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Searching new "In Between" flats to replace the Cobalts

#21
I’ve tried a bunch of flats. Cobalts are cool for the sizzling round sound they are designed for; and Chromes always felt very vanilla to me on everything. LaBella LTFs and Sadowskys (made by LaBella to Sad specs) are the best two in between standard LaBellas / Fenders and Cobalts, to me. Rotosound 77s would be on the closer to round end, but not to Cobalts, to my ear.

If you want low tension, the LTFs are a no-brainer. If you want a little more, but not bridge cables (like 77s and heavier DTFs), the Sads are great.
 
#23
Currently, I have flats on 5 basses, my main ones both have cobalt flats. I put a set of Pino EB’s on another P with a Geezer a few weeks ago, they are definitely in the traditional area sound wise, tension wise I find them to have more tension that the cobalts or the TI’s, but nowhere near Chromes. I also have a one with Labella LTF’s, a very mid heavy bass, I find them to be just ok sound wise, but tension wise I think you would find them too loose.

The Pino’s are not cheap, they are up in the TI range, but they are probably worth a shot.
 
#24
Basspaolo said:
What would you recommend?

P.S. I don't like too much tension (like chromes)
Click to expand...


I have / had Ps strung with :
  • EB Cobalt Flats (fretless & a '75 P)
  • when Cobalts are to bright Chromes (similar to 9050s) when Cobalts are to bright (just swapped them out on that bass, as I keep going "darker"...
  • TIs - can sometimes have too much mids on some Ps, but work very well on the right bass. I didn't like the feel at 1st, but quickly adjusted.
  • DUNLOP Flats - Recommended - still a "modern" vibe, but very responsive to the tone knob-a great "chameleon" Flat. Dunlops are the "in-Between".
  • "Traditional" Olinto or Labella DTFs - depending on the bass, but I've recently tried the Low Tension Flats and really like them. also GHS Precisions
you may find Labella DTFs and Olintos too stiff.

I forgot DR Legends. in the neighborhood of Dunlops - they start out fairly bright...
 
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#25
Let me add my two-cents worth to the thousands of opinons you're getting. My two favorite flatwound strings are EB Cobalt flats and Rotosound 77Monel flats. To me, they sound similar, but I've had some QC issues with the EBs in the past. (I bought two sets from two different vendors six months apart, and the G stings in both were unable to be intonated. EB's customer service was excellent to deal with and sent me two new strings very quickly.) I like the tension on the EBs, but the Rotos have much more tension and probably wouldn't be suitable for you. I don't mind high tension, but the Rotos are even tough for me to deal with. I have a set of the GHS Brite Flats on my G&L LB-100, a P-bass clone, but I have an active 2-band preamp in it, which makes a huge difference. I tried them on a Jackson I have with an active EMG Tom Araya set of pickups and passive tone controls, and I didn't like them on there. So they're picky about what bass they go on. They're a ground-wound set using the hyper-magnetic Alloy 52. They might suit you, and they're a little less expensive to take a chance on than most flats.

BTW, the name "Brite Flats" is a misnomer. To me, they sound similar to a vintage flatwound tone with a little better sustain and slightly better high-mids. They are only "brite" when compared to GHS's Precision flats., but as I said, their tone varies greatly from bass to bass.

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#26
I like Cobalt flats a lot. I have them on a PJ bass and a Stingray at the moment.

I also really like Ken smith Slick Rounds - I believe that these are rounds that are ground down.
From the Ken Smith website:

The Slick Round Bass Series​

Nickel-iron Alloy Round Wound, Ground On The Outer Surface For A Super Smooth Feel
Sound Is Fat And Brighter Than Flat Wound Strings
38″ Winding Length To Silk ( +/- 1/2″) *except Where Noted
Silk Wrapping At Both Ends To Protect Your Valuable Hardware
Also Available For 5 & 6 String Basses

I have LaBella DTF on a 5 string PJ bass. I think they're too dark for me. I'll likely swap them out for Chromes or Nickel rounds and wait for them to get very dead.
 
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#27
I'm pretty new to the flatwound scene. Tried a few over the years and like the OP haven't really settled on a flat for particular bass of mine for similar reasons. I bought some Sadowsky Blue label 45-105 flats and really dig them. Still in the honeymoon phase but I'm perfectly happy with how they sound now. Once they lose a little sheen even better. Tension seems low(er) but not floppy. Bottom end is full but not muddy/overpowering. Mids are there and very pleasing and not too nasally. Highs are there but not harsh. I've been recording myself just while practicing and am very pleased.

To sum up I'd call them "traditional sounding" flats but with complex sound. Maybe it's the overtones or the upper mids? Not sure.

I've tried TI's (not enough tension) Chromes (too pingy and not enough mids), Cobalts (might as well use nickel rounds), LaBella DTF's (too muddy), DR's (good but kinda meh) and prolly a few more.
 
#28
michael_t said:
I use both the Fender 9050 and the GHS PW, but I tend to agree they work better on Jazz basses. As for my P bass, it's currently wearing the Ernie Ball Group 4 (40-95) stainless steel flats and I like them a lot. Not too bright (like the EB Cobalt) and not too old-school (like La Bella). Plenty of sustain with a nice midrange clarity. Very comfortable tension/stiffness without feeling too loose.
Click to expand...
That ^^^ was my first thought as well based on your OP.
 
#29
Stan_da_man said:
La Bella Low Tension Flats.
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Seconded... or any of the La Bella Nylon Tapewound strings.

You want low tension? They'll bend for miles.

They can sound very dubby/flat-wound when gently rolling the meat of your finger over the strings. Will sound somewhere between flats and rounds when played with more finger attack or pick. And can even start sounding like rounds when you really really dig in.
 
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#36
michael_t said:
As for my P bass, it's currently wearing the Ernie Ball Group 4 (40-95) stainless steel flats and I like them a lot. Not too bright (like the EB Cobalt) and not too old-school (like La Bella). Plenty of sustain with a nice midrange clarity. Very comfortable tension/stiffness without feeling too loose.
Click to expand...
Exactly my recommendation and for exactly the same reasons.
 
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#37
I used Dunlops exclusively for years and then went off to other flats and rounds. Recently went back to Dunlops and remembered why I loved them so much. Just an overall smooth feeling and great sounding set of strings. They’re expensive ($80), but worth it if you plan to leave them on long term.

Less tension than Chromes and Fender.
Smoother than Cobalts but not as bright.
Not as dark as LaBella or GHS
 
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#38
Basspaolo said:
Wow, lots of interesting replies! At this point I’m really intrigued by the Dunlop Flats (like the ones on Michael League’s P-Bass) and the La Bella LTFs. I’ll also give the Super Polished a try, although I’m not totally sure they’ll work well on a Precision.
Click to expand...

I'm a LaBella fanboy. I did not like Dunlop flats when I tried them. For me, in standard tuning, I like LTFs. I just put the Super Polished on a bass and those sets couldn't be any more different. The contrast between them couldn't be greater. And that works wonderfully for these two basses.

When my 5 string finally needs a new set, I'll probably put the Super Polished on it. They're brighter than the D'Addario XLs that are on it now.
 

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