I want to love flats, but can't commit

[buckangus]

i admire the guys that can change strings to flats and love em ... me, I hate flats ... dead and no spark and no life ... might as well just keep old strings on the bass and never change -- get the same feeling when I tried changing old strings for new set of flats once upon a time... thought, this isn't any better... just sounds old and dead with no pizzazz... just my two cents...

 

[Stewie]

I used Rotosound rounds on my fretless Jazz Bass, til the fingerboard started to wear. Switched to flats around 1985. I own a bunch of rounds that were on basses when I acquired them, but I'll never use them.

Three tone sunburst Precision with tortoise pick guard and flats MUST have rosewood, MUST!

Hmmmmm, It might be time to start looking for a Precision with a maple fingerboard

 

[michael_t]

Flats give me the feel I love; Pressurewounds give me the tone I need. I used to sacrifice the tone for the feel; now I sacrifice the feel for the tone. I guess I've matured a bit.

 

[Mediocrity Man]

I've tried flats several times and even ran with pressure wounds and tapes for a bit. I've finally come to the realization that I actually prefer some more texture. It helps me to get that little extra snap off of the string when I want it. I'm also finding out that I need that supple feel of a round core or lower tension string.

 

[Camarillo]

I have a dedicated P with TI flats. It is a special sound, not for every song, non for every genre. But when you need that kind of thing, well, you need flats. Today I'm experimenting with foam with that bass...

 

[gregmon79]

I've always loved the tone of flats; most of my favorite bassists seem to use flatwound strings (particularly McCartney). So a while ago I put flats on my bass for the first time, expecting to love it. I do like the tone and I absolutely love the feel of the strings (they feel so much nicer than rounds), but I often find myself longing for the tone of rounds. I guess the ideal solution would be to have two basses, one with each type of strings, but with only one bass I think rounds are more versatile for me.

As much as I love the thump and feel, sometimes I need the brighter longer sustained tone of rounds, and with only one bass it's hard to sacrifice that for flats. I think I'll switch back to rounds; someday I'll have two basses, one with rounds and one with flats, but for now I'll be sticking with rounds.

Has anyone else experienced this? I really wanna be a flatwound guy, but I can't fully commit.

I have a handful of times. I keep two sets of flats at home for a night just in case I feel like playing them. They do not suite my band in the least (not to say it wouldn't be cool to try and write a song with them though) so I almost always stick to nice n bright n zingy steel rounds. But damn if my Ampeg B50R doesn't sound phenomenal with my P strung with flats. That is a sound nothing can match really. But it's just not MY sound. So I tired and have a set of flat steels made by Fender. They are flats but have the steel in them so you get that kinda steel rounds sound but the feel is ALL flats.

These strings rock butts

 

[Chicory Blue]

I'm super smitten with the perks of flats- the sinfully luxurious smoothness, the silent shifts, the loyally predictable even tones, the license never to change them basically ever... But as a looping soloist I'm really starting to feel suffocated by the ever-expanding darkness.

I think deep down I know I need something rounder in my life- some cutting brightness and musical sustain- but I'm really hesitant to take those gorgeous blue chromes off and chance it on something else... Pressurewounds or quarter rounds seem like they get a lot of love, but I don't know what to put my faith in just yet...

Only got one bass to live with at the moment, after all. The burst-and-tort Precision is still a few paychecks away.

--^@

 

[strictlybass_ic]

I'm a big fan of flats so I can't really relate. But if it really bugs you you could always have 2 basses. One strung flat, and one strung round.

 

[Doner Designs]

Probably covered already, but you might like a brighter flat. Some are really thumpy like Labella, GHS and Pyramid.

For a brighter tone, try Ernie Ball, Daddario or Roto.

I saw someone mentioned Thomastiks. Those are nice but are almost their own category and they are way too floppy for me.

 

[Zach Soczka]

I play a hybrid Ken Smith slick rounds.. half flats

 

[JMacBass65]

 

[eriky4003]

I'm with the OP. Bought a set of flats and placed it on my fretless Spector. Didn't mind the feel of flats so much as the tone. Went back to the bass to try to work with the flats but changed them (after an ample period of time) back to rounds.

 

[DaveAceofBass]

If your bass has a P pickup, you need to play flats. It's a match made in heaven. I am using LaBellas...I just made the switch from 760FLs to LTFFs...I've tried many others and also like the GHS P flats.

 

[JaredBT]

Just get the Labella deep talking flats. You'll be happy.

 

[REV]

Most of my basses are strung with flats. This has been a gradual process, but lately I've been using rounds with two of the three units I play with. They just work for these bands. It's great having the different options.

 

[Bassworship1]

If you want the feel of flats (actually better) and the sound of rounds then I would recommend Labella Tapewounds in either the Gold White, or the Copper. They sound like rounds but smoother than Flats. My string search ended with these.

 

[fishdreams]

LaBella Quarter rounds are amazing strings that behave like flats while maintaining a lot of roundwound bite. Of all the half-round/compressed types I've tried those did not at all have that 'compromise' vibe that I got with every other contender

Then again, 3 sets of those buys you a used SX or Squier backup bass....

 

[trothwell]

LaBella Quarter rounds are amazing strings that behave like flats while maintaining a lot of roundwound bite. Of all the half-round/compressed types I've tried those did not at all have that 'compromise' vibe that I got with every other contender

Quarter rounds are my favorite of the in-between-flats-and-rounds offerings.

 

[City]

I've always loved the tone of flats; most of my favorite bassists seem to use flatwound strings (particularly McCartney). So a while ago I put flats on my bass for the first time, expecting to love it. I do like the tone and I absolutely love the feel of the strings (they feel so much nicer than rounds), but I often find myself longing for the tone of rounds. I guess the ideal solution would be to have two basses, one with each type of strings, but with only one bass I think rounds are more versatile for me.

As much as I love the thump and feel, sometimes I need the brighter longer sustained tone of rounds, and with only one bass it's hard to sacrifice that for flats. I think I'll switch back to rounds; someday I'll have two basses, one with rounds and one with flats, but for now I'll be sticking with rounds.

Has anyone else experienced this? I really wanna be a flatwound guy, but I can't fully commit.

Different basses different strings my friend....my Peavey Foundation and G&L L2000, flats, I've found rounds don't do those pickups justice (for what I need, my opinion). I would never put flats on my Schecter (aguilar preamp with Seymour Pups) or my Charvel 2-B. Found that both are meant for rounds. In My Opinion I should say. Experimentation rules!!!!!!

 

[Gordon of Eden]

I've tried for years to warm up to flats. Tried them on every bass I have but they are just not the tone and feel that speaks to me regardless of the musical style.
I recently put rounds back on my Hofner. At a recording session the producer was raving about my tone and how great a Hofner with flats was just perfect and he had me use that bass on every track. I just rolled my eyes and laughed. Still haven't told him it was strung with new rounds!