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Jazz Bass with Flats
- Thread starter MegaSwing
- Start date
Jazz with flats is awesome. Very versatile.
I used a jazz with flats during my college and university studies. I could go from straight up jazz to fusion to latin to bossa to rock to funk. It was a must at music school.
But a Pbass would have been as good. Now I play 99.9 % of the time a Pbass
I used a jazz with flats during my college and university studies. I could go from straight up jazz to fusion to latin to bossa to rock to funk. It was a must at music school.
But a Pbass would have been as good. Now I play 99.9 % of the time a Pbass
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Exactly. When both the P bass and J bass were first designed, flatwounds were all there was. The sound from the pickups were developed around flatwound string tone. Flatwounds are a part of their original DNA.
... by using the same kind of strings that the first Jazz basses came with 59 years ago? I'd say you're more orthodox than the crowd, not less.
I started with flats on my '65 Jazz because that's what all basses came with back in 1966. I used flats on my '65 as long as I had it. I switched to the Fender Nylon taped flats in 1971 or '72 and used those until my bass was stolen in 1976.
I bought my current bass in 1985 and it came with round wounds on it - looked like Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. I put two more sets of those on it over time. Then in about 2015 I put on a set of DR Black Beauty strings. Liked those better than the Blue Steel strings. Wore through the black coating a bit on the front (looked more gray than black) and all the way through it where the frets hit the strings. So it was time for new strings
Saw a comparison of round wound, flat wound, and LaBella taped flats on an SBL video all using the same bass and was impressed with the LaBella Taped flats. So I bought a set and was immediately impressed with how smooth they were and how balanced the sound was across all the strings. Was afraid I'd lose all the upper harmonics and have dull sounding strings but that wasn't the case at all. They aren't as bright as the Blue Steel strings but fairly close to the DR Black Beauty set I had.
Plus, I didn't lose any of the body of the sound when playing on the D and G strings with these LaBella Tapewound strings. They produce a much better balance of sound between strings than my roundwounds had. Playing at the lower end of those strings (frets 1 through 5) on the D and G strings always sounded thin with my round wounds. It doesn't sound anywhere near as thin with these tapewounds. So I'm all in for these tapewound flats from LaBella. My bass never sounded better.
I bought my current bass in 1985 and it came with round wounds on it - looked like Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. I put two more sets of those on it over time. Then in about 2015 I put on a set of DR Black Beauty strings. Liked those better than the Blue Steel strings. Wore through the black coating a bit on the front (looked more gray than black) and all the way through it where the frets hit the strings. So it was time for new strings
Saw a comparison of round wound, flat wound, and LaBella taped flats on an SBL video all using the same bass and was impressed with the LaBella Taped flats. So I bought a set and was immediately impressed with how smooth they were and how balanced the sound was across all the strings. Was afraid I'd lose all the upper harmonics and have dull sounding strings but that wasn't the case at all. They aren't as bright as the Blue Steel strings but fairly close to the DR Black Beauty set I had.
Plus, I didn't lose any of the body of the sound when playing on the D and G strings with these LaBella Tapewound strings. They produce a much better balance of sound between strings than my roundwounds had. Playing at the lower end of those strings (frets 1 through 5) on the D and G strings always sounded thin with my round wounds. It doesn't sound anywhere near as thin with these tapewounds. So I'm all in for these tapewound flats from LaBella. My bass never sounded better.
You're not. People have played flats on Jazz Basses for decades, and it sounds great.
I love the sound of TI Jazz Flats on my AmStd Jazz bass with an AmStd Precision Neck, especially using a pick. (talk about smacking orthodoxy around...)
It's about focus but with meat, IMO. What makes a Jazz with rounds sound thin to me is what makes a Jazz with flats sound just right—bassy, but not ponderous. Of course, YMMV.
No, you are entitled to your opinion, taste and sensibilities. Personally, I don’t care for flats, but I do understand the appeal (no matter how old they are, how dead, and shop worn they are, they still need to bloom.. just joking), and for that certain definitive sound it’s the only game in town. I glad you found your sound.
Jazz now equipped with flats..... and all is right with the world....
My experience goes to show how we all have different tastes, and further, how those tastes evolve over time.
About 20 years ago, I had a lengthy back and forth email conversation with Carol Kaye and amongst other things, she was really singing the praises of TI flats. Being an ardent admirer of Carol's, I bought some and put them on my '78 jazz. Well... to cut a long story short, I thought they sounded 'ok', but were much too low-tension. I persisted with them for a few years and then eventually grew tired of them.
Then one day on a whim, I bought and tried some Sadowsky black label Flats, and wow....what a great string. IMO they blow the TI's clean out of the water in every aspect and I've been using them ever since on my precision, jazz and stingray basses, with no plans to change. Proper 'old school' tone. To my ear the TIs on the jazz just coloured the tone too much. Just not for me I'm afraid.
I've got Rotosound Jazz Flats on my Jazz, and I experiment with foam and felt now and then. I call it my Funk Machine; it sounds great playing "Play That Funky Music" and others from that era. Cheesy? Yes. But a nice toasted Brie.
I had never had flats on any Jazz bass I've owned either. Recently, a few TBers recommended the EB Cobalts for J basses. Put a light gauge set on my Geddy and I'm in love. Your assessment is spot on! I'm loving the brightness with no "string zing"!I haven't put flats on my Jazz yet, but I recently had a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats put on my Stingray, and the tone is so good.
To be concise, the tone of Cobalt Flats is: a marriage of almost flatwound thump, with almost roundwound sustain, with almost no finger noise. A slightly sticky feel which slowly goes away.
If you haven't tried them, treat yourself.
Mike
Thank you, bhendrix!I had never had flats on any Jazz bass I've owned either. Recently, a few TBers recommended the EB Cobalts for J basses. Put a light gauge set on my Geddy and I'm in love. Your assessment is spot on! I'm loving the brightness with no "string zing"!
It's nice to have others agree with you.
Mike
I haven't put flats on my Jazz yet, but I recently had a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats put on my Stingray, and the tone is so good.
To be concise, the tone of Cobalt Flats is: a marriage of almost flatwound thump, with almost roundwound sustain, with almost no finger noise. A slightly sticky feel which slowly goes away.
If you haven't tried them, treat yourself.
Mike
They ARE quite excellent.
But he definitely used that setup A LOT, let's say.
