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Recommend some flats for
- Thread starter vivaknoxvegas
- Start date
I have Fender 9050L on one of my J's. Full-bodied low-mid punch with a hint of grind. Not too old-school. A great match for the J.
Depends on what you’re going for tone wise. I’ve been really enjoying DR Legends on my jazz basses. They’re a “brighter” flat but definitely not bright.
For smooth jazz, slides up and down and/or extended notes, TI flats as they do have a wonderful vibrato.
For rhythmic music, Fender 9050L is very versatile and punchy. The song Rock and Roll from Led Zeppelin sounds great with these on such bass.
All in my opinion of course.
For rhythmic music, Fender 9050L is very versatile and punchy. The song Rock and Roll from Led Zeppelin sounds great with these on such bass.
All in my opinion of course.
D
Fender 9050Ls are my goto. Just enough character with a great feel and tension. They're also pretty cheap, I grab mine from Guitar Center online since they have a hidden in-cart discount if you have an account.
9050L almost never a wrong choice. But if you're craving thump, LaBella DTF or GHS Precision.
Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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I have Sadowsky flats on my US Fender 62 AVRI Precision. Sound great. Similar to La Bella
I have D'addario Chromes on my Lakland J Sonic. This is a match made in hevven!
I'd go with Chromes on a jazz bass.
I have D'addario Chromes on my Lakland J Sonic. This is a match made in hevven!
I'd go with Chromes on a jazz bass.
TI Flats if you want to keep a clear, modern focus to your sound.
I’ve learned that I like to get a more “laid back”/ woody sound from my stack-knob Jazz build, and I have settled on a set of Dogal Traditional flats. Subtle, clear but soft spoken, deep, and balanced. Love these strings. (Prices have gone up, though!)
I’ve learned that I like to get a more “laid back”/ woody sound from my stack-knob Jazz build, and I have settled on a set of Dogal Traditional flats. Subtle, clear but soft spoken, deep, and balanced. Love these strings. (Prices have gone up, though!)
I play flats exclusively and like LaBella LTFs, and Dunlop Flats. the Dunlops are a little brighter sounding Which works great on my 5 string jazz soapbar bass. The LTFs work just as well on my P bass.
Never ponied up for TI Flats, also never heard anything bad about them. Other than minor grumblings from posters about how much they cost. Never seen a post from anyone who bought in on the TIs and then complained they weren't worth it, so indirectly recommending those.
I did have a fretless a long time ago and strung it up with Rotosound Flats. I found those to be bit siff. YMMV.
Never ponied up for TI Flats, also never heard anything bad about them. Other than minor grumblings from posters about how much they cost. Never seen a post from anyone who bought in on the TIs and then complained they weren't worth it, so indirectly recommending those.
I did have a fretless a long time ago and strung it up with Rotosound Flats. I found those to be bit siff. YMMV.
Well... Out of the 27 basses I have in my "Herd", one wears Rounds (only because it pretty much has to); two wear Tapes; and all the others wear all kinds of flats. Because all flats DO NOT sound the same. So... what kind of tone are you looking for?
- Bright? If you want flats that sound almost like rounds? Then you want - at best - EB Slinky Cobalt Flats - the lighter gauge ones. After that? D'Addario "Chromes"; although, they do darken up a lot as they age... Or, if you can find them? La Bella 760FX Flats. At 39-96 gauge, they're... Bright-ish, but there's no doubt they're still La Bella Deep Talkin' Flats... I use them on one of my long scale Dano DC59s, 'cause they're bright enough to give me the classic "Dano sound"...
- "Modern, Mid-range-y? If you don't mind the flexibility; the cost; and how long they take to break in? TI JF344 Jazz Flats are awfully hard to beat. However... if you want the same basic tone, but without the orchestral overtones that TI's are famous for - and, the cost and prolonged break-in? I recommend Fender 9050L's. I had them on my '78 P-Bass for years, and liked them. Still have them on... 3? basses... If you want to hear what P-Basses sounded like from the factory, until 1982? Try some GHS #3025 Precision Flats. That's what my P-Bass wears now - under the foam mute in the bridge cover. They are surprisingly mid-range focused flats. The heavier GHS P-Flats, however, are... less so. Pretty much any light gauge flat is in this ball park, though...
- Old School Thump? La Bella "1954 Original" DTF's (also known as "Jamerson Flats") are the King of Thump; Followed by the heavy GHS P-Flats; and, the Roto SH77LD "Steve Harris" Monel Flats. If you don't mind playing strings that are the definition of "Bridge cable stiff" (with actual, pull-to-pitch tension to go with it)? These will make you happy. Otherwise, The "normal" Roto RS77LD Monel Flats; every other La Balla DTF (except the 760FX and FD's), and everyone else's 45-105 flats, are more than thumpy enough for most people. Some of them - especially the Gallis, Dogals and Optimas - are right on the border of "mid-range-y", but they have more low end - and noticeably less top end - than typical mid-range flats do. I use a lot of these flats...
So... which flats should you use? That, I'm afraid, is up to you...
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Wanting something that fits the bass, kind of period correct flats. Weren’t the 60s basses pretty much all flats? I definitely could be wrong about this.
