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Flatwound Convert
- Thread starter Egg250
- Start date
Many years ago at a studio gig the producer suggested flatwounds. I hadn't played flats in years but I always try to do what a producer suggests. I had forgotten how punchy they are. I left them on the bass and the next time I had a gig I brought that bass "just to see". It sounded so great. Since then I've been through several brands of flats and on most of my basses I've settled on Labella LTF's. I still have a couple of basses with rounds because as everyone knows the bass picks the string.
Why choose? I have basses with different brands of rounds, flat, and tapes……I like having a lot of different flavors on hand.
(Even though I probably sound the same regardless).
(Even though I probably sound the same regardless).
Me, I go both ways (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I’ll play flats for a while and then go “wow I forgot how great rounds are”. And it’s just as cool switching the other way. No rule says you have to pick one or the other.
I’ll play flats for a while and then go “wow I forgot how great rounds are”. And it’s just as cool switching the other way. No rule says you have to pick one or the other.
I have found TI Flats to be the absolutely least expensive strings ever in the long run. I have them on all three of my basses, short and long scale. I will never, never change them or replace them. Ever. Done. For me it was a higher initial cost but a much better investment.
Indeed they do. I have a set of Chromes that have been on my SBMM for 7 years.
I recently bought a Gretsch Junior Jet that came with rounds. Took it home and plugged it in. I knew after 30 seconds that I didn’t like the tone. Strung it with flats. Bingo!
rounds on fretted, flats on fretless is how I do it but I almost always play fretless these days.
It's absolutely a myth that you need roundwounds to play rock music. However, it is true that flatwounds (especially after they're broken in) have a lot less bite to them, which leads many players to write them off entirely.
You can compensate for the natural darkness of flatwounds by boosting the treble on a preamp, playing with a pick, using a bridge pickup, or by changing them as soon as they start to get dull (Steve Harris does this, but it's probably not feasible for most of us who aren't sponsored by a string manufacturer and aren't big time rock stars).
I find the "bite" button on my Sansamp does a good job getting me the tone I want out of my Chromes or Labellas. They still don't sound like roundwounds, but then, I don't want them to.
You can compensate for the natural darkness of flatwounds by boosting the treble on a preamp, playing with a pick, using a bridge pickup, or by changing them as soon as they start to get dull (Steve Harris does this, but it's probably not feasible for most of us who aren't sponsored by a string manufacturer and aren't big time rock stars).
I find the "bite" button on my Sansamp does a good job getting me the tone I want out of my Chromes or Labellas. They still don't sound like roundwounds, but then, I don't want them to.
You can also (gasp!) turn down the bass knob on the amp.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit it took me YEARS to figure this out. I always wondered why I would want to turn the bass knob down, I play BASS dammit, I want people to hear me!
And then I'd complain about my sound being muddy...
I got there because I set up my basses like I set up my guitars. Volume and tone around 7, so it gives me a range to work with in the moment. But that also means I have to re-think how I approach the amp tone. A little cut in the bass and a small boost in the treble lets my sound sit well in the mix.
Last year I went though the same thing; thought flats were just for Stax/Motown tunes... Nickel rounds have been my go-to (DR & Slinkies) for several decades. Then I experimented with several different sets and found some new favorites-- all flats
- Chromes on the Music Man Bongo
- Chromes on the G&L L2K
- Fender & Ernie Ball Group III for the P-bass
- Ernie Ball Group III on the Stingray Special
- DR Pure Blues on a StingRay Special
- D'Addario XL's on the Rick 4003 (for now...)
*Note* all sets are 45-100
Found the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats were just too bright for my taste. Yep, a set of flats were too bright
Here's the video that motivated me to embark on the flat-wound experiment (at 1:41:01)
Enjoy!!
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I'm a flat believer/convert as well, especially on short scale basses. I find EB Cobalt Flats to have a nice middle between a round and flat sound/tone.
Yep. Same.
Now, the Bass knob is often the first control I check /reduce, to improve EQ
I've never been a flatwound fan, but recently started playing with a country cover band and thought I'd give them a shot. Down the rabbit hole I'm heading! I'm REALLY enjoying diadarrio light gauge chrome flats on my sterling 34ca. I also bought a set of labella 760fl and wasn't a fan. Next on the list is the Ernie ball cobalt flats for my sterling ray 24. I have a feeling I'm really going to like them.
I'm literally mixed down the middle on this. I own three basses including two P basses and one J bass. One of the two P basses has nickel rounds and the other one has stainless flats. The E and A on my J bass are nickel rounds while the D and G are stainless flats. I tried my J with a full set of flats but I found that I wasn't completely into it. In other words, I just like the way the flats sound and feel on the high side (D and G). Thus why my Jazz has a mix of both; 2 and 2.
I noticed, playing flatwounds, I had to pay particular attention when sliding up or down as the lack of friction would allow me to overshoot and I'd be flat or sharp. I also found less finger fatigue.
When I picked up my other bass with roundwounds, my fingers would get irritated, almost burning and when sliding on the strings the irritation was almost like friction burns.
All things considered, especially the fact that few people give a crap about your tone (usually only you), I'll choose comfort.
When I picked up my other bass with roundwounds, my fingers would get irritated, almost burning and when sliding on the strings the irritation was almost like friction burns.
All things considered, especially the fact that few people give a crap about your tone (usually only you), I'll choose comfort.
I switched out the rounds on my pbass V for Rotosound flatwounds. I wanted to like them but, I ended up switching back to rounds about a wk later. Just not my sound.
- Jan 26, 2014
- 768
- 1,555
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist;DNA Amplification, GHS strings
I didn't like the feel of flats for a long time. Now I put them on all my fretless basses. Still on the rounds for fretted though.
Flats on a fretless play like butter.
Flats on a fretless play like butter.
