Short-scale flat-wound recommendations

[markjazzbassist]

My favorite are pyramid gold flats but they are pricey. Second favorite are ghs precision flats

 

[michael_t]

...yet it works just fine, IME, both though body and trimmed and wrapped around the posts. I've had a set of full scale DTBs .110s on my stock Squier Bronco for about 10 years now, and a set of the Rotosound .110s flats on my '76 Musicmaster even longer, among countless other problem-free applications of full scale strings on short scale basses. The stock Bronco and Musicmaster tuners have about the smallest bass tuner posts you'll find. The G&L Tribute posts are thicker.

It's great things have been working out for you.

I was just trying to make the OP aware of the warning from La Bella. It's entirely up to the OP to decided whether to follow your advice or to heed the manufacturer's warning.

 

[MattZilla]

Got a Tribute Fallout a couple of weeks ago.

The D’Addario rounds that were on it were plenty meaty with thumb+palm playing, or fingerstyle near the neck with the tone turned down. I hate squeak and love the feel of flats.

Loving the GHS flats on A, D, and G. Really well balanced tonally. The E has a wobble to it like it’s twisted or poorly witnessed. The wobble is non-existent if I palm it a bit or am careful to pluck at certain nodes. The witness point at the bridge seems fully set. I’ve reset the E’s ball in five different positions to get rid of the wobble, nothing doing. They all feel wonderful after ~30 hours of playing. Super slippery. Maybe I got a bad E string. Maybe I ruined a perfectly good E string. :/

 

[AboutSweetSue]

...yet it works just fine, IME, both though body and trimmed and wrapped around the posts. I've had a set of full scale DTBs .110s on my stock Squier Bronco for about 10 years now, and a set of the Rotosound .110s flats on my '76 Musicmaster even longer, among countless other problem-free applications of full scale strings on short scale basses. The stock Bronco and Musicmaster tuners have about the smallest bass tuner posts you'll find. The G&L Tribute posts are thicker.

Of course, if you can get the "right" length, go for it. But don't let not being able to get it stop you.

I’ve put long scale Fender, Pyramid, and Sadowsky on my Gibson SG Bass without issue. So, I am in the camp of it can be done. But, I tried La Bellas twice. Both times the E separated.

I do not recommend using long scale La Bella DTFs on a short scale.

 

[Bander]

Tried a bunch on my 30" scale, discovered my formula is the heaviest flatwounds I could find, I think a DAddario 5 string set. Ditched the G string, and used the four fattest tuned to concert. Corrected the floppiness, and brought out the E string.

 

[2F/2F]

I’ve put long scale Fender, Pyramid, and Sadowsky on my Gibson SG Bass without issue. So, I am in the camp of it can be done. But, I tried La Bellas twice. Both times the E separated.

I do not recommend using long scale La Bella DTFs on a short scale.

Weird. Did you actually cut through the wound portion of the string? Or if you did, did you not crimp first?

 

[bassrique]

My Fender Justin Medal-Johnson Musting short scale came with Fender 9050 flats. I kept them. I have experience with other flats but I kept them.

 

[ComeHomeShane]

+1 on the La Bellas. I have the FL-S light gauges on my short scale semi hollow and love them.

 

[Clark W]

I have a set of D'Addario Chromes, short scale set, on my Fender California Series Kingman V2 JTB acoustic bass.

They're kinda pricey, about 40 for a set. And I suspect they would sound different on your electric vs my acoustic. But as far as my acoustic goes, I play it plugged in, either a GK MB 220II combo, or Hartke HA3500C head and Hartke 410 cab and it's pretty amazing how good the bass sounds through either with those strings.

 

[BazzaBass]

La Bella DTB's, best string on the market IMHO. I use either .104's or .105's on my Gibby's. They'll last years and the sound won't change very much once they're broken in.

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Absolutely!

 

[iiipopes]

I know you're looking for flats, but with the market depleted, chances of finding the LaBella or any other short scale flats set in stock are slim. In the meantime, I recommend THE godsend for short scale players: the GHS Balanced Pure Nickels. They are specifically engineered for short scale bass. They are not simply cut down versions of long scale strings, which everything else is. As the name suggests, they are balanced in tone and tension string-to-string and up the neck. They don't flop or twang or thump, and they have solid intonation and stability. I put a set on last fall to get ready to rehearse with my short scale travel bass to get ready for my band's annual trip to Mexico in February. Through personal practice, steady rehearsals, and the gigs, I still have the same set on the bass. A friend of mine who has played short scale basses for 40 years says they are the best strings he has ever played.

 

[dangevans]

For me= GHS Precision flats.

 

[c5hokie]

Labella FS-S are in stock at Invalid Link Removed

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They have some other short scale flatwounds in stock also (put in your cart to see if it is really available, some will come up as backordered).

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[wiscoaster]

THANK YOU ALL!!!

This turned into a great thread for teaching a bass newbie what he needs to know about strings.

 

[Outshined91]

@wiscoaster I would totally recommend the D'Addario half-rounds, if you are not opposed to a .100 (slightly thinner in size) E string. They are genius, and I've had a set on now for almost a year and they still sound great - they have all the warmth you will likely want, along with a little bite and sparkle on the high end if you turn up your tone knob, etc. They're really smooth on the fingers, zero fret noise, and totally epic. They're also only $25, which is refreshingly cheaper than most other flat wound options!

 

[DogsNbeer]

You said you wanted a “little bit” of the high end taken off. Most of the recommendations you’re being given will take a good chunk of the high end off.
I’ve had good luck with D’addario Chromes on my US Fallout. The Chromes are on the brighter, mid heavy side for flats but without the high end clank of roundwounds. The tension for the Chromes is on the lower side too compared to the LaBellas etc which are pretty high especially if you’re not used to them

 

[FDR Jones]

My SS bass came with D’Addarios, which may have been a little on the bright side, because I was keeping the tone control around 3 or 4 all the time. They also felt a little stiff, but that only mattered around the first couple frets of the E string.

I switched to the light La Bellas and I get more range out of the tone control, but if I had to do it again I would get the regular gauge instead of the light gauge.

I would give up the nice playability of the first couple frets on the E string to have better playability overall with my right hand.

 

[bobyoung53]

You said you wanted a “little bit” of the high end taken off. Most of the recommendations you’re being given will take a good chunk of the high end off.
I’ve had good luck with D’addario Chromes on my US Fallout. The Chromes are on the brighter, mid heavy side for flats but without the high end clank of roundwounds. The tension for the Chromes is on the lower side too compared to the LaBellas etc which are pretty high especially if you’re not used to them

La Bellas have a good sounding high end especially when played with a pick, think Joe Osborn.

 

[bobyoung53]

My SS bass came with D’Addarios, which may have been a little on the bright side, because I was keeping the tone control around 3 or 4 all the time. They also felt a little stiff, but that only mattered around the first couple frets of the E string.

I switched to the light La Bellas and I get more range out of the tone control, but if I had to do it again I would get the regular gauge instead of the light gauge.

I would give up the nice playability of the first couple frets on the E string to have better playability overall with my right hand.

That's why I use either the .104 or the .105 set on short scale basses, otherwise they're too loose playing, I like a little tautness when I pluck. I tried the extra lights, La Bella DTB's, .096 which I do like on my TF fretless long scale but found them way too light for me on a short scale bass, YMMV.

 

[bobyoung53]

I’ve put long scale Fender, Pyramid, and Sadowsky on my Gibson SG Bass without issue. So, I am in the camp of it can be done. But, I tried La Bellas twice. Both times the E separated.

I do not recommend using long scale La Bella DTFs on a short scale.

I do not recommend using long scale anything on a short scale bass, when the outter wrapping is wrapped around the tuning peg it makes them go dead very quickly as it uses the wrapping rather than the core at least partially to support the tension. The core of the string is supposed to handle the tension not the wrapping and there are just too many short scale strings available nowadays to have to use long scale strings on SS basses.