Mixed flatwound and roundwound on fretless

[Riccardo90]

Hi everybody.
Probably this is just about me being picky, but here is the thing. I recently built a fretless (4 strings) that sounds amazing (thanks to the pick ups of my luthier instructor). So I am thinking of changing strings on my old fretless (6 strings) to get a different sound. I kinda want to go towards flats or even tapewounds, to get a warm tone for high register chords keeping the mwah effect, but especilly cause I don't always like the high C roundwound on fretless (I find it kinda squeaky and highlights my intonation sloppiness). However, I am irritated by the low B and E on flats/tapes as they usually have too little sustain and character. Also most tapewound companies have balanced E to G string but the low B and high C seem produced completely differently.

So why not a mixed set up? Has anybody ever tried that on a fretles 6er? Does anybody knows a good combo that plays balanced withouth jumping too much from super bright rounds on the low strings, to the flats sound on the trebles? How would you go about it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Low Main]

DR makes a good flatwound B string. I've tried many - most are duds.

D'Addario (Chrome) and Thomastik make good flatwound high C strings. I've tried several other high C flats without success.

I have a fiver set up with Chromes strung E to C and tuned a whole step down D to Bb. Changes the character of the Chromes a bit, in a good way.

 

[lowendrachel]

I actually thought about mixing strings when I had a 5 string bass. I wanted a high C.

 

[funkinbottom]

So why not a mixed set up?

Absolutely why not. Personally, I would find a set of flats I liked, discard the E & B and find single rounds that are close in tension. Jason (TBer here) at Fret Nation is very helpful in those regards. Or the TB classifieds, there's a whole bunch of cheap strings there. Might get lucky.

 

[JRA]

So why not a mixed set up?

exactly, why not!

re: playing an EB = whatever works best for me! good luck with your string choices!

 

[dfp]

So to go quintessential Talkbass on you and NOT answer the actual question but, I find the La Bella Olinto flat low B sounds fantastic, clear and distinct but still mellow and mixes wonderfully with Deep Talkin flats E-G (105-45). Sorry no experience with hi C.

 

[KidAmnesia]

Have you tried muting just the C string with some foam? That should reduce the squeak without sounding/feeling too different from the rest of the strings.

 

[pbass2]

Hi everybody.
Probably this is just about me being picky, but here is the thing. I recently built a fretless (4 strings) that sounds amazing (thanks to the pick ups of my luthier instructor). So I am thinking of changing strings on my old fretless (6 strings) to get a different sound. I kinda want to go towards flats or even tapewounds, to get a warm tone for high register chords keeping the mwah effect, but especilly cause I don't always like the high C roundwound on fretless (I find it kinda squeaky and highlights my intonation sloppiness). However, I am irritated by the low B and E on flats/tapes as they usually have too little sustain and character. Also most tapewound companies have balanced E to G string but the low B and high C seem produced completely differently.

So why not a mixed set up? Has anybody ever tried that on a fretles 6er? Does anybody knows a good combo that plays balanced withouth jumping too much from super bright rounds on the low strings, to the flats sound on the trebles? How would you go about it?

Thanks in advance!

Not fretless but the great T-Bone Wolk (Hall and Oates, SNL Band, etc) used rounds on his E and A and flats on the D and G of his Pbass and that cat always sounded killer.

 

[ambidex]

Following. I play Tenor Bass, EADGC, and I swear there is some weird high C conspiracy. I've never played 6 string (neck is too thick for what I prefer), but I have to assume the reason only teeny tiny high C strings are available has something to do with 6 string tension calculations. They are usually .030 or maybe .032 for roundwounds, and for flats, groundwounds, or pressurewounds (if you can find them) are like .027 to .030.

But it's not just the size and tension that's annoying, the high C string drastically changes timbre with every from other strings in a set, for every type I've tried so far.

I played D'addario XL Nickel roundwounds for ages, with a .032 from one of their 6 string sets.

Recently I bought 3 or 4 high-c string singles from fret nation, and I'm going through to try some flatter strings out. I like brightness, but not the finger noise I get on roundwounds, plus I want a change.

I just put the GHS Pressurewounds on recently, with a .028 high C, and am trying those. Jury is still out. Next will possibly be GHS Brite Flats with the .027 High C, , or the DR Sunbeams with a .030 High C.

I found, after about 30 years, that there is a D'addario XLNickel roundwound .035, which is the biggest I could find, but the smaller 3 strings are what I most want to get away from roundwounds.

So no suggestion, but the struggle is real OP.

 

[Lo-E]

I’d be willing to bet that TI Jazz Flats and GHS Balanced Tension rounds or Compression Wounds would get along pretty well together.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I’d be willing to bet that TI Jazz Flats and GHS Balanced Tension rounds or Compression Wounds would get along pretty well together.

BEADGC using GHS Pressurewounds for B and E and TI Jazz Flats for ADGC

B0/.128/34.00lbf (GHS PW)
E1/.096/34.20lbf (GHS PW)
A1/.070/31.30lbf (TIJF)
D2/.056/37.47lbf (TIJF)
G2/.043/37.03lbf (TIJF)
C3/.033/38.13lbf (TIJF)

TT=208.13lbf