It shifted with flats...

[TheArchitect]

I have found that since I put flats on the P bass, the Jazz and the TRBX get little use for recording. The P just has so much more low end and punch that it just wins ever time.

I need to figure out something with the others

 

[John Stephen]

I'm with you. I know lots of folks prefer the brightness and zing of rounds, but I'm a flats guy, both for performing and recording.

 

[ahbass2500]

Easy... more flats

Or maybe some polished. At this point I run various flats (TI Jazz Flats, Labella DTB, Ernie Ball Cobalt) and MTD Super Polished (by Labella) on most of my basses. I keep a few with round just to have that sound.

With your basses, I would probably experiment and keep flats on the P, Labella Super Polished* on the TRBX and rounds on the Jazz.

As an alternative you could explore the spectrum of flats on your other basses. Talkbass does not always want to recognize it, but there is a huge range of tone and feel across the various flats. I prefer flats, but I do not like the same set of flats on every bass which is why I run various brands.

*I specifically call out Labella here as the MTD Super Polished are the first ground wound (or half round or whatever various brands want to call it) that I have liked.

 

[John Stephen]

I have found that since I put flats on the P bass, the Jazz and the TRBX get little use for recording. The P just has so much more low end and punch that it just wins ever time.

I need to figure out something with the others

Which brand of flats are you using on the P?

 

[hvymetallurgist]

Flats on everything is a perfectly acceptable answer. Only 1 of my 5 basses is strung with rounds, and can attest to flats going great with a jazz bass...I'm sure the TRBX would be no exception.

 

[TheArchitect]

Which brand of flats are you using on the P?

Deep Talking Flats

 

[TheArchitect]

Flats on everything is a perfectly acceptable answer. Only 1 of my 5 basses is strung with rounds, and can attest to flats going great with a jazz bass...I'm sure the TRBX would be no exception.

True enough. I would like to keep some variation between instruments. I have Cobalt flats and heavier gauge rounds in the drawer as options. I feel like I should be able to do better with the rounds though. They are the most common choice by a good margin and many players get great sounds with them. I feel like I am missing something.

 

[MIJ Fender Guy]

There is nothing better. My 60s style P with LaBella DTFs is just SO PERFECT. Sounds like a record right off the bat, immediately. Nothing else compares.

I have Chromes on my Jazz, and I love it as well, it's fun, it looks and sounds good.... but The P is always better.

You can get PLENTY of variety just using flats. My P with LaBellas vs. my Jazz with Chromes sounds completely different. I've had cobalt flats on that Jazz too, even brighter and more different.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Slap a set of Olinto flats on your jazz… you wont be disappointed. I did with mine, they’re about a year old now and they’re never coming off.

 

[TheArchitect]

There is nothing better. My 60s style P with LaBella DTFs is just SO PERFECT. Sounds like a record right off the bat, immediately. Nothing else compares.

I have Chromes on my Jazz, and I love it as well, it's fun, it looks and sounds good.... but The P is always better.

You can get PLENTY of variety just using flats. My P with LaBellas vs. my Jazz with Chromes sounds completely different. I've had cobalt flats on that Jazz too, even brighter and more different.

I have actually been looking at getting another P for rounds as the nickel Roto sounds were pretty decent on that same bass but not as thick and punchy. The Jazz still has factory strings. Maybe that is part of the problem. Only one way to find out.

If I can find a solution and get the rounds happening, a second P will happen. I suppose its just going to take trial and error to get it sorted.

 

[Enrique M]

Been running my J with DR Flats (105 on the E) for the last year. Love the feel but the D and G strings have never mellowed out and I am ready to switch things up. I want deeper sounding strings.

Looking at the La Bellas DTF (105 on the E, I assume), but strictly by chance, I have mostly played round core strings. A little hesitant to get into more tension/stiffness. But who knows, maybe I will like it.

 

[MIJ Fender Guy]

I have actually been looking at getting another P for rounds as the nickel Roto sounds were pretty decent on that same bass but not as thick and punchy. The Jazz still has factory strings. Maybe that is part of the problem. Only one way to find out.

If I can find a solution and get the rounds happening, a second P will happen. I suppose its just going to take trial and error to get it sorted.

I can't stand rounds so I can't comment. All I know is that my 70s jazz with cobalt flats was as bright as id ever want to go. Too bright, in fact, so I went to Chromes. It sounded phenomenal and VERY different than the P with LaBellas though. VERY.

 

[MIJ Fender Guy]

Been running my J with DR Flats (105 on the E) for the last year. Love the feel but the D and G strings have never mellowed out and I am ready to switch things up. I want deeper sounding strings.

Looking at the La Bellas DTF (105 on the E, I assume), but strictly by chance, I have mostly played round core strings. A little hesitant to get into more tension/stiffness. But who knows, maybe I will like it.

Chromes or Cobalts are SO good on a jazz bass. Both need a month or two to break in, but once they do it serves the jazz sound so well. LaBellas on a jazz are not a good match IMO. Try the ECB80 set and buy a seperate .055 D. Very flexible, feels like a round core to be. Still nice and bouncy though.

 

[TheArchitect]

Been running my J with DR Flats (105 on the E) for the last year. Love the feel but the D and G strings have never mellowed out and I am ready to switch things up. I want deeper sounding strings.

Looking at the La Bellas DTF (105 on the E, I assume), but strictly by chance, I have mostly played round core strings. A little hesitant to get into more tension/stiffness. But who knows, maybe I will like it.

Interesting. The additional tension is something I really like. It helped with my plucking/picking technique and the additional mass I think contributes to the meatier tone

 

[tvbop]

Yep, P bass, dead Chromes, tone rolled right off....records beautifully direct.. clean and punchy.

 

[mellowgerman]

Heck yes. This is exactly why I roll my eyes every time I see someone suggest to "just roll off the tone knob" on a bass with rounds for a flats sound... just completely misses the mark. The best thing about flats is that fat punch that comes from how the flat outer ribbon winding makes them move. Maybe with super heavy EQ and signal processing you can make rounds get in the flats ball-park, but you're gonna have to do some significant boosting to even get close. Rolling off the tone-knob only cuts treble, might subtly impact the resonant peak, but not in a way that turns a tack hammer into a sledgehammer.

If you understand and appreciate that thwap, you might want to try some GHS Pressurewounds on one of your other basses. They're the only "hybrid" type strings that I've found, that can get close to the "best of both worlds" thing.

As much as I do like flats on a P, my favorite string for my '65 Precision so far has been D'Addario Tapewounds. Typically a tad brighter than flats and a bit more sustain, but they also have their own unique punch that's hard to describe. If the rounds are the tack hammer, flats are the sledgehammer... maybe tapes are the dead-blow hammer? So those might also be worth trying out if you haven't. Much like any other style of string though, all tapes aren't equal either, so lots to explore, but I generally like D'Addarios for the velvety finish, somewhat lower tension, and the gauges are pretty standard, so usually no nut-filing is required.

 

[funkinbottom]

I have actually been looking at getting another P for rounds

Put rounds back on your P and the flats on the Jazz. Problem solved?

 

[bthiemann80]

Why string them with anything different from what is on there now? If you're digging the pbass with flats, then dig indeed! AFAIK, you can only play one at a time anyway.

 

[Kenova]

I have TI flats on Jazz for 2 years and they are staying there.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Try the TI Jazz Rounds. If you don’t like them, you’ll have no problem selling them in the TB Classifieds.