Riot 5

[Smacker]

Low End Greetings!
Has anyone installed flats on a Schecter Riot 5 Session?
Thoughts / Recommendations?
Thanks!

 

[GTHintz]

I'm not a flat wounds guy but the good thing about your bass is that at least it has a pretty versatile electronics package so you have some room to make it work. My only concern of it was my bass is if it's 35" scale and you tune in e standard both flats and 35" scale basses tend to play stiffer than rounds and 34" scale. I'd be sure of how you want the bass to feel before you string it but as always there are too many variables so all you can do is try things and see what works. It just sucks how much more flats cost vs rounds.

 

[HaphAsSard]

My only concern of it was my bass is if it's 35" scale and you tune in e standard both flats and 35" scale basses tend to play stiffer than rounds and 34" scale.

Absolutely true, but going down in gauge can take care of that and then some.

The lightest set of Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwounds (aka "cobalt flats") is 40-60-75-95, and its tensions at 35" scale - i.e. 41.77, 46.41, 34.52, 34.44 lbs - are lower, and in one case a lot lower, than tensions of a 45-65-80-100 set of Stringjoy roundwounds at standard, 34" scale (44.9, 50.1, 45 and 37.8 lbs).
Even assuming the flats, being stiffer, will feel tighter than a set of rounds with the same gauges on the same scale, I doubt their perceived extra tightness will outmatch 4–10 pounds' worth of extra tension proper from a larger-gauged roundwound set (at a shorter scale, to boot: add 2.5 pounds per string to the Stringjoys if we want to compare them to the cobalts on the same, 35" scale bass).

On the other hand, not everyone likes the feel of thin strings under the fingers: for those players, going down in gauge wouldn't be an option.

 

[GTHintz]

Absolutely true, but going down in gauge can take care of that and then some.

The lightest set of Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwounds (aka "cobalt flats") is 40-60-75-95, and its tensions at 35" scale - i.e. 41.77, 46.41, 34.52, 34.44 lbs - are lower, and in one case a lot lower, than tensions of a 45-65-80-100 set of Stringjoy roundwounds at standard, 34" scale (44.9, 50.1, 45 and 37.8 lbs).
Even assuming the flats, being stiffer, will feel tighter than a set of rounds with the same gauges on the same scale, I doubt their perceived extra tightness will outmatch 4–10 pounds' worth of extra tension proper from a larger-gauged roundwound set (at a shorter scale, to boot: add 2.5 pounds per string to the Stringjoys if we want to compare them to the cobalts on the same, 35" scale bass).

On the other hand, not everyone likes the feel of thin strings under the fingers: for those players, going down in gauge wouldn't be an option.

That's where the plethora of tensions, gauges and string brands makes it a fun journey to find your tone and feel