Giving up on 1/2 rounds

[tothemax]

I tried a set of 1/2 rounds about 8 months ago on my P bass. During that time I had trigger finger pretty bad and had the release surgery. During my rehab I was playing mostly guitar to let my hand heal up. Last night we were jamming and I grabbed my P bass, no love there for the feel and tone of the 1/2 rounds. Ended up swapping out for my home built short scale (franken parts caster), at least I was able to wrestle some decent tones out of it. I wanted to give the 1/2 rounds a chance, but I like my PB and need it back to my go to bass. Really rusty after about 6 months off the bass, ended up playing with pick (which I haven't done in years).

 

[michael_t]

I went through the same thing with half-rounds (GHS Brite Flats) in the last few years. Three tries (once on Jazz and twice on Precision), and still no go.

They did sound good on my P, but I just couldn't get on with the tacky feel. Back to the Pressurewounds I go...

 

[JRA]

lots of players like the half-rounds. i "gave up" on them when i realized the hype about them: 'being somewhere between flats and rounds' wasn't true for me at all --- not even close! i tried the d'addarios and they had no character, IMO, but some players seem to exploit them quite well. OTOH: i think there are a bunch of coated (round wound) strings that sound pretty good.

 

[Lo-E]

I’m 100% in favor of there being as many options out there as possible. I know there must be people who like what 1/2 rounds have to offer but they’ve never worked for me.

I first tried them about 30 years ago and hated both the feel and the tone. I tried them again every 5 years or so for maybe 20 years and then I just gave up. I know they’re supposed to combine the best attributes of flats and rounds but, for me, they combine the worst.

I like rounds. I like flats. I like compression wounds. Somehow 1/2 rounds just don’t do it.

 

[SunByrne]

I’ve read enough posts like this that I haven’t even tried ground wounds.

I do like pressurewounds, though.

 

[michael_t]

During that time I had trigger finger pretty bad and had the release surgery. During my rehab I was playing mostly guitar to let my hand heal up...

Trigger finger... Yes, I do share the same experience in that regard as well. Four trigger release surgeries (two on each hand) between 2016 and 2018!

One thing I had to do after those surgeries was to go lighter with my string selections. I'm just happy I can still do what I love, ie playing bass.

 

[Killing Floor]

Best wishes for your complete recovery.

There's no perfect string. Play what you like.

 

[fretlessman71]

If you're ever willing to give half rounds another chance, try a different brand: SIT Silencers. They are MUCH brighter than the D'Addario half rounds. Still a little sticky - that's the way it is with half-rounds - but my callouses have adapted over time.

 

[micguy]

If you're ever willing to give half rounds a chance, try a different brand: SIT Silencers. They are MUCH brighter than the D'Addario half rounds. Still a little sticky - that's the way it is with half-rounds - but my callouses have adapted over time.

Silencers are pressurewounds (not half rounds) - made by GHS, AFAIK. But yes, your advice about them being brighter is spot on. GHS Pressure wounds are, if not the same string, very close - I think they have gauge differences, but that may be it.

I had a set of half rounds on my first bass (second set of strings ever). After that, I went to rounds, and haven't had half rounds since then - 1979.

 

[fretlessman71]

Silencers are pressurewounds (not half rounds) - made by GHS, AFAIK.

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[micguy]

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From that web site:

"The process of Inverse String Winding compresses the outermost part of the cover wrap leaving the internal structure of the string intact"

That's literally the definition of pressure wound strings. Half round strings are rounds where part of the outer section is ground off.

I brain farted about who makes them, though - GHS makes Ken Smith's pressure wound strings, not SIT's.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

Yup,
Tried them, thought i liked em,
Eventually realized I didn’t and was only making excuses to myself that they were fine.
I have rounds on everything now.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Silencers are pressurewounds (not half rounds) - made by GHS, AFAIK. But yes, your advice about them being brighter is spot on. GHS Pressure wounds are, if not the same string, very close - I think they have gauge differences, but that may be it.

S.I.T. Silencers are pressurewounds, but they're made in-house. You're mixing them up with Ken Smith Compressors, which IIRC are the same as the GHS Pressurewounds. Ken Smith also sells re-branded Brite Flats (called Slick Rounds).

 

[dagrev]

First, I hope you do well with the surgery. Second, finding people who like half-rounds is more challenging than for most any other type of string, so don't feel bad. I've tried to like them several times. I love GHS Pressurewounds, however.

 

[ryco]

I use D'addario Halies on my fretless. Tried flats and it was just too thudy - was spending a lot of energy pulling the strings trying to get some attack out of them - took away from speed a bit. Been using Halfies for decades and RARELY change them. They do feel a little ruff at first, but that seems to settle down pretty quick.

 

[fretlessman71]

What's interesting to me is that I tried the GHS Pressurewounds and found that they sounded.... I don't know... "blah" compared to what I was hoping for. And I find them not to be as smooth feeling as the Silencers. My guitar pick certainly notices; there's a lot more "scrape" with the GHS Pressurewounds than with the SIT Silencers (a big thing for me, I prefer not to hear that, especially on a fretless bass).

 

[fretlessman71]

From that web site:

"The process of Inverse String Winding compresses the outermost part of the cover wrap leaving the internal structure of the string intact"

That's literally the definition of pressure wound strings. Half round strings are rounds where part of the outer section is ground off.

Must be why they chose to call them "Semi Flat" - I bet that "pressurewound" is trademarked. Good to know!

 

[Vinny_G]

lots of players like the half-rounds. i "gave up" on them when i realized the hype about them: 'being somewhere between flats and rounds' wasn't true for me at all --- not even close! i tried the d'addarios and they had no character, IMO, but some players seem to exploit them quite well. OTOH: i think there are a bunch of coated (round wound) strings that sound pretty good.

I have the feeling that it's a kind of illusion and that at some point you have to choose the type of sound you prefer on this or that bass.

 

[JRA]

at some point you have to choose the type of sound you prefer on this or that bass.

i think you're on to something and a lot of players go for a certain sound, but for me: it's less about sound and more about feel and responsiveness --- i just want them to 'perform' a certain way (i'm actually pretty 'flexible' on this! ), and while i dig the sound of round wounds (a habit) it's the overall feel of them that counts for me (also a habit). e.g., i like the general floppiness of TI jazz rounds and that makes them one of my favorite strings, but i probably like the sound of roto 66s better.

 

[red_rhino]

I think we’ve all (or at least many of us) been curious enough about half rounds to at least try them, only to find out they weren’t exactly what we thought they would be. There must be enough players who like them, otherwise they wouldn’t still be making them.

For me, the pressure wounds are more along the lines of what I thought half-rounds would be.