All else equal, flats are generally more tension than the same gauge rounds as they are denser, so have to be tuned up tighter to compensate.
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Switching from Rounds to Flats Advice
- Thread starter allboutbass
- Start date
All else equal, flats are generally more tension than the same gauge rounds as they are denser, so have to be tuned up tighter to compensate.
I really like Fender 9050 ML 50-65-85-100 on a Precision bass. I like the stiffness and high tension and I like the mid growl. They are clacky, though, so I really have to keep my technique very clean in both hands. It's ok, I don't play a Precision bass to shred.
Chromes are fine too but they feel like rubber and I'm not necessarily a fan of their scooped tone.
Chromes are fine too but they feel like rubber and I'm not necessarily a fan of their scooped tone.
Yes, I'm gassing hard for a Vintera P so I can set it up for old school tones with fat flats and a foam mute, then keep my Player P set up with brighter flats for aggressive modern tones.
Consider D’addario black nylon tapewounds. I have them on my 2009 Fender American Deluxe Precision Bass and I love them. Very smooth under the fingertips, minimal finger noise, and a wide variety of tones. The one downside of nylon tapewounds is that there are probably not a good choice if you want to slap, snap, or pop a lot—for that you need roundwounds in most cases. Yes, it’s possible to slap flatwounds but not everyone likes the result.
Wow ... a lot of great info guys. My brain is going in all directions.
I used to have flats on a Bass I had a long time ago, it was an ovation solid body, and yeah it had flats but can’t remember which strings they were, all I remember is that I never changed those strings, and boy that bass sounded great.
Let’s see what I choose to try first and sure will let my opinion be known.
I guess every bass is so different since pickups, action and what not come into the equation, let alone player’s hands ... amplifiers, DIs ... there are so many ways to make a style of sound.
Cheers !!
I used to have flats on a Bass I had a long time ago, it was an ovation solid body, and yeah it had flats but can’t remember which strings they were, all I remember is that I never changed those strings, and boy that bass sounded great.
Let’s see what I choose to try first and sure will let my opinion be known.
I guess every bass is so different since pickups, action and what not come into the equation, let alone player’s hands ... amplifiers, DIs ... there are so many ways to make a style of sound.
Cheers !!
Look into GHS Brite Flats. I've tried a few other traditional flats and didn't care for them; I like the feel and sound of the GHS strings.
Products - BASS BRITE FLATS™ - GHS Strings
Products - BASS BRITE FLATS™ - GHS Strings
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Then I replaced those with the LaBella Deep Talking Bass White Tape Wound Strings and that's what I would recommend to you. They make them in white (semi-transparent), white over gold core, white over copper core, and black opaque tapes. The black are the darkest and the white are the brightest. Besides being smoother than round wounds, they have better balanced sound from string to string. With the rounds I had, the A played on the second fret G string sounds pretty darn wimpy compared to the A played on the 7th fret of the D string. Not so with these LaBella tape wounds. There's much more beef to notes played on the D and G strings with these that there is on round wounds and very little reason to play the same note up high on the lower string. The DR strings were better balanced than the Blue Steel, but neither compares to the consistency of sound across the strings that my tape wounds have. I love these strings!
I used flatwounds on my '65 Jazz from '66 when I got it until about 1972 when I was touring and needed new strings. Then, I went with the Fender Nylon Taped strings and that was what was on it when it was stolen in 1976. Got an '82 Jazz in '85 and it came with Dean Markley Blue Steel Round Wounds. replaced those a few of times and then the last round wounds I had on it were DR Black Beauty strings. I played round wounds on it until 2018. So, about 33-years of using round wounds on my Jazz.
Then I replaced those with the LaBella Deep Talking Bass White Tape Wound Strings and that's what I would recommend to you. They make them in white (semi-transparent), white over gold core, white over copper core, and black opaque tapes. The black are the darkest and the white are the brightest. Besides being smoother than round wounds, they have better balanced sound from string to string. With the rounds I had, the A played on the second fret G string sounds pretty darn wimpy compared to the A played on the 7th fret of the D string. Not so with these LaBella tape wounds. There's much more beef to notes played on the D and G strings with these that there is on round wounds and very little reason to play the same note up high on the lower string. The DR strings were better balanced than the Blue Steel, but neither compares to the consistency of sound across the strings that my tape wounds have. I love these strings!
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Yeah, at $135 Can. a set. Ridiculous! That ain't gonna' happen. I'll stick with my rounds......
wmhill
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Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. A great in between string both tone and tension wise, but 100% feel like flats.
Buy a pair, any pair. Put them on and don't change them for at least a year. Then and only then can you decide, after reflecting on your last year of practicing and performance, if flats are for you. The nuances between brands of flats are very subtle and nuanced.
Based on that list? Roto 77. Tried Chrome's and Labella DTF and did some research on JPJ's gear. Got some 77s and it was instantly closer to the sound in my head. 4th year on my bass now and they have only gotten better. If you don't like them then at least they were cheap - but I bet you love them.
Yes you'll have to tweak setup a little. Nothing like I did with the other 2 strings I mentioned. Worth the effort.
Also FWIW - I LOVE how on any "I wanna try flats post" I see people inundated with more responses about string choices than they probably knew about before posting the thread!
Good luck in your quest.
I was about sold on these until you said "clacky." I'm interested in trying flats, partly just for something new, but mostly to reduce finger noise and other artifacts as much as possible. I am not chasing a specific sound from the instrument, which may be kind of weird for a thread full of musicians... but as a total beginner, comfort and not driving myself crazy with string noise are way more important than a specific tone.
The bass came to me with what I think are steel rounds and I measured them at 50-70-85-105. Do y'all think the Ernie Ball cobalt flats at 45-65-80-100 be a good swap? (The bass is the Squier VM Jaguar in my sig if that helps.)
I switched to EB Cobalt Flats for the same reasons you state above and now have them on several basses because I love how they sound.
So, yes, give them a try, they will meet all your desires listed above and are a great string, to my ear, for everything except the dull thump that LaBella DTFs would be a better fit for.
