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Need New String Recommendation

mrjim123

mrjim123

Supporting Member
May 17, 2008
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#1
(Also posted in Strings forum).

I bought a new G&L Tribute L-2000 last week (34" scale, 4-string). I love the tone options, but I find that, overall, the tone is just a little too bright. The stock strings are D'Addario rounds. I want to tame the beast a little with some new strings, probably flatwounds.

I've always played light guage (40-95 or 45-100) rounds and am looking for a set of strings with roughly equal tension. I also want to retain just a little of the brightness of the rounds, so I'm thinking a set of flats a little on the bright side might be the answer, but I definitely want the smooth, fat flatwound sound.

From what I've read, D'Addario Chrome flats have a bright sound, as far as flats go, but they have a high string tension. Thomastiks tend to be "floppy" (is that floppy compared even to rounds, or just compared to other flats?). I didn't find much about the string tension of LaBella Deep Talkin' flats.

So, I'm open to suggestions.
 
#2
I like my Elites 40 60 80 100 rounds so I now use Elites flats too with the same gauge. They are a perfect tension for me, not as tight as Rotosound but tighter than TI's and the tone is great. If you can't get them in the States I think they are made by GHS.
 
#3
Thomastic Jazz Flats are the bees's knees. They have have bags of upper mids/top, loads of clean bass, and you get rid of the finger noise, and irritating "guitar" quality on the top end. They are reputed to be floppy, but I would disagree - they are soft-feeling, yes, but after a couple of hours on them I bet you'll never go back. You just have to not dig in so much as you perhaps did before. I've got them on every bass I've got, rangeing from MPG Level 6, to P's and J's, and they sound perfect on every one, to my ear at least. They are pricey, but they last fdorever, and the sound doesn't degrade over time, so you save money long-term! Give them a try, I bet you'll love them, but give them a couple of hours before you decide if they're floppy - they're not.
 

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