Flatwounds vs Roundwounds in 2025

[Geddaric]

As it was stated earlier, Play whatever gives you the sound and feel you like.
Right now I have a mix likely to stay as is.
P w/flats
Fretless w/ flats
J w/rounds
PJ w/ rounds.

 

[bassdude51]

Flatwounds or roundwounds — where do you stand?

Where I stand is not me dictating where anyone else should stand.

Flats! TI Flats #1. #2, D'Addario Chrome Flats, their lightest gauge, 40-95.

When I started playing bass way back in the late 60s as a 15 year old kid, there were 2 choices of strings, flats and flats. And then John Entwistle of The Who introduced us to rounds, Roto Sound. Bass players around the 1970s started using rounds. Especially because of the sound of YES, Chris Squire.

Flat wounds from about the late 70s, early 80s fell out of favor with most bassists using rounds.

But, recently, maybe 10 or 20 years ago, some bassists rediscovered flats. And although IMHO, rounds are probably mostly used, a significant amount of bassists now use flats.

I would like to know the percentage of bass players + flats and bass players + rounds.

So, back in the 60s and 70s, I used flats. Then, I went to rounds. Then, about 25 years ago, I went back to flats. My reason for using flats is related to the kind of music that I like and that "traditional bass sound" is my favorite.

Generally speaking, most flats have pretty strong tension and pull on the neck which can max a truss rod. But, TI Flats are low tension and are equal to or even lower than many rounds. TIs are also famous for lasting for many years. Many bassist get over 10 years with TIs.

Rounds or flats is a personal matter. It's what "you" like.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Flatwounds or roundwounds — where do you stand? Are flatwounds still the go-to for jazz/funk, or are rounds creeping in everywhere?
Share your experiences, favorite setups, and any surprising discoveries!

I’m a long time round user that primarily have been playing PB’s. A while back I bought an a JB V 5 string that came with a brand new set of flats. No being one to waste a new set of the first of flats on one of my basses in over 40 years, I thought I’d give them a try out. First off, I had some recording work on a few deep cut 60s music songs. All told probably with recording time and preparation, I logged may be as much as 50 hours of play time. The results were acceptable but no real wow factor.

Now that these strings were well broken in it was time to gig. I had three gigs with a 12 piece Motown review band. At our first intermission, our sound tech (also a bassist) we’ve been using for years came up to me and ask what did I do to my bass? Then he look at my bass and said “Oh” with soured expression.

And that kind of was my experience as well. While I get that traditional dead as a doornail “flats” sound, I much prefer the vibrancy, energy, and the musicality of a fresh set of round wounds for live performance.

At about 125 hours of play time wear was starting show where the strings rub on the frets. With another recording session coming up, they went in the trash, and a fresh set of DR LoRiders installed. At the session after the first take, the engineer goes “ Different strings?” Yeah. He asked me to redo a track I laid down previously with the Flats.

A week later is send me the A-B comparison. My thoughts? There is a certain character to flats that shines through, but from a musical production standpoint rounds blend better. JMO.

 

[micguy]

After I got over my Chris Squire/Geddy Lee phase in about 2017, I switched exclusively to Flatwounds and have only used them since.

My Chris Squire phase was 1977, when I bought my first bass - a Ric 4001. It came with flats. The next set was half rounds, and since then, aside from two very short lived flats experiments, it's been all rounds.

Oh, by the way, almost 50 years later, I never really sounded like Chris. Regardless of what strings I use.

 

[TheArchitect]

I’m a long time round user that primarily have been playing PB’s. A while back I bought an a JB V 5 string that came with a brand new set of flats. No being one to waste a new set of the first of flats on one of my basses in over 40 years, I thought I’d give them a try out. First off, I had some recording work on a few deep cut 60s music songs. All told probably with recording time and preparation, I logged may be as much as 50 hours of play time. The results were acceptable but no real wow factor.

Now that these strings were well broken in it was time to gig. I had three gigs with a 12 piece Motown review band. At our first intermission, our sound tech (also a bassist) we’ve been using for years came up to me and ask what did I do to my bass? Then he look at my bass and said “Oh” with soured expression.

And that kind of was my experience as well. While I get that traditional dead as a doornail “flats” sound, I much prefer the vibrancy, energy, and the musicality of a fresh set of round wounds for live performance.

At about 125 hours of play time wear was starting show where the strings rub on the frets. With another recording session coming up, they went in the trash, and a fresh set of DR LoRiders installed. At the session after the first take, the engineer goes “ Different strings?” Yeah. He asked me to redo a track I laid down previously with the Flats.

A week later is send me the A-B comparison. My thoughts? There is a certain character to flats that shines through, but from a musical production standpoint rounds blend better. JMO.

I am finding that flats slip right into most mixes without any additional effort. They punch through clearly but stay out of the way of other instruments. I find rounds need a little work to get them settled in a mix. Its entirely possible I just suck and they hide it well... I would not rule that out AT ALL

 

[noahw1]

TI flats on my active PJ with a sadowsky pre.
TI flats on my short scale Lakland hollow body.
TI rounds on my p bass but really don’t like them so will be changing them to DR LoRider nickel rounds.

 

[ElectricBass72]

20% of my basses have Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I have never been a flats guy, but now that I don't play out anymore, I have toyed with the idea of putting flats on a P Bass just to make that instrument more interesting to pick up.

Plus it gives me an excuse to venture out to a music store and look around while buying a set of flats.

 

[KohanMike]

Bro, you NEED a Daphne Blue bass with a tort pickguard...! ;^p

I'd consider that, but that bass is not available anymore, been scouring AliExpress and Alibaba for weeks. RondoMusic in New Hampshire says they can't get it anymore. Wait a minute, I just did a search for a used one and Guitar Center had one, bought it immediately, haha! Thanks @OldManNewBass for the prompt.

 

[ArteK]

I made the "mistake " of playing upright for maybe 20 years (in the middle of my bass experience), and I got really used to the feel of flats.

Almost all my basses have flats on them now. The one exception is a Musicman Stingray Classic 5 that has rounds on it.

One thing I discovered was that with flats, I need to have low action/string height. Otherwise, it's too much work. That was what opened the door to me finding them useful. I played some basses with flats way back when I first started and shredded my fingers because I had to play them so hard.

Also, I'm always surprised when learning some part from the original recording, how perfectly my Precision with flats absolutely nails the tone on the recording. For example, rock bands that I would not expect (like the Cranberries (a big surprise), Tom Petty, etc.), many blues songs (not a surprise). and of course the usual motown/classic sixties/seventies rock, etc. Once the 80's rolled around, a lot of round wound parts became the standard (Journey, U2, etc.)

Since I'm usually going for an old school tone, it works in most of the bands I play in nowadays. If I joined a straight up rock or modern country band that might want a more zingy presence in the bass (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way at all), I'd go with rounds (or ground wounds). I have a lot of used sets lying around from the changes to flats on my basses, hahahahahahah.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I am finding that flats slip right into most mixes without any additional effort. They punch through clearly but stay out of the way of other instruments. I find rounds need a little work to get them settled in a mix. Its entirely possible I just suck and they hide it well... I would not rule that out AT ALL

Me? Sucking is never a discounted possibility ..just saying. Good post friend.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I gladly moved beyond flats in 1972 with my first purchase of Rotosounds while on a family trip to London. I’ve also tried GHS, Ball, most of all the others, always experimenting. I have no reason to ever use flats except on one of my fretless basses. I want clarity and sustain, no interest to sound like 1955 or an upright.

Flatwounds don't have to sound like1955 or an upright. I too, in around the same time as you bought my first set of Rotos and used rounds exclusively since then until the midd '00s when I tried a set of TI Jazz Flats on my (at the time) AV '62 Jazz Bass.

These days I have basses with rounds and flats.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Both! I have one Ric 4003 with D'Addario Chromes (flats) while my other Ric 4003 and my P Bass have D'Addario NYXLs (rounds).

I have TI JR on the 4004L SPC and TI TF on the Snowglo 4004L.

 

[Jeff Scott]

One thing I discovered was that with flats, I need to have low action/string height. Otherwise, it's too much work. That was what opened the door to me finding them useful. I played some basses with flats way back when I first started and shredded my fingers because I had to play them so hard.

Have you tried lower tension flats? Make sure big real-world difference for those of us who play with a lighter touch.

 

[wboyd68]

I tried rounds again earlier this year. I picked up a Ultra II Precision that came with rounds. I took them off after a month and restrung with my favorite Labella 760 FS.

 

[smatanovic]

I’ve only been playing for about three years, but my fav strings by far are LaBella DTF 760FL and TI Jazz flats. Followed closely by Fender 9050L flats. I do have one bass that wears rounds, the medium GHS round core boomers. As I see it, IDGAF what others like or don’t like, I play what works and sounds right for me and my needs (currently playing at home for my own enjoyment).

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Man, think of the amazing threads we could have gotten if the OP hadn't been suspended!

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Alright....I think I used up all my snark for the week in this and the Solid State vs. Tube threads

 

[dbsfgyd1]

My Chris Squire phase was 1977, when I bought my first bass - a Ric 4001. It came with flats. The next set was half rounds, and since then, aside from two very short lived flats experiments, it's been all rounds.

Oh, by the way, almost 50 years later, I never really sounded like Chris. Regardless of what strings I use.

I bought a Rick 4001 new in 1974 nd it came with flats. I fact the owners manual issues dire warnings of trashing out the neck and voiding the warranty if one dared to use different strings.

I never sounded like Chris Squire …couldn’t play like him as well . My EB3 never sounded like Jack Bruce and I couldn’t play like him either.

 

[ArteK]

I bought a Rick 4001 new in 1974 nd it came with flats. I fact the owners manual issues dire warnings of trashing out the neck and voiding the warranty if one dared to use different strings.

I never sounded like Chris Squire …couldn’t play like him as well . My EB3 never sounded like Jack Bruce and I couldn’t play like him either.

That's pretty convenient for the Rickenbacker corporation selling more strings isn't it? I saw Yes twice back in the 70's and there was nothing thumpy about the bass sound, so I'm as 100% certain as I can be that he was using rounds. (But I suspect his warranty terms and ours were quite a bit different.)

 

[ArteK]

Have you tried lower tension flats? Make sure big real-world difference for those of us who play with a lighter touch.

I have not tried lower tension flats. Most of the time I'm using LaBella 760FS, Deep Talkin' Flats, standard size (.045" to .105"). If I keep the action low, I don't have any problems with them. I have them on several Fender Precisions, a Fender Telecaster bass, a Musicman Stingray, and a Gibson LPB-1. I used to have them on a Rickenbacker, which was quite a nice sound with good playability.

I put them on a Fender Jazz once, and didn't care for the tone I got from that combination. The upper mids from the jazz (specifically with the flats) didn't do it for me.

Aside from the Jazz experience, for me it's more about the feel of the flats more than the tone (although I do prefer the tone for the rootsy stuff I do most of the time). But with good muting technique, I can get good thump with rounds as well.

I tried a set of the Thomastik flats, which I think were supposed to be lower tension, but I thought they felt a bit too loose. The tone was OK, but I guess I was just too used to the feel of the La Bella's.