Very first set of flats?

[Woody1999]

Hi all,

I'm looking to get my very first set of flats for my P-Bass. I've heard good things about flats, especially the low finger noise which is a problem plaguing me with bad recording equipment currently. I've only ever used round wounds before, with the furthest I've deviated being the RS66 stainless steel roundwounds I currently have on my Jazz.

Therefore I have no idea where to even start looking for flatwounds. I'm looking for a warm sound, but with a little punch in typical P-Bass style. Don't mind whether it's heavy or light, but a light set may be a nice change from my really heavy RS66s.

Any recommendations?

Woody

 

[Camaro69]

Fender flats are great on a J bass, as is a series/parallel switch

 

[Woody1999]

Fender flats are great on a J bass, as is a series/parallel switch

I'm looking for strings for my P-Bass, not my Jazz Bass Will look into rewiring it sometime soon though.

Woody

 

[mpdd]

roto 77s are kinda cheap and a fun way to get into flats before you start looking at more pricey/exotic ones

 

[michael_t]

The best all-purpose flats for a first-timer = Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100).

 

[Linnin]

The best all-purpose flats for a first-timer = Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100).

I agree. As much as I love ghs Precision flats, they are specialist strings where the Fenders are all-purpose.

 

[Camaro69]

I'm looking for strings for my P-Bass, not my Jazz Bass Will look into rewiring it sometime soon though.

Woody

No worries, great for P basses as well

 

[organworthyplayer337]

LaBella Deep Talking Flats. Low tension. Have them on my Stingray (trying to tame the beast), had them on my P-Bass for a while.

 

[Benny the Finger]

roto 77s are kinda cheap and a fun way to get into flats before you start looking at more pricey/exotic ones

Not in Canada

 

[mpdd]

View attachment 780999

Not in Canada

oops, sorry buddy

 

[Woody1999]

They're pretty expensive over here as well, about £30. That's about an eighth of what my bass cost

Woody

 

[Camaro69]

They're pretty expensive over here as well, about £30. That's about an eighth of what my bass cost

Woody

Welcome to the world of Flatwounds, few are cheap. Some last forever though, unlike rounds

 

[petrus61]

FWIW, I stayed away from flats for a very long time because I thought they all felt and sounded like D'Addario and Fender. It wasn't until I found Labella, GHS and TI's that I realized flats don't have to feel like solid steel rods to be enjoyed. I especially would not recommend Chromes as a first flat personally, though they do get a lot of love here, I suspect part of that is accessibility and price. Doesn't make them bad. They're probably the easiest flat to find available at a music store. I would start with Labella Deep Talkin flats and work your way back from there. They'll give you the best representation of what a flat wound bass string is at its fundamental roots, aren't too stiff and have a very smooth feel. Keep in mind that no two brands sound or feel the same, so don't judge flats by the first set you try. You might not even like the second set, but try as many as you can before making a judgement as a whole as to if you like flats or not.

 

[Turock]

FWIW, I stayed away from flats for a very long time because I thought they all felt and sounded like D'Addario and Fender. It wasn't until I found Labella, GHS and TI's that I realized flats don't have to feel like solid steel rods to be enjoyed. I especially would not recommend Chromes as a first flat personally, though they do get a lot of love here, I suspect part of that is accessibility and price. Doesn't make them bad. They're probably the easiest flat to find available at a music store. I would start with Labella Deep Talkin flats and work your way back from there. They'll give you the best representation of what a flat wound bass string is at its fundamental roots, aren't too stiff and have a very smooth feel. Keep in mind that no two brands sound or feel the same, so don't judge flats by the first set you try. You might not even like the second set, but try as many as you can before making a judgement as a whole as to if you like flats or not.

Good advice.

 

[Luckydog]

If you want "lighter" flats, stay away from rotos. They are like steel rebar compared to most other typical gauge flats.

 

[Lovep]

LaBella Deep Talking Flats work well for me. I also like Chromes, too.

 

[singlemalt]

TI Jazz flats, JF344. First and last flats, because they are the goods and they last forever. Guys will run a set of TI flats for years, decades even.

You can resell them if you don't like them. Take them off, play with other strings, put them back on, and you'll like them even more. I had a set that stayed for three basses. I'd sell the bass with some other strings and keep the TI's.

Doesn't matter what your bass cost, strings are what you touch, how you interface with music. Don't cheap out on strings.

 

[Cap'n Redbeard]

I dig Fender flats on P's and J's. Easy to find and reasonably priced

 

[Pantone 333]

Pyramid Chromes (.105-.075-.-55-.040). You'll be thrilled.

 

[Sneezy]

I'm a recent converter to flats. I was a bit dubious about how expansive they seemed for strings, but I bought a set of LaBellas for my Jazz. Biggest thing I noticed when I was playing after changing is not only sound different(and better IMO), but how they feel. They are smoother than rounds and I love how they feel. Probably never going back to rounds.