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Going with flatwounds

#42
Barton Lee said:
If you're used to heavier gauge rounds already, don't be afraid to try Roto RS77 flats (45-105). They sound great and though they're definitely higher tension than some, they're not hard to fret or play IME. Quite bright and full sounding, excellent with a pick or finger style for classic rock.
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This. The flats I truly love. You can get a nice mix of tones with the tone knob...there is light if you want it!

Loads of famous players and recordings done with these, it's clear why. Other flats I'd tried were always a bit, well, dull, to my ears.

Roto 77s on a P bass, and I was sold.
 
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#45
I didn't read through all the posts, but here is my small opinion..... I too went from rounds to flats, after many years of playing. Personally, I needed a brighter flat, and still do. There are tons of threads on here about flats, but I went through several different set before I found what I wanted.

In no way does flats sound like dead rounds to me. I'm a nontraditional flat guy, I guess. I change my flats every few years at the point when most flat guys say they are just starting to sound good. I guess I still need a little brightness. I kind of go by sustain. When the string get to the point that it doesn't let the note carry, and turns into a dull thump, I change them. My personal tastes have been narrowed down to 2 strings, Chromes and EBMM Cobalt Flats. They are the brightest that I've found.

As far as diameter goes, I have narrowed my requirements down to. 045, .065, .080, .100, and the smallest B string I can find, which is. 130 most of the time. I have found that. 040 and .060 just don't quite have the balls to do the job. They get too thin sounding.

I will say that, in my opinion, rounds sound better when you're at home, with no other instruments playing, but flats really cut through the mix. I think the piano type sound you get out of rounds make them get lost in the mix a little.

Good luck on your journey to find the right strings. It took me a long time of string trials to find my comfort zone, but I've been playing flats for about 6 years now, and I'm very happy with my choice.
 
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#46
Funkabilly said:
I didn't read through all the posts, but here is my small opinion..... I too went from rounds to flats, after many years of playing. Personally, I needed a brighter flat, and still do. There are tons of threads on here about flats, but I went through several different set before I found what I wanted.

In no way does flats sound like dead rounds to me. I'm a nontraditional flat guy, I guess. I change my flats every few years at the point when most flat guys say they are just starting to sound good. I guess I still need a little brightness. I kind of go by sustain. When the string get to the point that it doesn't let the note carry, and turns into a dull thump, I change them. My personal tastes have been narrowed down to 2 strings, Chromes and EBMM Cobalt Flats. They are the brightest that I've found.

As far as diameter goes, I have narrowed my requirements down to. 045, .065, .080, .100, and the smallest B string I can find, which is. 130 most of the time. I have found that. 040 and .060 just don't quite have the balls to do the job. They get too thin sounding.

I will say that, in my opinion, rounds sound better when you're at home, with no other instruments playing, but flats really cut through the mix. I think the piano type sound you get out of rounds make them get lost in the mix a little.

Good luck on your journey to find the right strings. It took me a long time of string trials to find my comfort zone, but I've been playing flats for about 6 years now, and I'm very happy with my choice.
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I'm with you... Chromes on my P and EB Cobalt Flats on my Stingray.
 
#47
There are a lot of great flats to try...T.I.- GHS-LaBella-Fender...If you want to try the Cobalts, I highly recommend this set...I have them on a Jazz and really like the balanced tension set offered here:

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#48
Funkabilly said:
I didn't read through all the posts, but here is my small opinion..... I too went from rounds to flats, after many years of playing. Personally, I needed a brighter flat, and still do. There are tons of threads on here about flats, but I went through several different set before I found what I wanted.

In no way does flats sound like dead rounds to me. I'm a nontraditional flat guy, I guess. I change my flats every few years at the point when most flat guys say they are just starting to sound good. I guess I still need a little brightness. I kind of go by sustain. When the string get to the point that it doesn't let the note carry, and turns into a dull thump, I change them. My personal tastes have been narrowed down to 2 strings, Chromes and EBMM Cobalt Flats. They are the brightest that I've found.

As far as diameter goes, I have narrowed my requirements down to. 045, .065, .080, .100, and the smallest B string I can find, which is. 130 most of the time. I have found that. 040 and .060 just don't quite have the balls to do the job. They get too thin sounding.

I will say that, in my opinion, rounds sound better when you're at home, with no other instruments playing, but flats really cut through the mix. I think the piano type sound you get out of rounds make them get lost in the mix a little.

Good luck on your journey to find the right strings. It took me a long time of string trials to find my comfort zone, but I've been playing flats for about 6 years now, and I'm very happy with my choice.
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Im looking to removed some of the brightness. Part of that was the reason to to up in gauge to 50-110. I like my current rounds I just want to try flats and see where it takes me. If it doesnt work I know what to go back to.
Now that it think about it. How long does it take for strings to break in and mellow? I give them 6 months. is that too short?
 
#50
I have used LaBella DTF's before they were hard on the fingers very stiff. I just put a set of LaBella LTF's on my P-Bass and I like them . Much less stiff than the DTF's . I have also used GHS precision flats much lower tension than either of the LaBellas nice deep motownish. Also GHS brite flats with a little more harmonics and the GHS Pressure wounds not flats and do not sound flat but much less finger noise. Ernie Ball Cobalt flats feel flat sound thumpy but with more upper Harmonics than normal flats
 
#54
OldSchoolFlats said:
It is much easier for me to hear pitch with round-wounds. After not playing flats for a while, for whatever reason, I just played a C scale, but the B and C sounded almost the same. Had me look down to see what fret I was on!

Back in my youth, with flatwounds, since I tend to cut the highs, I can remember "butchering" bass-lines - playing wrong notes - but it still sounding OK as long as I had the right rhythm. I guess my take on bass was sort-of like a tuned bass-drum. Always used 15" speakers.
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Reminds me of a Trinidadian friend who was learning bass and playing soca. The bandleader said, "If you're not sure of the note, just thump on the low strings."
 

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