Only 1 bass - how to pick strings?

[bigthemat]

I've had no issues playing flats over the past decade. I can get the tones I need with pedals/EQ just fine. Granted I'm not playing much hard stuff, but with my rock band if we do get heavy I've been fine.

For me as I've gotten older (36, so old....) I'm getting more simple with stuff. I have like just a few pedal sounds I use, mainly clean and just boost some eq on my bass as needed, then a tube overdrive sound, and then some effects for cover tunes (chorus, a synthy octave to emulate key bass) and that's about it. I care way more about my tone than anyone else does haha.

 

[sethlow3]

Again I agree but also find that my P with flats really cuts through in our cover band. My P5 and my Roscoe 5 have D'Addario nickels on them.


I only use a compressor so maybe that's a reason the flats work for me?

It could be one of many reasons.
I just personally notice that dynamic pedals (overdrive, chorus, synths etc) seem to really respond and sing with rounds and a pick. I do play a lotta rock, new wave, punk with this in mind. It's more for aggressive, bright, cutting through the mix without resorting to bridge only tone with fingerstyle (which still isn't aggressive to my ears).

Then if it's a ballad, country, jazz, or something I wanna sound FAT with, flats, boosting the signal, and switching to fingerstyle nails the tone in my head.

 

[FunkHead]

Count Dracula, is that you?

That'd be this bass:

 

[SteveC]

For me as I've gotten older (36, so old....) I'm getting more simple with stuff. I have like just a few pedal sounds I use, mainly clean and just boost some eq on my bass as needed, then a tube overdrive sound, and then some effects for cover tunes (chorus, a synthy octave to emulate key bass) and that's about it. I care way more about my tone than anyone else does haha.

I, too, have gotten more simple as I get older...55 is getting older for me.

I have a Tuner, Compressor and (soon) a clean boost for one of my basses that has a little lower output than the other. That goes into a REDDI. I have gone to playing passive P basses, usually with flats. I have a 5 string P for when I need a low B and put rounds on that just for variety. I haven't use my active 5 string for weeks. It was my main bass for 8 years. I don't really use effects. No one seems to miss them. My guitar player actually said that at the last gig when we did "Can't Stop the Feelin" it sounded like I had a filter even though I didn't. That was a P bass with flats. Tone is in the hands I guess. When I need synthy sounds I use an actual synth.

And yeah, you care more about your tone than anyone else. I will say my drummer and guitar player do notice some things and comment.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Hybrid - flats on the E and A, rounds on the D and G. Was just joking but now I want to try it.

 

[stonewall]

I play a variety of stuff - jazz, pop, rock, post-rock, worship - so it is hard to dial in a specific genre. Would you go with flats or rounds? I know there are different pros and cons to each but curious how the decision making process would work in the situation of having only one bass and constantly playing different gigs.

For my scenario, I have a pedalboard with lots of preamp/drives/tone shaping to work with.

I've figured that I can use the same set of flats indefinitely, but then I would lose some grit (especially the "thwack" of using a pick). I guess I could make up for some of that with my pedals.

With rounds, I would have to constantly change all the time to keep the brighter tone - but I could always EQ out or tone knob if I wanted something less bright.

How would you decide? What are you doing, personally?

EDIT: right now I am using rounds, but curious about switching to flats and see if I could make it work or not. What's your experience?

 

[stonewall]

I use Labella Deep Talkin' Flatwounds 760 FM,s ...on all 3 of my Basses 2 Fender P,s 1Fender Jazz...I wanted big fat warm middy woody thunderous ttonesYup thats what I have .

 

[fishdreams]

With one bass covering all these bases- i'd go with the basics in rounds, d'Addario xl nickels or ghs boomers, something along those lines.

I love flats and (also with effects) they do cover a wide range, working with the tone knob on a Pbass for example. The thump is unmistakable and golden, and better than rounds.

But as others have said, its easier to mimic flats with rounds than the other way around. Modern gospel is all about sustain for example, i wouldnt know how to work that with flats.

 

[MobileHolmes]

I think you're logic is right. You can EQ the zing out of rounds, but you can't add it back to flats. My main bass has DR Fat Beams, which are pretty bright, but I Can do everything from Funk to Motown to Country on it largely just by adjusting my right hand. A little palm muting gets them into the old school sound

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Love flats and most of my basses (throughout the 60 years I have been playing) had them, but I do find rounds more versatile and I now have my Jbass strung with rounds. I have a lifelong friend that's a bass player and a recording engineer - on his worst day he was better than I could ever be on my best day. He always played a PBass with rounds and ALWAYS managed to get the most beautiful sounds and appropriate sounds for whatever music he was playing.

 

[twinjet]

I did the one-bass thing for a year or so on my G&L L-2000. Threw some DR PURE BLUES (nickel roundcores) and they sang. They're bright enough to be heard but not so bright you can't put out the thump, too.

 

[Matty Koff]

I love having flats on my P-bass but if it was my only bass I'd go with rounds. it's not my #1. Quite a bit more versatility with rounds, where you can EQ rounds to sound pretty warm if you want to. Flats work great with a pick or finger style but if I wanted to slap my Ti flats sound pretty horrific trying to do so.

 

[Bass Momma]

I change strings every couple of years. That makes it really difficult to compare and to develop preferences. I use D'Addario NYXL rounds on my P-bass, La Bella flats on my jazz, and Fodera on my Fodera. Something else might sound better.... I dunno...

 

[dave hope]

I think the DR Pressurewound were somewhat of a good go between. Fatter (especially in upper) than Rotos, but still roundwound sounding. I play TIs which are stupidly priced, but a great string.

 

[sethlow3]

I think you're logic is right. You can EQ the zing out of rounds, but you can't add it back to flats. My main bass has DR Fat Beams, which are pretty bright, but I Can do everything from Funk to Motown to Country on it largely just by adjusting my right hand. A little palm muting gets them into the old school sound

and that's really what boils down to.
The technique used and the way the bass is setup. The strings can be coaxed with techniques and action.

 

[sotua]

I play a variety of stuff - jazz, pop, rock, post-rock, worship - so it is hard to dial in a specific genre. Would you go with flats or rounds? I know there are different pros and cons to each but curious how the decision making process would work in the situation of having only one bass and constantly playing different gigs.

For my scenario, I have a pedalboard with lots of preamp/drives/tone shaping to work with.

I've figured that I can use the same set of flats indefinitely, but then I would lose some grit (especially the "thwack" of using a pick). I guess I could make up for some of that with my pedals.

With rounds, I would have to constantly change all the time to keep the brighter tone - but I could always EQ out or tone knob if I wanted something less bright.

How would you decide? What are you doing, personally?

EDIT: right now I am using rounds, but curious about switching to flats and see if I could make it work or not. What's your experience?

I would go with some "mellow" rounds, like, say, DR Sunbeams.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I agree on the above suggestion to use GHS Pressurewounds. They sound very good with effects IMO. I have a set on my Tony Franklin Fretless. They sound fantastic. No lack of crisp tone there, even with no frets.

This.....with help from TGP members, i have stuck to GHS Pressurewounds on my Epiphone Newport (lone 'mudbucker' at the neck) and i get 'just enough top end'.....the other thing is how these strings on this bass can get a wide range of tones with EQ and switching from pick or thumb....i palm mute a lot as well, so my technique is different than many for certain....i can get very close to a P bass sound as well.

I may try TI rounds because of lighter tension and as smooth and quiet finger noise.

Definitely will not put 'old school' flats on this bass though....

 

[bassobrutto]

I have never had more than one bass at a time and have almost always used flats. Played in all kinds of band settings, from mellow jazz to very loud hard rock and funk band with horn section. Never had a problem being heard. The best do-it-all flats I have played are Fender 9050L--very articulate with great fundamental. Can cover most of the musical bases with ease with just some tweaks of the tone knob.

 

[Hounddog409]

I play a variety of stuff - jazz, pop, rock, post-rock, worship - so it is hard to dial in a specific genre. Would you go with flats or rounds? I know there are different pros and cons to each but curious how the decision making process would work in the situation of having only one bass and constantly playing different gigs.

For my scenario, I have a pedalboard with lots of preamp/drives/tone shaping to work with.

I've figured that I can use the same set of flats indefinitely, but then I would lose some grit (especially the "thwack" of using a pick). I guess I could make up for some of that with my pedals.

With rounds, I would have to constantly change all the time to keep the brighter tone - but I could always EQ out or tone knob if I wanted something less bright.

How would you decide? What are you doing, personally?

EDIT: right now I am using rounds, but curious about switching to flats and see if I could make it work or not. What's your experience?

Use whatever feels best to you. Easy peasy.

Fyi, I have fender flats on my Am Pro II fretless jazz. More than enough grit or growl. I would be fine using this bass for anything

 

[Joebone]

Didn't read the thread but if it's one bass to cover a lot of stuff, gonna vote for nickel rounds or for lively flats - like Sadowsky - the notion being to avoid bright/dull extremes.