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Is he using flats or rounds?

#22
Craig_S said:
Something weird happened. Earlier, when I clicked your first link, it went to a different song. Pratt was playing a black Tele type bass in the video. That's what I was basing my opinion on. In the video that comes up now, he's playing the Lakland Darryl Jones (fretless I think), I had forgotten about. Which bass are you interested in the sound of? I can't tell for sure what the Lakland is wearing. Sometimes it makes me think rounds, other times I can't say.
Click to expand...

That's weird about the link ??

I’m interested in the Lakland fretless which I believe is the Joe Osborn signature bass.
 
#26
Some just prefer the extra definition of rounds but don't try and sound like Jaco.

The reason for the OP was that it's quite a defined tone but not bright. So I can't work out if it's worn-in rounds of flats. I'd love this tone on my fretless jazz so I may just have to bitre the bullet and try a set of rounds to see for myself.
 
#27
You do have EQ, right. Rounds aren't really brighter than flats. They're twangier, and can be snappier. But you can EQ the highs so they're not spitting at you. For me differences between flats and rounds are in the mids and the character of the lows. Just because someone is using rounds doesn't mean they're goping to sound like a piano, or twang like Squire.

John
 
#28
JTE said:
You do have EQ, right. Rounds aren't really brighter than flats. They're twangier, and can be snappier. But you can EQ the highs so they're not spitting at you. For me differences between flats and rounds are in the mids and the character of the lows. Just because someone is using rounds doesn't mean they're goping to sound like a piano, or twang like Squire.

John
Click to expand...

CAn you EQ the other way, to make flats sound more like rounds ?
As you say the mids and lows have a different character, much softer to flats which I don't think you can EQ back in. And the feel of flats when you play them is completely different to rounds.
 
#29
the low one said:
CAn you EQ the other way, to make flats sound more like rounds ?
As you say the mids and lows have a different character, much softer to flats which I don't think you can EQ back in. And the feel of flats when you play them is completely different to rounds.
Click to expand...

Well, if your conception of rounds is the Chris Squire or John Entwistle twangy boing, nope. But if it's a balanced sound with a definite note in it, you can, depending on the strings you're using. Probably can't with a set of dead LaBella Old Originals, but TI Jazz Flats can get you there. My Lakland JO flats don't do that very well either, but that's why I also have basses with rounds on them.

As for feel, yeah, they feel different, but that's only noticeable to me, not to the listener so it's a moot point for this discussion. The thing is, listening to someone else play, it's difficult to pin specifics of the sound we're hearing (especially with post-performance production involved) to strings specifically. Using flats helps to get you into the Jamerson realm, but it's not a requirement. Listening to Entwistle's solo on the original recording of "My Generation" wouldn't lead one to think it's a set of LaBella flats (or tape-wounds, there's some confusion I've seen), but it's NOT rounds, even though that's what I'd use to approximate that sound.

John
 
#30
Back to the OP. Unless we hear from the man himself, or his tech I don't think we'll know.
One thing thought, looking in Guy Pratt's book, "My bass and other animals", he lists his gear on the 2006 tour which included the Lakland fretless. The only strings mentioned in the list are Elites Stadium 40 - 100, so based on the only info I can find it looks like he's using rounds.
 

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