They've been around forever but seems they never really caught on, on paper they look like best of both worlds. Gonna try them for the first time on my jazz bass and see what they’re like. I use TI flats on my P and thought I’d try these for my jazz bass. Anybody here use them? thanks
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Half Rounds how come?
- Thread starter MrRiff
- Start date
Yeah they seem like a great idea, but the implementation falls short. A lot of us find them too "grabby", too sharp, they really need to do some slight edge rounding on them or something. Harsh on the fretting fingertips.
When I tried them, I found them to be the WORST of two worlds!
Not thumpy enough for a good flats sound, not bright enough for bright rounds sound.
A mediocre sound in the middle. Very blah, IMHO.
And I’ve tried them several times, several years apart, on different basses.
Same reaction every time. Couldn’t get them off my basses quick enough.
Not thumpy enough for a good flats sound, not bright enough for bright rounds sound.
A mediocre sound in the middle. Very blah, IMHO.
And I’ve tried them several times, several years apart, on different basses.
Same reaction every time. Couldn’t get them off my basses quick enough.
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I never bonded with bass half-rounds (which is technically a D'Addario product name). They are kind of sticky/coarse feeling, just in a different way than rounds. Tone wise they sound far more like rounds and I would actually struggle to assign much of any flatwound tone factor to them, other than reduced string noise. I did however find the Half-round 6 string electric guitar strings to have some likable qualities. I like them more than roundwound guitar strings but I don't love them as much as I love flatwounds, so they didn't quite win me over in that arena either.
If you're looking for a best-of-both worlds option, I would recommend GHS Pressurewounds (which aren't ground down rounds, but rather rounds with the outer winding pressurized to an oval sort of shape if you looked at a cross-section) which have a nice nickel-round-esque top end, but legitimately pack that big low-mid punch that I love in flatwounds OR Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds, which are true flatwounds but almost the same amount of bright top end sparkle as rounds.
If you're looking for a best-of-both worlds option, I would recommend GHS Pressurewounds (which aren't ground down rounds, but rather rounds with the outer winding pressurized to an oval sort of shape if you looked at a cross-section) which have a nice nickel-round-esque top end, but legitimately pack that big low-mid punch that I love in flatwounds OR Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds, which are true flatwounds but almost the same amount of bright top end sparkle as rounds.
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I have found that, more than most strings, half-round strings seem to need to be paired with the right bass. If they work, they might be awesome. If they don't work ... and maybe they usually don't ... then they can be kind of uninspiring.
I personally like GHS Brite Flats much more than the D'Addario Half Rounds. I think it must be the Alloy 52 winding material that GHS uses which makes the difference.
I personally like GHS Brite Flats much more than the D'Addario Half Rounds. I think it must be the Alloy 52 winding material that GHS uses which makes the difference.
Also consider Magma Ultra Flat bass strings (they're groundwound too, but smoother than the competition) :
Magma Ultra Flats Impression - Flat that sounds like a Round
Magma Ultra Flats Impression - Flat that sounds like a Round
Invalid Link Removed
I used to play Rotosound 55s in lieu of their 66s. I switched because they felt softer on my hands compared to the 66s that feel like cheese graters.
Their tone was decent. They weren’t as bright as rounds, but being Rotosounds, they were nowhere near as dull as flats. I even used them on parts of my first two albums.
One day, I took one of my basses in to get a setup. It had a newer set of 55s on it. I ordered 45-105 gauge strings and that’s what it said on the package when I got them. My tech noticed that the lowest string was a 100 gauge and that I received the wrong string gauges from Rotosound!
He then put a set of 50-105 gauge D’Addario nickel rounds on my bass and there was an immediate improvement in my bass’ tone! So I switched to rounds for almost all my basses (one has Chromes / flats) in the months after.
What’s more is that I played Rotosound strings for 12 years until that incident of poor QC. I wish I switched to D’Addario sooner.
The Rotosound 55s are the only semi-flatwounds that I’ve ever tried. I would rather play Chromes or another brighter sounding flatwound than a semi-flat.
Their tone was decent. They weren’t as bright as rounds, but being Rotosounds, they were nowhere near as dull as flats. I even used them on parts of my first two albums.
One day, I took one of my basses in to get a setup. It had a newer set of 55s on it. I ordered 45-105 gauge strings and that’s what it said on the package when I got them. My tech noticed that the lowest string was a 100 gauge and that I received the wrong string gauges from Rotosound!
He then put a set of 50-105 gauge D’Addario nickel rounds on my bass and there was an immediate improvement in my bass’ tone! So I switched to rounds for almost all my basses (one has Chromes / flats) in the months after.
What’s more is that I played Rotosound strings for 12 years until that incident of poor QC. I wish I switched to D’Addario sooner.
The Rotosound 55s are the only semi-flatwounds that I’ve ever tried. I would rather play Chromes or another brighter sounding flatwound than a semi-flat.
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Expect you'll find the Dadd's are called Ground Wounds. Least they used to be
I got something different. I Used to like D'addario half round coz they had a little more quack than the rounds. We're talking 79s and 80s here. Nobody was using flats so I had no experience to make me think they were anything other than silky smooth. But I liked the fact they cut the very top off the treble and left nice upper mids.
In the 90s I discovered DR. Their half rounds really were smooth as inset metaphor. And they last forever (I wish) so I used them even tho they weren't as sweet as fresh Dadds. Couple of months they had the edge.
Nowadays DR don't do half round. I use their rounds coz they last. Which makes them cheaper.if I was gigging I might go back to the ground wound.
But I'm not [
My TB review of Rotosound 55s: https://www.talkbass.com/reviews/rotosound-55-solo-bass-pressurewounds.603/
Nope, other way a-round: "groundwound" is a common description of the type, but D'Addario's products specifically have always been "Half Rounds", ever since the Seventies.
Well, except that stint (around the turn of the millennium) when they were styled "1/2rounds".
I used them in the late '70s in my Top 40/Disco bands, and then again in the late '90s for a while. Sounds and felt fine to me.
Here is a recording of my first Zon (fretless '97 Sonus Special) with Half Rounds (tc electronic SCF in the mix).
Here is a recording of my first Zon (fretless '97 Sonus Special) with Half Rounds (tc electronic SCF in the mix).
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Half-rounds/groundwound are an acquired taste. It does take some getting used to their distinct feel and tonal character.
That said, I just put a set of GHS Brite Flats on my newly-acquired Ibanez SR650E, which is a reverse PJ that I play in passive exclusively. And it feels like I've finally found the right bass for these strings after four tries.
That said, I just put a set of GHS Brite Flats on my newly-acquired Ibanez SR650E, which is a reverse PJ that I play in passive exclusively. And it feels like I've finally found the right bass for these strings after four tries.
The strings are what they are. They are not "best of both worlds". If you're expecting "the feel of flats and the sound of rounds", you'll be very disappointed because they are neither of those things.
Personally, I like them for what they are. They tend to have a grabby tactile feel, they are stiff (like a heavy-gauge string), and they aren't cut-your-head-off bright when new. They tend to last a long time, IME. I think the stiffness for the diameter gives them a unique feel over similarly-stiff rounds.
I have them on a G&L LB100 and I've used them on other basses. I also have Chromes and TI Jazz flats on other basses, and lots of basses with various different rounds, so my strings are all over the place.
Personally, I like them for what they are. They tend to have a grabby tactile feel, they are stiff (like a heavy-gauge string), and they aren't cut-your-head-off bright when new. They tend to last a long time, IME. I think the stiffness for the diameter gives them a unique feel over similarly-stiff rounds.
I have them on a G&L LB100 and I've used them on other basses. I also have Chromes and TI Jazz flats on other basses, and lots of basses with various different rounds, so my strings are all over the place.
- Oct 22, 2015
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Brite Flats on a classic StingRay deliver the full Bernard Edwards tone, if that's what you're after.
That said, I did not get on with the feel on my 'Ray, and swapped the Brite Flats out for EB Group IV stainless steel flats. Close enough for my needs.
That said, I did not get on with the feel on my 'Ray, and swapped the Brite Flats out for EB Group IV stainless steel flats. Close enough for my needs.
Used to hear them all the time in the radio as the 70s turned into the 80s
Have to take your word for it. It's been 30 years ... Candi
Doh. Got a couple of sets I never found a use for. Sadly 2 sets of 4 and a 5 string Stingray
I've tried them a couple of times and found them to have the worst qualities of both worlds. Not nicely smooth like flats and not "present" like rounds.
Where I settled is rounds made with a much smaller gauge outer wrap - i.e. Newtone Platinum wind. TI Jazz Rounds also have a finer outer wrap but are too expensive for my budget.
Where I settled is rounds made with a much smaller gauge outer wrap - i.e. Newtone Platinum wind. TI Jazz Rounds also have a finer outer wrap but are too expensive for my budget.
GHS brite flats WOULD be awesome if they weren't so INCREDIBLY stiff and tense. The tone is good but they are absolutely brutal to play.
GHS Pressurewounds seems to have a lot of love, similar concept. I, however, am not a fan. There's brighter flats that are true flats, and smoother rounds that are true rounds, so what's the point?
GHS Pressurewounds seems to have a lot of love, similar concept. I, however, am not a fan. There's brighter flats that are true flats, and smoother rounds that are true rounds, so what's the point?
And so loose and thin they are barely even metal strings. A thicker gauge would be incredible.
