Trend towards flats is Driving me mad!

[two fingers]

I really don't know what kinds of music the OP is listening to.

"Dull and thuddy" is OK for jazz?????? What jazz? You listen to any modern melodic jazz and you will hear some of the brightest musical bass tones ever recorded.

Also, we could list plenty of bassists and recordings where flats were used and the tone is plenty bright. In fact, many bassists who switch from certain kinds of rounds to D'Addario Chrome (which are flats) immediately switch back because the Chromes are TOO bright.

I think you are listening with your eyes. If you leave the show of a band you like because the bassist is playing flats, you are just being silly.

Never mind that, as others have stated, if the bass sounds muddy one of two things has happened. (I am also a.sound guy.) Either the bassist has insisted on sending "his tone" to the board, forcing the sound guy to attempt to make make a good mix from mud pie. Or, the sound guy had no idea what he is doing.

Either way it is not the strings. Period. That is a ridiculous notion. You give me a bassist with flats on stage and a willingness to take my advice from the sound board and I will make him sound like the left hand of God on a 20 ft Steinway.

 

[ExaltBass]

I've been playing for over 50 years, and I've used flats for a big chunk of that period. I also use Nickel Rounds on one of my basses for 'that' sound... but the flats contribute towards 'my' sound.

 

[JimmyM]

I used nothing but flats for two years. Rarely did I sound muddy, and if I did, it was because the subs were too loud. I use rounds again now. Rarely do I sound muddy, and if I do, it's because the subs are too loud. The amount of mud has zipola to do with what strings I use(d). Period.

 

[Mushroo]

ps If flats sound so bad, OP, then how come all those bass players are getting gigs, and you're down in the audience listening?

 

[Dustin Owens]

I am very impressionable. As someone who has switched over to flats because it seemed to be the thing to do ( I have yet to play in a group environment as of yet, so really don't know which way I want to go one way or another ) this thread isn't helping ( or is it? ) .. I am now wanting to switch back over to rounds.

 

[Nev375]

So many players are using flats these days that i'm confused why almost all bass cabs come with tweeters.

Edit. I know some players claim to get brightness out of them, but ive tried half a dozen brands in over 20 years of playing and never got anything but "thud".

 

[OOD]

Everyone should try flats atleast one time.

 

[Herrick]

There's a trend towards flats? Someone should tell that to the Guitar Center tech who told me no one really uses flats on P Basses...so I would lose part of my trade-in value for the cost of him "having" to put rounds on it.

 

[JakobT]

I feel the OP might possibly be mistaking his own personal preferences for the preferences of the general public (if they have one). Also, I was unaware of a general trend towards using flats.

We all have our personal likes and dislikes, and if you don't like the sound of flats, that's entirely your privilege. But of course, it's also up to each band and bass player how they want to sound.

 

[john_g]

In my current band, I started using flats some times because I am fighting two loud, thick guitard-tones for sonic space and it allowed me to get below them a bit more. I didnt have the overtone zing that competes with the guitars. I dont use flats all the time, just when I am in the mood, and damn it, Im ok with that and people like me!

 

[Bass Master General]

sounds like the OP is making up a root cause

Typical bass player, root cause only... no fifth cause?

 

[Quilbert]

I tried flats on my stingray, I must say I kinda liked it....for a while. I found the string tension too much and I was missing the stingray 'zing'. My band mates said they sounded too 'jazzy'. Im just using regular 40 - 100 round nickels now and they sound great, smooth enough for me anyhow. Im still glad I tried the flats.

 

[lfmn16]

ps If flats sound so bad, OP, then how come all those bass players are getting gigs, and you're down in the audience listening?

 

[JimmyM]

So many players are using flats these days that i'm confused why almost all bass cabs come with tweeters.

Edit. I know some players claim to get brightness out of them, but ive tried half a dozen brands in over 20 years of playing and never got anything but "thud".

Sounds like a personal problem to me

 

[CatSquare]

But I can't play rounds, they tear up my velvet gloves and threaten my precious baby skin! Oh my precious precious baby skin!

 

[Mushroo]

So many players are using flats these days that i'm confused why almost all bass cabs come with tweeters.

Why do speaker manufacturers bother with tweeters for any application these days? 90%+ of the human race has high-frequency hearing loss thanks to modern living.

 

[bass12]

I can't speak for the world outside of Talkbass (because I don't know who uses flats live) but I've definitely noticed a huge increase in the number of references to flats - and in the number of people claiming to use flats - on TB over the past couple of years. To me there is clearly a bit of a "flats fad" going on right now, just as there is a bit of a Precision trend. I figure it kind of goes along with the "return to roots" trend that has been going on in music for the past few years - which would also help explain the anti-slap trend which has also been in effect. By the way, flats predating rounds has no bearing on whether or not they are trendy today.

 

[Mushroo]

I can't speak for the world outside of Talkbass (because I don't know who uses flats live) but I've definitely noticed a huge increase in the number of references to flats - and in the number of people claiming to use flats - on TB over the past couple of years. To me there is clearly a bit of a "flats fad" going on right now, just as there is a bit of a Precision trend. I figure it kind of goes along with the "return to roots" trend that has been going on in music for the past few years - which would also help explain the anti-slap trend which has also been in effect. By the way, flats predating rounds has no bearing on whether or not they are trendy today.

Another way of looking at it is that p-bass and flats have always been with us, and the "rounds fad" is finally coming to an end.

 

[Sixgunn]

I too hate flats. I think by design, there is tonality and frequencies that are lost and/or reduced compared to rounds so to me, rounds are WAY more versatile. IMHO, rounds can sound like flats but flats cannot sound like rounds. Also, I love the feel of rounds. My connection to the instrument is more direct and "organic" where as flats make me feel a step removed from the instrument. Almost an "artificial" feel. I'd LOVE to hear Steve Harris with rounds btw!!

 

[One Drop]

I have noticed some big acts on televised performances (from festivals, etc) that are obviously using flats- there is a solidity and supportive thump I instantly recognize that transcends EQ. I love it, but I grew up with that sound.

I would be disappointed to hear it in a Who tribute band but for a lot of modern retro style music it's beautiful, ad a lot of modern rock has great distorted flats tones.

I find a lot of bass players lose a sense of balance- how many times do you try a new bright bass or strings and think: this is better! when often it's just brighter. It's like some sunbathers, they get tanorexia and keep getting darker and darker until they look like they've been turned into beef jerky, but they only see the tan.

Audiences don't care about hearing every subtlety of a bright bass in a mix, they want something that sounds good in the context of the band and music, and often flats do these days. But it's true that the band has to adjust around it, like anything else you can't just change the sound of one instrument and not expect it to change the overall sound.