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Flatwounds sustain and downtune issue

oopercent

oopercent

Guest
Mar 20, 2012
4
8
Moscow, Russia
#1
Hi everybody!
I have an issue with flatwounds strings. The sustain is shorter that on the roundwounds of course, but I'm curious with fast decay, some times it works wrong in slow riffs that I play, and in case that my band has no guitar (drums/bass/vox) it could be problem with slow riffage.

Does anybody can give me advice how I could make sustain longer, without jumping to roundwounds (not really love the sound of rounds)?

My current setup is GL L2000 with La Bella's Gold flats 065-085-105-128, tuned to C-F-A#-F.

Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you!
 
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#3
Linnin said:
I don't understand your issue. My five year old GHS Precision flats easily give me 12 beats of good strong sustain in a slow 80 bpm blues.
Click to expand...

Yeah well they sucked hard for downtuning for every gig I've used them on, as did Labella. The only flats I've found somewhat suitable for downtuning are Chromes, and I don't even really like Chromes. That nice balance that GHS's and Labella's have at standard pitch turns into a wet fart at even a half step down, IME.
 
#6
IME, some flats actually come alive when slack tuned. Others die.

DR Legends thrive slack tuned, and Chromes do pretty well too.

Alternatively, TIs lose all that wonderful TI-ness, and LaBellas thump extra hard, losing definition.
 
#8
Linnin said:
That's right. Flatwounds have so much sustain they have to be muted. Leo Fender put mutes in his bridge covers. Other bass players use palm muting. I mute with a combination of my fretting and plucking hand. Take your pick. It's not the strings fault. It's the player's.
Click to expand...

Makes sense...at standard pitch. Are you using the same tuning cited by the OP? It has absolutely nothing to do with muting and everything to do with the behavior of a flatwound when tuned down. Leo Fender never designed his basses or the strings that went on them with the tunings presented here in mind. You're so completely off base I'm wondering if you bothered reading the OP, or if you just blindly wandered in to espouse the virtues of GHS again.
 
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#9
petrus61 said:
Makes sense...at standard pitch. Are you using the same tuning cited by the OP? It has absolutely nothing to do with muting and everything to do with the behavior of a flatwound when tuned down. Leo Fender never designed his basses or the strings that went on them with the tunings presented here in mind. You're so completely off base I'm wondering if you bothered reading the OP, or if you just blindly wandered in to espouse the virtues of GHS again.
Click to expand...
No. A half step or a whole step down makes no difference. Any further than that simply use a BEAD string setup. No sweat. Why do so many make so much bull hockey out of so little?
 
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#10
Linnin said:
No. A half step or a whole step down makes no difference. Any further than that simply use a BEAD string setup. No sweat. Why do so many make so much bull hockey out of so little?
Click to expand...

Now you've confirmed you are completely unqualified to comment on this topic. Have fun with your perpetual campaign of bias and misinformation.
 
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#13
oopercent said:
Hi everybody!
I have an issue with flatwounds strings. The sustain is shorter that on the roundwounds of course, but I'm curious with fast decay, some times it works wrong in slow riffs that I play, and in case that my band has no guitar (drums/bass/vox) it could be problem with slow riffage.

Does anybody can give me advice how I could make sustain longer, without jumping to roundwounds (not really love the sound of rounds)?

My current setup is GL L2000 with La Bella's Gold flats 065-085-105-128, tuned to C-F-A#-F.

Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you!
Click to expand...

Are you using any compression? I don't use flatwounds, but I feel like it would solve the issue.
 
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#14
oopercent said:
Hi everybody!
I have an issue with flatwounds strings. The sustain is shorter that on the roundwounds of course, but I'm curious with fast decay, some times it works wrong in slow riffs that I play, and in case that my band has no guitar (drums/bass/vox) it could be problem with slow riffage.

Does anybody can give me advice how I could make sustain longer, without jumping to roundwounds (not really love the sound of rounds)?

My current setup is GL L2000 with La Bella's Gold flats 065-085-105-128, tuned to C-F-A#-F.

Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you!
Click to expand...

How close are your pickups to the strings?

I'm guessing here, but MFD pickups may have a stronger magnetic field than standard pickups, which may affect your string's sustain.

My experience with MFD pickups is limited, but I remember they were extremely loud for a passive pickup.

Another factor maybe the string's alloy is not as magnetic as steel or nickel strings.

I curious about this because I just bought a set of La Bella Gold flats.
 
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#15
Try increasing the gauge of the strings, as the tuning you are using now isn't balanced with the gauges you have for optimal tension. Then again, to find single strings for different flatwound brands in that gauge with tension charts avaible are kinda hard and is better to experiment yourself, so then again maybe not.
If you like the sound of the LaBella Gold strings, buy a nice compressor to easily solve the problem without much hassle with strings and the like.
Good luck!
 
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#17
Did you change to a heavier gauge of string than the previous strings?. When I went with thicker gauge on one of my basses I had to shave down the nut slightly for each string, on another bass I had issues with the bridge saddles and could have shaved the saddles but replaced the bridge anyway. Those two issues killed sustain.
 
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#20
Time to pop a fresh batch of popcorn...;)

upload_2017-12-17_19-52-56.png
 
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