Fretless, Flatwounds, and Ernie Ball

[KrisTC99]

I have questions, and this seems be the place for people who really know things and are kind enough to help. Thanks in advance.

I have a 72 Fender P-bass with a fretless neck that I'm pretty sure is ebony. I was told that roundwound strings could damage the neck. Is this true? I play in a rock cover band that gigs 4-6x/month, I practice every day, and I'd really really hate to damage this beautiful instrument.

I bought a set of Ernie Ball slinky flatwounds. They sound good enough to keep me happy. But, the g string broke before I even got it tuned up to pitch. They have been on for 3 weeks now, and the lower halves are so rusty they are chocolate colored. I live in Panama (tropics, humidity) but sheesh, 3 weeks? I've had Elixir strings on my fretted bass and it took them 2+ years to start showing little spots of rust.

So, I contact Ernie Ball to tell them of these problems, ask their opinion on the necessity of flatwounds on a fretless, and ask for recommendations. Their reply was - clean your strings after you play. I replied requesting answers to my questions. The reply came back - contact the manufacturer. Huh? Isn't ernieball.com the manufacturer?

So, that's where I'm at. Do I really need flatwounds, and if so what are good options for a clean, bright tone? And what is up with Ernie Ball's customer service?

Thank you all!

 

[WillyW]

I almost quit playing fretless because flats and fretless to ME sound like poopie…


Sounds like a pretty flippant answer from Ernie Ball, but I think they meant to contact the manufacturer of your bass.

ebony is harder than most fingerboard woods but any can wear.

proper linear vibrato helps prevent wear, but a fingerboard, just like frets and strings and then brakes and oil and tires on your car are wear parts, and are replaced when worn out.

 

[KrisTC99]

I've been able to adjust my amp settings so I get a sound that I'm happy with. But I also choose those particular strings because they are said to be brighter than most flatwouds.
Contact Fender? Oh! I didn't look at it that way. Yes that's probably it.
I thought ebony is a hard wood, glad to have that confirmed.
My guitarist husband also pointed out that one can replace a neck if it becomes too worn.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions!

 

[tindrum]

The wear on a fretless board by using rounds in EXTREMELY exaggerated. There are a number of threads here discussing it. I’ve always used rounds on a fretless and never had more than very minor string marks that have no effect whatsoever on the tone, playability, etc. As your board is ebony it will take quite some time (years) to show any appreciable wear. The good thing is even if there was heavy wear any technician can quickly and easily sand the board down smooth as new. You’d likely only have to do this after many, many years of heavy use. Don’t sweat it and enjoy the strings you like best.

 

[KrisTC99]

Thanks so much! I've seen discussions here but never could get a clear feeling one way or the other. I'm glad for the reassurance that I won't damage my bass.

 

[Yahboy]

Suggest you email to EB customer service especially the rusty issue. If they agree to give you a replacement set, i suggest you get the Group flat instead Cobalt flat.
Both EB flat sound bright and clear without classic thud. The Cobalt flat sound more growl ,little aggressive and a tab higher output level than Group flat. But the Group flat sound a bit fuller and thicker on MID voice .

I been meet rusty issue on Cobalt flat in past, but worry free on current version. Once you found the brownish thing appear on string surface, just polish it with nail buffer block gently.

Hopehelp

 

[michael_t]

Do I really need flatwounds, and if so what are good options for a clean, bright tone?

As already mentioned, you don't necessarily use flats on a fretless just for the sake of being easy on the fingerboard.

If you want more of a roundwound tone but still prefer something non-abrasive, try the GHS Pressurewounds. They're what's called "rollerwound", where the outer round wire is compressed into an oval shape, resulting in a smoother surface texture while maintaining most of the roundwound tone. The nickel-iron alloy (aka Alloy 52) used for the outer wrap is a relatively soft material that's gentle on the fingerboard.

https://www.ghsstrings.com/products?categories=pressurewoundtm

 

[KrisTC99]

Thank you very much! I contacted EB customer service and the response was so unsatisfactory that I won't be buying their products again. But I'm learning about the different materials that strings are made of, so this is very interesting. Thanks for the info, and I'll try polishing the rust off my strings while I decide what to try next.

Suggest you email to EB customer service especially the rusty issue. If they agree to give you a replacement set, i suggest you get the Group flat instead Cobalt flat.
Both EB flat sound bright and clear without classic thud. The Cobalt flat sound more growl ,little aggressive and a tab higher output level than Group flat. But the Group flat sound a bit fuller and thicker on MID voice .

I been meet rusty issue on Cobalt flat in past, but worry free on current version. Once you found the brownish thing appear on string surface, just polish it with nail buffer block gently.

Hopehelp

 

[KrisTC99]

Thank you! I've come across info on pressurewounds and that sound like something that would work for me, so I'm going to give them a try. I appreciate your input

As already mentioned, you don't necessarily use flats on a fretless just for the sake of being easy on the fingerboard.

If you want more of a roundwound tone but still prefer something non-abrasive, try the GHS Pressurewounds. They're what's called "rollerwound", where the outer round wire is compressed into an oval shape, resulting in a smoother surface texture while maintaining most of the roundwound tone. The nickel-iron alloy (aka Alloy 52) used for the outer wrap is a relatively soft material that's gentle on the fingerboard.

https://www.ghsstrings.com/products?categories=pressurewoundtm

 

[GTHintz]

Hi and thanks for posting. Ive tried Ernie Ball strings and they really aren't the greatest. Haven't tried cobalts but for the price I have plenty of other options that I don't see the need to try them. I'm playing fretless now and for my taste I really like good stainless roundwound strings. I am playing a broken in set of Dean Markley Blue Steel strings and I really like the sound. It's worth noting that Les Claypool was a dean markley user for years and even after the many many hours he's put on his fretless basses they have held up fine with roundwounds. Michael T has great advice with pressure wounds. For your situation with the humidity I would steer you towards going stainless and to be on top of cleaning the strings with alcohol. It should help keep them fresher longer and keep the humidity off them. Also if you're worried about rounds on your fretboard it's worth noting that after years of playing you might want to dress the fretboard with very fine sandpaper and look at getting it sealed but honestly even flat wound strings groove the fretboard over time so it's just normal play wear.

 

[KrisTC99]

Oh my! I have been shopping and the Dean Markleys are on my list, and also a set of GHS pressurewound. I'm also including some strings for a friend in my order so we can both try out a few things. He thinks the DR Neon strings are cool so we'll see how those work out.
Thanks for the advice on cleaning strings, and the reassurance that I'm not likely to damage my fretboard. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.

Hi and thanks for posting. Ive tried Ernie Ball strings and they really aren't the greatest. Haven't tried cobalts but for the price I have plenty of other options that I don't see the need to try them. I'm playing fretless now and for my taste I really like good stainless roundwound strings. I am playing a broken in set of Dean Markley Blue Steel strings and I really like the sound. It's worth noting that Les Claypool was a dean markley user for years and even after the many many hours he's put on his fretless basses they have held up fine with roundwounds. Michael T has great advice with pressure wounds. For your situation with the humidity I would steer you towards going stainless and to be on top of cleaning the strings with alcohol. It should help keep them fresher longer and keep the humidity off them. Also if you're worried about rounds on your fretboard it's worth noting that after years of playing you might want to dress the fretboard with very fine sandpaper and look at getting it sealed but honestly even flat wound strings groove the fretboard over time so it's just normal play wear.

 

[GTHintz]

Oh my! I have been shopping and the Dean Markleys are on my list, and also a set of GHS pressurewound. I'm also including some strings for a friend in my order so we can both try out a few things. He thinks the DR Neon strings are cool so we'll see how those work out.
Thanks for the advice on cleaning strings, and the reassurance that I'm not likely to damage my fretboard. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.

There's some good people on here. Personally I just like to share all my trials and errors and hopefully it ads value to others. But for clarity and brightness you'll probably like roundwounds. Compression wound would work well too. I'm still thinking about trying some Ken Smith compressors or GHS compression wound. Maybe Rotosound solo bass which are thier version of compression wound. Ken Smith strings are custom spec ghs strings btw. I'm really liking the blue steels on my fretless though and since the broken in tone is really nice they will probably stay on this bass for a long time. No frets to eat the strings so it'll probably last much longer. Side note I say eat because I've played roundwounds on fretted bass long enough that the frets actually cut grooves in the strings. That's why they wear out and get so full over time. Aside from humidity, sweat, etc. Let us know how your string search goes and we're here for you anytime!

 

[KrisTC99]

Yes, this is a great forum and I've learned a lot here.
I didn't think about frets eating strings, but I can see how that's possible also.
So many choices! So many things affect your sound and your experience playing your bass.
Thanks, and best wishes.

There's some good people on here. Personally I just like to share all my trials and errors and hopefully it ads value to others. But for clarity and brightness you'll probably like roundwounds. Compression wound would work well too. I'm still thinking about trying some Ken Smith compressors or GHS compression wound. Maybe Rotosound solo bass which are thier version of compression wound. Ken Smith strings are custom spec ghs strings btw. I'm really liking the blue steels on my fretless though and since the broken in tone is really nice they will probably stay on this bass for a long time. No frets to eat the strings so it'll probably last much longer. Side note I say eat because I've played roundwounds on fretted bass long enough that the frets actually cut grooves in the strings. That's why they wear out and get so full over time. Aside from humidity, sweat, etc. Let us know how your string search goes and we're here for you anytime!

 

[TN WOODMAN]

I’m one of those players that prefers flatwound or tapewounds on both fretted and fretless basses.

My Warmoth ‘56 Precision sports GHS Pressure Wounds -they sound and feel great , wouldn’t hesitate to try on a fretless.

Of my 19 basses, 7 are wearing rounds. Certain situations call for rounds but I’m gradually headed towards maintaining only a minimum, maybe 3-4 with rounds .

I’m a big fan of GHS strings in general-their Precision Flats are a great choice if you want a stainless string and I like their tapewounds as well.

TI flats are awesome but initially more expensive but amortized over their lifespan -not that bad. They are nickel .

 

[KrisTC99]

I have a set of GHS pressurewounds and Fender tapewounds on order, and DR pure blues and D'Addario pro steel for my friend's fretted bass. That's a start in my quest to learn about strings, and I'll definitely keep your recommendations in mind also for the future. I'm really lucky that this is a new thing for me in my retirement, and I can afford to play around a bit with strings and other accessories. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge.

I’m one of those players that prefers flatwound or tapewounds on both fretted and fretless basses.

My Warmoth ‘56 Precision sports GHS Pressure Wounds -they sound and feel great , wouldn’t hesitate to try on a fretless.

Of my 19 basses, 7 are wearing rounds. Certain situations call for rounds but I’m gradually headed towards maintaining only a minimum, maybe 3-4 with rounds .

I’m a big fan of GHS strings in general-their Precision Flats are a great choice if you want a stainless string and I like their tapewounds as well.

TI flats are awesome but initially more expensive but amortized over their lifespan -not that bad. They are nickel .

 

[Fernando Costa]

You wouldn't worry about ebony wear if you used round strings. I've been using D'Addarios EXL on one of my fretless for 10 years, see the wear on the rosewood fretboard in these pics, almost none. GHS Pressurewonds are also "soft" strings like EXLs. If you choose flats, a good suggestion is Chromes.

 

[Lenny JG]

Fret wear from rounds isn't that bad and can always be re dressed later.

The problem is you used Ernie Ball. Buy better strings.

 

[KrisTC99]

Yes, I see. I had to look closely to see the wear. Thanks for the suggestions and reassurance, much appreciated.

You wouldn't worry about ebony wear if you used round strings. I've been using D'Addarios EXL on one of my fretless for 10 years, see the wear on the rosewood fretboard in these pics, almost none. GHS Pressurewonds are also "soft" strings like EXLs. If you choose flats, a good suggestion is Chromes.

View attachment 4555946 View attachment 4555947

 

[KrisTC99]

Yes, thanks to all you good people, I am learning that I have worried too much.
I won't be buying Ernie Balls again. The strings didn't work out and their customer service in bad. I'm looking forward to the new strings that are on their way.

Fret wear from rounds isn't that bad and can always be re dressed later.

The problem is you used Ernie Ball. Buy better strings.