Flatwounds are just not for me

[Vinny_G]

What's funny is that on TB flatwound strings are the subject of about 8 threads out of 10, whereas in the real world they represent barely 20% of sales and modern recordings.

P.S. I have nothing against flatwound strings. Many artists I like use them.

 

[Raoul_Duke]

You might try them later if you have a different bass. I find that some basses love flats and some don’t.

 

[bcbassman]

When I started playing all basses came with flatwound strings as standard equipment (1969). That was what everybody used. I used to get massive blisters on my picking hand from using flatwound strings and my under powered amp.

When I went to half- rounds and then GHS roundwounds I found the ideal bass string for me. I don't miss flats at all.

 

[Spectrum]

I still don’t quite “ get” flats, other than being easy on the frets and fingers. It seems like just EQ’ing most of the treble out on rounds = instant flats, but no amount of fuddling will coax that round wound Zing out of flats. My son got a set of flats for his Jay Turser Hofner clone, and they play and sound great on a bass that has a pretty limited tonal palette like that, pretty much thump or thumpier. I must be missing something, but not missing it much. The one that really mystifies me is flats on a Ric, like wrapping a knife blade in cotton and trying to cut rope with it. Why would you spend 2k on a bass legendary for treble bite and then muzzle half it’s range?

Flats on a Ric = snow tires on a Corvette

 

[john_g]

Flats on a Ric = snow tires on a Corvette

Im not a hardcore flats fanatic, I have a couple of pairs of them, Chromes and GHS P's, but they sound great on my Ric. I was never a flats guy, always rounds. In my last band I had two loud guitarists with really thick tones. Tried talking to them about overall tone of band but it didnt work. Noticed my tone really overlapped theirs so I tried some brighter flats (Chromes) just to see if I could get below them a bit and it really did work. Made the overall sound of the band much better. Now, I admit I throw them on every now and again and use rounds most of the time mostly because I dont love higher tension of flats, but the tone on my Ric really surprised me.

 

[DJ Bebop]

What's funny is that on TB flatwound strings are the subject of about 8 threads out of 10, whereas in the real world they represent barely 20% of sales and modern recordings.

P.S. I have nothing against flatwound strings. Many artists I like use them.

That's because once you buy a set of flats, you won't be changing them for about 10 years. Whereas those rounds you're changing once a week

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I decided to take my third attempt at putting flats on my P-Bass in February. I had tried GHS Precisions and Rotosound 77s in the past and just couldn't bond with them. This time I tried Chromes and they only lasted about 6 weeks before I went back to Boomers. As much as people rant and rave about the feel of flats I actually like the feel of rounds better, possibly because that's what I'm used to. Anyway, I need to quit spending money trying out different strings... in the end I always end up back at Boomers and EB Slinkys.

I hear you. I tried Chromes on my P-Bass about 15 years ago. I kept them on the bass for a month or so, and when I restrung, I went back to rounds.

 

[osonu]

I wonder how much of it is just what you're used to/ My first "favorite" bass was a P with Labella DTFs, so when I got my Stingray 5 I wanted flats on it. Ended up with Sadowsky's in a very happy accident, and love the sound - usually EQ a little extra bass and mid and a slight cut on treble.

Now I'm trying out an L2500 and it has rounds on it. I love the sustain, but really having trouble adjusting to the sound and the feel - not to mention the thing is just a monster soundwise. Haven't given up yet, and don't really want to put flats on it just to see what it sounds like, so we'll see what happens. Really thinking about passing it along.

On a side note, it's the first bass I've ever had professionally set up and the guy was just a wizard, so low and easy to play!

 

[klejst]

I too have never been a huge fan of flats either. To each their own but I just prefer the feel of the rounds under my fingers/pick.

 

[Troutman]

To each their own..I just prefer the feel of the rounds under my fingers/pick.

^yup yup

 

[DJ Bebop]

I use both on both fretted and fretless

 

[Brad Johnson]

Flats on a Ric = snow tires on a Corvette

Leon Sylvers III killed with that combination.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I decided to take my third attempt at putting flats on my P-Bass in February. I had tried GHS Precisions and Rotosound 77s in the past and just couldn't bond with them. This time I tried Chromes and they only lasted about 6 weeks before I went back to Boomers. As much as people rant and rave about the feel of flats I actually like the feel of rounds better, possibly because that's what I'm used to. Anyway, I need to quit spending money trying out different strings... in the end I always end up back at Boomers and EB Slinkys.

I played flats from 1965 until 1976 when my bass was stolen along with all my music gear. Replaced the bass in 1985 with my '82 Jazz, and it came with a set of Dean Markley Blue Steel round wounds. I replaced those a couple of times and then switched to DR Black Beauties because a friend recommended them. They looked good on my white bass and they had a more balanced sound across the strings than the Blue Steels did. I wore those out to the point the black coating was looking like a mottled gray coating and the back of the strings where they hit the frets were super shiny steel. All in all I used round wounds for about 33-years.

I bought a set of LaBella Deep Talking Bass White Tape-Wound strings next because I saw a video of Scott from SBL demoing different strings, both rounds and flats, on the same bass. Most of the flats suffered in the upper ranges but were very solid in the bottom end. These tape wounds though sounded great with both the upper range and the bottom end. I decided that I would give them a try when my Black Beauties wore out.

Bought them online here at the TB store in 2018. I absolutely love these Tape Wound Flats. They have far better balance across the strings than the round wounds I'd used; they still have plenty of upper end; and they are super smooth and easy on the fingers. Actually took me a little bit to get used to them because they are so slippery that I found myself sliding up into the fret beyond my target if I wasn't careful. I got used to them pretty quickly though. I've had them almost 2-years now and really like them. I might change to the black tape wounds next time just for S&G's, but I really these Tape-wound flat strings. You might want to give a set a try.

 

[JW56789]

Over my time, I've tried flats, tried the GHS Brite Flats, etc. and I just can't do anything with them. I will admit they feel nice, but they always sounded like brand new dead strings. I ran out of guys to sell the old ones to for motorcycle brake or clutch cables, so I went back to nickel wounds . . . . .

 

[David McIntire]

Flat wound strings are the Rotary Phones of bass accessories. Ha! The exception, for me, that proved a rule? A gorgeous Warmoth 4 string fretless that, as much as I hate to admit, sounded and played phenomenally with some kind of Fender flats, only recognized by the particular color of silk. I just don't dig the "Flat" thing. I want my sound "Round".

 

[Frndmoretti]

I play in a quartet with one guitar and saxophone, Drums and vocals. The flats work pretty well to really separate the bass from the guitar so you can hear what both are doing more clearly, which is nice because we rarely play in unison.

I play pyramid gold flats with GZR pickups. I don't feel like it lacks treble if I want it. Actually, I sometimes have to roll some of it off, but it's probably because I either play with a pick or with bony skinny fingers that are actually a bit treblier than a pick.

Fresh rounds sound too clancky to me.

Edit: I think I made it sound like I play in instrumental band.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I can't stand the sound of flats. When my rounds start to sound like flats, I replace them. The dull thud of flats just ain't my thing. That said, everyone has their own opinion, which is a good thing.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Flats on a Ric = snow tires on a Corvette

You ever had to drive a Vette in a snowstorm you might wish you had em. Same with the way flats work in a lot of musical environments.

My background is primarily electric guitar. Always used rounds. My 1st personally owned bass had GHS Precision Flats and I guess that spoiled me. I now have 17 basses. 7 are strung with rounds, 1 with pressure wounds, 5 with flats and 4 with Tapewounds. I like having the variety but honestly prefer playing the tapes and flats but still like the sound of rounds but do not care for the feel.

 

[Frndmoretti]

I think with flats it's easier to find a place in the mix where it's just you there. I want to start a metal project to play with flats and a tone similar to the King Gizzard metal album

 

[David McIntire]

Fresh rounds sound too clanky fer me, too. But, I can fix that with eq, both onboard the bass and aboard the amp. What I can't do is put the response of rounds, to my hands, into flats. Rounds response are faster. For me. I can mimic the sound an response of flats with technique, tone control and eq. I cannot do the opposite using flats. Probably user error, or intent. I just don't love the "idea" of flats. But that's me. Just an opinion.