Yeah, I'd stick with flats. Each time I try rounds I near immediately take them off and regret wasting my money.
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Round-wounds for an old flats guy?
- Thread starter OldSchoolFlats
- Start date
Sire P7 5-string. Rather than intonation, per above, what I have heard over the years with flats (at least my own playing) may be more a waveform/harmonics issue with flats that doesn't sound good to me personally, with stops/chords.
Strictly speaking, other than intonation problems with Fender flatwounds in the 70s, even with flats my intonation had been pretty good since I do my own setups. Only exception was a La Bella Deep Talkin' B string on a 34" Ibanez a few years ago, where I could not move the saddle back enough to intonate properly. I thought some of the Yamaha bridges (which I did not have) were pretty cool. The scale in the B string was about 1/2" longer than the other strings.
What specific brand of flats have you been using? And on what kind of bass?
Sounds like you should stick with flats.
La Bella Deep Talkin' on an Ibanez 6 string was my last "ax", long sold.
My new one will be an ash/maple Sire P7 5 string. Just doing research in preparation.
I just realized you're the one who was also asking about the La Bella Flats winding lengths in another thread. I didn't connect the two dots until just now.
That's an active PJ, isn't it? I personally would never put flats on an active 5-string PJ. So, now I do see your point about wanting to find a suitable roundwound alternative.
I would suggest the GHS Pressurewounds for what you seek.
Maybe try D'Addario Chromes, they are still flatwound, but a bit more zingy and try them in a light gauge, 45-100. Should be a fine string you can slap on while still retaining the flatwound sound and feel you like. The Fender 9050's are pretty similar also and I actually do like the Fender's better, so either one really.
I don't often use rounds, usually just for setting up a new bass. But when I do buy them i like the EB 55-110 set. They are way cheaper than flats and I like to tinker around with them before I restring with flats.
So many interesting observations in this thread that I feel like chiming in. My string choices since 1972 has always been the brightness of round wounds. Only this April have I started using flat wounds. I think that I may understand about the "intonation" reference made by OldSchoolFlats. Quote: "Rather than intonation, per above, what I have heard over the years with flats (at least my own playing) may be more a waveform/harmonics issue with flats that doesn't sound good to me personally, with stops/chords." I also hear something along these lines with my newly use of flat wounds.
It is my experience with round wounds (as stated ealier in this thread) about how the space between the windings collect stuff (including chicken grease etc.) affects intonation, tone, and longevity. Another adverse effect is what the frets do to the windings on round wounds. Little dents eventually are created in the windings which really does affect intonation, brightness, and longevity. I think that flat wounds aren't dented as much or maybe as quickly and this helps them last longer. Another meaning for fret ware?
It is my experience with round wounds (as stated ealier in this thread) about how the space between the windings collect stuff (including chicken grease etc.) affects intonation, tone, and longevity. Another adverse effect is what the frets do to the windings on round wounds. Little dents eventually are created in the windings which really does affect intonation, brightness, and longevity. I think that flat wounds aren't dented as much or maybe as quickly and this helps them last longer. Another meaning for fret ware?
Be glad you're not the harmonica player!
Seriously though, when I was gigging heavily, GHS Boomers lasted me for years and years. I'd boil them when they got too grimy (maybe once a year?) and only replace them if I saw significant discoloration. I think I did that once. I only chose them because they were readily available locally at the time. There was no Internet or Amazon.
I don't really understand your intonation issue with flats, other than they need to be changed (which I hear that the world will not end if you do). So to your question, I've been playing round-wounds exclusively from once 45 years. Yours is a common dislike of the bright sound they can provide.
Well, IMO what you need to do when using rounds is understanding you can't use the same EQ settings that you use when using flats. Start by rolling down the treble on your bass (if you are playing Fender passive basses, do not open your volume pot more that 80% open) On your amp and boost the low mids. Also, a thicker string gauge may help.
As for which brand, the good news is they are usually cheaper to buy than TLs and you could check out a few different sets for the pick of one set of flats. But with the treble rolled off, more or less round wounds will sound pretty much sound the same. Since you are used to clunky sounding strings, I've known basses with 10 year old round wounds that you would find acceptable. GHS Bass Boomers would be a great choice, good service time, and will not break the bank.
In closing, I'm going to reiterate that if you are having intonation issue two things, one. you have an underlying issue that new strings regardless of a string type would still remain, secondly, maybe you just need a new set of flats.
I have good luck with EB slinky on my SB2, I have super slinky on my stingray, but I like that one pretty slack. They've lasted pretty long and do well with humbuckers and PJ. The Fenders mentioned above sound great, but are really tight, that may be your thing though, cheap enough to replace reg to
This^^^^.
I just changed out a set of PWs on my Tobias Classic 4 after 2+ years. I've never kept a set of strings on that long. They start off a tad zingy, but mellow out quickly and stay that way for a long, long time. I also have a set on an older P-bass and they sound great.
The old saying "nothing ventured, nothing gained" applies here. You have to try something out to see if it works for you. If it doesn't, oh well, it's only money.
OK, my 2 cents. I bought a Sire V7 fretless 5 in December and it came with a great set of flats on it that had nice "mwah". Yours may come in the same way, maybe contact the seller and ask. I have been a big fan of DR strings over the last 10 years and have a set of High Beam rounds on my main fretted 5. Great slap sound. But you may really want to check out the DR Pure Blues rounds, which I had before the High Beams. They were not "zingy" when first put on and, after mellowing just slightly over time, just would not die. I replaced them to get a brighter sound, not because they were "gone". And although I have no vested interest in where you buy strings, the DR Pure Blues are available in Light and Medium gauge right here on Talkbass at as good a price as anywhere, and I received mine in less than a week from here. Click on "Store" at the top of the page and then "Strings". Good luck!
Rotosound 66. I stopped being cheap this month and just restrung the ones needing new RW strings with them. This is what I have started with in the first place. Just wait a couple weeks for them to settle and stay consistent for 1 - 2 years. The E will start out dead and the other ones clang-y but wait 2 weeks - they will all play together and your G will never be weak and the E seems to not fatigue even if subjected to hour long sixteenth note plucking/picking.
DRs are good too but I do not really know about their different models. I think the Blues are the best of everything specially if you are a flats player. I tried the BBs on guitar and the coating came off and DR sent me replacements but still came off but this was 10 years ago.
I am not really an EBG string expert. Take my advice with a grain of salt or an old wives tale. I always went with the ones on sale which seemed to be always D'addario XLS and some form of Slinky.
For upright - I've always stuck with Thomastik Spirocores. They can stay there for decades and I heard the TI jazz flats for EBG last forever as well. They do make Jazz rounds, I do not know about them. My 36 inch scale 6-string has the "super alloy" model and they have been there since 2017 and sound the same. Nothing special except that they sound consistent.
DRs are good too but I do not really know about their different models. I think the Blues are the best of everything specially if you are a flats player. I tried the BBs on guitar and the coating came off and DR sent me replacements but still came off but this was 10 years ago.
I am not really an EBG string expert. Take my advice with a grain of salt or an old wives tale. I always went with the ones on sale which seemed to be always D'addario XLS and some form of Slinky.
For upright - I've always stuck with Thomastik Spirocores. They can stay there for decades and I heard the TI jazz flats for EBG last forever as well. They do make Jazz rounds, I do not know about them. My 36 inch scale 6-string has the "super alloy" model and they have been there since 2017 and sound the same. Nothing special except that they sound consistent.
So you want round wounds that don't sound like round wounds? I think you could use just about any brand and EQ out the offending sounds. On a passive bass just roll the tone off. You'll keep the sustain and loose the twang.
OK, that is called Inharmonicity:
Inharmonicity - Wikipedia
It gets worse as strings get older, but also can become more apparent if you have not set witness points properly.
Quite a few would fit the bill. Fender 7150 Pure Nickel could be the ones: soft, mellow, earthy tone, and higher tension. Price is also very reasonable.
I'm an old flatwounds guy, and the only roundwounds I really like are GHS Boomers. They have dense lower mids, a relatively stiff feel, and not too many highs. If you live for the click of a pick on flatwounds, no roundwounds will get you there. But there are other sounds that are great to hear if you give them a chance.
Could you elaborate a bit more on the differences between the 7250s and the MBs? Currently I play 7250s on my Pbass but thinking of trying the MBs (the Balanced, probably) when the Fenders are done.
