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Flatwounds not feeling so pleasant.

S

Stupid Jerk

Aug 1, 2006
341
1
#1
Every time I try a bass strung with flats - especially if it's a fretless - it feels like the skin on my fingertips is gonna get peeled off!

I have a GWB fretless with roundwounds (the fretboard is made of this plastic "ebanol" substance that doesn't get all gouged out like wood would) and I can play on that thing until the cows come home. But the other night I was messing with a buddy's fretless J-bass, strung with flatwounds... twenty more minutes of that and I would have been going around for a week with all four fingertips wrapped in bandages. Or at least that's what it felt like.

Sticky! Like dragging your face across an unwaxed linoleum floor. *Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppphhhhhhh*

What is the problem?

- Callouses not built up enough? I only have this problem with flats and my fingertips paid their dues long ago....

- Are you supposed to grease 'em up beforehand with Crisco or something? :confused: Or chalk powder?

I don't understand. :(

I've also tried them on fretted... I find the tension uncomfortable, and doing slides and stuff sucks.

What might the problem be? :confused:
 
#2
I'm playing my Jazz that's strung right now (it's on my lap, cause I can't type and play at the same time, lol). Mine are not sticky or anything. I can glide right across the strings nice and fast. No pain or anything. I do play quite a bit though, have been playing for about 4.5 years now too. I used to use rounds and finally got some Chromes and I like them. Not sure what your problem could be. I play some upright too, now those are some heavy and slow flats. Ever thought of asking to see what strings specifically they are and see if there is a link (maybe it's a certain string or brand).
 
#3
I've found that newer flat wound strings can be a little more high tension and not quite as smooth as older flats.

I have a set on one of my Jazz basses that's been on it for a little over a year and they sound and feel great! But I do feel that with flatwounds they can be a bit harder on your fretting finger tips than rounds.
 
#4
The only set of flats I ever played were a set of Sadowsky (made by Labella) on a Lakie 55-01. They were sticky the first couple of weeks (a real shocker for me, I was really disappointed at first), then they smoothed right out. I'd say get 'em a little funky first before you make a final judgment call. Have some Kentucky fried before you play :smug:
/joke
 
#9
TI = ?

So it's a matter of breaking them in?

That makes sense. The fretless I tried... the guy's a guitarist first and foremost, by a longshot, but he's got a bunch of other odds and ends in his music room... in some cases (I'm conjecturing), just to have them. It seemed like the bass was bought used, restrung with flats not long ago, and then left in a case. That's also where I tried the Ric. Where he gets the dough for all that stuff, I know not.

And then the fretted 5-string I tried... well, this was another guy. He'd bought the thing, given it up (for drums) a few months later, and left it in the case.
 
#10
Flats are more often than not going to be pretty sticky out of the package, and if you're new to flats getting over the first week or two of stickyness will reward you with very smooth, fast strings with (hopefully) the kind of tone you intended on getting.
 
#13
Ahhhhh... thanks guys. :cool: I remember wondering "geez! Flats are supposed to be standard for fretless? How!?" Now I know. :D

Oh, and one quick question. These flat/round hybrids I keep hearing about... how would those work on a fretless with, say, an ebony board? Would they gouge it like roundwounds but just take a bit longer to do it? What would the sound/tone difference be like, generally speaking?
 
#14
Stupid Jerk said:
Ahhhhh... thanks guys. :cool: I remember wondering "geez! Flats are supposed to be standard for fretless? How!?" Now I know. :D

Oh, and one quick question. These flat/round hybrids I keep hearing about... how would those work on a fretless with, say, an ebony board? Would they gouge it like roundwounds but just take a bit longer to do it? What would the sound/tone difference be like, generally speaking?
Click to expand...

My 81 fretless G&L had half rounds on it for years on an ebony neck - even had full on rounds on it for a while and barely shows signs of abuse. :bawl: There are a few light scratches there, but I bend them somwtimes, too. (a fretted bass habit...) Just last week I installed a set of 'chromes' flats and REALLY like em. Much better sound for this bass and not a bit of perceived 'stickiness'. Smooth and sweet.
 
#18
I haven't felt any stickiness on flats per se, but they do have more drag on your fingers. I think it's more surface area that comes in contact with your finger, like slick tires. I play upright too, so I'm used to high tension flats. A little nose-skin oil helps in a pinch when my fingers get sticky from sweat.

I played the medium LaBella flats .109-.049, 760FM for a while on my Sterling and felt the difference - tension and drag. I've switched to the next lighter gauge on my jazz - .104-.043, 760FL. While only being a little smaller, they feel much lighter - less drag and tension. They still rival my Ken Smith .105-.045 roackmasters for tension, but they feel really good. Their sound is very open, clear and focused.

I also tried a set of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Bass short scale .106-.043 for my EB-3. I love them. Strangely they are much much lighter tension than my other lighter gauge strings. The short scale contributes, but they feel lighter than the D'Addario rounds I used to use. I'm thinking maybe a small core. If there's any problem with these, it's my having to lighten up my playing. The gauge range seems extreme too, but they are very well balanced across the strings and up and down the neck.
 
#19
Baleen said:
I played the medium LaBella flats .109-.049, 760FM for a while on my Sterling and felt the difference - tension and drag. I've switched to the next lighter gauge on my jazz - .104-.043, 760FL. While only being a little smaller, they feel much lighter - less drag and tension. They still rival my Ken Smith .105-.045 roackmasters for tension, but they feel really good. Their sound is very open, clear and focused.
Click to expand...

That is not the next lighter gauge. The 760FS is 45, 65, 85, 105.
 

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