Putting Flatwounds just for lifetime?

[bassbully]

Flats last I have a set of Chromes going on 10 years and ran TI’s for 7 years.

 

[levis76]

I've got a set of 5 year old nickel roundwound on my 5'r. It thumps and it roars but it doesn't scream, just the way I like it.

For the OP, sorry to hear about your poor music scene. Rounds will last a long time as long as they aren't twisted during install and you clean them regularly.

 

[pbass2]

You can leave any strings on forever. Old flats sound like old flats which many of us swear by, while old rounds are yet another tone that some people love (including myself). But for a good all-rounder you can leave on indefinitely I too vote for Chromes.

 

[2F/2F]

I wouldn't put so much worry into it. You'll likely be fine with anything you choose. I've got two basses that have had their flats on since the early and mid '90's, respectively, and I have no clue what brand or gauge they are...nor did I probably care much at the time I put them on, to tell you the truth. I was just glad to find *any* flats in my local shop. My P has had its flats on since 2008, and they still sound great, even with a few dents in them.

I'm also not sure that flats last any longer than rounds. Their tone probably changes more over time, but as far as actual physical lasting ability, I can't see them busting any sooner than flats, unless perhaps they are brutally picked at a sharp angle.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwounds can really do a great Roundwound imitation:

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[Son of Wobble]

I wouldn't put so much worry into it. You'll likely be fine with anything you choose. I've got two basses that have had their flats on since the early and mid '90's, respectively, and I have no clue what brand or gauge they are...nor did I probably care much at the time I put them on, to tell you the truth. I was just glad to find *any* flats in my local shop. My P has had its flats on since 2008, and they still sound great, even with a few dents in them.

I'm also not sure that flats last any longer than rounds. Their tone probably changes more over time, but as far as actual physical lasting ability, I can't see them busting any sooner than flats, unless perhaps they are brutally picked at a sharp angle.

+1

Old dead rounds have a lot to recommend them. I have a set that I like even after ten years.

In terms of longevity, I agree, you really can't guarantee how long a string will last. To that point:
I haven't broken a string in years, recently I lifted my Precision out of its padded stand to find the G string missing.
What the heck? I definitely did not take a string off... I looked around the room and saw the string on the floor.
I looked into the base of the padded instrument stand to find the ball end, sheared in two. Evidently when the ball-end failed, the string
shot across the room!

 

[swarfrat]

If he's wanting forever strings because of where he lives... alcohol, even denatured, is likely a bigger problem.

 

[brett adams]

another vote for chromes. but should mention that fender flatwounds are not bad and at least a few bucks cheaper.

 

[swarfrat]

I keep wondering if I'd like Chromes, but dangit. Bass strings are kinda pricey just to wonder if there's something out there you'd like better than something else just because.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I cut EB Cobalts when I put them on my Warwick fretless. No issues. After 4 months of daily playing, they sound as bright as 3 day old Dunlop nickel rounds on my Geddy.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I hate Chromes because they sound very mid-scooped.

 

[physics]

I put D'Addario Chromes on my T'bird a couple of years ago and they still sound and feel good.

If you go with Chromes I would recommend that you scrub the new strings with alcohol to get the polishing residue off, they'll feel smoother and look nicer. If you regularly wipe them with a string cleaner/lubricant like GHS FastFret or Dunlop system 65 string conditioner they'll have a brighter tone. Also, I wipe the string areas that my fretting and plucking fingers come into contact with after each playing session. I keep little terry cloth rags in my gigbag for that.

 

[lbbc]

I have tried flats and wanted to like them. They definitely felt better.... I just couldn't get the sound I wanted. I ended up with GHS Pressure Wounds and like them a lot. "To each their own", I guess.

 

[interp]

Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats. Great sounding and playing strings that last forever. On a cost-per-use basis they are the cheapest strings available.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Hello my Bass friends,
I'm living in a fu*ked up Middle Eastern country. The music market here is aweful,limited and very expensive. On other hand I'm unemployed so i can't afford strings easily. I have a friend who studying in Canada and i can want him to buy strings for me. So i decided to buy flatwound strings just for their unlimited lifetime. Now obviously I'm concerned about the sound. The question is which flatwound string is the most similar to Roundwounds? (sound and feel (tension and stiffness)). I'm using Elixir stainless steel and i like its sound and feel very much. I read a lot about Flatwounds here and i guess chromes are very bright but their tension is high and unbalanced, string by string. What is your suggestion? Is it a dumb decision?
I play everything except metal and mostly fast funky grooves(so very low or high tension (or stiffness) may cause difficulty (maybe))
My Lovely Basses are a PJ (Yamaha BB424x) and a squier dimension 5 string.
I'd appreciate any advices.
Thank you all.

Hey brother, I'm sorry your country is effed'. I find that Labella deep talkin' flats retain their brightness quite well. In my experience the FS set (.105 -.045) or the FM set (.109 - .49) are good because while they have lots of top-end brightness, they also have a good midrange presence and their relative thickness and tension allows for a solid fundamental thump that projects the sound of your instrument well into the mix. Thomastik infeld Jazz Flats while having more of a loose feel and less tension and lower gauge thicknesses, also seem to do well in terms of brightness, midrange presence and fitting into different musical contexts where you would not think that flatwounds would excel. I have also used rotosound monel Jazz Flats, and they are very bright with lots of treble and top-end but they're also very stiff, quite a bit more even than the LaBella medium gauge IMHO. I also play a lot of funky music, and I find that the stiffness and tension of flat-wound strings makes it a bit easier to play those bumping grooves in Funk and soul music. I think you're on the right track, so good luck in your decision to buy some flatwounds whichever you decide!

 

[buldog5151bass]

Another thought. Buy a couple of pairs of cheaper rounds. Rounds are cheaper, and if you care for them (wipe them down after use, etc.), they will last a long time. In your situation, you aren't looking for perfection, just usable.

 

[bherman]

Ask slapinfunk (bassstringsonline) for his recommendation. He knows more about strings that anyone on TB and should be able to give you an unbiased opinion.

 

[Freight Train]

Hello my Bass friends,
I'm living in a fu*ked up Middle Eastern country. The music market here is aweful,limited and very expensive. On other hand I'm unemployed so i can't afford strings easily. I have a friend who studying in Canada and i can want him to buy strings for me. So i decided to buy flatwound strings just for their unlimited lifetime. Now obviously I'm concerned about the sound. The question is which flatwound string is the most similar to Roundwounds? (sound and feel (tension and stiffness)). I'm using Elixir stainless steel and i like its sound and feel very much. I read a lot about Flatwounds here and i guess chromes are very bright but their tension is high and unbalanced, string by string. What is your suggestion? Is it a dumb decision?
I play everything except metal and mostly fast funky grooves(so very low or high tension (or stiffness) may cause difficulty (maybe))
My Lovely Basses are a PJ (Yamaha BB424x) and a squier dimension 5 string.
I'd appreciate any advices.
Thank you all.

I switched from rounds to flats 6 years ago. I now have a G&L L1000 with 6 year old flats and a '68 Telecaster with 4 year old flats. Two things I learned about flats - one was that I liked the more than I ever thought I would. I started with one bass strung with rounds (Epiphone Jack Casady) and one with flats and would switch during sets for different flavors. The more I played the flats in ensemble, the more I appreciated how they will cut through cymbals and guitars and maintain a strong presence without being too loud. I'm sure you've experienced dialing in a great roundwound sound on your amp only to have it totally disappear as soon as cymbals start playing. The second thing I learned relating to your question of which flats would sound most like rounds. I've found that dialing in a judicious amount of overdrive/distortion to flats will get a very round-woundy vibe. In fact after playing with that and then listening back to some favorite recordings, I'm sure some of things I thought were rounds were actually distorted flats. One of the things that make the roundwound sound aside from their sustain is that they are so rich in harmonics. That's what you're simulating with the overdrive - dialing in just enough to get upper harmonics singing but not so far as to actually sound distorted. You'll never get the sustain of rounds but I've grown to prefer the overdriven flats to rounds when I want that type of sound.

 

[Sixgunn]

It's much harder to make rounds sound like flats than the other way round, but even the later isn't really satisfying.

I couldn't disagree more.

 

[swarfrat]

I switched from rounds to flats 6 years ago. I now have a G&L L1000 with 6 year old flats and a '68 Telecaster with 4 year old flats. ...

This post might have just cost me $43. Dang you. I'm sorta happyish with my tapes, but they're prone to this sort of weird electronic noise due to grounding. I've also never really appreciated distortion on bass until recently. Preferring sort of a deep P on steroids, not quite piano sounding but with some clank on the pick attack. Then I heard Garth Fielding's chromes video and decided that wasn't exactly what I was after but it definitely has strong elements of it.