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For those that use rounds and flats..
- Thread starter Swerve
- Start date
Rounds. All day, everyday. Works for everything.
The question boils down to: which compromise do you prefer - rounds doing a flats job, or flats doing a rounds job?
And after a good think, have decided that Swing Bass + a tone control do better than Chromes + an expensive new strings habit.
And after a good think, have decided that Swing Bass + a tone control do better than Chromes + an expensive new strings habit.
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Which landed me on other. I like LaBella Super Polished pretty well. If I only have one string it is probably the one I am picking (with TI Jazz Flats as a close second in this hypothetical).
Nah.... you got that all backwards. The horse goes in front of the buggy.
You have to pick the bass first and then I can pick the string type.... maybe.
I used to think a J-bass with flats was like having a peanut butter and mayo sandwich. Then I came across a Vintage II '66 J bass with Ti flats on it that'll impress anybody who plays it.
You have to pick the bass first and then I can pick the string type.... maybe.
I used to think a J-bass with flats was like having a peanut butter and mayo sandwich. Then I came across a Vintage II '66 J bass with Ti flats on it that'll impress anybody who plays it.
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If I could only play one type of string, I'd take rounds for their versatility. But I'd miss the hell out of flats; they have such a satisfying feel and tone.
Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. Got the feel of flats and sound of rounds.
Best of both worlds.
Best of both worlds.
Rounds.
I can get "flats dark" palm muting.
I can get "flats dark" palm muting.
Since I went with TI Jazz Flats late last year, I've found them to be the "best of both worlds" option I've been looking for.
Growl in the mids, more smooth bottom end than I've ever gotten from 'rounds with the tone rolled off', and a top end that I wouldn't call 'zingy' by any stretch - but I can work with it if I need that.
Best slap sound I've gotten from flats too.
YMMV
ETA: Tried the Ernie Ball Cobalts, and they were a really good contender but the tension was a turn-off, and the bottom end wasn't quite what I wanted...
Growl in the mids, more smooth bottom end than I've ever gotten from 'rounds with the tone rolled off', and a top end that I wouldn't call 'zingy' by any stretch - but I can work with it if I need that.
Best slap sound I've gotten from flats too.
YMMV
ETA: Tried the Ernie Ball Cobalts, and they were a really good contender but the tension was a turn-off, and the bottom end wasn't quite what I wanted...
Considering the wide range of sounds and techniques I've used over the years, I think rounds plus a versatile EQ would do. I would have much more trouble getting all the sounds I want out of flats alone, even with an EQ.
I like both but chose flats - I don't need a wide range of sounds... and also... Im cheap 
Depends on what the one bass I have is.
If it's my custom built, it's getting rounds, NYXL or Prosteels because that's what works best for me on that bass.
If it's my Aguilar pup equipped Fender Am Precision PJ, it's getting tapes cause that's what I like on that bass.
These hypotheticals tend to ignore many important factors - what style of music? What type of technique do you use? What type of bass? How much variety do you need from gig to gig?
Personally I prefer flatwounds, but they don't work in every situation whereas roundwounds pretty much do. I don't want to get caught on a gig with a Jamerson type setup and have a bandleader count off Higher Ground by RHCP. But, if I have round wounds and they call Mustang Sally, roll the tone back and groove away.
Personally I prefer flatwounds, but they don't work in every situation whereas roundwounds pretty much do. I don't want to get caught on a gig with a Jamerson type setup and have a bandleader count off Higher Ground by RHCP. But, if I have round wounds and they call Mustang Sally, roll the tone back and groove away.
After selling off most of my gear about 20 years ago, I was down to 1 bass. For awhile, I was on-call with 4 other local bass players for sub work. We'd call each other if we needed a sub, so it could've been rock, or country, or pop, etc. So I'd change out rounds or flats on that one bass, depending on the gig.
Old country and blues stuff got flats, Modern country could go flats or rounds. Rock and pop stuff got rounds. The cool thing was that I'd recycle the same two set types. The tuner end of the strings were already formed for that bass. Made for quicker changes LOL
I don't have a preference for round or flats, 'cause I see the advantages of both. Back in my youth, it was rounds or nothing LOL
Old country and blues stuff got flats, Modern country could go flats or rounds. Rock and pop stuff got rounds. The cool thing was that I'd recycle the same two set types. The tuner end of the strings were already formed for that bass. Made for quicker changes LOL
I don't have a preference for round or flats, 'cause I see the advantages of both. Back in my youth, it was rounds or nothing LOL
Rounds for the sounds.
I have 1 fretted and 1 fretless. I tried flats on the fretless, and I liked them for a while, then got bored of it. I just put Roto rounds on it and it growls like an angry beast and I love it.
I have 1 fretted and 1 fretless. I tried flats on the fretless, and I liked them for a while, then got bored of it. I just put Roto rounds on it and it growls like an angry beast and I love it.
