Flatwound string suggestion for Fender Vintera II Road Worn P

[Thom Fioriglio]

Hi all. I have a Fender Vintera II Road Worn P on the way and I am looking for suggestions for flats. I am leaning towards the LaBella 760FL. I heard those have a nice balance to them and are not too stiff. I have experience with Cobalts and Fender 9050 but it’s been a few years so I have no current reference.

I don’t want something that is totally dead sounding or too stiff to play.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[michael_t]

I've tried the La Bella 760FL (43-104) and GHS Precision Flats Lights (45-95) on my Am Std P in the past and preferred the GHS for overall tonal balance across all four strings with focused punch and warmth.

I've also liked the Ernie Ball Group 4 (40-95) stainless steel flats. Not as bright as the Cobalt Flats or as grindy as the Fender 9050, they do have a nice midrange for clarity without being too thumpy or thuddy.

 

[bassdude51]

The Labella 760FL is excellent. I do find that they sound better after a few months.

TI Flats are my #1 but lord have mercy, around $100 a pack! But, they normally last for years even over 10 yrs.

My #2 are the D'Addario Chrome Flats 40-95. Their heavier gauges can have some strong pull.

 

[andare]

Fender 9050s are super bright when new. After a couple of months the treble goes away and they become very midrangey. Maybe not the best pairing with a P bass, ideal for a J though.
The E string is also floppier because it's light gauge.
I like the feel though. Not as slick and sticky as Labellas.

Labellas have a slight midrange scoop, more even gauge balance and a slicker surface that tends to be sticky. Classic pairing with a P bass. They are also obnoxiously bright at first. You can either play them for weeks or gunk them up with Vaseline or hand cream.

Chromes retain more high end. Solid strings.

TIs are very floppy and to my ear have only midrange. Too easy to disappear on stage with them. No idea why they are so popular.
I like their guitar flats, however, and here in Europe they are now cheaper than Chromes, which have almost doubled in price in the last few years.

 

[bassboysam]

I've tried a lot of flats on a lot of basses.

from my experience:

The 760FL + P bass is a pretty classic combo. Can be a bit too scooped for heavier genres but for anything else they'll be fine.

9050 + P did not work for me. Really boxy, honky. Messy mids, if you know what I mean. With a J though, completely different story.

GHS are similiar to La Bella, in that they are darker and more dead sounding, but GHS sound very dry. lots of fundemental but not much else. I've tried thrm on Ps,Js, Rics and Stingrays, but I was not a big fan of them.

Ernie Ball Group Flats were a nice surprise on my P. More aggressive than the La Bellas and GHS, but nice a smooth through the mids but will snarl and growl when you dig in a bit.

 

[HelpImaRock]

I like LaBella LTFs over the DTF set you mentioned. But you can't go wrong with either.

You could also try LaBella Super Polished if you like a round sound, and you don't mind a not-totally-flat feel. They're groundwound.

Lastly, if you find any strings "sticky", wipe them down with a microfiber cloth.

 

[DrBnz]

I have the same bass - same color - I'm trying trying these for now. Can't complain a bit. It has a cool old school P-bass tone I really like. They say "LIGHT" but they aren't REAL light. I think you'd like em if you're looking for flats.

 

[StevewiththePbass]

My only flats experience is with Fender 9050s, but that’s almost 20 years worth. The current 9050s are very bright, almost clanky when you first put on but they mellow out into exactly the “ideal” P bass sound I have in my head, not “honky” at all after the first few hours. I’ve gotten tons of life out of them; the last set I had that finally broke the E string was almost 10 years old.

One thing though, they’re stiff. Carpal tunnel irritation is probably pushing me toward a more flexible flat soon so if you have hand strength issues, the current Fenders aren’t it.

 

[Yahboy]

Ti flat or la bella LTF4A

 

[MovingPitchers]

TI flats for me. Super low tension and play soooo smoothly. Yes they’re very expensive but as with flats, you won’t ever need to change them like rounds. Just think of it as $100 for a set of flats you’ll never break or $100 for 3-4 round wounds you’ll change over a span of a few years.

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

I have the same bass - same color - I'm trying trying these for now. Can't complain a bit. It has a cool old school P-bass tone I really like. They say "LIGHT" but they aren't REAL light. I think you'd like em if you're looking for flats.

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Looks like I never posted an update on this thread. I went with these too! The LaBella 760FL 33-104. Omg! They sound amazing!! I haven’t been able to put this bass down. They feel and sound fantastic.