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Flatwounds?

M

Mikerotunno

Apr 7, 2013
11
0
#1
I have a standard p bass and i have been using ernie balls for a while now and ive seen a lot of positive reviews on flatwounds. I play alot of jazz but also do alot of slapping as well as metal. I would like to know if the flatwounds would have a good sound for all of these types of playing.
 
#2
I'd say those are two styles that flats are NOT suited for. They're great for blues, soul, early rock, Jazz, etc., but not so much slap and metal, though you could always give 'em a shot. There are no rules.
 
#4
Contrary to many of the opinions here, I prefer round wounds for everything. To me they have much greater definition and attack. I can get all the tone control from the bass and amp that I want. My experience has been that they stay alive much longer as well.
 
#6
I tend to agree with Pet Sounds; the only way you're really going to know is if you give it a shot. What falls on it's face for other people might work out great for you.

I always thought fretless basses were no good for slapping... that is, until I heard Bakithi Kumalo! Maybe flats will be the ultimate string for you.

Since you already use EBs, may I suggest trying a set of Ernie Ball flats guaged one size down from what you use for rounds? EB flats don't get a whole lot of love here on TB, but I find them to be an easy adjustment from rounds - medium tension and a tone that falls right in the middle of the flat-wound gamut. Going with one guage down will approximate the tension you're used to with rounds.
 
#7
lmfreeman9 said:
Rounds can sound like flats if you roll off the tone, but the same cannot be said for flats.
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just... No. :rollno:

No offense, but this kind of comments makes it sound like the person saying it either doesn't have an ear for the tonal differences or hasn't played much of both. There are worlds between rounds with tone rolled off and flats with tone all the way up for example. Palm muting only takes you so far...

That said I use flats for everything including metal :hiding: One name, Harris. Although you won't hear the difference if you're buried anyway so yeah.
 
#8
Nashrakh said:
just... No. :rollno:

No offense, but this kind of comments makes it sound like the person saying it either doesn't have an ear for the tonal differences or hasn't played much of both. There are worlds between rounds with tone rolled off and flats with tone all the way up for example.....
Click to expand...

+infinite but my bass currently has rounds right now :cool:
 
#12
If you can make the price, Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats are the best I've tried. I just put a set a on StingRay5 that I recently acquired, and it tamed that "sting" in the treble. I also have three Precisions (single-coil and two split-coil) and the TIs sound great on each one.

MF has them listed for $117, but bassstringsonline will give you a better deal -- tell Jason you're on Talkbass.

They last forever. I put a set on a P I bought in '07, then took off when I was going to sell it, and I put them on another P -- they're still on the second one.
 
#13
lpdeluxe said:
If you can make the price, Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats are the best I've tried. I just put a set a on StingRay5 that I recently acquired, and it tamed that "sting" in the treble. I also have three Precisions (single-coil and two split-coil) and the TIs sound great on each one.

MF has them listed for $117, but bassstringsonline will give you a better deal -- tell Jason you're on Talkbass.

They last forever. I put a set on a P I bought in '07, then took off when I was going to sell it, and I put them on another P -- they're still on the second one.
Click to expand...

7 years?!?! Wow. How do they last so long? How would you know when to change them? lol. Sorry. I'm a guitarist, but bought my first bass recently, bass strings baffle me, so any help me be appreciated.
 
#15
Einherjar said:
Because flats lack the trebly zing that brand new roundwounds have. So as they get "broken in" there is less of a difference in sound. At least in my experience. YMMV, etc.
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Oh ok. Makes sense. So, at that point, if you go 7 yrs, where's the "end point" to decide to make the change to new strings? Or does it vary to person to person?
 
#16
snfrd84 said:
Oh ok. Makes sense. So, at that point, if you go 7 yrs, where's the "end point" to decide to make the change to new strings? Or does it vary to person to person?
Click to expand...

Due to the construction of flats and the sound most people want out of them, the result is as they get older they mellow more and more over time, but retain a semblance of tone. Whereas with the round wounds eventually you just get percussive noise with no tone to speak of. It's really a personal preference thing. I have one with flats that I use for ska and old school punk rock pick stuff, and one with stainless steel rounds for more aggressive modern stuff.
 

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