String Options for Squier P Bass

[Yahboy]

So over the last couple of days I first switched over to the D’Addario Half Rounds. Kind of an abrasive sound imo to go with the slightly abrasive feel. I get the feeling they would be great in the right bass and the right genre but it isn’t this one for the music I normally play.

So then I put the PW’s on. A little stiff as they are the ML set but muuuch better.


Yes, I would concur. More growl and punch than crunch. It sounds deadly through the old Yorkville and Peavey 115. Big, strong, and punchy. It could still use a little more clarity but I’m starting to think that it’s the pup. It also sounds better loud then at polite volumes where it seems kind of blanketed.

Is your CV P Chinese or Indo? Mine’s Indo Cort. It had some minor QC issues irt hardware but made for a good negotiation with the dealer.

Sounds like another good option but one question. Do they clank? Like the increased output.

Isn’t the LaBella’s E string noted for its deadness? Or is that another type of LaBella? As they are notably used by many of the famous artists back in the day I’d like to give LaBellas a try sometime. No one around here stocks them.

As for Roto 77’s. They’re pretty pricey around here and I hear they’re rough to the touch and go dead quickly.

And I bought a set of TI JF once only to have the E string’s ball end snap off on me upon installation. Never played a note and as it was a couple of years after I bought them, I no longer had the sales slip. Either way, won’t be doing that expensive mistake again. Savage disappointment cause they do sound great.

Cobalt flat just louder compare to my others flatwound bass string i been use, but not clank.

 

[Heavy Blue]

Cobalt flat just louder compare to my others flatwound bass string i been use, but not clank.

Thanks. I also should’ve asked if they felt tacky or sticky. I bought a set of cobalt rounds for guitar and I hated the feel of them. Tacky and sticky.

 

[Yahboy]

Thanks. I also should’ve asked if they felt tacky or sticky. I bought a set of cobalt rounds for guitar and I hated the feel of them. Tacky and sticky.

The earlier set i have are bit sticky feel and larger winding gap, but the current Cobalt flat has better smooth string surface.

 

[Heavy Blue]

The earlier set i have are bit sticky feel and larger winding gap, but the current Cobalt flat has better smooth string surface.

Ah very good then. The guitar cobalts I referred to earlier were also an early set. Around 2011 iirc.

 

[Nighttrain1127]

Cobalt flats are Nice and smooth and have close to if not a little more articulation of notes then the PW's. And they do thump just not like a LaBella or the Fender flats. But they also don't have the tension on the neck like Fender Labella's and Rotosound 77's. and Chromes. They are not low tension just lower than normal flats. I have had a couple sets of cobalt flats that felt sticky but a wipe down with alcohol removed that. The last few sets were not sticky at all.

 

[Heavy Blue]

So a few days later and...

I took off the PW’s. Better but still not quite what I’m looking for. Too middy and zingy still for this particular bass. They worked far better on my Jazz where they currently reside. Got the 44-102 medium lights and I was surprised at their stiffness.

I read here and there about folks prepping the half rounds for improved performance so I did this in a couple of steps to see the difference as I went.

I first simply wiped them down dry with a green scotchbrite pad. This helped quite a bit more than I thought it would but they’re still sounding a little boxy and lo fi. The feel is improved but still a little rough here and there. Oh yes, I forgot, the half rounds are 45-100.

Then last night I first rubbed them down with 0000 steel wool then wiped them down with 99% isopropyl alcohol till they were actually clean and free of all of the teeny pieces of grit. This took awhile, they were filthy.

The results, HUGE difference. The boxiness is gone and they actually feel like flats now. I’m still getting familiar with the tone but it’s a massive improvement over out of the box. It’s like a completely different string now!

It’s a PITA but totally worth it! It saved the day for these strings. D’Addario should just either do this prep in house somehow or put it on the package so the customer knows because it makes all the difference in the world with these strings. I’ve never encountered anything like this before.

However, tbh, I also changed the neck from the stock Laurel one (crappy tuner, not tonal issues) to a maple, bound and blocked one courtesy of my ‘13 VM Jazz that’s currently down for an electrical overhaul so that may have had an effect on the tone as well. Imo, it looks killer too!

All I know is that the P is sounding much better now. The boxiness is GONE, I have improved clarity without any zingy or excessive trebleness & the feel is nice and smooth like a proper flat should be. It doesn’t thump like my Precision Flats but the sound is quite even and balanced now. What a difference, I’m just astonished!

If anyone has a set of these that they just tried once quickly and changed them again I’d heavily suggest you do this prep and retry them. I’m completely blown away at the difference. Wow!

I guess this prep would likely work on other half rounds like GHS Brite Flats as I have heard similar critiques about them in terms of tone and feel.

New pic...I always preferred maple boards for sunburst basses. Can’t buy it stock in lefty either.

 

[michael_t]

I guess this prep would likely work on other half rounds like GHS Brite Flats as I have heard similar critiques about them in terms of tone and feel.

The first time I tried the Brite Flats (Alloy 52 half-rounds) on my J-bass, their sticky and grabby feel was what turned me off right away. They came off after three weeks.

The second time I tried them, this time on my P-bass, I gave them a thorough wipe down with isopropyl alcohol before installation and it did make a huge difference. The only thing, though, is I found them to be a bit too "flatwound" in their tonal character once broken in, so back to the Pressurewounds I go.

 

[Heavy Blue]

The first time I tried the Brite Flats (Alloy 52 half-rounds) on my J-bass, their sticky and grabby feel was what turned me off right away. They came off after three weeks.

The second time I tried them, this time on my P-bass, I gave them a thorough wipe down with isopropyl alcohol before installation and it did make a huge difference. The only thing, though, is I found them to be a bit too "flatwound" in their tonal character once broken in, so back to the Pressurewounds I go.

Three weeks! You have far more patience than I my friend. The half rounds were the worst feeling strings I’ve ever had on bass and second only to some EB Git Cobalts I bought years ago. I was done after an hour. The fact that they now work and feel so well after the cleaning speaks volumes to both their potential and the effectiveness of cleaning them.

I actually like their flatwoundness. I was basically looking for something very similar to flats with the feel but with more clarity and hi-mid presence than the Precision Flats have. I think now these will do the deed for me. However if they don’t I’ll consider getting 9050’s or maybe Chromes.

I tried PW’s but to me they’re far more suited to my MIM Jazz. Tighter buggers too. I bought the 44-102’s. Probably the stiffest strings I’ve ever used in that size. Not too bad though. I’ve just been playing lighter gauges lately.

 

[Raoul_Duke]

I just picked up a CV 60’s Squier P-bass and I went with Labella Flexible Flats. I am very happy! They have a similar tonal profile to the Labella DTF’s, but are much more forgiving on my dainty hands and fingers. I don’t know what better endorsement I can give than to say that the bass has what I consider to be an ideal P-bass tone with no other tone shaping ingredients added to the chain.