Ok guys this is just for fun, but I'm curious how long have guys kept your flats for? How long is too long? What is the minimum? Reply me and lets find out 
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How long have you kept your flats for?
- Thread starter SlapPopBass
- Start date
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Flats only last for a few days on any of my basses ... I go back to rounds ...
But if you are a flats guy the only time you need to change them is when you break a string.
But if you are a flats guy the only time you need to change them is when you break a string.
I went through 4 or 5 different sets of flats before settling on ghs precision wounds for my gibson SG. I'll only ever change if them if one breaks or they can't hold their intonation. If anyone has any 10+ year old shortscale flats that wanna sell, PM me.
Just put a set of Chromes back on my P-bass this morning. They already have about two months of play on them, I previously swapped them for round because the flats were just missing something in my classic rock trio.
In the end, my preferred tone won out and they went back on. My P sounds and feels SO much better now.
In the end, my preferred tone won out and they went back on. My P sounds and feels SO much better now.
I put D'Addario Chromes on almost all of the basses I build and sell. Most of my customers still have the original set on there, even going back 15 years. I still own a few of my earliest basses from 1997, which have the original Chromes and LaBellas on them, and they are fine.
To me, there are only a couple of ways that you can kill a set of flatwounds:
1.) You can wear them out. If you play long, hard hours, you'll shorten their life. Usually, the outer wrap will snap on the A string. But still, they last a long time. The Chromes on my main gigging bass, which I play maybe 3 hours per week, have been going strong for six years so far.
2.) They can rust out, even the stainless ones. If they sit unplayed in a humid environment for some years, they can start corroding and get really dead sounding. If you have a flatwounds bass that you keep tucked away and don't play often, it's a good idea to keep the flats "greased" a bit. Any of the commercial string lubricants will work, or you can use Mineral Oil, available at the drug store. Mineral Oil won't hurt the bass or the fingerboard, and it's a lot like natural finger grease, but without the acids.
3.) You can damage them by nicking the outer winding on something metal, or by swapping them back and forth on the bass. That will shorten their life.
Other than those things, good flats will last for decades. I've had vintage Ampegs come in my shop with 40+ year old LaBellas that were still reasonably playable.
To me, there are only a couple of ways that you can kill a set of flatwounds:
1.) You can wear them out. If you play long, hard hours, you'll shorten their life. Usually, the outer wrap will snap on the A string. But still, they last a long time. The Chromes on my main gigging bass, which I play maybe 3 hours per week, have been going strong for six years so far.
2.) They can rust out, even the stainless ones. If they sit unplayed in a humid environment for some years, they can start corroding and get really dead sounding. If you have a flatwounds bass that you keep tucked away and don't play often, it's a good idea to keep the flats "greased" a bit. Any of the commercial string lubricants will work, or you can use Mineral Oil, available at the drug store. Mineral Oil won't hurt the bass or the fingerboard, and it's a lot like natural finger grease, but without the acids.
3.) You can damage them by nicking the outer winding on something metal, or by swapping them back and forth on the bass. That will shorten their life.
Other than those things, good flats will last for decades. I've had vintage Ampegs come in my shop with 40+ year old LaBellas that were still reasonably playable.
I agree with that last post. I've had chrome flats on my '75 j bass for 15 yrs played gigs every Friday and Saturday nights. I then gave it up for 23 yrs and dragged it out a couple of years ago and they were still OK. I have however restrung with Gibson flats but don't like them as much as the chromes.
