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Poll for Flatwound users
- Thread starter MoBeach
- Start date
It might be easier to list what flats would not work for. I would say:
I love flats for slapping BTW (can you say: Larry Graham?). Slapping on rounds sounds way too coked-out for me, anymore...
- '80s
- Thrash Funk
- Punk
- Acoustic
- Anything else where the roundwound "zing" might be indispensible
I love flats for slapping BTW (can you say: Larry Graham?). Slapping on rounds sounds way too coked-out for me, anymore...
I use Rotosound Medium Gauge Flatwounds. I use em for anything I play. I think i'll use em until the day they stop making em. I've found a set of strings I love and can't see a reason to change. Blues, rock, pop, classical, country. I pick my strings for comfort and speed and let my instrument, amp and effects take care of the sound. If it wasn't for flatwounds and Fast Fret, i'd just stumble my way through stuff like My Generation and Communication Breakdown.
There are only two kinds of music- music that sounds good, and whatever you want to call that other stuff." - Duke Ellington.
"Styles" don't tell anyone anything really useful about what any particular music might sound like. Some folks think Van Morrison's recording of "Moondance" is jazz, others are revolted by it being considered jazz. Is Joni Mitchell folk, rock, jazz, pop, or something else. "Genre' is only really useful for selling stuff.
So, I use my P bass with flats for what it sounds like, not for some preconcieved idea of what others might think it needs to sound like. But that's the same logic I use for using the Laklands with rounds. I don't care what some specific recording of a song may have had used to record it, I play with and for the people I'm playing with RIGHT now.
So, it's all of 'em.
John
"Styles" don't tell anyone anything really useful about what any particular music might sound like. Some folks think Van Morrison's recording of "Moondance" is jazz, others are revolted by it being considered jazz. Is Joni Mitchell folk, rock, jazz, pop, or something else. "Genre' is only really useful for selling stuff.
So, I use my P bass with flats for what it sounds like, not for some preconcieved idea of what others might think it needs to sound like. But that's the same logic I use for using the Laklands with rounds. I don't care what some specific recording of a song may have had used to record it, I play with and for the people I'm playing with RIGHT now.
So, it's all of 'em.
John
I am using D'addario Chromes in a band that does R&B/funk/soul, with a little bit of pop/rock thrown in. They work great for almost everything, but there are 3-4 tunes where I wouldn't mind a little more zing than the flats give me.
Right now the only context I am still consistently using rounds for is my modern prog/metal band. I just can't see flats working for the sound I'm going for in that band. But, for anything else I'm playing, they work in varying degrees from passable to awesome.
Right now the only context I am still consistently using rounds for is my modern prog/metal band. I just can't see flats working for the sound I'm going for in that band. But, for anything else I'm playing, they work in varying degrees from passable to awesome.
It might be easier to list what flats would not work for. I would say:
- '80s
- Thrash Funk
- Punk
- Acoustic
- Anything else where the roundwound "zing" might be indispensible
I love flats for slapping BTW (can you say: Larry Graham?). Slapping on rounds sounds way too coked-out for me, anymore...
I've used flats for those genres, and they sound great!
I only use flats.
-LaBella Deeps on a Squier Affinity P-Bass;
-TI Jazz on the Peavey Dyna-Bass Unity;
-LaBella Tapewounds on a Squier frankenfretless...
-Soon, flats on a Hofner Icon (just got it).
Reggae, funk, jazz, rock, country, rag-tag punk-esque fusion... if I played metal I'd use them for that. I like flats.
-LaBella Deeps on a Squier Affinity P-Bass;
-TI Jazz on the Peavey Dyna-Bass Unity;
-LaBella Tapewounds on a Squier frankenfretless...
-Soon, flats on a Hofner Icon (just got it).
Reggae, funk, jazz, rock, country, rag-tag punk-esque fusion... if I played metal I'd use them for that. I like flats.
Flats rule? According to the current results of this poll, flatwound strings will cover 451.45% of all bass players needs. 
I guess you could put me under rock, but I use 'em in my band to play:
rockabilly, jump blues, swingish stuff, Cash, and some straight blues numbers.
Fender P-bass + Flats = win.
People can have thier round wounds, onboard preamps, super hifi heads. I want my bass to sound like a bass, no what I'm sayin'?
rockabilly, jump blues, swingish stuff, Cash, and some straight blues numbers.
Fender P-bass + Flats = win.
People can have thier round wounds, onboard preamps, super hifi heads. I want my bass to sound like a bass, no what I'm sayin'?
I didn't hit up the poll, 'cause I mostly only play rock of various types (hard, soft, alternative, underground) with just little bits of jazz, classical, and atmospheric thrown in for colour - but I use my flats for EVERYTHING I play. If I were to take up another genre, I would use flats for that too, no question. IME, they're just the best strings there are.
Flats rule? According to the current results of this poll, flatwound strings will cover 451.45% of all bass players needs.
As long as you have strings, your needs are covered.
I play mostly rock with a P-bass and a pick. I use either Chromes or Fender 7150 pure nickels, which are unlike Sunbeams and all those other rounds.
