Round wound or flat wound? Help me?

[Back2Bass]

I just dumped my flat wound experiment. Played them for awhile but just love the harmonics of the round wound. Love that piano string sound. To each their own.

 

[Duckwater]

whatever you learned on will be your best option. listen to Victor Wooten and Larry Graham for roundwounds, with James Jamerson and Ralphe Armstrong using flats.

Larry used flats for tapes for a large amount of what he recorded in the 60-70s just sayin.

 

[Solarmist]

How about trying both??

+1

The only way to know for sure.

 

[jchrisk1]

I am not sure if this is a TB rule or not. But, I think that if you have a tort guard, you have to use flats. And I'm pretty sure they have to be TI's.

 

[zfunkman]

I played round wounds for 22 years. I switched to flats in 2002. One of the best bass decisions I ever made. There was a small getting used to curve but I got used to them pretty quick. At first I was worried how they would sound while slapping but the bass player who recommended them (Brad Houser) said he had no problem (turned out to be true). I find it easer to play and I have more control over my tone. If I need to sound 'brighter' I just adjust the tone on my amp and/or bass. I use TI Jazz Flats. I've tried others but always go back to TI's. FYI . . . I play jazz, funk, rock, and fusion. That said, flats can work in any style of music.

 

[zfunkman]

I am not sure if this is a TB rule or not. But, I think that if you have a tort guard, you have to use flats. And I'm pretty sure they have to be TI's.

LOL . . . my fretted bass is Fender Jazz with a tort pic guard and I use TI flats.

 

[markanini]

Get a second bass. If thats not an option I'd say stick with rounds, they're more versatile as long as they're not Rotos. Low-riders for example could likely cover the styles you mentioned. You can't say the same about any flatwound.

 

[adamsmatthewj]

I am not sure if this is a TB rule or not. But, I think that if you have a tort guard, you have to use flats. And I'm pretty sure they have to be TI's.

Possible candidate for post of the year LOL!
I def have a tort guard on my P, and she def wears flats
(hides face)
But they're not TI! Do I get a pass cause they're GHS?

 

[JimmyM]

Larry used flats for tapes for a large amount of what he recorded in the 60-70s just sayin.

The tapes he used, which I believe were LaBellas, sound like roundwounds covered in tape. That's because they are. The only difference between them and rounds for me were this plastic sounding attack, but they ring like rounds.

Anyway, I tried flats full time for a couple years and went back to rounds full time last year. They just work for me. I do love the sound of flats but for live work, rounds work better for me. Strings are a very personal decision, though, and you should never decide by committee.

 

[deeptubes]

Rounds.

It's easier to warm up some rounds than brighten up some flats.

 

[totallyfrozen]

... Strings are a very personal decision, though, and you should never decide by committee.

The man is right, you know! You should always choose your strings the way you choose your underwear. Very carefully.

Ask yourself what kind of ring your hoping to get with them on...and whether you're looking for a hard or soft attack.

 

[Duckwater]

Strings are a very personal decision, though, and you should never decide by committee.

Very true, and regardless of what strings he uses, Larry has always sounded like himself anyways. If I followed Talkbass's opinions on everything I'd be playing the exact opposite of what I really enjoy.

 

[jeffmensch]

I'll chime in with a +1 to what others have said about the GHS Pressurewounds. Great feel to these strings, easy on the fingers, and a tone that is mainly round wound with some of the edge taken off. Nicely balanced tone which makes them a good compromise if you only have one bass.