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Non dead flats

rodv66

rodv66

Jul 4, 2016
1,951
3,463
59
NJ
#1
Tried a set of flats today for the first time. Very easy on the fingers but dead as all heck. Nothing to them besides a muddy thump. Are there any that keep some of the brightness of rounds?
 
#5
rodv66 said:
Tried a set of flats today for the first time. Very easy on the fingers but dead as all heck. Nothing to them besides a muddy thump. Are there any that keep some of the brightness of rounds?
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Flats are supposed to sound the way they do. You simply can't expect the "brightness of rounds" out of them.

That said, if you want something easier on your fingers (ie smoother in texture) than typical rounds but still with a round-ish tone, then you can try the GHS Pressurewounds.
 
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#10
There are a lot of variables here, so take this as my experience on my basses only. I would say GHS Pressurewound if you can tolerate an "oval compromise". If you need to stay with flats, D'Addario Chromes tend to stay the brighter for a longer time to me.

FWIW, I played a few sets of half-rounds/ground wounds years ago and found them to be okay, but not exactly the "best of both worlds" as I had anticipated. They were sort of like all season tires that don't really work great in ice and deep snow and are a little loose feeling in the handling department on dry highways. YMMV (with strings or tires)!
 
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#13
odin70 said:
Rotos are bright. And punchy. One of my favourite strings. The downside is that they dont stay bright very long and imo they dont sound very good when they loose that zing.
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When do you notice that start to happen? I've got 77LD's I put on a little over 2 months ago. I backed off my playing from an OCD 3+ hours a night to about a third so I'm not putting too much mileage recently, but I was curious what your experience was? I haven't noticed a whole lot, maybe a bit less tightness in the feel than originally but otherwise they are very similar to when they went on.
 
#14
I've used both the Chromes and EB Cobalts. I went with these because I can't stand the bright ping and zing that comes with a lot of round wounds; esp. when new. Seemed that when the string reached the point I liked the sound, it wouldn't hold it's pitch anymore. Both of these solved the issue w/o the typical thumpy sound usually associated with flats. The Cobalts are brighter with a touch more mid range growl; Chromes feel fantastic right out of the package. Cobalts need to be cleaned and broken in for a short period. While I prefer the Cobalts, both are excellent choices for a flat that's closer to a RW. For a round wound that's dark and feels great on the fingers I love the DR Low Riders hands down.
 
#15
rodv66 said:
The flats came with a bass I got, no idea what kind or how old.
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They could be very old, or GHS flats. If you want something closer to a round wound sound then try EB Cobalt Flats (they also have Cobalt rounds too). D'addario Chromes and La Bella Flats have a clear high end but it's closer to a 1-2kHz bump (according to my ears) where as rounds tend to have a higher frequency treble emphasis. Many, if not most, flat wound players tend to keep them for quite a while (months to years) because it's the broken in sound that we like so much. Chromes have a sticky feel until they break in, then smooth as glass after.
 
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#18
Jonithen said:
When do you notice that start to happen? I've got 77LD's I put on a little over 2 months ago. I backed off my playing from an OCD 3+ hours a night to about a third so I'm not putting too much mileage recently, but I was curious what your experience was? I haven't noticed a whole lot, maybe a bit less tightness in the feel than originally but otherwise they are very similar to when they went on.
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They last a lot longer than rounds. What i should have written is...: After some time e.g Labellas gets better. Rotos gets worse..imo. More like rounds i guess. Anyways Rotos are great strings. Nothing sounds like em.
 

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