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Flatwound C-string/Guitarstring on bass?

T

Thurisarz

Aug 20, 2004
824
2
Sweden
#1
I got a fiver i want flats on and i'm thinking of trying Chromes. D'addario sells a 032 C string but since i like thinner strings i want something like a 022-025.

Does any other brand sell flats in these gauges? Can you buy a flatwound guitarstring in my desired gauges and use, or will it be to short?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Thurisarz said:
I got a fiver i want flats on and i'm thinking of trying Chromes. D'addario sells a 032 C string but since i like thinner strings i want something like a 022-025.

Does any other brand sell flats in these gauges? Can you buy a flatwound guitarstring in my desired gauges and use, or will it be to short?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Don't know of any flat wound strings in a gauge that light. And unless you're playing a very short scale bass guitar, regular guitar strings will not be long enough to use.
 
#5
Not sure it will be long enough depending on the instrument.

TI's High-C is .033 and will probably feel as light as a .025 if not lighter since they are such low tension / hi-flexibility...

Oh I see you specifically want to try Chromes... hrmm...
 
#6
They have a .020 .022 .024 .026 .028 .030 Chromes Flatwound available for guitar. *Available as Singles*

Problem is they do not list the full winding length of them.

A buddy of mine uses their guitar strings on an extended range instrument and it has to extend the strings to reach his tuners. Depending on the tuner configuration on your instrument it may work. You will need to thread the string through a Bass ball end to properly install in your bridge.
 
#16
True about the Brite Flats / Slick Rounds / Half-Round bass strings...

Keep in mind they start as Round Wounds before they are ground flat, so they do have a heavier feel than the similar gauge string in a standard round wound.

GHS has a .027 Brite Flat
D'Addario has a .030 Pure Nickel Half-Round

The other day I heard a bass player playing on a P-Bass with what sounded like flats... When I went up to him and got a better look at his bass they had purple silks so I assumed they were GHS Flats... They were Ken Smith Slick Rounds...
 
#18
Ok... All the chromes guitar strings on hand...

I measured a CG024 & CG028:

41.5" from Ball End to the end of the core wire. About 1" of the core wire is exposed past the flat winding...

Ball end to about 36" is smooth polished flat winding... Past about 36" it gets rougher...

So, If you have an instrument where the tuning peg is close to the nut for this string it should work.

Oh keep in mind it does have a Guitar sized ball end so you will need to use a ball end from a bass string to pull this string through...
 
#19
SLaPiNFuNK said:
Ok... All the chromes guitar strings on hand...

I measured a CG024 & CG028:

41.5" from Ball End to the end of the core wire. About 1" of the core wire is exposed past the flat winding...

Ball end to about 36" is smooth polished flat winding... Past about 36" it gets rougher...

So, If you have an instrument where the tuning peg is close to the nut for this string it should work.

Oh keep in mind it does have a Guitar sized ball end so you will need to use a ball end from a bass string to pull this string through...
Click to expand...

So it will really only fit on 34" scale basses with a top-loading bridge and non-inline-tuner headstock. Got it.
 

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