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Flatwoundedness Is Upon I

DreadyDiggs

DreadyDiggs

Apr 15, 2008
675
809
38
Portsmouth, VA
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#1
Well fellas. I've got the two basses I want(won't be buying anymore for a while). Now it's time to find the sound I want.

Squier P-Bass
Steinberger Spirit XT-2

I'm going to play primarily reggae/old school dub.

One dub I'm in love with right now is the Holiday Dub


I've NEVER had a pair of Flatwounds, but I'm ready to put some on both basses. May buy one pair before other, but I hope to put them on both.

Question for you guys is which flats on which bass? Ernie Balls? Labellas? Fenders? I've never used any of them so I'd like some advice.

Respect, Dready.
 
#2
Once I played those, I never looked back:

"D'Addario Chromes ECB80 - Ribbon Wound - Super Soft Gauge (.040-.095)"

They might not be "fat" enough for the sound you're wanting, but you can find them in .045s as well. :)

The playability and feel is very, very smooth.
 
#4
I use GHS Precision Flats (45-105). I bought them because a local store had them in stock and they were only $20. To me they feel like they have a little less tension than the LaBellas and Chromes. I would describe them as the classic flatwound sound.
 
#5
I've been using LaBella flats for many years (760 FM are the medium sets, 760 FL the light sets), pretty high tension strings that some players don't care for all that much. For a lighter tension you can try the TI flats (JF344 set). Both these sets are a little on the expensive side, though.

If you just want to try out some flats without spending too much money, Rondo (the SX/Brice distributor) has a no-name called Indie that are pretty decent and very cheap ... I have no idea how durable they are, but they feel good and play decent ... :cool:
 
#7
I've probably tried a few more brands than this, but in order of preference, here are my picks:

Favorites: Lakland Joe Osborn flats
Not bad, but I much prefer my faves: D'Addarrio Chromes
Not terribly fond of: TI Jazz Flats
A little less fond of: LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass
Disliked: Fender 9050's
Hated: GHS Brite Flats

I'd like to try Sadowsky's flats. I've been using the Joe Osborn's for about 10 years now, I think. I don't really see myself switching from them.

To each their own, I suppose.

KO
 
#9
I am pretty much a flatwound guy. I play country, roots, classic rock, oldies, americana music and flats just rule for it. Dead nickels wounds are my 2nd choice. Here are some flats i have tried and my 2 cents. The #1 thing IMO with flats is tension. I dont care if they sound like warm buttered toast if they play like steel rods and hurt my fingers they are done.

Fenders- Horrible tension, issues with truss rod adjustment. They do sound good, old school thump.

SIT powerflats- bright again bad tension and brighter than i like.

SIT silencers- Not a true flat wound but a compression wound wrap with a light wire that after they are broke in have a half round sound and feel pretty much like flats. Great strings but again not a true flat.

Chromes-light and med gauges- I prefer light and love these strings. For the money the best on the market and easy to find locally (GC) They last and sound awsome as they age, the tension isnt bad at all.They are really slick and feel nice. I have 2 basses with these on them.

TI jazz flats- Well i bit and have had them on for a month on my 51 RI. I have not done a gig with them so the jury is still kinda out. I have a gig with them next week so i am hopefull. I will say so far they have not let me down. Very nice feel like chromes, tension is where i want any string to be feel like roundwoundish to me...awsome! Tone is bright for a flat very woody and uprightish hard to discribe cuz no other string sounds like them. I have heard tones come from my bass i have never heard with chromes, rounds any string for that matter...BTW good tones at that :D They are not cheap($54.00) but like most flats last forever and in the long run you get your moneys worth.

With bass strings costing what they do my first choice is Chromes since they are cheaper and found in alot of stores. Labellas etc are good but basses i have tried them on made me feel the tension was too high..which in flats is the norm alot of the time.
 
#10
I've tried just about every type of flat out there, and my two favorites are the GHS Precision Flats and the DR Hi-Beam Flats. I find them to be family similar in feel, tension, tone, and balance, and prefer them for the following reasons:

Feel: There is just something about a tight stainless wrap on a flatwound string that just feels 'right' to me. I greatly prefer the overall texture of that to chrome, nickel, tin, or any sting with gaps between the windings.

Tension: These two to me offer the best compromise in tension. Not nearly as stiff feeling as the LaBellas or Fenders, but not as loose as TIs. You can dig in nicely, or as I do, play above the end of the fingerboard without any clankiness, but at the same time don't have to worry about any hand fatigue or possible neck issues as with the higher tension sets.

Tone: I am a fan of old-school, classic thump. You'll get this with the LaBellas and Fenders as well, but with the aforementioned higher tension. And, being that that is the sort of tone I'm after, I find the Chromes, Rotos, etc. to be a bit too bright and aggressive sounding.

Balance: Among the more 'classic' sounding flats, I find that the LaBellas and Fenders take a couple of months to balance out. By that I mean that I find the E and A strings to sound nice and thumpy right off the bat, while the D and G strings need some time to mellow out and lose some of the bright, almost twangy edge to match the E and A strings. I don't find this to be the case with the GHS Precision Flats and DR Flats. All 4 strings seem to have the same tonal characteristics from the start.

As always, YMMV.
 
#11
I use Ernie Ball Group III Flats (.045, .065, .080, .100) on my '84 Squier Precision bass for old school warmth and fatness.

I also use them on my '06 Spector Euro 4 LX to help tame the otherwise edgey tone for Jamiroquai/DMB material.

Plus, they won't break the bank at an average cost of $31 a set.
 
#15
I'm not sure you can get that tone with TIs (I've never played them), definitely not with Rotos or Chromes.

Labella FL760s get real close on my jazz, Sadowskys work fine but are slightly differently voiced, and fender 9050MLs when well broken in will do it, too. From reviews I bet DRs, GHS, and Dean Markleys would be perfect, too.

Great bass tone on that, the playing sounds a lot like Fams, which would make sense if that is The Upsetters. I've never heard that version, could also be the Revolutionaries- that could easily be Lloyd parkes on bass, too, maybe even Robbie Shakespeare, but I don't think so (it sounds too late to really be the Upsetters, I think the recording was probably on the Upsetter label, hence the confusion- it does sound like a Black Ark production, but not a Lee Perry dub, more likely King Tubby).

I have the original of that on Duke Reid's Treasure Chest, by the Sensations, and a wicked instrumental version credited to organist Winston Wright on the same. The whole double album was remastered and the sound quality of those original masters is stunning, clean and warm and beautifully balanced. His Treasure Island studio really was special and he ruled the rocksteady era! Jackie Jackson played some sweet lines on a Jazz for most of those sessions.
 
#17
I've got a set of D'Addario Chromes and a set of DR hi-beam flats. The chromes seem a little brighter and stiffer to me. I think the DRs are a little thumpier.

I have been meaning to try the labella's on my P for a while, but it's taken apart while I am refinishing it.
 
#18
bthiemann80 said:
Maybe you should happen upon some courses in proper English.

....and a set of GHS Flats, highly recommended.

;)
Click to expand...

Proper English is for proper people, and I'm not proper by US standards, so I'll pass and do me.

GHS Flats huh? Thanks for the advice and for everyone, keep it coming.

I'm hearing La Bellas, and a player from Youtube also recommended them for the sound I'm after. Not sure yet, bout to drive up to the music shop now.
 
#19
DreadyDiggs said:
Proper English is for proper people, and I'm not proper by US standards, so I'll pass and do me.

GHS Flats huh? Thanks for the advice and for everyone, keep it coming.

I'm hearing La Bellas, and a player from Youtube also recommended them for the sound I'm after. Not sure yet, bout to drive up to the music shop now.
Click to expand...

You'll love them.

BTW I like your title. It is English, and I get the joke.
 
#20
A recent thread on Talkbass turned me on to this place. Supposed to be a great deal on Labella's. I wouldn't know, I've never seen them in a music store. $26.55 before shipping.

Super happy with the Labella 760 FL's. I don't notice them being all that high tension on my pbass. It really is the sound I was after.

http://www.imperialguitar.com/
 

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