Double Bass For DB players who also play electic, flats or rounds?

[bassman_al]

Just curious of the DB players who also play electric, how many play flats. Thanks for voting!

 

[baggy1313]

Play rounds on all my electrics except my fretless electric. Rock the rotosound flats on it.

 

[Jay Corwin]

flats on all my electrics, except for my acoustic electric which has bronze rounds.

 

[Joe Gress]

Both. Rounds on my P/J and Fretless Jazz, and flats on my P.

 

[D McCartney]

Flats on the fretless P, rounds on the Carvin.

 

[burnunit]

Tapes!

 

[dvh]

Have recently discovered the magic of flats on an electric bass. I have one fitted with with rounds but it's been taking a long rest...

 

[ClassicRock55]

I have one electric, a fretless so naturally I am a flats guy.

 

[bassman_al]

I just got my first set of flats for my P, and I am going to try them on my J too, to see how that sounds. I got Fender 9050L's. I like how they have the feel and sound of flats, although they have some of the brightness of rounds too. Over time I hear that brightness goes away, which would be fine too. Also, they sound surprisingly adequate for slapping.

 

[Joe Gress]

Over time I hear that brightness goes away, which would be fine too. Also, they sound surprisingly adequate for slapping.

The brightness definitely goes away and turns into a really nice thump, and a really chunky clank if you roll the tone up. The slap tone is really chunky and thumpy as well vs. bright and defined slap tone like rounds. They also feel a lot different than rounds when you slap them.

 

[Mudfuzz]

Flats, explanation point.

 

[jgbass]

Flats on my Fender, absolutely!

I also have a cheap acoustic that has some tape wound strings that were stock on the instrument. Nothing I like that much either.

 

[bassteban]

I'm 99% slab, but to answer the Q, I tend to prefer rounds. I would like to have one flat-strung P for when it's totally appropo.

 

[TroyK]

I migrated from rounds to flats on my Fender before I really made the switch to DB. Now I rarely play electric and don't want to put my hands through the adjustment to round wound strings on the odd occasion when I do. But, I found that while I was trying to make my electric bass sound more DB-esque before, now my ear doesn't fall for that and it's not worth the lack of ability to cut through if I find myself doing some type of rock thing sometime.

So, I split the difference and am using Ken Smith Burners, which I think are actually ground wound. Easy on my fingers, I take the tone up or down depending on the situation. But honestly...it mostly sits in the case in the closet, poor thing.

 

[SAlcott]

Both.

 

[RustyAxe]

DR HiBeam Flats on my fretless jazz, D'Addario Chrome flats on my fretted jazz, and D'Addario rounds on my acoustic Tacoma Thunderchief.

 

[anonymous02282011]

I use both. I'm gigging on the upright 80% of the time.

Flats on my 66 Fender P, naturally; rounds on my Wal 5.

 

[bassman_al]

So sounds like a lot of people use flats on P-basses, which is what I am experimenting with now.

The J bass sounds like its more of a toss-up, although I am guessing with my '62 RI Jazz that it would sound better with flats. I'll have to try that out...

I like the Fender Flats that I just put on yesterday. Any other brand recommendations for that same sound? I like the looseness that I get with the lighter gauge Fenders.

My local store sells Labella Deep Talkin', also EB flats and Pyramid.

Thanks

 

[davidAaronCarte]

Heaviest flats I could find with near inch-high action

 

[bassist1962]

I like the sound of flats. I used rounds for quite awhile due to the fact that it was all I could find. I was suprised at how bright the flats actually sound.