Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

When my Stingray was ̶k̶new, roundwounds was all I played. The cheese graters of choice were Rotos, until I tired of them going dead in the first two hours. Switched to Dean Markley Super Rounds (with the gold silks), and that's what was still on the Ray when I picked it up again in retirement. The Ray still needs TLC and that's coming.

With no wish to earn Roto callus back, I tried coated rounds. And liked them. And tapes. And liked them more. And flats on the Chowny, and very happy with the Dunlops after a year's romance with Low Tension Flats.

Pressurewounds seem the most likely first try, except I'm really kind of eager to try some rounds on the cat, just to see what's prowling. There's a free NordyMute in the deal, so if I really need to thump, I can tame the rounds for a song ...

Keeping an open mind ... what I have in mind (really) is a bit of a secret project. Now that's not secret at all. I need a real video of real stuff and I know it's the rounds that are going to give me what I want for this.

 

[Passinwind]

The cat bass with rounds feels to me like it will do all the other jobs that I ain't got, and I expect I'm going to love playing it. AFIK GHS short scale are the strings that fit its slightly weird configuration, so that's Balanced Nickels or Pressurewounds for me.

I had GHS Pressurewounds on my newer fretless for the first year or so, I thought they were pretty great. They are most definitely not traditional flatwounds in vibe or feel IME and IMO. The pressurewounds I like a little more don't come in diminutive scale, so no soup for you I'm afraid.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I'm actually looking for overtones for the project I have in mind

 

[Polish Thunder]

I wouldn't discount flats on The Cat without even slipping on a set to try. You never know. "Flats can mask sloppy technique" restated properly is that round wounds are more revealing. So are some practice amps. But flats have a lot of inherent tone. Don't avoid flats simply because they don't emphasize playing flaws. Maybe a critical practice bass should have rounds installed.

If you're satisified with your technique, go with whatever suits the song and provides the best tone.

I like flats because they feel smoother when I am playing, they sound better for the music I play, plus that is what the great players of the past that I admire used when they played.

In regards to masking your flaws, I agree that flats are more forgiving and do hide some fret buzz. But I also play without any effects except for the standard knobs on an amp, so you could say playing with OD on, or with pedals, or one of the presets on some amps to get 'a sound' is also masking your technique?

But it does come down to the music YOU play and how YOU want to sound.

I do not think there is a right or wrong way, just what works for you.....

 

[beans-on-toast]

"I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right."

 

[Polish Thunder]

"I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right."

I am not arguing either...I am just explaining why you are right.........

I am just trying to defend flats. Hey, if James Jamerson and Duck Dunn used them, they can't be all that bad.....

Two of my basses have flats on them. One has rounds. Can you guess which two I pick up to play? You get three guesses....and the first two guesses do not count.

 

[Passinwind]

I'm actually looking for overtones for the project I have in mind

A while back I finally tried roundwounds on my "other" fretless for the first time. I could have saved a whole lot of time and effort by just doing that 15 years ago, allsimsayin'. But OTOH, it was a fun journey trying all that other stuff first.

 

[GonePlaid]

I like flats because they feel smoother when I am playing, they sound better for the music I play, plus that is what the great players of the past that I admire used when they played.

In regards to masking your flaws, I agree that flats are more forgiving and do hide some fret buzz. But I also play without any effects except for the standard knobs on an amp, so you could say playing with OD on, or with pedals, or one of the presets on some amps to get 'a sound' is also masking your technique?

But it does come down to the music YOU play and how YOU want to sound.

I do not think there is a right or wrong way, just what works for you.....

My current favorite strings are Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. They give me a palate of varied tones with a simple tweak of the tone knob on whichever bass I'm using w/o having to f---* with the settings on the amp-which I usually don't have access to during a set. I make adjustments(to the room)before we start and any minor tweaks prn when I have a chance.

*ool

 

[Polish Thunder]

My current favorite strings are Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. They give me a palate of varied tones with a simple tweak of the tone knob on whichever bass I'm using w/o having to f---* with the settings on the amp-which I usually don't have access to during a set. I make adjustments(to the room)before we start and any minor tweaks prn when I have a chance.

*ool

BINGO!

 

[Passinwind]

My current favorite strings are Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. They give me a palate of varied tones with a simple tweak of the tone knob on whichever bass I'm using w/o having to f---* with the settings on the amp-which I usually don't have access to during a set. I make adjustments(to the room)before we start and any minor tweaks prn when I have a chance.

*ool

I absoluetly loved EBCFs on my older fretless, which is active all the time. Very responsive to all three tone controls in my case. Roundwounds just work better for my slide bass nonsense though.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I'm seeing this flexibility (so to speak) in Dunlop flats on my Chowny. I lose a little of the thud of the LaBella flats (but not too much) and gain harmonics and sustain (like I need sustain on a thumper).

There was no need to adjust the truss rod when the LTFs were swapped out for the Dunlops. The Dunlops feel about as flexible under my fingers as the LTFs, and really could be happy with either. Too many raves to ignore the Dunlops, and too many raves to bin the old LTFs. Kind of prefer the black silks on the Dunlops, and that settles the bar tab.

All matter of string weirdness as the Chowny requires a 34 inch winding and apparently the cat bass requires a 32.75 inch winding. That means Dunlop or GHS short scales strings, and for now, that's it. A master list of strings that fit the cat bass is pending The Chowny can't wear GHS but the cat can

 

[Jeff Scott]

It can be boring to play on bass. But, if you can sing harmony while doing so, it's much more fun. One of the first tunes I learned on bass, along with Age of Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine. Talk about fun!!!

.​

IIRC, Joe Osborn played bass on that. His son, David, is a member here.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I am not arguing either...I am just explaining why you are right.........

I am just trying to defend flats. Hey, if James Jamerson and Duck Dunn used them, they can't be all that bad.....

Two of my basses have flats on them. One has rounds. Can you guess which two I pick up to play? You get three guesses....and the first two guesses do not count.

In the 60's when I started playing there were only flats. I know what I like and I like what I know.

There were even flats for guitars. I still use them on some instruments. The Beatles used them. The ones that I use are made by Pyramid (Germany).

 

[GwenOnBass]

Pretty much everything is more fun for me to play than rounds. Tapes win for feel and all their hyper-bendiness. Plus they look really cool in black. I imagine I have a light touch and dig the Low Tension Flats a lot for flats. Hey, new bass, new year, maybe dig the rounds again with an open mind?

What seems most likely in every case is with 65 so close I can hear it from here, is the rapidly diminishing chance I will ever play with the, um, capriciousness of a 20-something again

 

[GonePlaid]

I'm seeing this flexibility (so to speak) in Dunlop flats on my Chowny. I lose a little of the thud of the LaBella flats (but not too much) and gain harmonics and sustain (like I need sustain on a thumper).

There was no need to adjust the truss rod when the LTFs were swapped out for the Dunlops. The Dunlops feel about as flexible under my fingers as the LTFs, and really could be happy with either. Too many raves to ignore the Dunlops, and too many raves to bin the old LTFs. Kind of prefer the black silks on the Dunlops, and that settles the bar tab.

All matter of string weirdness as the Chowny requires a 34 inch winding and apparently the cat bass requires a 32.75 inch winding. That means Dunlop or GHS short scales strings, and for now, that's it. A master list of strings that fit the cat bass is pending The Chowny can't wear GHS but the cat can

Check your string length vs distance from bridge to nut. On my Ibanez AGB200 "short scale", I have to use medium length strings else the silks overlap the nut since the 'claw' is behind the bridge.

 

[Al Kraft]

When my Stingray was ̶k̶new, roundwounds was all I played. The cheese graters of choice were Rotos, until I tired of them going dead in the first two hours. Switched to Dean Markley Super Rounds (with the gold silks), and that's what was still on the Ray when I picked it up again in retirement. The Ray still needs TLC and that's coming.

With no wish to earn Roto callus back, I tried coated rounds. And liked them. And tapes. And liked them more. And flats on the Chowny, and very happy with the Dunlops after a year's romance with Low Tension Flats.

Pressurewounds seem the most likely first try, except I'm really kind of eager to try some rounds on the cat, just to see what's prowling. There's a free NordyMute in the deal, so if I really need to thump, I can tame the rounds for a song ...

Keeping an open mind ... what I have in mind (really) is a bit of a secret project. Now that's not secret at all. I need a real video of real stuff and I know it's the rounds that are going to give me what I want for this.

Do you find you need to make a neck/action adjustment with some of the more significantly different string changes?

 

[GwenOnBass]

There's a tape measure and maybe even a set of scales for the cat when it arrives. Reasonably certain from all the available infos the cat wants 32.75 winding length strings. I know from experience the short scale Chowny needs medium scale because of the claw tailpiece. And TI short scale flats are too long for the Chowny!

 

[beans-on-toast]

One short scale bass that I have has the heavier windings starting just after the bridge. Like most strings have after the nut. It allows for a sharper bend at the bridge saddle. I suppose an advantage of this short scale set. But silks on the saddle can be removed or left in place. No big deal.

 

[GonePlaid]

One short scale bass that I have has the heavier windings starting just after the bridge. Like most strings have after the nut. It allows for a sharper bend at the bridge saddle. I suppose an advantage of this short scale set. But silks on the saddle can be removed or left in place. No big deal.

View attachment 4116719

Yeah, I didn't mind the silks on the saddles but overlapping the nut on E and G didn't cut it.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Do you find you need to make a neck/action adjustment with some of the more significantly different string changes?

Friday the 1st was my annual Fret Doctor bore oil treatment. With the strings loosed, I checked relief (it was fine) and readjusted both the string height and intonation (because I goofed and let the floating bridge move). And generally check the neck relief a couple times a year anyways. It's low humidity in the house

I hoped the Dunlop flats had higher tension than the LTFs as the truss rod is on the low end of tight. No dice.