Jazz Bass with Flats

[MegaSwing]

I'd like to preface my comments with the statement that I love a Precision, and own a couple, but I have discovered that in a live setting I REALLY prefer the sound of a Jazz Bass strung with flatwounds to a Precision similarly strung. It's a much more focused bass tone than its Precision counterpart. On the other hand, a Precision strung with rounds feels fatter and more satisfying to me than a similarly strung Jazz, which in that case seems a little thin to me. I'm talking about stock Fender MIA here. Once you start switching out components (other than strings, of course) all bets are off.

 

[MegaSwing]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

 

[Bassa Nova]

It is a great tone-a Jazz with flats. It is the sound of early JPJ with Zep, Jerry Jemmott, John klingberg of van Morrison’s Moondance album.

 

[Iristone]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

I play an SG bass. Heresy.
JPJ and Sir Paul both played J bass with flats some point in their careers. John Entwistle OTOH is probably the biggest proponent of P bass with rounds.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Also keep in mind that the various brands of flats can sound pretty different from each other. Old school thump right out of the package is GHS Precision Flats. Overtones and roudsish sounds come from brighter flats like D'Addario Chromes and Sadowsky flats. I think Labella's are somewhere in between.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

Wait. What? I thought jazz/flats and p/rounds were the established orthodoxy.

At least, all my jazzes (and a Bronco) have flats, and all my Ps have rounds...

... Old school thump right out of the package is GHS Precision Flats. ...

Amen. I put a set on my Bronco, and it turned it from a clang machine to a smooth woof. It sounds amazing now.

 

[kodiakblair]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

Way back in the mists of time our only music shop sold 2 types of bass.

Precision with rounds or Jazz with flats. That was your choices and they didn't sell bass string sets.

What's this "established orthodoxy" you mention ?

 

[aarjamson]

I have Fender Jazz Bass MIA 2006 (S1 switch) strung with flat 9050L. Never been happier .

 

[booch29]

Same here, I played and gigged with flats on precision two years straight...and then I put chromes on my j bass, and rounds on the p... exactly like you described- the jazz is smooth and full, and the p is fat and punchy.

 

[bassplace]

A jazz with TI flats is sweet. Perfect amount of overtones

 

[OldFenderPlayer]

I've had the my Jazz Bass for 42 years and have always preferred how it sounds with roundwounds. But it's been strung with flatwounds for the past decade because it has the original 54 year old frets and I can't bring myself to have it refretted. There is too much fret buzz with rounds but almost none with flats. I have done things to keep it playable including a bridge pickup rewind and replacing all the pots when they died. But circling back to the OP, my Pbasses have flats and I wish my JB had rounds.

 

[BobDeRosa]

F orthodoxy. Play what sounds and feels good to you unless it offends your bandmates. They need to be happy with your contribution to the group's sound.

 

[smtp4me]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

It's heresy... heresy I say! If you prefer flats on a Jazz bass, then go for it and make it your thing. I don't dislike flats, they're just not for me.

 

[MTN.bass72]

I'll start by saying that I absolutely love my Duck Dunn with LaBella 760FL's...

But, when I still had my D Lakin JO, I ha DR Black Beauties on it forever... on a whim decided to throw a set of Sadowsky Blue Labels on it... BOY HOWDY!! The Sadowskys made that bass come alive

 

[TexasEdition]

Whatever tickles your .......

I think I prefer rounds on the jazz, particularly maple necks, but if flats make you happy and it works for you and your band-mates, orthodoxy be damned.

 

[bassicmike]

i just put half-rounds on my J. No going back.

 

[chris_b]

I feel like I'm violating the established orthodoxy.

I may be sitting in the middle of this "orthodoxy" but that's purely by accident. My preference is for a passive P bass with flats and a active J bass with rounds. You can find many great players who do the same, many who do the exact opposite and a lot who do something totally different.

You have to play what sounds good to you. Maybe check what you're doing if you find no one wants to give you a gig, but we all have to decide what's good for us.

 

[markjazzbassist]

i have been playing a jazz with flats for close to 15 years, there are tons of old legends who did the same. non story here.

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

According to my subjective preferences; flats sound good on maple and rounds sound good on rosewood - no matter which bass I play.

 

[NKBassman]

I've never tried flats on my Jazz. Maybe it's time.