9050L's are excellent on a PBass..Also JBass too!
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NBD! and need help picking a set of Flatwounds...
- Thread starter ChankSmith
- Start date
I run DR Legends on most of my basses. Haven’t had any issues with excess tension @ they sound good IME.
The significant exception is my SR5, she’s wearing D’Addario Chromes atm. I needed new strings and I didn’t have time for DR’s to come mail order, and Russo Music only had D’Addario or GHS for a flatwound 5 string set. At first I hated them but after about a month they settled in and are pretty nice now. The DR’s didn’t have a break-in phase.
Happy Hunting
The significant exception is my SR5, she’s wearing D’Addario Chromes atm. I needed new strings and I didn’t have time for DR’s to come mail order, and Russo Music only had D’Addario or GHS for a flatwound 5 string set. At first I hated them but after about a month they settled in and are pretty nice now. The DR’s didn’t have a break-in phase.
Happy Hunting
Interesting, I had the exact opposite experience. I've tried just about every type of flatwound widely available in the last 15 years... I'm a flats guy through and through. A lot of great players who have similar preference to me in terms of pickups, amps, and basses in general, love TI flats. I typically prefer heavier gauge, higher tension flats, but because of how many people love TI's, gave them several tries.
Two things I found with each set were:
1.) to my ears they sounded thinner or less full than other sets I frequent (DR Legends, D'Addario, Labella, and Fender) though this makes sense to me with the lower tension and lighter weight due to the composition. I don't necessarily think of this as a weakness, it just didn't work for me.
2.) each TI set I tried had tonal and volume imbalance from string to string. The volume balance got better as the strings "broke in", but the tonal differences stayed the same. One string may have a wonderful warm tone, while others from the same set had a noticeably more metallic sound to them. If it were the whole set, it could be EQ'd accordingly, but string to string makes that tough.
Again, just my experience and contribution to the discussion. I don't mean to be so long-winded, but I know a lot of folks love them, so I didn't want to sound like I was playing devil's advocate by just saying "I don't like TI's", nor do I think that adds anything to the discussion.
The other four brands I mentioned above have typically satisfied me (after the break-in period of course). There's always the chance of a dud set and I have also found that certain brands work better on certain basses. I really liked GHS Precision Flats too, just haven't had them in years. I think maybe I just tired from trying different sets. When I spent most of 2014 touring I kinda settled on D'Addario Chromes just because they felt and sounded great, were crazy durable, and were probably the most consistent from set to set. Also, the price point is very reasonable.
On a sidenote, I wouldn't worry too much about being easy on your truss or neck, especially on a P bass neck. Even with the heaviest Labella Flats, the truss rod will be fine when adjusted properly and is designed to work together with the neck to counteract the string tension.
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GHS Precision Flats, 45-60-75-95. Easy on the neck at only 162 lbs., which is comparable to a typical 45-100 set of rounds. Plenty of old school vibe with punchy low-mids and nicely balanced tone across all four strings. Very comfortable tension and stiffness without being too loose and floppy.
My vote is for the Fender 9050 flats. Someone here recommended them to me and I love them! I've had them on for 3 months and they still have quite a bit of bite. They don't get that clompy sound that other flats get after a month. A real big plus is that they are only $20-$23.
GHS Precision Flats. All I've used for years and years, usually less than $25
On this '78 P-Bass' neck (which is the "A" Jazz Bass profile neck, incidentally), they're just fine; no problems at all. Mine are the 9050Ms (55-105), too... Fender necks are really pretty strong;
as they went to some effort to demonstrate. Unless there's already a problem with your bass' neck, you should be fine...
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,625
- 222,177
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Are you confusing "high tension" with "stiff"? They aren't necessarily the same thing. TI's aren't really particularly "low tension"; they're just very, very flexible, because of how they're made. La Bella makes some flats that actually are low tension - their "Low Tension Flexible Flats". I've never used them, but other people seem to like them. Fender 9050s seem pretty flexible - to me, anyway. I have them on an old Fender P-Bass; they feel and sound really nice.. Most flat wounds - "normal" gauge flat wounds - don't really put much more tension on a bass' neck that a lot of rounds do. Flats are usually just much stiffer feeling than rounds - which makes people think they must have a much higher tension. Which they don't. So... if you haven't had any/much experience with flats, on trick to get used to them is to get a set of whatever you decide on, a step lighter than your usual round wound strings. That usually makes the flats feel more like your rounds, stiffness-wise. I'm thinking you might like the Fender 9050Ls. A nice, middle of the road flat wound; they're smooth, good feeling strings, and not real expensive, either. And, for flats, they break in fairly quickly, too...
I just replaced EXL rounds with La Bella DTB 760FL [.043-.104] flats (not 'low tension') and they are most definitely higher tension, instantly translated through turning the tuner-keys to pitch. Exactly how much more I do not know, but more than 'not much more'. They are also stiffer feeling (playing) but this is a given difference between the two types. I also have not tried their 'low tension' set as of yet.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,625
- 222,177
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I've been using DR flats for many years. Love em, but they don't get a lot of mentions here on TB.
They remind me of LaBella flats. A little less bight and texture than then last set of Rotosounds I had.
Tried Chromes once - very sticky and very stiff. They didn't last long.
If you are looking for something different, maybe try a set of tape wounds on one of your basses.
They remind me of LaBella flats. A little less bight and texture than then last set of Rotosounds I had.
Tried Chromes once - very sticky and very stiff. They didn't last long.
If you are looking for something different, maybe try a set of tape wounds on one of your basses.
Burwabit
Likes guitars that tune good and firm feelin women
The two CV basses I’ve owned sounded chimey on their own with the stock pickup. Chromes sounds this way to me always. I wouldn’t recommend putting those two together unless that’s a sound you’re looking for.
ok, think I'm gonna grab a pair of the Fender 9050L stainless steel Flatwounds off amazon tomorrow..Seem like a good starting point and esp at the $25 price.
Side note, I like my neck relief at .012(7th fret) when fretted at 1st and 17th and string height at about 5/64 for all 4 strings.. Will I be able to keep these specs when the flats are on?
thx again er'body!
Side note, I like my neck relief at .012(7th fret) when fretted at 1st and 17th and string height at about 5/64 for all 4 strings.. Will I be able to keep these specs when the flats are on?
thx again er'body!
Fenders on a Fender! I always say...they kinda know what they are doing
(I do have Dunlops on my Jazz , but do really like the Fenders)
(I do have Dunlops on my Jazz , but do really like the Fenders)
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Pbassmanca
In the pocket n' thumpy. So woody, so greasy...
I've played the Fender 9050 flats (.105 - .055) and you can't go wrong with that decision. I actually installed a set on my friend Trish's Squier affinity and they sounded killer and they were no trouble to the neck at all. I was able to give the bass a nice setup with a good low action with minimal relief and the tone was very good, especially after a little break in period. The Fender flats have a very good low mid punch but they also have some seriously grindey/growly high mids that help the string give a good balanced sound that stands out in a band mix once they have been broken in. Good luck man!
