Once you go flat, you never go back

[Miles_ONeal]

... [EBCF] can do it all. They sound so close to the zing of the roundwounds but:

1) they don't have string noise
2) they don't eat my fingers
3) they don't eat my frets
4) they keep their tone for as long as I have had them
5) they stay in tune

I love the EBCFs. I tried Roto 66s on my Thunderbird VP for several months. I eventually went back to the EBCFs, which is what my other two birds have. They have all the low end I can stand, and more than enough top end for anything I play.

 

[MynameisMe]

I just strung my 96 Precision and my 2000 Jazz with Labella DTFs. Absolutely love the sound in getting!
I've tried many flats but I think these suit me best.
When it comes to strings it is a very personal preference thing.
Some want low tension, some want round wound zing but no string noise, some want a particular tone or sound.
Just like basses, very subjective.

 

[Gary Stevens]

The last four sets I have bought have been EBCFs. I have 7 basses. The P bass always had flats. The fretless always had flats (roundwound strings must reek havoc on a fretless neck). All my other basses had roundwounds. Then I tried the EBCFs on my #1 and I was blown away. I use a pick when the song calls for it, I slap when the song calls for it, and I wear my fingers out most of the time. These strings can do it all. They sound so close to the zing of the roundwounds but:

1) they don't have string noise
2) they don't eat my fingers
3) they don't eat my frets
4) they keep their tone for as long as I have had them
5) they stay in tune

I was a child of the late 70's early 80's. All my heros used roundwounds. My '76 Stingray will always have roundwounds on it, and the '70 Modified Fender Jazz requires them as well. I keep them on my Schector Stilleto Studio-4 just so I have a roundwound bass on the wall (if the song calls for it).

But Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats are the bomb! I love 'em. They are certainly worth trying. My opinion of flat strings was completely changed once I did.

I use Daddario Chrome Flats on my 9 main basses for all of the above reasons

 

[Frank Vozak]

I was reading this thread as I was nursing my sore left and right finger tips after a four hour jam session with my regular Saturday morning gig with the Oak Park Farmers' Market Band. My original basses all came with flatwound strings in 1967--a Fender Mustang and a Fender Jazz Bass and a Gibson EB-O. I played in high school orchestra practice an hour a day playing violin (by the time I started playing bass I had been playing fiddle for a decade so I had mature left fingertip callouses) The JB and Mustang sounded and felt great out of the box. The EB-O sounded dead so I put on roundwounds---my fingertips were bleeding pulps within a day or two. Put Guild Nylon tape string on the EB-O and got happy fingers and great sound. In my teen years with these three basses I could play up to six hours with no discomfort. But when I went to the Army and then got out and moved to a new city all thoughts lf bass playing went bye bye as progressively each went. Ab out 10 years ago I figured I'd never play bass again so sold my EB-O to a vintage guitar dealer. IU kept grooving on bass lin es on albums, cassettes and CD's so when I retired I started with bass again. But now all they seem to put on modest priced basses were round wounds. I own an acoustic and 4 electric basses all with round wounds. I have prob lems with round wound sore finger syndrome but I also have no bucks because I got infected with GAS so everything still has round wound strings. I think the acoustic will stay with round wounds for louder volume but the other three will be getting flatwounds or nylon tape strings. I don't hear alot of interstring difference with electrics so finger comfort will be my main string choice criteria

 

[beatmachine pro]

That's why I have multiple basses. Different strings, different basses, different sounds!

One Ric has rounds, the other flats. I get all of the sounds I want! Mwahaha

lol
you really couldnt put flats on a Rick!
i guess it depends on the bass

i have an ibanez sdgr 5 string with flats i play through a 15" amp with an acoustic head,..its increadably smooth and low,

if i need something that pops i have a short scale yamaha with rounds, its super bright(overtones)

i dont know about different kinds of flats,..useually leave them on and even put a foam mute up on the bridge

 

[Gary Stevens]

lol
you really couldnt put flats on a Rick!
i guess it depends on the bass

i have an ibanez sdgr 5 string with flats i play through a 15" amp with an acoustic head,..its increadably smooth and low,

if i need something that pops i have a short scale yamaha with rounds, its super bright(overtones)

i dont know about different kinds of flats,..useually leave them on and even put a foam mute up on the bridge

"YES" on foam under the strings st the bridge. I also use flats exclusively

 

[mickebas]

I prefer flats about 70% of the time but always want to have a bass with rounds around. Also I'm a fan of Rotosound swing bass rounds on a fretless… go figure

 

[Rod Barchetta]

I got a set of EBCFS for my 5 string on Friday. It came with rounds and I made the decision 2 weeks ago to play nothing but tge 5er until it becomes natural. After two weeks there was visible damage to both my right and left hand fingers. While playing thecweek before there were moments were the strings felt like they were shocking me. I have a legendary set of callouses, but they still ate me up.

I played 3 hours yesterday with the EBCFs and left band practice with my fingers unblemished. No shredded fingertips on the left nor puffy soreness on the right .

I will be the 1st to admit that I might play too aggressively. But that's the way I play. I try to hold back but I just get excited. And once I start practicing something I can't stop until I get it right. I need a pair of strings that will let me pursue my Passion with the Passion that I pursue it with.

 

[mickebas]

I'm one of those who prefer flats not to sound like rounds so I'm mostly for LaBellas, Ernie Ball traditional flats or Dunlops.
If I want the roundwound sound I play roundwounds.

 

[Rod Barchetta]

See, everybody is different. I love the way my bass sustains. Coupled with my MXR bass compressor she will hold a note until the power shuts off.

I never uses string mutes or foam. The songs I play don't require it. I bring the thunder!

 

[Gary Stevens]

I find that a piece of foam under the strings at the bridge, along with right and left hand muting, keeps string noise down. No "zzzzzpppppp" from sliding up the neck. No ghost notes from unmuted strings. I play motown, rockabilly, blues and classic rock. No pop and slap. No heavy metal speed picking.

 

[Rod Barchetta]

I find that a piece of foam under the strings at the bridge, along with right and left hand muting, keeps string noise down. No "zzzzzpppppp" from sliding up the neck. No ghost notes from unmuted strings. I play motown, rockabilly, blues and classic rock. No pop and slap. No heavy metal speed picking.

Then the mute makes sense for your style. If your band mates like it and you like it, then you are on target.

To me, plucking a string or chord on the bass to hear it sustain over a measure or two is FREAKING AWESOME!

I played with a Gruv Gear fretwrap for awhile on my 5er, but I have worked hard to develop my floating thumb technique and using alternate left and right hand fingers to mute the strings, especially below the string I'm playing. It is challenging, but the final result is worth the effort.

 

[Gary Stevens]

Then the mute makes sense for your style. If your band mates like it and you like it, then you are on target.

To me, plucking a string or chord on the bass to hear it sustain over a measure or two is FREAKING AWESOME!

I played with a Gruv Gear fretwrap for awhile on my 5er, but I have worked hard to develop my floating thumb technique and using alternate left and right hand fingers to mute the strings, especially below the string I'm playing. It is challenging, but the final result is worth the effort.

I use right thumb for lower string muting and left hand fretting fingers for higher string muting. Works for me. Long sustain in a reverberant basketball court gym is not good, in my humble opinion. WANG wang wang ......

 

[mickebas]

I actually don't really agree on roundwounds giving better sustain. I think it depends on in what frequency region you want the sustain. I've been playing rounds for 30 years and still do on some basses. Rounds on a maple board is great and percussive but flats on a, for instance, P-bass with a rosewood board gives more body and fundamental which is where some of the most usable sustain in many band situations lies.
But as mentioned, it depends a lot on the bass. Different basses functions differently with different strings.

 

[Gluvhand]

What

 

[Gary Stevens]

What?

 

[Gothic]

Funny that this thread came up.

I love flats and I have a set of TI's on my P that I'm not planning on changing. Yesterday I put on a set of LaBella 760FS on my Talman and... Yeah... My hands dislike the higher tension (the 9050m fenders killed me) and the bass just got too... mellow. Yesterday I was thinking I'd just leave them on - it doesn't sound bad by any means. Today I restrung it with rounds. The snarl I get on this bass with rounds is just too yummy and considering I only have 2 basses, I want the more aggressive one strung with rounds.

Plus, the LaBellas don't have silk on the ball end. I didn't like that.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Nope, rounds are not a phase, neither are flats or tapewounds. You ought to be able to accommodate adjustments in strings, basses, amps, volume, tone, etc depending on many things.

I would disagree. Bass strings were originally flat. Rounds were first introduced in 1962.

 

[BBassBassington]

I feel like there's a place for every string type! I may prefer flats but there's times where rounds are just what you need. My EB0 and Jazz thrive off rounds, where as my other basses are happy with anything.

 

[woodyng2]

I love flats. (Roundcore, low tension ones, like Optima RB and Labella LTFF sets.)
But I still need to have a couple of basses with Roundwounds.
(DR Pure Blues or Kalium hybrid balanced tension sets.)
And 3 of my basses have tapewounds, (but not your Father's black tapes),.
Labella Copper White or "just plain" White tapewounds, in the lighter gauge.