Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Flatwounds on a "fancy" bass
- Thread starter J. Brooks
- Start date
Hello. My lightly personalized Monarch-P is a Fodera, but it is not fancy.
Its alder body has a plain wood veneer. Its bolt-on maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard with nickel frets.
The personalization was moving the controls for its passive electronics; and the use of a non-stock, but traditional P pickup (initially Klein, then Flying Mojo).
When they did the last pickup swap, Fodera also swapped on Curt Mangan flatwounds, replacing the stock Fodera roundwounds. Curt Mangan flatwound bass strings feature an E string that sounds more muted than the higher strings.
I like the sound and feel of these flatwound strings on this Monarch-P, especially with the deep voice of the Flying Mojo pickup.
Any bass that gets flats installed immediately gets upgraded to fancy.
I like a lot of the Devons I see, but that one is truly stunning!
I currently have TI Jazz flats on this - in super long scale:
(though with Nordstrand Dual Coil pickups now)
(though with Nordstrand Dual Coil pickups now)
In fact, if you peruse the main Sadowsky thread, you will find that many of the cats playing Sadowsky basses use flatwounds. They are VERY popular, and Roger specs and sells specific versions for his basses.
Some of the responses are otherwise a bit uninformed.
Yes! And thank you BTW! The Verdine is PJ5, it has Duncan pups, as confirmed by Peter at the time when I ordered. I got to choose between those or Nordy. I had a Metro with the Nordy PJ and the Duncan's are just smoother, sweeter top, more even all around.
I'm using Sadowsky Blue Label flats, light gauge .40-.125, perfect fit for that bass.
I have flats on my Rickenbacker 4003SW, Status Graphite Electro II Fretless, not sure if those would be considered fancy enough for here 
.
Also have flats on my Jack Cassidy, Gibson LP Jr. Tribute, and Reverend Fellowship.
.Also have flats on my Jack Cassidy, Gibson LP Jr. Tribute, and Reverend Fellowship.
This bass must be fancy, because it is a Yancey. And, as we all know, anything that rhymes is automatically true.
Not pictured here, but for the last five-or-so years this one has worn DR flats, then TIs for a while, and recently LaBella low tension flats.
The first ~5 years I used only Sunbeams, and maybe nickel LoRiders for a bit. Switching this one to flats was a kind-of Aha moment. Something about these pickups and maybe it being semi-hollow; this bass makes those flatwound sets sound better. (Didn’t like it with EB cobalts, Fender 9050, or either Sadowsky set.)
Not pictured here, but for the last five-or-so years this one has worn DR flats, then TIs for a while, and recently LaBella low tension flats.
The first ~5 years I used only Sunbeams, and maybe nickel LoRiders for a bit. Switching this one to flats was a kind-of Aha moment. Something about these pickups and maybe it being semi-hollow; this bass makes those flatwound sets sound better. (Didn’t like it with EB cobalts, Fender 9050, or either Sadowsky set.)
John Patitucci runs half-rounds on his electric basses. Not quite flats, but I agree with whomever said that high-end basses were designed to sound "hi-fi" and I was initially surprised when JP made the switch.
The tone has grown on me though - the mellower high end gives him something like a Pat Metheny tone equivalence on bass. In the style he plays, it works well.
Because I have been trying to copy JP shamelessly since I was about 19, I put half-rounds on my Skjold 6-string, which is the natural-finish bass I have in the pictures you see in this video.
There are a few basses in the track, but there is a pretty naked feature of the 6-string beginning at about 1:43.
The tone has grown on me though - the mellower high end gives him something like a Pat Metheny tone equivalence on bass. In the style he plays, it works well.
Because I have been trying to copy JP shamelessly since I was about 19, I put half-rounds on my Skjold 6-string, which is the natural-finish bass I have in the pictures you see in this video.
There are a few basses in the track, but there is a pretty naked feature of the 6-string beginning at about 1:43.
No idea if my bass fits your criteria, but easily the most expensive/high-end bass is a Modulus Genesis with Bartolini pickups and preamp. I've tried a number of different strings on it, including roundwound and tapewound, and settled on D'Addario Chromes (among other flatwounds I tried) as the best-sounding strings for this bass and my playing style.
Nope, get out.I have flats on my Rickenbacker 4003SW, Status Graphite Electro II Fretless, not sure if those would be considered fancy enough for here
Also have flats on my Jack Cassidy, Gibson LP Jr. Tribute, and Reverend Fellowship.
Just kidding
Thanks for the responses y'all.
Bass monster and all around good guy @steubig runs flats on I think 3 or 4 of his Fodera 6-strings. iirc some are fretted, some are fretless, and some of his instruments are alternate tunings.
I have a friend who plays handmade "coffee table" basses, and has recently been really into flats on them.
I thought it was odd until he sent me a clip of him playing and it sounded really nice, playing fusion licks in a jaco style on that setup. I diddn't expect to like it, but it sounded really nice.
I thought it was odd until he sent me a clip of him playing and it sounded really nice, playing fusion licks in a jaco style on that setup. I diddn't expect to like it, but it sounded really nice.
For whatever it's worth, the Alembic "Point" model bass I bought brand new in 1980 came from the factory strung with a set of Pyramid flats.
