I tried Flats but changed them after 2 days

[CallMeAl]

That would make sense for me, both because of the gauge and from what I understand, Chromes are atypical flats (fine for me since I am rounds guy).

If you can’t find the gauges you mentioned you might wanna give them a try. I’m also a rounds guy, and Chromes and Fender Flats are the only flats I’ve ever enjoyed playing. I don’t think they’ll ever replace rounds as my “go to,” but they’ve got a nice flexibility and brightness, that sure make them fun to play

 

[Wshiras]

Hi all, just curious if others have had the same experience as me.

Over the last several weeks, I've been thinking of putting flat wounds on my Fender P Bass. I did all the research, watched comparison videos, sound samples, etc. Got a set of Fender 9050s and put them on. Right away, a very different feel - tighter tension, obviously smoother feel (maybe too smooth). I liked that I was able to lower my action. I really wanted to like them but after 2 days I took them off and put my rounds back on. I missed the punch and the friction of the strings. I seem to have more control of the tone with the rounds, and if I want that flat sound can roll off the tone knob on my bass.

Anyone else have the same experience? Should I give them another chance? There is part of me that says put them back on and give them a month.

Thanks for any thoughts you share.

Thom

La Bella Original 1954 flat wounds are the only way 2 go. Light guage flats don't make it.

 

[Mark Ambler]

La Bella Original 1954 flat wounds are the only way 2 go. Light guage flats don't make it.

(Re 1954 760M flats) Providing you're ok with playing big heavy gauge strings.

LaBella's relatively new LTFs (low tension flats) were probably produced to compete with the
highly regarded T.I. flats. Then you have the 760FL flats which will give you pretty much the same sound
as 760M flats, but at a lighter tension.

0760M Long scale (52/73/95/110)
760FL Long Scale (43/60/82/104)
LTF Long Scale (42/056/75/100)
T.I. Long Scale (43/56/070/100) (noticeably lower tension than LTFs).

 

[Thomas Rickell]

It’s definitely best to dedicate a bass to flats. I’ve got an Allen Woody short-scale bass I’ve had flats on for years, and it’s pretty dope. Just recently started playing it again, inspired by Laura Lee from Khruangbin. Which brings me to the important point: what kind of music are you playing? If you’re in a 2 guitar Stonesy rock band, you’ll never be able to hear yourself playing flats!

 

[scott cuppello]

I have flats on my Mustang and they sound fantastic but are not versatile enough for a whole set, hence rounds on my jazz.

 

[Papuzzo]

Just go out and buy another P Bass and put the Flats on that.........Problem solved!

+1

My opinion is that strings are a vital part of overall bass tone, and sometimes even more important than the bass itself. There are times when you need a bright tone and always having a bass strung with roundwounds is important. But, there are many times in which you just need rich bottom end with much more focus on the fundamental and this is where flats rule. Having a P-Bass with flats is almost obligatory.

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

Hi all, so here it is a little more than a week later. Based on all your feedback, opinions, and valuable info you shared about your experience and string recommendations, I"ve been playing with flatwounds now for over a week, and now that I"ve given them a chance, and a more open mind, I am really enjoying them. The string tension is not a strong as it seemed when I first put them on. And I was able to play around with my amp settings and get a really enjoyable tone. The strings don't feel as slippery and I was able to lower my action to just a hair over 1/4 of inch at the 15th fret. Its made me want to pick up my bass more and play.

As for all the string recommendations, thanks all but I"m going to stick with the Fender 9050s. I am very happy with them. To begin trying the 5 or 6 different strings that got recommended here would get expensive quick and for what I do - playing at home with myself and no band. Now that I have settled in with them, I would consider trying the LaBella's Deep Talking set, just for nostalgia purposes, but that's down the road.

So, lesson learned, and this really applies to lots of things in life, don't be so quick to judge, try things out for an extended time and go in with an open mind.

Thanks

Thom

 

[CallMeAl]

Hi all, so here it is a little more than a week later. Based on all your feedback, opinions, and valuable info you shared about your experience and string recommendations, I"ve been playing with flatwounds now for over a week, and now that I"ve given them a chance, and a more open mind, I am really enjoying them. The string tension is not a strong as it seemed when I first put them on. And I was able to play around with my amp settings and get a really enjoyable tone. The strings don't feel as slippery and I was able to lower my action to just a hair over 1/4 of inch at the 15th fret. Its made me want to pick up my bass more and play.

As for all the string recommendations, thanks all but I"m going to stick with the Fender 9050s. I am very happy with them. To begin trying the 5 or 6 different strings that got recommended here would get expensive quick and for what I do - playing at home with myself and no band. Now that I have settled in with them, I would consider trying the LaBella's Deep Talking set, just for nostalgia purposes, but that's down the road.

So, lesson learned, and this really applies to lots of things in life, don't be so quick to judge, try things out for an extended time and go in with an open mind.

Thanks

Thom

Glad you’re enjoying them! Curious what amp changes you’ve made? I’ve recently discovered I really like the Rumble OD with my Fender Flats.

 

[Bass Blender]

Good for you! Hey, if you like the Fender strings, then use ‘em! I might consider the LaBellas myself when I change my flats next. Especially if they last as long as others on here have said. Rock on!

Hi all, so here it is a little more than a week later. Based on all your feedback, opinions, and valuable info you shared about your experience and string recommendations, I"ve been playing with flatwounds now for over a week, and now that I"ve given them a chance, and a more open mind, I am really enjoying them. The string tension is not a strong as it seemed when I first put them on. And I was able to play around with my amp settings and get a really enjoyable tone. The strings don't feel as slippery and I was able to lower my action to just a hair over 1/4 of inch at the 15th fret. Its made me want to pick up my bass more and play.

As for all the string recommendations, thanks all but I"m going to stick with the Fender 9050s. I am very happy with them. To begin trying the 5 or 6 different strings that got recommended here would get expensive quick and for what I do - playing at home with myself and no band. Now that I have settled in with them, I would consider trying the LaBella's Deep Talking set, just for nostalgia purposes, but that's down the road.

So, lesson learned, and this really applies to lots of things in life, don't be so quick to judge, try things out for an extended time and go in with an open mind.

Thanks

Thom

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

Glad you’re enjoying them! Curious what amp changes you’ve made? I’ve recently discovered I really like the Rumble OD with my Fender Flats.

I have a Fender Rumble 200. I found turning down the Low mids to about 10 o'clock (gets rid of some of the muddiness) and turn up the bass to about 2 o'clock (adds some punch) works for me. I keep the Hi Mids and Treble at noon. But I also found if I move my amp to different locations in my room, or even where I sit in relation to the amp, changes the tone. I also roll off a little of the tone knob on my pbass.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Hi all, so here it is a little more than a week later. Based on all your feedback, opinions, and valuable info you shared about your experience and string recommendations, I"ve been playing with flatwounds now for over a week, and now that I"ve given them a chance, and a more open mind, I am really enjoying them. The string tension is not a strong as it seemed when I first put them on. And I was able to play around with my amp settings and get a really enjoyable tone. The strings don't feel as slippery and I was able to lower my action to just a hair over 1/4 of inch at the 15th fret. Its made me want to pick up my bass more and play.

As for all the string recommendations, thanks all but I"m going to stick with the Fender 9050s. I am very happy with them. To begin trying the 5 or 6 different strings that got recommended here would get expensive quick and for what I do - playing at home with myself and no band. Now that I have settled in with them, I would consider trying the LaBella's Deep Talking set, just for nostalgia purposes, but that's down the road.

So, lesson learned, and this really applies to lots of things in life, don't be so quick to judge, try things out for an extended time and go in with an open mind.

Thanks

Thom

A whole thread to come back and say “sorry, it was all useless, I’d undervalued what I already had” .. I knew this thread started with the wrong foot I stated this at the beginning .. glad you made up your mind (substantially, I understand, this happened); however, as stated previously, there are by all means much performing flats than what you are now using.
I can understand that a temporary lack of funds may prevent you from trying other flats models now; remember, however, to add TI JF344 to your list in the future.

 

[Thom Fioriglio]

A whole thread to come back and say “sorry, it was all useless, I’d undervalued what I already had” .. I knew this thread started with the wrong foot I stated this at the beginning .. glad you made up your mind (substantially, I understand, this happened); however, as stated previously, there are by all means much performing flats than what you are now using.
I can understand that a temporary lack of funds may prevent you from trying other flats models now; remember, however, to add TI JF344 to your list in the future.

Thanks Gianni for contributing nothing and thinking this whole thread was useless. I found your responses to be rude and condescending. You don't need to respond to these forums. If you don't like a question posed on a thread, then just move on. As for TIs I am not going to spend $75 on strings that I may or may not like. I have read just as many bad reviews on those as good ones. Just as I have read many good and bad reviews on the Fenders. Fortunately, I have found your types of responses to be the exception and most everyone else here on TalkBass has been helpful, thoughtful and supportive. As for this thread, I consider it closed.

Thom

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Thanks Gianni for contributing nothing and thinking this whole thread was useless. I found your responses to be rude and condescending. You don't need to respond to these forums. If you don't like a question posed on a thread, then just move on. As for TIs I am not going to spend $75 on strings that I may or may not like. I have read just as many bad reviews on those as good ones. Just as I have read many good and bad reviews on the Fenders. Fortunately, I have found your types of responses to be the exception and most everyone else here on TalkBass has been helpful, thoughtful and supportive. As for this thread, I consider it closed.

Thom

What can I say ..

 

[byacey]

As for TIs I am not going to spend $75 on strings that I may or may not like.

The thing is, if you never try them and play them for a bit, you'll never know what possibilities they offer.
As well, when trying them out, you have to understand they won't sound like rounds; EQ is different also, as they have a much more enhanced mid-range compared to rounds.

 

[Mark Ambler]

Ok, my 2 cents. I have TIs on one of my studio basses, and although they have great clarity, I did find them too light for gigging as they were too loose when I 'dig in' (play harder) a bit. I replaced them with the Labella LTFs and they are my favoured FW live strings.

So I'd say you should stick with what you've got. The TIs are great, but a little specialised, imo.

BTW, some peoples posts can come off a little 'insensitive' for want of a better word. Sometimes it's easy to take things the wrong way, and some people's first language may not be English.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Ok, my 2 cents. I have TIs on one of my studio basses, and although they have great clarity, I did find them too light for gigging as they were too loose when I 'dig in' (play harder) a bit. I replaced them with the Labella LTFs and they are my favoured FW live strings.

So I'd say you should stick with what you've got. The TIs are great, but a little specialised, imo.

BTW, some peoples posts can come off a little 'insensitive' for want of a better word. Sometimes it's easy to take things the wrong way, and some people's first language may not be English.

Yes, yes .. why not .. I should not reply but when it comes to communication, and language barriers, I can’t resist ... English may not be my first language but I will never post something like the OP because it doesn’t make sense, and this is not to be insensitive, it’s just is to state things as they are .. OP asks for help but he doesn’t really seek for any help and in the end he didn’t really need any help; the whole thing doesn’t make sense.
I personally tried many flatwound strings models including the Fender and LaBella LTF-4A, which is the model you have referred to.
I was using only roundwound strings before; now I replaced them on all my basses with flats.
The Fender strings have a too high tension and they are too much bass oriented for me; negative judgement, albeit they are cheap.
LaBella LTF-4A are characterised by a lower tension, comparable to that of Chromes; they have slightly more mids than the Fender’s; got them on an Elrick bass of mine.
TI JF344 are the best for me; low tension, right amount of mids and highs; in USA they are expensive but not excessively in Europe.
For what concerns me, the OP can use the Fender strings of whatever other kind of strings he likes; he received a lot of replies, including mine, which he didn’t like, as I didn’t like his somehow childish way of communicating.
The end of this thread seems the worthy conclusion of a drama for good guys.
I had to play the part of the bad one, a bad one, however, who probably knows something more about flatwound strings than the OP for the simple reason that he has presumably tested more models of this strings’ type, and, hence, he’s entitled to speak and, sorry to say, to laugh a bit about how the drama started, developed and ended.

Cheers guys

PS (edit)

I installed a set of nylon strings on a bass but I don’t know if I like them; I will ask TalkBass to tell me if I like them or not ... come on ...

 

[Mark Ambler]

Yes, yes .. why not .. I should not reply but when it comes to communication, and language barriers, I can’t resist ... English may not be my first language but I will never post something like the OP because it doesn’t make sense, and this is not to be insensitive, it’s just is to state things as they are .. OP asks for help but he doesn’t really seek for any help and in the end he didn’t really need any help; the whole thing doesn’t make sense.
I personally tried many flatwound strings models including the Fender and LaBella LTF-4A, which is the model you have referred to.
I was using only roundwound strings before; now I replaced them on all my basses with flats.
The Fender strings have a too high tension and they are too much bass oriented for me; negative judgement, albeit they are cheap.
LaBella LTF-4A are characterised by a lower tension, comparable to that of Chromes; they have slightly more mids than the Fender’s; got them on an Elrick bass of mine.
TI JF344 are the best for me; low tension, right amount of mids and highs; in USA they are expensive but not excessively in Europe.
For what concerns me, the OP can use the Fender strings of whatever other kind of strings he likes; he received a lot of replies, including mine, which he didn’t like, as I didn’t like his somehow childish way of communicating.
The end of this thread seems the worthy conclusion of a drama for good guys.
I had to play the part of the bad one, a bad one, however, who probably knows something more about flatwound strings than the OP for the simple reason that he has presumably tested more models of this strings’ type, and, hence, he’s entitled to speak and, sorry to say, to laugh a bit about how the drama started, developed and ended.

Cheers guys

PS (edit)

I installed a set of nylon strings on a bass but I don’t know if I like them; I will ask TalkBass to tell me if I like them or not ... come on ...

Did you find the TIs lower tension than the LTFs? I really like the sound and feel of the TIs, but, as I said before, I play a bit harder, live, and found them to loose, but I guess it’s down to technique. I find that some strings suit different basses than others, my Precision sounds best with LaBellas 760FL, whereas the TIs or LTFs are more suited to my active Sadowsky and Warwick. Perhaps the clarity of the TIs works well with active basses?

Anyway, I agree that strings can make a major difference to the feel and sound of a bass, and for me it’s been worthwhile investment.

 

[fretlessguy]

I did the same as you. A few years later I bought a lip stick red Fender P Bass fretless. The rounds were starting to show indentions in the rosewood fretboard. I installed the same set of GHS P flats I bought a couple of years earlier onto the said bass and the sound was, well, marvelous. Store the set for a while. You just may find the perfect bass for them later.

 

[JW56789]

I tried Flats but changed them after 2 days . . . .

Took that long ? I know these are a thing for a lot of guys, but I'm not one of them. The feel of rounds don't bother me, I long ago learned how to not get a lot of noise out of them, and they'll go dead fast enough and sound like flats anyway. Not for me.

 

[uwrossl]

As for TIs I am not going to spend $75 on strings that I may or may not like.

Hey Thom. Glad you found your way with the flats! One thing to keep in mind if you find yourself wanting to try out the Thomastik Flats is that they are extremely easy to resell should you end up not liking them...provided of course you haven't trimmed them too short. Keep your eye on Amazon too and a lot of times you'll be able to snag them for under $60. In the same regard keep your eye on the classifieds and if you're quick enough when they pop up you can snag a set from somebody that didn't get on with them. A very unique string indeed that can be polarizing one way or the other. Of course it's not something you have to try but I do think it's worth it for people to try them at least once in their life. My set is around two years old and sounds as good as they did when they hit their break in point about 2 months in. They still sounded good before that but that's when they hit their sweet spot.

You can find the thread "10 year old TI's" that was recently posted in the strings forum with a video on there showing how good a 10 year old set sounds. Pricey...YES! But last for over and really do sit in a special place in a mix both in live settings as well as recording! Just food for thought! Until then enjoy and play the heck out of those Fenders!