The truth about flatwound strings, please

[jwsamuel]

I am a newcomer to the bass and have two of them...a Fender Active P-Bass special with maple neck and a Fender MIM Jazz with rosewood (currently has a fretless neck but I also have a fretted neck for it).

I have flatwound strings on the Jazz and prefer the feel of them. However, I have been told that flatwound strings sound horrible on a maple neck.

Is that true? Will my P-bass Special sound lousy if I switch it to flatwound strings?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[cheezewiz]

Flatwounds rule on all basses. Whoever told you that you can't use them on a maple board was FOS.

 

[Mazinger]

Swap them and see for yourself. That's really the only way for YOU to find out.

 

[jumbosilverette]

B.S. They sound good on my maple neck P.

 

[Marcury]

P bass and flats are the classic sound combination.

 

[thee Donkey]

i use flats on my maple necked P...and it sounds godly.

 

[dbcandle]

They should sound good on both, but I'd suggest stringing one of your basses with roundwounds; best of both worlds! Personally, I'd go with rounds on the Jazz & flats on the P.

 

[Joe Clark]

Whoever said flatwounds don't sound good on a maple fb must have not heard of a man by the name of Willie Weeks.

 

[crkempton]

i have my own question about flats... what is their slap-tone like?

 

[Chris Breese]

For flatwound slapping, listen to the chorus of 'Peg' by Steely Dan.

You aren't going to get any sizzle, so Marcus Miller tone with flats isn't going to happen.

There's also a track on the John Mayer's 'Continuum' album where Pino is doing some pops on his P bass strung with TI Flats. It's called "I Don't Trust Myself with Loving You." I think there are two basses on that track. One of them is played by the great Willie Weeks, IIRC.

 

[trb6pJM2]

i have my own question about flats... what is their slap-tone like?

different.
some would say bad, but I dont. They don't give the agressive pop that slap centers on, but it's not nonexistant.

 

[lomo]

Is that true? Will my P-bass Special sound lousy if I switch it to flatwound strings?

No.

 

[rok51]

I certainly can't comment on maple fretboards, but the main objection that I had towards flats many years ago was that they sounded 'dead' with no high frequency definition. Times have changed. I was persuaded to try TI Jazz Flats in correspondence with some studio players. I bit. Either I was totally wrong about flats in general, or the TIs are really something special (okay, they really are). I don't slap due to lack of coordination (or taste). Pure fingerstyle. I was told that they had an extraordinary balance from string to string (way trewth!). The low tension was very comfortable-yup. What I was totally not expecting was the high frequency clarity. Serious note-for-note definition. Flats have clearly come a long, long way since I last tried them in the early 70s. A lot of folks really like the Chromes. I haven't tried them. But I know for a fact that basses I never, ever would have considered to wear flats do so now...and sound much better to my ear.

Kim

 

[Chronicle]

I've got flats on my Squier fretless. It sounds like very dull roundwound strings to me... they feel nice and all though.

It does add more bass and classic tone though. Think Jimi Hendrix's bassist.

 

[Captain_Arrrg]

For flatwound slapping, listen to the chorus of 'Peg' by Steely Dan.

Any idea what kind of bass that is?

 

[Funkdrawer4]

I play groundwounds,The feel of flats but very good slap sound when needed

 

[bovinehost]

P-bass on "Peg", according to someone that might know.

 

[mellowgerman]

I played a deluxe p bass/sunburst/maple with worn in flats and it sounded sooo good. the reason why one of those basses is second on my still need to buy list

 

[GeneralElectric]

Any idea what kind of bass that is?

57 P bass with Labella flats

 

[J.D.B.]

POO POO! Flats are fine.....
Josh