Flatwounds with roundwound sound.

[Samatza]

you can slow down fingerboard wear on a fretless by going flats but it won't stop it completely. Any time you have metal on wood the wood will wear eventually.
Choose a string that give you the sound you're after and if you have to get the board surfaced every few years so be it. My Tune fretless used to have rosewood board, after 10 years of use it was time to replace it, we put on an ebony board which is a little harder than rosewood.
Now I've settled on using nylon wound strings, Fender used to make a set called "nylon filament wound" but they are no longer available. I now went to the clear nylon wounds made by LaBella and they sound great, nice singing tone.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Maybe try Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. Very full range string and they don't have the high end 'zing' that Chromes have. Supple under the fingers. Take the time to clean them before installation.

They are good strings and have a big sound, but to me they still sound like flats.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I’m trying to find a string that won’t chew up the fingerboard of my fretless, but sound similar to roundwounds
I've seen recommendations for the GHS Pressure wound, but not sure whether they are fingerboard friendly. A flat wound that comes nearest to a Jaco sound, basically. TIA.

Some tapes are rounds wrapped in nylon, and may do the trick for you, but they are still not rounds.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I’m trying to find a string that won’t chew up the fingerboard of my fretless, but sound similar to roundwounds
I've seen recommendations for the GHS Pressure wound, but not sure whether they are fingerboard friendly. A flat wound that comes nearest to a Jaco sound, basically. TIA.

TI Jazz rounds have very fine wrappings and will damage things less. They don't quite sound the same as a traditional round, which might be fine for the detestable Jaco tone, but they are very low tension which could be an issue.

 

[Hypercaffium]

Fender 9050s as well

Personally I'm a big fan of them, I use 9050Ls on my P bass since a while and I love them. But I don't think they're bright flats, they're definitely on the darker thumpy side, in my experience. I think the best choice for the OP is to start from Cobalt flats, then move to Chromes (if needed). 9050Ls are similar to Chromes when they're new, but tent to become darker pretty quickly. Ant that's when I really love them, but that's another story.

 

[Jack Butler]

Roto 77’s sound zingy and work well with OD. Didn’t like them on my P Bass, but put them on the Kramer and they sound great.

Slight derail-what kind of Kramer?

 

[-Asdfgh-]

If you really want to avoid wear on your fingerboard, don't play it.
Just hang it on the wall and gaze fondly on that pristine fingerboard.

If, however, you want to play that bass, and you want the roundwound sound, get rounds. I love Pressurewounds myself, and that was after A/Bing them with DR Sunbeams.
If you still have the bass in 20 years (and play it regularly) it *might* need the fingerboard resurfaced - might. And if it were a fretted bass it's just as likely that it *might* need to have the frets dressed.

IMO putting flats on a fretless "to save the board" (rather than "because I like the sound of flats on my fretless") is akin to putting low-performance, long-wearing tires on a sports car. You're losing the performance that (presumably) you bought the car for in order to save money on tires.

My first fretless, which I still have, had an untreated rosewood board. I used Rotosound rounds on it and within a couple of years it was shredded so I had it sanded down and then applied tung oil, letting it soak in. It then survived rounds for a decade before I put TI flats on it for a different sound.

 

[Acoop]

I've always had rounds on my ebony board fretless but, recently loaded her with TI flats. I have flats on all my fretted Fender basses. ... I found the brightness fine it was that the strings feel slacker than the rounds. ... I can lift the action to tighten the feel. ... But, overall I like them.

 

[Jscriv]

I've had a set for about a year and they are still bright for a flat wound.

I like the sounds do that. I'm expecting them to be somewhat duller than rounds but it seems no matter what I do my ray has a pretty thuddy low end any how. Atleast the flats will last a long time!

 

[Jason Harris]

I don't think anyones mentioned the Steve Harris Signature strings yet, I have them on my P bass and sounds exactly like the early maiden days!
Invalid Link Removed

 

[BwanaDust]

Rotosound monel flats

Two thumbs up on that. After going through countless sets trying to find the best fit for my P bass, I tried them and haven't gone back. I'm using 40-100 and they just sound fantastic. Nice and thick, regardless of how you play.

 

[BwanaDust]

What type of fingerboard do you have?

 

[MarkM13]

I use GHS Brite Flats for this purpose. They're ground wound rather than flat but they haven't done much to the fingerboard over the years.

I too use Bright Flats for this reason. As mentioned they are not actual flats but ground wounds. Most people hate the feel right out of the packaging. However, it's not a problem if you prep them. I took super fine 0000 steel wool to them, then wiped them completely with isopropyl alcohol, then wiped dry. They felt great.

I have have used the GHS Pressure wounds too and really liked them. Did notice some very light marks on the fret board after a while.

My fretted basses wear EB Cobalt Flats. Love them! Very bright for a flat. I started with Chromes but had to change due to the tension. Chromes seem to hold their brightness forever. The Cobalts I get about two years out of before they loose the top end.

HTH,

Mark

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Slight derail-what kind of Kramer?

‘77 250b

 

[gregmon79]

I think Fender 9050L's sound pretty close to rounds compared to most flats. In fact, I put GHS (I think) flats on my P over the Fenders because I felt like the Fenders sounded too much like a round. Which is great depending on what you're after.

 

[interp]

I’ve played the Ernie Ball Cobalt flats and liked them. They didn’t seem to last that long though. I still prefer TI Jazz Flats, which are the cheapest string available on a cost-per-use basis. My current set is at five years and going strong/sounding great.

 

[Hypercaffium]

@gregmon79
My experience is totally different. Mine are around 4 months old and they're very thumpy and dark sounding with my P bass. That's how I like them anyway. I have another P bass with (not so fresh) EB Slinky rounds and the difference in treble and zingyness is HUGE compared to 9050Ls. I guess it depends on how old are your 9050Ls and which kind of rounds you use.

 

[onda'bass]

I wish the 9050’s had more gauge options and a 5 string options. They did but stupidly discontinued twice. Thanks fender

 

[mdogs]

I love these threads. Flats are NEVER going to sound like rounds and I don't understand how anyone could ever think that they do or will. I also don't understand for what you are trying to save your basses and fingerboards. These things are tools that need to be properly maintained and periodically repaired. Why on earth anyone would ever sacrifice a wanted/needed sound to save them makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[primusfan1989]

Tape wound strings give some nice top end, not totally round wound like but definitely more round wound like than any flat wound I've encountered