Should I switch to flatwounds?

[Dana R Gregory]

I put D'Addario light gauge chromes on a Pbass and never looked back. The chromes are bright enough to cut through and still feel great on the fingers. I will never have rounds on my bass again.

 

[Sixgunn]

Opinions? Advice?

Why kill a perfectly good bass??!!

 

[socialleper]

I have two Fender MIA Fender P-Basses: one a 2005 and the other a 2006. My 2005 P is strung with GHS Bass Boomers rounds and the 2006 P has D'Addario flats. Since I began playing bass back in 1999, all my basses had been strung with rounds, so it was a feel that I was used to.

I bought my '06 P used back in September of last year and it was already strung with flats. It felt strange at first, and I wasn't too thrilled about the feel of flats. But the more I played it the more I got used to the flats. So I figured, cool, I'll leave one P strung with rounds and the other with flats, for versatility.

Now I think I might like the flats better than the rounds, as far as feel and tone. With the treble rolled back a little ways, I get a growl with the flats that sounds really nice, vs. the same setting of the treble with the rounds. Plus I like it that there is no string noise when sliding my fingers on the flats.

So I've been doing some research on flatwound strings and what bass players like and dislike about them, vs. roundwound strings. LaBella ranks up there as favorites, along with TI's. And there seems to be the opinion that it's OK to have all your basses strung with flats and none with rounds.

BTW, I'm in a cover band that plays classic rock, modern rock, along with a little bit of country. I also have a 1986 Yamaha BB300 strung with GHS Bass Boomers roundwounds, and if I switch my other P to flats, I may just keep the Yammy as is.

Opinions? Advice?

I need some context.
What type of music are you playing?
Name a bass player\band whose tone you would want to emulate.
What is the band situation like as far as number of players, the complexity of the material, and how much OD does your guitar player like?

 

[Maple]

I'm about to put a set of flat DA chromes on my P-Bass (currently has rotosounds). the P brings a new sound to my setup and I wanted it to be different from my two modern 5 stringers. The rounds feel a little too noisy and bright to me and the roll off on the tone doesn't get it to sound quite the way I want.

My fretted 5 keeps fresh rounds on it. it's bright and aggressive but that's what it's for.

My fretless 5 has very old rotosounds (going on 25 years now!) and it sounds amazing. I tried flats on it once and it felt too lifeless. New strings felt too brittle. 1+ year old rotosounds feel just silky smooth with nice growl. It has a very thick ebony fingerboard and I do have to re-level it every couple years if I'm using it heavily.

 

[jacolyte]

Should I switch to flatwounds?

no. you should have more basses.

 

[Holdsg]

Try the Ernie Ball cobalt flatwounds, after the initial stickiness wears off, as much cut-through tone as you will ever need.

 

[FourBanger]

The number of TB members is at most a small percentage of bassists worldwide. The results here could not be held as valid statistical representation of bassists on general. That's just a numbers reality, you can't extrapolate TB numbers to cover all bassists playing on the planet as a proof.

Who knows? Maybe flats are as popular overall as they are on TB, but you can't use TB to prove that statistically.

 

[bolophonic]

I think that everyone should try as many different types of strings that they possibly can. I have a bass strung with Labella Low Tension flats and one strung with Chromes. They sound completely different.

And as a dissent from the advice above, I am certain that I could make either of those basses work in a live setting.

 

[mikeyjm2]

Lot of talk about strings on here lately. I'm liking the pressure wounds I just tried, but hey, to each their own. I don't know that there is a right or wrong to this. Just try some and see what you think. At least strings are a relatively inexpensive tweak to your tone.

 

[mikeyjm2]

I think that everyone should try as many different types of strings that they possibly can.

Yes! And we'll all come back with different opinions. Even my own opinions have shifted over time with regard to what I like best.

I used to be a roto guy (swing 66). Then I liked the DR coated strings. Then Warwick strings. Then TI flats. Now on to the pressure wounds. There's no end to it.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

I have two Fender MIA Fender P-Basses: one a 2005 and the other a 2006. My 2005 P is strung with GHS Bass Boomers rounds and the 2006 P has D'Addario flats. Since I began playing bass back in 1999, all my basses had been strung with rounds, so it was a feel that I was used to.

I bought my '06 P used back in September of last year and it was already strung with flats. It felt strange at first, and I wasn't too thrilled about the feel of flats. But the more I played it the more I got used to the flats. So I figured, cool, I'll leave one P strung with rounds and the other with flats, for versatility.

Now I think I might like the flats better than the rounds, as far as feel and tone. With the treble rolled back a little ways, I get a growl with the flats that sounds really nice, vs. the same setting of the treble with the rounds. Plus I like it that there is no string noise when sliding my fingers on the flats.

So I've been doing some research on flatwound strings and what bass players like and dislike about them, vs. roundwound strings. LaBella ranks up there as favorites, along with TI's. And there seems to be the opinion that it's OK to have all your basses strung with flats and none with rounds.

BTW, I'm in a cover band that plays classic rock, modern rock, along with a little bit of country. I also have a 1986 Yamaha BB300 strung with GHS Bass Boomers roundwounds, and if I switch my other P to flats, I may just keep the Yammy as is.

Opinions? Advice?

Going Through the same thing right now with my fretless.

Like your idea of a mixed set.

Might want to try half round.

 

[bolophonic]

Yes! And we'll all come back with different opinions. Even my own opinions have shifted over time with regard to what I like best.

I used to be a roto guy (swing 66). Then I liked the DR coated strings. Then Warwick strings. Then TI flats. Now on to the pressure wounds. There's no end to it.

I almost wept when I put GHS Pressurewounds on one of my basses for the first time.

 

[strictlybass_ic]

Sadowsky Black Label Flats... they're all that I'll buy. Can't say enough good things about them, no desire to even consider another string.

 

[shoulderpet]

I have two Fender MIA Fender P-Basses: one a 2005 and the other a 2006. My 2005 P is strung with GHS Bass Boomers rounds and the 2006 P has D'Addario flats. Since I began playing bass back in 1999, all my basses had been strung with rounds, so it was a feel that I was used to.

I bought my '06 P used back in September of last year and it was already strung with flats. It felt strange at first, and I wasn't too thrilled about the feel of flats. But the more I played it the more I got used to the flats. So I figured, cool, I'll leave one P strung with rounds and the other with flats, for versatility.

Now I think I might like the flats better than the rounds, as far as feel and tone. With the treble rolled back a little ways, I get a growl with the flats that sounds really nice, vs. the same setting of the treble with the rounds. Plus I like it that there is no string noise when sliding my fingers on the flats.

So I've been doing some research on flatwound strings and what bass players like and dislike about them, vs. roundwound strings. LaBella ranks up there as favorites, along with TI's. And there seems to be the opinion that it's OK to have all your basses strung with flats and none with rounds.

BTW, I'm in a cover band that plays classic rock, modern rock, along with a little bit of country. I also have a 1986 Yamaha BB300 strung with GHS Bass Boomers roundwounds, and if I switch my other P to flats, I may just keep the Yammy as is.

Opinions? Advice?

Yes you should switch to flats in my biased opinion (pretty much always used either ss flats or nylon flatwounds/tapewounds)
Bear in mind though that there is a wide difference in tone between different flats (Daddario are very bright for flats, GHS are dark and thumpy etc) so if you know what you after tone wise then that will help you enormously.

My own tone journey has taken me to Rotosound Tapewounds , they are thumpy like flats but have a roundwound like midrange to them, they can do bright and dark

 

[jeff62]

Flats are a TB anomaly, still used in the real recording world, but rare in the wild. You need the rounds to cut in a live situation...no matter what you read in here..,

Never ever had a problem cutting through with Flat's.

 

[nerkoids]

Every bassist I know who never even heard of TB, Bass Chat, Leftybassist, etc... once I let them try flats, they are converted.

I am a flatwound virus.

 

[Kukulkan61]

I call BS on flats are just used for recording and don't fit in the mix, I was gigging with flats in many varieties of bands and music and never had a problem with the mix...

 

[Kukulkan61]

And yes on flats and if your still wanting the sound of rounds but with a feel of flats try GHS Pressure wounds on one of your basses..Best of Both Worlds...

 

[quickfix]

I almost wept when I put GHS Pressurewounds on one of my basses for the first time.

I use flatwounds on both Precisions. I've thought of using the GHS pressurewound, but if they're that painful to play...

 

[bolophonic]

I use flatwounds on both Precisions. I've thought of using the GHS pressurewound, but if they're that painful to play...

HA! The most painful part is that now I have six other basses that I want to put Pressurewounds onto. They are the sweetest strings I have ever heard (up until now/IMHO/YMMV/YOLO!)