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SIT powerflats
- Thread starter onda'bass
- Start date
This thread got me curious enough to order a set of the Power Flats to try. I still wish they came in a lighter set (40-100) as at 195.6 lbs. of total tension they might still be a bit too heavy for me even with their not-too-stiff nature as I've been mostly playing 40-100 in rounds.
Then an idea came to my mind the other night... How about if I tuned them to DGCF, which would bring their total tension down to 155 lbs., which is almost identical in tension to the Power Wound Nickels 40-100 I just put on my P bass?
Just a thought...
I just installed the Power Flats 45-105 on my Ibanez SR-650E. I'm surprised how different the silk looks from the one in the OP's pic.
The silk is purple indeed, but in a lighter shade than I had expected.
Here's an interesting observation...
As I was starting the process of replacing the Ken Smith Compressors on the 650 with the Power Flats, I noticed the purple silk on the Power Flats E is almost identical to the one on the Compressor D. What's showing in the picture below is PF E with KSC A-D-G. This particular set of KSC came with a mismatched D as a result of the supply shortage of silks on the part of GHS, who winds strings for Ken Smith. I've seen the same mismatched purple silks on some sets of GHS Precision Flats as well.
As I was starting the process of replacing the Ken Smith Compressors on the 650 with the Power Flats, I noticed the purple silk on the Power Flats E is almost identical to the one on the Compressor D. What's showing in the picture below is PF E with KSC A-D-G. This particular set of KSC came with a mismatched D as a result of the supply shortage of silks on the part of GHS, who winds strings for Ken Smith. I've seen the same mismatched purple silks on some sets of GHS Precision Flats as well.
For comparison, a 45-65-85-105 set of Chromes is 196.2 lbs
(they don't sell that combination, so I order them singly)
Just for comparison...
GHS Precision Flats 45-65-85-105 = 184.6 lbs.
Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45-65-85-105 = 191.0 lbs.
Rotosound Jazz 77 = 45-65-85-105 = 214.41 lbs.
Keep in mind they only show the actual weight of pull, not stiffness/flexibility.
Me, now! Me!
(Harrumph)or comparison:
Invalid Link Removed (45-65-85-105) : 46.38 + 54.21 + 51.56 + 43.05 = 195.2 lbs.
JF45105 4 strings Medium
Galli® Strings - 4 strings set MEDIUM polished stainless steel flat wound .045 – .105 Flat chrome steel on a hexagonal core with a smooth surfa
www.gallistrings.com
I just received some info on the history of the silk colors on the Power Flats...
This is straight from Eddie Speedy, the president of SIT:
"Okay, long story about the silk colors. Originally the silk was black (many many years ago). Then we changed to light blue because so many used black. During the pandemic we had trouble sourcing the same blue we were using. We had to get a darker blue because of availability and to fill back orders. After going back and forth with the blue silks we settled on the purple. We did have to fill some orders with mixed silk colors but we are past that now."
This is straight from Eddie Speedy, the president of SIT:
"Okay, long story about the silk colors. Originally the silk was black (many many years ago). Then we changed to light blue because so many used black. During the pandemic we had trouble sourcing the same blue we were using. We had to get a darker blue because of availability and to fill back orders. After going back and forth with the blue silks we settled on the purple. We did have to fill some orders with mixed silk colors but we are past that now."
I've sampled SIT PowerFlats many years ago. Very good string, if really stiff. On a Warwick Corvette I used to own, they had a very throaty slap sound and a delicious thump that took the edge off the harshly peaky stock MEC active electronics. Very glad I tried them, but that's when I realized that flats were not for me. But, yeah, I would definitely recommend SIT PowerFlats to anyone looking to experiment with flats.
SIT makes great strings at prices that don't break the bank. They make private label strings for many other brands too. They also have many specialty sets for multiscale basses, perhaps more than other string brands.
SIT makes great strings at prices that don't break the bank. They make private label strings for many other brands too. They also have many specialty sets for multiscale basses, perhaps more than other string brands.
So..............what are your thoughts on the sound, feel, tension and are you still using them? How do you compare them against other flats you've used?
I might try them on my Fortress One with active MEC pickups.....
The Power Flats were on the SR650E for 4 wks as more of an experiment. The 45-105, tuned to DGCF, were just right for me in terms of overall tension/stiffness, ie comfortable but not floppy; they would probably be a little too heavy for my taste in DGCF. I wish they came in 40-100. The surface feel was just as smooth as flats are supposed to be once they were thoroughly cleaned with an alcohol wipe before installation. One thing I noticed, though, is quite a bit of black marks ended up on the wipe, indicating they weren't totally clean from the factory. This is why I always recommend all flats be cleaned before installation.
I would consider their tonal quality to be traditional for the most part, but with some added sustain and clarity giving them a semi-modern flavor. The only thing I didn't care for was the .105 tuned down to D tended to be a bit too muddy with a hint of inharmonicity higher up the neck. The A-D-E sounded great, though.
I do have them saved and securely stashed away for now, but the only problem is, due to the 2+2 headstock on the Ibanez they were tried on, I won't be able to try them on any of my Fenders.
How do these compare to other flats you've tried? Including (but feel free not to limit it to) Ernie Ball Stainless Steel flatwounds ("Group flats") and Fender 9050s. Thank you.
It's hard for me to compare the three for their tonal characters because I tried them on three different basses. Fender on J, EB on P and SIT on Ibanez PJ. The SIT 45-105 worked well enough for the DGCF tuning by being "comfortable but not floppy". And they did have enough of the midrange clarity even down-tuned. The surface feel is pleasantly smooth with a silky feel once cleaned.
It's worth noting the SIT 45-105 in DGCF are almost identical in total tension to the EB Group IV (40-95) in EADG, 155 vs. 153.
EDIT: By the way, I do have a brand new set of GHS Precision Flats (45-95) I'm thinking of trying on the Ibanez for comparison.
