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Less Thumpy Flats For A New Bass

R

Rich Fiscus

Nov 16, 2014
802
2,866
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Somewhere in a lonely hotel room
#1
I need suggestions for new flats for my new Kiesel JB5. I've been using vintage type flats for a few years, but I'm looking for something less thumpy, with more mids. Ideally I want something with the same silky smooth surface as the P Flats and Sadowsky Black Labels I've been using, but that's not a deal breaker unless they're unusually rough feeling.

I don't want something super modern sounding, like Cobalt Flats, but otherwise I'm starting with an open mind. What do you recommend?

I realize people are just going to post their favorite strings. That's fine. All I ask is that you explain why your favorite string meets my needs.
 
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#2
Rich Fiscus said:
I'm looking for something less thumpy, with more mids. Ideally I want something with the same silky smooth surface as the P Flats and Sadowsky Black Labels I've been using, but that's not a deal breaker unless they're unusually rough feeling.

I don't want something super modern sounding, like Cobalt Flats, but otherwise I'm starting with an open mind. What do you recommend?
Click to expand...

Dunlop Flatwound.
Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Flatwound.
 
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#4
What sets have you been using?

I'd say Dunlops are exactly what you're looking for. Silky smooth. Downright luxurious to play. You'll still get some thump out of them if you want but they have excellent sustain. Basically you'll still definitely know it's a flatwound while getting a lot of the benefits that modern flat have. I love all three sets(gauges) but the 40-100 set hits a sweet spot. I've run the Dunlops and both P's and J's as well as keep them on my Serek Midwestern short scale.

TI's are an excellent choice as well for something that's neither super thumpy nor super modern and feel excellent. Just depends on how you get along with lower tension strings. I'd also throw the Fender 9050's in there. My set of those has about a month of playing on them and they are nice and smooth now. The modern sound they had at the beginning is settling into a nice warm blend of modern and vintage.
 
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#9
uwrossl said:
What sets have you been using?
Click to expand...
My strings of choice for the last 3 years have been Sadowsky Black Labels. I don't recall the gauges, except that it's the light set, and the G string is a .042. The Kiesel came with standard gauge P Flats, which I have yet to replace.

I'd say Dunlops are exactly what you're looking for. Silky smooth. Downright luxurious to play. You'll still get some thump out of them if you want but they have excellent sustain. Basically you'll still definitely know it's a flatwound while getting a lot of the benefits that modern flat have. I love all three sets(gauges) but the 40-100 set hits a sweet spot. I've run the Dunlops and both P's and J's as well as keep them on my Serek Midwestern short scale.
Click to expand...
Sounds promising.

TI's are an excellent choice as well for something that's neither super thumpy nor super modern and feel excellent. Just depends on how you get along with lower tension strings. I'd also throw the Fender 9050's in there. My set of those has about a month of playing on them and they are nice and smooth now. The modern sound they had at the beginning is settling into a nice warm blend of modern and vintage.
Click to expand...
I'm not opposed to spending TI money for strings, but I'm inclined to try cheaper options first. It's only a lot of money if they aren't the ones, but it's a big gamble for strings I've never heard or played personally.

Of course, I thought the same thing about the Sadowsky strings. They weren't TI expensive, but expensive enough. Once I got around to buying them, they were also worth every penny.
 
#10
Rich Fiscus said:
My strings of choice for the last 3 years have been Sadowsky Black Labels. I don't recall the gauges, except that it's the light set, and the G string is a .042.
Click to expand...

As far as I can recall, the Sadowsky Black Label Flats only came in two sets of gauges - 40-60-80-100 and 45-65-85-105. I once tried the 40-100 set on my P-bass and really liked their rich mid character. Too bad they were discontinued.
 
#11
michael_t said:
As far as I can recall, the Sadowsky Black Label Flats only came in two sets of gauges - 40-60-80-100 and 45-65-85-105. I once tried the 40-100 set on my P-bass and really liked their rich mid character. Too bad they were discontinued.
Click to expand...
I think you're right. It is .040. And they are amazing strings. The difference in clarity between them and the P Flats I had previously was striking. And yet they have all the thump you could ask for.
 
#13
Rich Fiscus said:
I'm not opposed to spending TI money for strings, but I'm inclined to try cheaper options first. It's only a lot of money if they aren't the ones, but it's a big gamble for strings I've never heard or played personally.
Click to expand...

I missed that it was a 5 so yeah...scratch the Fenders.

As far as TI's are concerned you can find them for a good price on Amazon. As long as you don't trim a bunch of length of when you test them you turn them around pretty quick usually here in the classifieds for minimal loss. But I'd say start with the Dunlops. Extremely clear fundamental to them which is one of the things I love about them. Very supple/flexible as well. You'll find a lot of what you liked in the Sadowsky Black Labels in them I think. I had Sadowsky Black labels on my Sadowsky 3-4 years ago when I first got it and liked them a lot.

The Ernie Ball Group flats are one of the few flats I haven't tested yet but they are next on my list...mostly out of curiosity and because they don't get a lot of attention. Many of the reviews I've read put them tonally in the Chromes/Fenders category.
 
#15
Rich Fiscus said:
I was ready to pull the trigger on the .040-.120 Dunlops, but I can't find them in stock anywhere. I could buy the .045-.125 set, but I've become a fan of lighter strings.
Click to expand...

The Dunlop flats in general seem to be pretty scarce rn. Several people have mentioned having problems finding the 40-100 set as well. I would imagine there has to be a restock for places showing up soon.
 
#18
Dana R Gregory said:
D'Addario light gauge chromes (ECB 81) will give you a nice bright and crisp sound. You can still get a thumpy sound if you want. They are smooth as silk on the fingers. Definitely worth considering. :D
Click to expand...
I've tried Chromes before, and they weren't quite right after they broke in. It was a different bass and I was looking for a different sound, so I may come back to them.
 

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