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Looking to try flat wounds

tothemax

tothemax

Supporting Member
Nov 1, 2013
1,467
1,706
Annapolis Area
#1
I've been doing a bit of home recording and noticing quite a bit of string noise from my P with round wounds (probably have the same noise live but never worried about it). The strings on my P are fairly new so they are brighter than my normal tone.

I've never played flat wounds (I have tried D'Addario XL half rounds and didn't care for them). I have a second SS bass that I'd be willing to use as a test platform, would the shorter scale make a big difference for testing purposes? I like a chunky sound, not a real flashy player. I saw the GHS light precision flats (40-95), EB Cobalt flats (40-95), since it's SS I figured going lighter gauge.

Crazy question to ask, suggestion for a first set of flats to try out?
 
#2
tothemax said:
I like a chunky sound, not a real flashy player. I saw the GHS light precision flats (40-95), EB Cobalt flats (40-95), since it's SS I figured going lighter gauge.

Crazy question to ask, suggestion for a first set of flats to try out?
Click to expand...

The two flats mentioned are at the opposite ends of the tonal scale.

GHS Precision Flats = old-school with woody warmth and focused punch.
EB Cobalt Flats = modern and almost roundwound-like brightness.

I use GHS Pressurewounds 40-96 (Alloy 52 rollerwound). I need a roundwound tone but can't stand the roundwound feel and the finger noise to come with it. GHS PWs, being "rollerwound", are much smoother in texture with very little finger noise but still with plenty of the roundwound tone I need.

Products - PRESSUREWOUND™ - GHS Strings
 
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#5
tothemax said:
I've been doing a bit of home recording and noticing quite a bit of string noise from my P with round wounds (probably have the same noise live but never worried about it). The strings on my P are fairly new so they are brighter than my normal tone.

I've never played flat wounds (I have tried D'Addario XL half rounds and didn't care for them). I have a second SS bass that I'd be willing to use as a test platform, would the shorter scale make a big difference for testing purposes? I like a chunky sound, not a real flashy player. I saw the GHS light precision flats (40-95), EB Cobalt flats (40-95), since it's SS I figured going lighter gauge.

Crazy question to ask, suggestion for a first set of flats to try out?
Click to expand...

Not crazy at all. I'd recommend a set of Felder 9050Ls as a flat for a first timer. I consider them to be at the center of the flatwound tone spectrum; decent lows, really good mids, and very useful highs. I have basses with TI Jazz flats as well as the Fenders; to my ears? They sound... very similar. The 9050's are a good flat for a starting point on your "which flats do I really want on this bass" journey; there are brighter flats, if that's what you decide on - and flats that are darker and "thumpier". As for stiffness/tension and feel? Same thing applies. The 9050L's are just about in the middle; not real high tension; not real stiff; pretty smooth, and not sticky right out of the box (IME, anyway). There are smoother flats if you really want (Galli Jazz Flats, for example), and flats that are a little rougher. There are flats that are absolute bridge cable stiff (very high tension, too), and flats that are much more... flexible. The 9050L's will do you proud until you decide exactly what you want your bass to wear permanently. Some of my 26 basses do wear the 9050Ls permanently. And, I had them on my '78 P-Bass for several years; they worked very well on it, too. If I hadn't decided I wanted the bass to be strictly a Vintage Rock/Motown/R&B thump machine - mute in the bridge cover and everything? They'd still be on it. But, for what I wanted, the heavy GHS Precision Flats were the ticket. But I have 3 basses that still wear them...
Add to that the fact that you can probably find the Fenders in your local music store; they aren't going to hurt your wallet; and that with reasonable care, they'll last for several years (the ones on my Eastwood Magnum Bass, which were on my P-Bass first, are... at least 11 years old, now), I'd say it's hard to go wrong with them...:cool:
 
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#6
Short scale? Fender-style flat plate bridge or something different? Headstock orientation? Too many variables without knowing the make and model of bass. For example: A Fender Musicmaster/Bronco, Hofner Beatle Bass, and Harmony H22 are all 30-inch short scale basses. Because of the plate bridge, the Fender takes short scale strings. The Hofner, with the separation between the bridge and tailpiece, takes medium scale strings or purpose made strings. The Harmony, with the string anchor at the tail of the bass, takes long scale strings. Let us all repeat the mantra:

1) Measure from the ball anchor to the tuner side of the nut;
2) Measure from the ball anchor to the middle of the tuner post on the lowest string (E string in this case);
3) Purchase a set of strings that the winding or speaking length is between these two measurements.
 
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#9
I been use some flatwound bass string previously, now i settle with LTF4A, Ti flat and EB Cobalt flat.

Those bass string give me string to string tonal balance, comfort fretting and plucking feel, balance string to string stiffness (except EB 2814 which has stiffer D and G string , but not ECB81 kind of unbalance stiffness ).

LTF4A sound beautiful woody old school vibe on my P bass ; Ti flat has massive energy P vibe through Ampeg amp and Cobalt flat on my Jazz bass produce juicy-meaty tone and the strong upper mid voicing just make the scoop Jazz bass sound well in the band mix.
 
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#10
For who hate the GHS PW stiffness, DR Sunbeam and Dunlop Super bright nickel are great replacement. DR sunbeam has rollerwound and SBN using thin outer wounding make she has smoother string texture like pressurewound. Both Sunbeam and SBN sound much lively and open tone than GHS pressurewound.
 
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#12
tothemax said:
I've been doing a bit of home recording and noticing quite a bit of string noise from my P with round wounds (probably have the same noise live but never worried about it). The strings on my P are fairly new so they are brighter than my normal tone.

I've never played flat wounds (I have tried D'Addario XL half rounds and didn't care for them). I have a second SS bass that I'd be willing to use as a test platform, would the shorter scale make a big difference for testing purposes? I like a chunky sound, not a real flashy player. I saw the GHS light precision flats (40-95), EB Cobalt flats (40-95), since it's SS I figured going lighter gauge.

Crazy question to ask, suggestion for a first set of flats to try out?
Click to expand...

Unless you want crazy '50s-'60s Motown/Memphis Stax macro thump I'd suggest GHS Precision Flats. LaBellas DTFs aren't for the faint of heart. They're thump plus.

My other rationale for the GHS PFlats is if they're a bit too mellow for you then move up to the GHS Pressurewounds michael_t recommended. I've played all of these strings but tend to prefer PWounds more on my Jazz Bass and old school flats on my PBass.
 
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#14
I did some measurements. The length from the nut to end of the bridge plate (ball ends) is 31 1/4". Low E from the center tuner to the ball end is 32 3/4". G string from from the center tuner to the ball end is 38 3/8". Fender Jazz style headstock, MusicMan style bridge.

Sounds like the Fender's might be a good place to start... I'm only seeing long scale, not sure if that will be an issue. Might need to take the bass with me to a local store.
 
#17
I think how responsive the different brands of flats are doesn't get discussed enough. Chromes not only ring out quite a lot for flats, they also have an attack closer to rounds than most flats do. Rotosound monel flats don't ring like steel flats, but they do speak nice and quickly. LaBellas on the other hand do neither. And so on.

I think also for someone coming to flats for the first time, the amount of variation some brands of flats can have from string to string could possibly be challenging. I only tried the Rotosounds briefly (because my fingers said, yeah, that's enough) but I recall being impressed with how stable the character of the tone was going from string to string. The LaBellas I had tried for a while longer, long enough to realised that to be happy with them I would need to find a new approach, one that made the variations across the fretboard something to be embraced rather than endured.
 
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#18
String noise shouldn't be a problem when mixed; Thousands [maybe more] recordings have used them

I have used rounds both NPS and Steel in recording never a problem. Even many sound samples here Bass soloed I don't hear string noise contaminating recording [it may be there]

But if you only are recording Bass solo and seems you are getting excessive string noise with your setup, technique and can't EQ out to your liking; I would see if Labella has SS Flat Strings seem to be popular with many here.
 

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