Listen to the first 16 bars of this. Then come back and tell me roundwound strings don’t sound good.
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Once you go flat, you never go back
- Thread starter GodPlayedBass
- Start date
Agreed. Also, you can't add 'expression' to your notes by slightly bending them for effect. The string just rolls on the fretboard.
Went flats then went back.. to roundwounds.
I don't really understand what you mean by this - you can do string bends with flats just the same as rounds...no?
Every 13 years or so I’m somehow prompted to try flats.
Every 13 years or so I take a wire cutter to them after about 2 days.
Every 13 years or so I take a wire cutter to them after about 2 days.
MM copy? Like my 5-string OLP? It's got D'Addario XL Nickles on it and sounds like a grand piano. But not so much when I try to play it. All the roundwound finger scrape sounds. Harder to play well even if I knew how to play a 5-string.
I bought a used 2014 MIJ P-bass that had SD pickups and TI Jazz flats installed. All the good things they say about them are true. So soft and smooth with few finger scrapes and tone to die for.
But I didn't feel like spending $75usd so I put Chromes on my Godin Freeway 4 and they are pretty fabulous too. I like the sound of rounds too but they are harder for an elderly noob to play without screechy finger sounds. For me.
Not just no.
Quite the opposite really.
Once rounds became readily available I started using them exclusively. I've tried flats on many occasions over the last 45 years or so, but I'm done throwing away brand new sets of flats within hours of putting them on. They aren't for everyone, nor is there any style or type of music requiring them.
Quite the opposite really.
Once rounds became readily available I started using them exclusively. I've tried flats on many occasions over the last 45 years or so, but I'm done throwing away brand new sets of flats within hours of putting them on. They aren't for everyone, nor is there any style or type of music requiring them.
I've never wasted money on flats. Played a number of basses with them, hated them every time
It's sad to see so many people stray from the righteous path. You know who you are!
(Ambivalent much, am I right?)
(Ambivalent much, am I right?)
If you like flats--play flats--I prefer rounds
I started bass with flats and it wasn't until I tried rounds that I found the sound I was looking for.
I use both rounds and flats, depending on the situation and what music I’m playing! I do find, though, that I can get a much greater tonal variety with rounds.
I have La Bella Flats on my main Precision and DR rounds on my other one. Just depends on what sound I'm looking for.
As with a lot of subjects it’s not a matter of one thing or the other. Flats and rounds both have their place and speciallys depending on what kind of bass, music and style.
Some of the strong sides of flats to me are their warmth (if you get the right ones), their body and low end push, the fact that they often get better with time and have a long life and are quiet when sliding... among some.
Rounds are sometimes easier to play, gives you more open top end frequency (for a couple of days anyway), doesn’t get as clanky playing more percussive stuff but has the disadvantage of being noisy, buzzy and have less fundamental when playing live.
What I don’t understand is getting bright flats that tries to sound like rounds or the opposite. Get the strings you need for what they’re good at.
All this aside, as mentioned, different basses ‘likes’ different stringtypes and it’s only stupid to put one against the other IMHO.
Some of the strong sides of flats to me are their warmth (if you get the right ones), their body and low end push, the fact that they often get better with time and have a long life and are quiet when sliding... among some.
Rounds are sometimes easier to play, gives you more open top end frequency (for a couple of days anyway), doesn’t get as clanky playing more percussive stuff but has the disadvantage of being noisy, buzzy and have less fundamental when playing live.
What I don’t understand is getting bright flats that tries to sound like rounds or the opposite. Get the strings you need for what they’re good at.
All this aside, as mentioned, different basses ‘likes’ different stringtypes and it’s only stupid to put one against the other IMHO.
Well...
- The bass I learned to play on in 1968 was a Rick 4001 with Maxima Flats...
- The bass I played in a band in the early '70s, was a Japanese P-Bass copy - with flats...
- The first bass I bought (from a friend with a band) was a '78 Fender P-Bass - with flats.
Every bass I've bought since (22 at last count) that came to me with rounds? They didn't have them long. I currently have only 3 basses with rounds on them; 2 because I actually kinda like them, and one (a '73 Rick 4001) because, while I liked those strings (RIC Light Nickel Rounds), I can't get them anymore. So, it will get a set of flats.
As a general rule, I can't stand the brightness of most rounds. I also don't like playing strings that feel like I'm running my fingers up and down a coarse mill file. I don't like the Gawd awful string noise I get when I play those strings. And, I especially don't like having to change those things every time I turn around... With 23 basses - all of which get played - replacing that many strings, quickly turns into a full time job - an expensive full time job...
And, as for the music itself? I don't have to play anything I don't want to; and what I like to play was almost always originally played/recorded on a bass with flats - or an upright bass. After playing flats for... geez, over 50 years now - I'm aware that there's almost as much difference in tone between different flats as there is between different rounds. Which is why I seldom use the same flats on more than one bass. There aren't many flats that I haven't tried at least once. So, if you like rounds? Hey, that's fine with me. You keep right on buying those twangy, coarse feeling, noisy short-lived things - so I don't have to...
- The bass I learned to play on in 1968 was a Rick 4001 with Maxima Flats...
- The bass I played in a band in the early '70s, was a Japanese P-Bass copy - with flats...
- The first bass I bought (from a friend with a band) was a '78 Fender P-Bass - with flats.
Every bass I've bought since (22 at last count) that came to me with rounds? They didn't have them long. I currently have only 3 basses with rounds on them; 2 because I actually kinda like them, and one (a '73 Rick 4001) because, while I liked those strings (RIC Light Nickel Rounds), I can't get them anymore. So, it will get a set of flats.
As a general rule, I can't stand the brightness of most rounds. I also don't like playing strings that feel like I'm running my fingers up and down a coarse mill file. I don't like the Gawd awful string noise I get when I play those strings. And, I especially don't like having to change those things every time I turn around... With 23 basses - all of which get played - replacing that many strings, quickly turns into a full time job - an expensive full time job...
And, as for the music itself? I don't have to play anything I don't want to; and what I like to play was almost always originally played/recorded on a bass with flats - or an upright bass. After playing flats for... geez, over 50 years now - I'm aware that there's almost as much difference in tone between different flats as there is between different rounds. Which is why I seldom use the same flats on more than one bass. There aren't many flats that I haven't tried at least once. So, if you like rounds? Hey, that's fine with me. You keep right on buying those twangy, coarse feeling, noisy short-lived things - so I don't have to...
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Trying Chromes 15 years ago, is the reason I stayed with stainless rounds and swore off flats for another decade and a half, LOL. Been playing stainless rounds for 32 years. Started experimenting with flats during the Covid quarantine. I have tried almost 15 different flat sets from different makers on as many basses. The Chromes are among my least favorite due to the high tension. I’ve found that TI J flats are my favorite so far, LaBella Low Tensions are another great set feel-wise, but definitely not a lively as TIs. Dunlop 40-100 Flats are very nice! And I can’t wait to try my EB Cobalt Flat 40-95 set.I went to chromes and never looked back. I swear by them and will never play rounds.
Experiment!! There’s some great strings out there!
The flats experiment I started recently has led me to discover several sets that play so easy they’ve improved my speed and dexterity: TIs, light Dunlops, Low Tension LaBellas... all play fast and easy.
All my basses have flats—
P with La Bellas
P with Fenders (soon to try TI)
Höfner with La Bellas
Starfire with La Bellas
Ric with tapes
Mustang with La Bellas
—but for my last recording project, I found my sound on my daughter’s JB with rounds. Go figure.
P with La Bellas
P with Fenders (soon to try TI)
Höfner with La Bellas
Starfire with La Bellas
Ric with tapes
Mustang with La Bellas
—but for my last recording project, I found my sound on my daughter’s JB with rounds. Go figure.
Each string has its place. The same is for instruments and many other things. Variety is good and the world isn't black and white.
String choice should be dictated by needs, not belief. IMHO, of course.
String choice should be dictated by needs, not belief. IMHO, of course.
