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If I had a need for "that sound' more than one or two songs per gig, I'd get a serviceable P-bass and put flats on it, but it would never be my main bass.
Try Sadowsky black label flats!! I'm the ultimate rounds guy ( ask any of my friends) ... But the Sadowsky black Lables have style magic in them
I am shocked that OP has managed to become a TB user for almost 10 years without even buying a 2nd bass!I am shocked that a TB user wants another bass!
3 of my P basses are strung with flats, the 4th one has GHS Pressure wounds and my Jazz has Dunlop Superbrites, it's nice and convenient to have all the bases covered..
I am shocked that OP has managed to become a TB user for almost 10 years without even buying a 2nd bass!
I know, it's crazy! I've only owned 2 basses in my entire life, and they weren't owned at the same time. I think I'm pretty much a 1 instrument guy. My studio has 1 bass, 1 electric guitar, 1 acoustic... not that I don't want lots of instruments! I just don't need them for what I do
I actually wish I could be more like that. I live in a small apartment and my 8 basses take up a lot of space. My gear acquisition syndrome is too powerful to overcome! I could probably get by with a good trifecta, but I really enjoy variety.
Technically, a natural finish P with tort is also good as well. oh, and rosewood. Obviously, rosewood.
I didn't read the thread very well first so someone may have mentioned it already, but try EB Cobalt Flats.
They're bright, and still flats. They sound pretty similar to rounds however seem to have more of a upper-mid bump.
I was able to play convincing slap bass lines with these guys. Often other flats would sounds too dead, or had high tension in the case of chromes.
If I could only have one bass, it would have to have rounds on it. As it is, the ideal situation is having two P basses, one flats and on rounds 
It's not a marriage or like raising kids. String one bass with your favorite flats (I like D'Addario Chromes) and string the other with your favorite rounds and see which one becomes your "go to" bass.
Geez, maybe you will find each has its own applications.
If you do this, you'll figure it out.
Hope this is helpful. Best of luck.
Koog
Geez, maybe you will find each has its own applications.
If you do this, you'll figure it out.
Hope this is helpful. Best of luck.
Koog
I was there one time. I had about 10 basses and 3 guitars.
Maintaining that many instruments with new strings became a pain in the butt so I sold off most of them and upgraded to a couple really nice ones.
In less than a month I will have two of the same model bass. One is significantly more beat up than the other. Which one should get the flats?
Do they have halfwound strings for bass? I tried some on guitar once and really dug em! Left em on a cheap semi holow that was 50/50 flats and halfwounds.
They sounded great, pretty much in between rounds and flats and had a bit of the feel of both too. I replaced em and regretted it immediately...
I intend to adjust that guitar to handle heavier strings better one day as they clearly work the best on it. So thick and jazzy, through a bass amp they sounded borderline bass like even.
They sounded great, pretty much in between rounds and flats and had a bit of the feel of both too. I replaced em and regretted it immediately...
I intend to adjust that guitar to handle heavier strings better one day as they clearly work the best on it. So thick and jazzy, through a bass amp they sounded borderline bass like even.
I love the tone of round wounds, but I play a fretless I'd like to keep in original condition, so I bought a set of flats. The set of flats were too thumpy, and I couldn't get that fretless tone out of it, so I'm going to try tape wounds. They seem to have some round wound tone in them, maybe give those a shot?
