One with flats and one with rounds ?

[rogerbmiller]

I have a few pairs like this. Mostly Fender J and P basses. At one point, I also had a pair of stingrays, one with flats, and one with rounds but now all my stingrays have rounds.

In general, I feel like if you like something, you should have at least two. And if you prefer some variety out of a pair of identical basses, a great way to get that from the same instrument would be to string them differently.

YMMV

 

[LowendG]

I’d do that for sure if I were doing session work, and probably would if I were doing lots of pickup gigs. Point being, where’s the point where you have to react so quickly with a bass/string config that swapping strings is impractical (can you cover a session at 3PM today?).

While I'm hardly some first call cat, I've done some sessions with a few heavy hitters here in LA LA Land over the years. You very often don't know exactly what's gonna work until you get there, so you have to bring options. You absolutely would not wanna be saying "hang on while I change strings..."!
Still, the two most-used bass/string combos are to this day a P with flats, and a P with rounds. At the very least you want to bring those two. Look at what guys like Sean Hurley, Chris Chaney, et al have in their rack. They always have those two for sure.

 

[fishdreams]

Kinda depends on the bass. But then my Martin Keith fretless in my avatar sounds great no matter what I put on it, (tapes, flat, nickel or steel rounds) so that one has a new type of string every few years or so.

But I like having something with flats and something with rounds available at all times,yes

 

[_Obra_]

Ok , who here really does this?

I have two P basses. They are different as P basses can be, but also i have rounds on one and flats on the other and using them both every day.

 

[77FenderJazz]

Flats on the P and the EB-2 and rounds on the Js.

 

[DB66]

when I was doing more paid studio work years ago I had my two jazz basses one with flats one with rounds. But now both have flats.

 

[SteC]

I have flats on a P and rounds on a jazz.

 

[ctmullins]

I have one with flats and 22 with rounds.

 

[Relayer71]

2 of my Spectors have flats, one has rounds.

 

[Phreaky Phriday]

I have 2 short scale stingrays - one passive with eb cobalt flats and one active with eb rounds. I love both basses, easy to justify keeping both when they have different roles. Similarly, one pj with flats and one with rounds

 

[prndltech]

Well currently have a p bass with flats and a p bass with rounds

The jazz bass has rounds and the 5 string has rounds.

 

[RickDeckardCain]

I really hate changing strings, so I have TI Jazz Flats on everything. Luckily I only have two basses -- soon to be three.

 

[J Wilson]

No flats. All round, all the time. Rounds will go dead soon enough, and I saved money not buying flats from jump street.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I have five Hofner 500/1s. Four have rounds and one has flats.

 

[QweziRider]

I do.

 

[LowWay]

Only 1 each? I have several of each. And one with tapes.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I have 2 short scale stingrays - one passive with eb cobalt flats and one active with eb rounds. I love both basses, easy to justify keeping both when they have different roles. Similarly, one pj with flats and one with rounds

I can relate!!! What exactly are your short scale StingRays?

 

[Cleezmo]

Flats on one bass for when I need or want the flats sound. Rounds on everything else. If I had two of the same model basses they'd either have the same strings or maybe, maybe, one nickel and on SS.

 

[MCF]

I am addicted to stainless steel rounds. I have more than 20 basses. Only one P has flats. An eight year old set of Chromes on a ‘13 MIM P bass that just sound too good on that specific bass to change.

 

[Phreaky Phriday]

I can relate!!! What exactly are your short scale StingRays?

Ebmm passive (kept that one stock) and a sbmm which i routed a battery box into and went with a nordstrand pickup and 3 band preamp. Great to have the option of a classic stingray or something with a different character