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So I finally got a set of flats...

S

Shaun_Bass0

Aug 11, 2008
155
6
Berkshire, UK
#1
...and correct me if im wrong, (and I realise i'm putting myself in he firing line here) but they just sounded like dead rounds???.

Basically i've never played anything but roto 66's and love the sound of a brand new set on my MIM P, but hearing so many people rave about the classic combination of a P and a set of flats I thought i'd branch out and try something new for a change.

Knowing that Steve Harris has his sig roto's, and being a big maiden fan, i bought a set of roto 77's (same brand but decided to stay with my usual .45-.105 gauge first off), but im finding that i just can't like the sounds i'm getting, pick or fingerstyle. I'm gonna let them break in and give them a chance, maybe i'll find that magic i've heard about 3/4 months down the line?. Gives me even more reason to play and get used to them so that can't be a bad thing.

I'm NOT trying to get into yet another flats vs. rounds thread, we're all bored of that, just looking for some input from regular flat users as to what to expect/recommendations/changes in technique from rounds to flats/how to fully utilize the sound/tone that comes from them....(and yes i did a search beforehand but i'm looking for more than "try la bella's" or "flats are better because...", I wanna get some serious input from people with experience here alongside my own experiments with them)

Cheers guys,
 
#2
play them for a week...they take a little getting used to if you have never played them

when i first got a p bass, it had fender nickles on it. i HATED the sound - not what i liked at all....by the end of a week (while waiting on some flats) i was diggin it.

i have flats on my p, rounds on my lakland and j.

different sounds, you know?

play in a band with them, that's where they shine to me.
 
#6
Flats definitely need to be played in. I have NEVER liked the sound of new flats. They are tinny, and sound sort of like rounds that have lost their brilliance. Once they break in, you'll begin to hear what they are all about. They sit differently in the mix than rounds. Rather than cutting through, they really punch in the low end/low mids. I'll use nothing else on my P-Bass(although I do use the Thomastik Jazz Flats).
 
#8
If you don't like em now, you're probably never gonna like em. Yeah and they do sound like REALLY DEAD rounds except you don't get string noise. But they sound great for soft bass chords (think jazzbox tone on bass guitar) and fretless basses. I have flats on my 5 string, DR hibeams on my SR4, and flats on my fretless. If it's not your thing, don't worry about it and play rounds. :)
 
#9
I think they only sound like dead rounds if you listen superficially. Record yourself playing with the flats and you'll hear the difference - I think.

I too had been a rounds user for 20+ years and the initial switch to flats is very unnerving. It's very similar to playing a passive bass, then picking up an active one. Almost instantly you think the active bass sounds better because it's louder, brighter, more active. But as you settle into the sound and start to see the nuances and how the sound of an active bass has really great uses AND the sound of a passive bass does as well - and that the one really can be "better" in one spot than the other - and vice versa - you see what I am getting at.

I have my Stingray 5 strung with rounds and my Jazz V with flats. I switch up playing them all the time and am always happy with the change each one brings to the game. When I get tired of my bass lines always sounding so "charged" and "toothy", I break out the Jazz V - they still get the aggressiveness I like, but from a different angle.

But for me, the ultimate value of flats really shows up in two very specific places - 1) Old-school finger funk and 2) McCartney pick-style rich, fat, thuddy goodness!
 
#10
Adrian Juras said:
Flats definitely need to be played in. I have NEVER liked the sound of new flats. They are tinny, and sound sort of like rounds that have lost their brilliance. Once they break in, you'll begin to hear what they are all about. They sit differently in the mix than rounds. Rather than cutting through, they really punch in the low end/low mids. I'll use nothing else on my P-Bass(although I do use the Thomastik Jazz Flats).
Click to expand...

I have my basses strung with TI jazzflats and although they sound slightly brighter when brand new, I've gigged with a brand new set and didn't find the difference noteworthy in a band context. Nor did I notice any stretching out-of-tune during gigs with a brand new set.

My favorite things about flats are the absence of finger noise, reduction of fret clatter, the feel under my fretting hand, the absence of fret damage, the fact that they stay cleaner and are easier to clean than rounds, and the difference in timbre; solid note delivery without a reduction of harmonic overtones.
 
#12
Surly, I know what you mean, and believe me it was a big plunge for me to take!. Branching out is always a good thing tho, I mean i'm pretty sure i've hit my sound on a roto rounds-strung P but i'll go all the way with the flats before I write them off or not.

Really appreciate the input guys, i'll crack on with them and see how they go on the P...when I want agression I can always go back to my rounds-strung JBS....
 
#13
People that like flatwounds usually go for a very warm sound with little attack, a sound that is more supportive than clangy.

The only exception is steve harris, but he cheats, first he uses rotosounds wich are known, for flats to be quite bright, then he changes his strings before every show so that they are always brand new finally, he plays through tube amps on which the overdrive might give a natural attack that is more proeminent.

If you like a bass sound with attack and definition, you'll never find it in flats, once they break in, they don't have more attack, they get even more mellow.

I think that it's more about what tone you want. Flats and rounds are tools to acheive a certain sound, there is no bass that can do it all.
 
#14
Shaun_Bass0 said:
Surly, I know what you mean, and believe me it was a big plunge for me to take!. Branching out is always a good thing tho, I mean i'm pretty sure i've hit my sound on a roto rounds-strung P but i'll go all the way with the flats before I write them off or not.

Really appreciate the input guys, i'll crack on with them and see how they go on the P...when I want agression I can always go back to my rounds-strung JBS....
Click to expand...


I've been very surprised at how aggressive a sound I can get with my Jazz V strung with flats (D'addario Chromes) - so don't assume that flats [EDIT:was "can"] can't [/EDIT] go gritty - they very much can! Sometimes it's even hard to tell the difference - aside from the additional finger noise you get out of rounds, the rest of the tonal spectrum is very well represented with flats when you find your way with them.

Hey - Flea has been know to use flats... Aggressive? You Betcha! *wink*
 
#15
i played nothing but rounds for 29 years then decided to try a set of flats for a change.
i hated the roto's very dead
didn't much like the T1's
couldn't stand the Fenders
but
tried a set of Ernie Ball group iv flats,i went for the lightest gauge they come in & man i love them. fairly bright,very clear & punchy,think John Paul Jones kinda tone.every note is crystal clear all the way down the neck.
infact i like 'em that much both of my P's & my Jazz are now strung with them.
recently tried a freinds bass strung with rounds :rollno: i'm a flat man for life now.
 
#16
I've always played flats with a pick until recently and have told myself over the years that I not only that I wasn't a "rounds" kinda player but a "pick"player as well.

After reading some threads on TB about pick vs pluck, I started playing w/o a pick to see if I could improve my right hand technic. To do this I have not played with a pick in the last few months.

Then a good deal popped up and I picked up a Jazz V with rounds on them. I enjoy the finger plucking and the piano bass sound that rings through and be able to learn to slap/pop with them with no problems. Popping the G string and whacking the B/E is great fun.

That said, when I went to an informal jam last week, I took my Ibanez Musician 924 strung with flats. It fills in the low end w/o being out front of anyone. Smooth tones and no fret noise. Kinda like a "rhythm" bass vs. a "lead" bass.

It took me awhile to get used to the rounds. I suggest practicing and rehearsing with the flats for a couple of months. Play with the e.q. a bit and get your "flat" tone set in the mix with your group. I do use a .110 set (La Bella Jamersons) which I suggest you try. They're heavy and get the great flat tone that flat players love. The longer you use them the better (just like Jamerson).
 
#17
tZer said:
I've been very surprised at how aggressive a sound I can get with my Jazz V strung with flats (D'addario Chromes) - so don't assume that flats can go gritty - they very much can! Sometimes it's even hard to tell the difference - aside from the additional finger noise you get out of rounds, the rest of the tonal spectrum is very well represented with flats when you find your way with them.

Hey - Flea has been know to use flats... Aggressive? You Betcha! *wink*
Click to expand...

This was my feeling when trying flats; which were Chromes. They're quite bright I would say.
 
#18
I switched to flats about a month ago. It's quite a change, so give yourself some time to get used to them. Also, try adjusting the EQ settings on your bass and amp.
 
#19
Shaun_Bass0 said:
...and correct me if im wrong, (and I realise i'm putting myself in he firing line here) but they just sounded like dead rounds???.

Basically i've never played anything but roto 66's and love the sound of a brand new set on my MIM P, but hearing so many people rave about the classic combination of a P and a set of flats I thought i'd branch out and try something new for a change.

Knowing that Steve Harris has his sig roto's, and being a big maiden fan, i bought a set of roto 77's (same brand but decided to stay with my usual .45-.105 gauge first off), but im finding that i just can't like the sounds i'm getting, pick or fingerstyle. I'm gonna let them break in and give them a chance, maybe i'll find that magic i've heard about 3/4 months down the line?. Gives me even more reason to play and get used to them so that can't be a bad thing.

I'm NOT trying to get into yet another flats vs. rounds thread, we're all bored of that, just looking for some input from regular flat users as to what to expect/recommendations/changes in technique from rounds to flats/how to fully utilize the sound/tone that comes from them....(and yes i did a search beforehand but i'm looking for more than "try la bella's" or "flats are better because...", I wanna get some serious input from people with experience here alongside my own experiments with them)

Cheers guys,
Click to expand...

One fundamental difference between rounds and flats is that flats need time to season. Depending on how much you play, that could take weeks or it could take months. For example, I recently tried a set of La Bella 760FLs which sounded (to my ear) may too bright and middy for about the first two months. Several times I was sure I'd rip them off for something else, but kept them on because I could tell each week they got a wee bit better. It's been nearly six months now and they're actually sounding pretty good. I've got a set of La Bella 760FS strings to replace them (heavier guage) but not just yet -- the FL set is doing well enough.

The Roto flats you bought will "season up" quicker, but it may be that you got a bad set (that happens) or just don't like the tone. The only way to know for sure is to keep playing them for a while, maybe try another set of flats too. Maybe in the end flats just aren't your thing.
 

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