I switched to round wound strings about 10 years ago after playing flats for 25 years before that. I just put a set of flats on the other day to eliminate the string noise, and I love the feel and sound. I'm back to the first "fad" again.
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Trend towards flats is Driving me mad!
- Thread starter zombie1965
- Start date
hasbeen
Commercial User
- Sep 23, 2004
- 4,810
- 2,690
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- Executive Vice President, The Adam Hall Group
there is indeed a trend towards flats. We are the largest string distributor in the U.S. and I've seen the trend for the last five years. Flats as a percentage of sales is still growing double digit each year and the overall string market is not growing.
Is it safe to assume that flats purchasers may buy replacements less often than when buying rounds in the past? Maybe it is largely for those who already have a rounds fitted bass as well.
While I more or less agree with you, I have to ask: Why do you care? If other players want to sound bad, how does that hurt you or me? I actually see it as good for me when guys embrace old/bad things. It makes me sound better in comparison. So just relax - let them have their mud-tone. It's cool.
I just like the way flats stay out of the way of the other instruments better. Just my opinion. Some call it muddy; I call it bassy. I don't like the bass in your face tone except for a quick bass-highlight for a song. I like the low, low bass that works well with a bass drum and gets folks dancing. I feel flats add life to a performance. Not necessarily to a bass player critiquing a band, but to the whole band. The total picture.
I think another "trend" (although been around for a long time too) is the concept of the bass needing to cut through in the mix. IMHO a super trebly bass tone in a live setting tends to sound thin, harsh, and too upfront. IME flats tend to put your tone in a place that fits well with the rest of the band (and sound a bit like a well mixed recording). With proper EQ and technique flats can have just the right amount of definition and warmth in a wide variety of genres.
The reason I use flats most of the time is very practical: I like being able to walk into a club, plug my bass into the house DI, and know that I am going to get "my sound" every time. I usually tell the sound guy, "I like a relatively flat and dry signal. Maybe a little bit of compression, or whatever you think it needs, and feel free to cut the bass a little if it sounds boomy out in the room."
It's true that I could get a similar sound by using roundwounds and extensive EQ'ing, but I do not trust the sound guys to get that right every time.
When I am using my own amp, I keep the EQ totally flat, unless the room calls for bass cut. I spent many years auditioning a lot of equipment to get to this point!
It's true that I could get a similar sound by using roundwounds and extensive EQ'ing, but I do not trust the sound guys to get that right every time.
When I am using my own amp, I keep the EQ totally flat, unless the room calls for bass cut. I spent many years auditioning a lot of equipment to get to this point!
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I switched from roundwounds to flats a couple of years ago. Never goin' back again.....
I hate the piano-sound of roundwound bass strings for the type of music I play.
Flats are WAY easier on the fingers and frets.
They help my J sound like a P without having to own a P.
Easier to clean.
Makes slides and glisses fun again.
No squeaky.
It ticks haters.
Sound quality doesn't continually change (get less bright) the longer you play them.
I hate the piano-sound of roundwound bass strings for the type of music I play.
Flats are WAY easier on the fingers and frets.
They help my J sound like a P without having to own a P.
Easier to clean.
Makes slides and glisses fun again.
No squeaky.
It ticks haters.
Sound quality doesn't continually change (get less bright) the longer you play them.
To the OP:
I think you are getting a lot of great answers from a lot of different bassists. I know you are not a fan of flats so much, but at least your original question is being addressed well. I am enjoying the thread. Thank you.
I think you are getting a lot of great answers from a lot of different bassists. I know you are not a fan of flats so much, but at least your original question is being addressed well. I am enjoying the thread. Thank you.
If you're walking out mid show beacause of a players choice of string, I can't imagine you being much fun to go to a concert with. Why on earth do you care what others use? Flat wounds are only a "trend" on Talkbass, which happens to be a tiny segment of the bass playing community as a whole. Flats were and still are used by many musicians for many genres, least of which being contemporary jazz, where scooped, round wound sizzle is way more commonplace. Just because you don't like them and can't make them work doesn't mean that other people don't know exactly how to make them work and in which context to utilize them. You're painting it with a very broad brush and it's probably one of the most naive and ill informed takes on the topic I've ever come across here...and I'm using rounds.
Since it would take pages to even begin to list all of the hit recordings produced using flat wound strings (whether you like it or are even aware of it or not), I'll just reiterate that flats have their place and the artists that use them know what that place is. Not everyone wants to sound like Geddy Lee, nor should they. That would be tremendously boring.
Since it would take pages to even begin to list all of the hit recordings produced using flat wound strings (whether you like it or are even aware of it or not), I'll just reiterate that flats have their place and the artists that use them know what that place is. Not everyone wants to sound like Geddy Lee, nor should they. That would be tremendously boring.
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Re-reading the OP I realise my first comment was a bit harsh, and not really what the OP was talking about.
In any case, I use flats. But here's the thing, when I used rounds I would be constantly boosting the lows, rolling off my tone, etc. Now that I use flats I run the EQ flat, keep the tone up, etc. My tone hasn't changed that much, I just realised that I could get a good bass tone easier with flats and wouldn't need to use such drastic EQing to get there.
Also I dig 60's bass tones. Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Joe Osbourne, etc. I don't find their tone muddy, I find it melodic and fitting to the songs.
In any case, I use flats. But here's the thing, when I used rounds I would be constantly boosting the lows, rolling off my tone, etc. Now that I use flats I run the EQ flat, keep the tone up, etc. My tone hasn't changed that much, I just realised that I could get a good bass tone easier with flats and wouldn't need to use such drastic EQing to get there.
Also I dig 60's bass tones. Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, Joe Osbourne, etc. I don't find their tone muddy, I find it melodic and fitting to the songs.
Agree. Rotosound flats are anything but "flat", they're just less "roundwoundy", and they maintain that Roto-sound and feel. I would consider D'Addario Chrome flats brighter than some of the other brand flats that I tried when I was going through my flatwound stage.
Fat Steve
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
Any time the word "trend" or "trendy" is applied in a pejorative fashion, I feel as though I'm reading the screed of an angst-ridden eighth grader, who is trying desperately to appear edgy so as to fit in with a larger group of like minded angst-ridden eighth graders.
Don't like flats? Don't use them. However, to leave the venue because a bassist is using them is kind of juvenile.
Don't like flats? Don't use them. However, to leave the venue because a bassist is using them is kind of juvenile.
Switching back and forth, I really can't tell a difference. It takes maybe the tweak of a knob to adjust for one or the other. The only reason I use rounds is because the string tension on most sets of flats is too high for my taste. I do enjoy a set of tapewounds, though.
Been playing bass for +30 years. I learned on flat wound strings. When I purchased my first set of Rotosound rounds wounds, I never looked back. When I strike a bell I expect it to ring.
I exclusively use flats, and I recently had one bandmate suggest my tone was too bright and grindy for a few songs on our set list.
My decision to use flats was inspired by Steve Harris, who, as already pointed out, clangs and clatters on top of every mix, studio AND live.
My decision to use flats was inspired by Steve Harris, who, as already pointed out, clangs and clatters on top of every mix, studio AND live.
Agreed. I've said it before, but nothing beats watching a performance where the bass player is doing his best Chris Squire impersonation on a Temptations song
....if that isn't the epitome of obnoxious, I don't know what is.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I use rounds on some things, flats on others. Flats and rounds both come in different flavors, too. Carrots.
