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Roundwound or Flatwound Strings on which bass?
- Thread starter Leo2134786
- Start date
Both aspects I mentioned, based on the OP really asing two distinct questions in one, are "bingo", if I say so myself.
But thanks
Reading comprehension isn't everybody's strong suit but I'm sure you're good at other things
If you want a "classic" tone, put flats on the P, tone knob to taste, and you're covered. But there's no rules--you can do whatever you want. Lately I show up to most situations with a P with rounds and Jazz with flats--the opposite of what many think is conventional wisdom for those two basses.
There are great players who love flats. There are many good players who love flats and both groups can make the instruments sing. It seems like the biggest group of players who loves flats are beginners because flats sounds like bass and very forgiving with less string noise.
My personal experience, is most bassists would have one maybe 2 with flats but the rest with rounds. TI Flats are another story altogether.
My personal experience, is most bassists would have one maybe 2 with flats but the rest with rounds. TI Flats are another story altogether.
Well, flats do "sound like bass", you got that right. But saying they're favored mostly by beginners is one of the most wrong things I've ever read on TB, and that's sayin' something! Unless all those top session players like Pino, Sean Hurley, Chris Chaney, et al. are wet-behind-the-ear noobies....
“There are great players who love flats. There are many good players who love flats and both groups can make the instruments sing,”
Did you read what I said or you just registered flats and beginners and saw red.
Yes. Then turn the tone up and you'll have a bright set of flats that won't be exactly the same sound as rounds, but the closest you'll get from a set of flats IME.
I used flats as a beginner because they came on my first bass, a Gibson EBO. Six years later, I switched to rounds. Twenty years after that, as a very experienced player, I tried flats again and loved what they did in a mix. For the twenty-eight years after THAT, I've been using either rounds or flats, depending on the personnel, the room, the material, etc. So, respectfully, I think your "most people who love flats are beginners" theory doesn't hold up, especially since the basses in Squier starter packs come with rounds, and the kids don't know any better, for a while.
I'm not a beginner, I don't prefer flats over rounds. I'm also on a bass lesson forum and it's been my experience that when the infamous topic of Round VS Flats which one to choose?" Many new players, especially older one, want to change their Squiers or Yamaha TRBX to flats because of the "preferred" bass tone and not the other way around. Better players seems to want to talk more specific about what brand and models of string.
I understand flats are not for beginners but to many it seems like the round wounds makes annoying sharp and scratchy string noise and flats don't. While they are not wrong but that's not the right solution to the problem either.
I think roundwound gives you "more" tone. But a flatwound doesn't just take away - it adds thump, a transient attack that can't be duplicated with a rolled-of roundwound.
I'd play the better bass with rounds, so it could shine with full harmonic. The Aria is probably still good enough for a flatwound thump, though. It's all about bringing out the best of each instrument.
Speaking about that - I use rounds on my Rickenbacker for maximum growl and punch. I use flats on my EB-3 for warm, thumping bottom end. I currently use rounds on my Thunderbird a la John Entwistle, but I'm thinking of thumping some flats on that warm but still clear bass. I'm also buying a Steinberger-style headless, and I'll use rounds on it for the balanced, active bass tone.
I'd play the better bass with rounds, so it could shine with full harmonic. The Aria is probably still good enough for a flatwound thump, though. It's all about bringing out the best of each instrument.
Speaking about that - I use rounds on my Rickenbacker for maximum growl and punch. I use flats on my EB-3 for warm, thumping bottom end. I currently use rounds on my Thunderbird a la John Entwistle, but I'm thinking of thumping some flats on that warm but still clear bass. I'm also buying a Steinberger-style headless, and I'll use rounds on it for the balanced, active bass tone.
Yeah, its really not though.. such a comedian!
Is the Aria a good bass? A P with flats is a classic sound. If the Aria is a good bass then put rounds on that and flats on the P. If you think the Precision is superior and is likely to the bass you play all the time then I would say run rounds on the P. You can do some things to add a little flat round flavor to that setup but flats are flats. They sound great but are more specialized in nature
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Rounds on a PB is a highly underrated experience. I’ve used them exclusively for almost 50 years. Funny, in all that time, all those gigs and recoding sessions, not to mention all the musicians I’ve played with, I’ve never once heard anyone suggest that they would like my tone better if I had flats.
That said, it’s your bass, your art, and your ears you have to please. Use what sounds good to you.
My advice here is based on the principle that bass strings do not come with a lifetime commitment. If you have a set that doesn’t “get it”, get another set. They aren’t that expensive considering what an impact it can make with your tone and your satisfaction.
All true but a lot of "not bass players" don't realize they are even hearing flats in a recording to know the difference.
Rounds sound good on many things but I would not say everything. I could not find a set of rounds that sounded good on the SR300 I used to have and I tried a lot of different strings. It did like flats though. Once I said the hell with it and tried a set of Deep Talkin' Flats on it, it became a useful studio bass. It wasn't the slapper I bought it to be but it founds its niche
