats!!!!

[billgwx]

Am liking LaBella 760FL's on my 1998 Fender AmStd P...nice smooth feel, with more midrange than my J-with-rounds bass but not overly much. Also like the way notes bloom rather than hit you head on, but am not sure whether that's a function of the strings or the bass itself. The string-through-body design of this bass is also allowing more sustain than I would've thought possible from flats.

Used this bass at church last night, and it was great for the instrumental setting and songs we played. Works better for me when guitars are the only other instruments present...when keyboards and other melodic instruments are present I go for the J instead.

Tried Chromes and was not happy. Too much sustain, way too much mid range, gritty string feel. Also not enough patience of my own to let them settle down.

 

[Herrick]

I've been playing D'Adarrio chromes on my Precision Bass and they feel & sound great to me. Yesterday, a 32-scale bass arrived in the mail (purchased from a fellow TBer) and it has La Bella flats on it. These actually sound better to my ears, but then again it's a different bass with different pickups. The La Bella strings feel a little better as well. Very thumpy. I like that

I used to play Ernie Ball Slinkies which are nickel wounds I think. This was years & years ago. I never liked all the slippery string noise they made. Don't think I've ever played rounds before. I like how they sound when others play them but they're not really for Herrick.

 

[Biggbass]

dig it,
tapes too.

 

[COBRARI]

With the exception of what style music you play, flats are a great string for a fretless rosewood neck.
I learned the hard way. I started seeing the grooves cutting into the fingerboard with the roundwounds and changed to flats.
Actually made the bass sound even more like a stand up bass.
They feel so good on the fingers too.

 

[PBnJBassist]

I'm probably one of the few members here that use [new] Fender flatwounds. I absolutely love their "growl" that I haven't been able to find in the flatwounds I've ran with so far; and I've gone through plenty of them. (GHS, Rotosound, Chromes, Ernie Ball, and La Bella). Growling on a P-bass everyday now - thank you flatwounds.

 

[Major Softie]

I loved Chromes until I tried Roto 88 tapes. Now they are my absolute fave. Oh, they're on a Peavey P (Fury) with Gotoh bridge, and on my fretless Foundation. Still have the Chromes on my fretted Foundation

If you really like round wounds, then you can just use flats and take a file to your frets every week to get the same effect.

 

[ScottTunes]

Having tried "most" flats, nickel flats get my vote every time. Only 2 brands have nickel... TIs are really fine. Many have claimed them to be mid-forward. Carol Kaye swears they are IT! And my experience recording with them (w/ Ric 4003) is that they are very full indeed!

However, Pyramid flats, when you can get a decent set, really have it all! I've tried all the "majors" (I think) on my 4 different bass guitars... I always end up preferring Pyramid flats on my 4003, Jazz, Precision, and especially Hofners. I even like Pyramids (flats and rounds) on my Teles, Strats, and Gretsches!! Wish I could get an endorsement... or at least a few free sets for this support! But, alas, I do it for my own tone quest! They aren't an easy company to deal with... But, fortunately, flats last a very long time! So the difficulty in getting a good, matched set, and the expense to do so are well rewarded over time!

As always, YMMV, and IME/IMO... Sorry these disclaimers must be added...