NBD: Jazz with flats

I have Fender 9050Ms on my jaco jazz bass and that's the string it'll have on it until death do us part too. I plan to buy a box!

But flats are kind of an acquired taste. They'll actually have a little zing when they're new, but you don't have to play them very long until they die completely and give you the Motown thing.

Particularly on a fretted bass, you get a kind of a cardboardy, papery sound with fret clank. I personally prefer that strongly over the clinkle, tinkle, crinkle of rounds on frets, but some folks may not take to it.

So I'd say play it a while and see if you like it.

L

 

I haven't tried flats on my Jazz yet but will when I get home, I like La Bellas on P basses and have always liked the Fender 9050's on Rics, I also use DTF's on Gibsons.

 

I have 4-year-old D’Addario Nickel rounds on my passive Jazz right now, they sound like new flats...

 

I’ve loved the sound of TIJFs and D’Addario Tapes on my Fretless Jazz. However I’m about to do a 180° turn and install some D’Addario ProSteels.

But yes, flats + Jazz Bass = lovely tone.

 

I've never tried the LaBella flats, though to be honest I don't know that they and the Fenders aren't the same strings. I read somewhere that there are only 2 or 3 manufacturers of flats and the different brands are just differences in brand. I may be wrong about that though.

I don't have any recording equipment to demo the sound of my jaco, but I'd say the above video is reasonably close to how the Fenders sound on it, minus the additional nice cardboardy thing added by the frets. As for the tension, I'd say they're approximately the same as a medium set of rounds, and while the truss rod is pretty tight, it's not bottomed out by any means to give a flat fingerboard....

L

 

Sweet color bass. Throw on a butternut pick guard and it'll be perfect for southern rock bands.

 

black pick guard!

 

Cobalt Flat 2814 + Jazz bass = Meaty and Juicy tone.
Ti JF344 + Jazz bass = Smooth woody tone along with nice clarity.
GHS flat + Jazz bass = Go to trash, TQ.

 

I've got medium gauge Chromes on one of my Jazz Basses, and it's a magical combination.
One thing-- keep an eye on the Jamerson LaBellas on a Jazz Bass. Over a bit of time, they might really bow that thin neck.