flatwounds & slapping

[lowfrq]

I want to replace the elixer coated roundwounds on my schecter 4 string because its too bright sounding. ( seems to be getting worse) the strings are only 2 months old.
Will I still be able to get a decent slap sound with the flatwounds? Any suggestions?

 

[broadblik]

Slap on flats will sound really dull IMHO

 

[mrufino1]

Sounds awesome. Commodores, Larry Graham, etc...Well, Larry Graham I think was tapewounds, but similar.

 

[kebbs]

You may consider half-rounds. Worth trying - but not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[tapp01]

Check out tunes like Steely Dan's "Aja" and Sly an the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" to get a good approximation of what it sounds like to slap flats. I've got some Chromes on my SX PJ and they have a pretty good slap tone IMO.

 

[dezspet]

Or check out the audio files here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
You'll find flat string slap recordings for each instruments amongst many others.
IME it's difficult to get a good lap tone on a live gig from flats, but I have to admit, I'm not a Victor Wooten when it's slapping time...
Also check out "Diamonds on the sole of her shoes" from Paul Simon's classic album Graceland. The guy is slapping on flats on a fretless. And it sounds cool.

 

[badboy1984]

Flat is dull no matter what flat you use.

If you want abit of mellow sound but want to keep the brightless when slaping, i would look into half round or nickel round.

I personally would use Low Rider

 

[JTE]

As others have said, it won't be the commonly expected "slap sound" of bright rounds twanging (thinking more modern players like Marcus Miller, Flea, Victor Wooten, et. al.) but it's still a good and useful sound. Larry Graham reported (Guitar Player Magazine back in the days when the only infromation available on stuff like this was GP- who were the only guitar mag at the time too) said he used GHS flats for the early stuff, eventually switchng to GHS Boomers. But "Thank You (Falletine Me Be Mice Elf, Again)" is flatwounds. Sounds good too. I was at the Lakland shop a few years ago and played "Thank You..." on a flatwound-strung Joe Osborne through an Acoustic 360. Sounded great to me!

jte

 

[Shy Guy]

Get d'addario half rounds, just got them over the weekend and so far they are great

 

[david fitch]

I used to love to slap on D'Addario Half-Rounds, before they changed the formula of the strings to pure nickel. I saw T-Bone Wolk slappin on some with Hall & Oats years ago and I was sold on them. The new ones just sound dead,I would rather just slap on brite set of flats like D'Addario Chromes now.

 

[JTE]

I used to love to slap on D'Addario Half-Rounds, before they changed the formula of the strings to pure nickel.

THey WERE nickle. Then they came out with a stainless version, then they dropped the nickle ones. Seems they've again switched things and dropped the stainless ones and gone back to nickles. If you liked the D'Addario stainless Half-Rounds, try a set of GHS Brite Flats.

jte

 

[david fitch]

Yes, I know the original D'Addario Half-Rounds invented by Mr. D'Addadrio used to be Nickel and switched Stainless and back to Nickel. That's not my point,my point is they are now Nickel and I don't like them anymore. I have tried the GHS Brite Flats and they are not the same as the old D'Addario Half-Rounds,the are not as smooth and some of strings are ground down more then the others in the same set.

 

[GunslingingBird]

I have D'Addario Chromes, about a year old now, and I love the slap tone from them. They have that old school thump, which I like much better than the modern metallic slap tone.

 

[willieG]

Funny thing is......the whole slap thing got started on an upright....when guys would play more for effect........

Saw some guy in New Orleans some years back.....thought he was gonna pull the strings off......sounded like he was playing a combo bass drum and bass.....

I have the Jamerson set on.....slapping them gets me a sore thumb.
The LaBella 760N.....black nylon set is slappable.....I think Sly and the Faily Stone guy was using em.....on A Jazz Bass.....for the funk.

According to Bobby Vega......

BillyB

 

[Will On Bass]

I have flats on my fretless. Not good for slapping IMO.

 

[envika]

I have flats on my fretless. Not good for slapping IMO.

That might be more due to the fretless than the flats

 

[bass_snake]

Thanks Dezspet for that Lakland link. Awesome man.

Fred

 

[rubber_ritchie]

I'm glad I found this thread. I saw this live vid of Meshell Ndegocello the other day and was trying to work out this great slap tone she has. I love it! Link Removed It sounds like she's using flatwounds.

Is she using flatwounds here too? Is this flatwound? Thanks x

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

I'm glad I found this thread. I saw this live vid of Meshell Ndegocello the other day and was trying to work out this great slap tone she has. I love it! Link Removed It sounds like she's using flatwounds.

Is she using flatwounds here too?

Sure sounds like rounds to me.

 

[jpfbass]

IMO flats would lack the pop that rounds have. My friend has some flats on his '75 j-bass, and slapping on it is like slapping on dead rounds- there's no character. Really the best alternative is to buy another bass and string it with flats, but if you can't afford one then I guess half-round might do the trick, though I've never tried them for myself.