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Want to try some Flats

#41
I'll also add that I think a lot of folks don't leave strings on their bass long enough to give them a fair shot... You never really know how a string will sound until you've played them live and recorded with them a few times. Also, it can take awhile to get used to the feel of a new string. I've hated several brands out of the package that ended up being my favorites after I got used to them...
 
#42
brandau said:
I'll also add that I think a lot of folks don't leave strings on their bass long enough to give them a fair shot... You never really know how a string will sound until you've played them live and recorded with them a few times. Also, it can take awhile to get used to the feel of a new string. I've hated several brands out of the package that ended up being my favorites after I got used to them...
Click to expand...

+1

Chromes sound very ringy when new, but get nice and growly after broken in.
 
#45
tylerwylie said:
Some P's really want rounds.
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I hear ya... I actually just had a rehearsal last night and the studio had an old P with dead rounds on. Sounded great! Nice and punchy with just the right amount of bite. Rounds are weird for me. Every time I play someone else's bass with rounds I dig it, but I haven't been able to make em work for me... I like the tone when I'm playing solo, but I can't get them to sit right in a mix... I have a set of Dunlop rounds...I'll string it up with and see how long I can stick with em:)
 
#47
brandau said:
I hear ya... I actually just had a rehearsal last night and the studio had an old P with dead rounds on. Sounded great! Nice and punchy with just the right amount of bite. Rounds are weird for me. Every time I play someone else's bass with rounds I dig it, but I haven't been able to make em work for me... I like the tone when I'm playing solo, but I can't get them to sit right in a mix... I have a set of Dunlop rounds...I'll string it up with and see how long I can stick with em:)
Click to expand...

I actually have the same exact problem. I think it's that they really need to be broken in. Also, I think that my hands just don't deaden strings like other people's hands do.
 
#48
So I put the Chromes (.45 - .100) on my Ibanez Roadstar II P Bass and it sounds and feels fantastic. So these are my first set of Flats ever. At first they felt kind of weird to me. They felt very smooth and almost had a plastic feel to them. I spent about two days playing them and got use to them pretty quickly. The tension is much greater than the Sunbeams I am use to, but in a good way. They practically play themselves and are so smooth. No clank, no fret noise just smooth. Ohhh yeah! I felt like I was cheating, it made me play so smooth and nice. And then it hit me, why the Hell haven’t I tried these sooner... :bassist:


Is it me or do these strings sound like they have a lot of low end to them? Is that the nature of flats?

Shaun
 
#49
ODDBALL said:
So I put the Chromes (.45 - .100) on my Ibanez Roadstar II P Bass and it sounds and feels fantastic. So these are my first set of Flats ever. At first they felt kind of weird to me. They felt very smooth and almost had a plastic feel to them. I spent about two days playing them and got use to them pretty quickly. The tension is much greater than the Sunbeams I am use to, but in a good way. They practically play themselves and are so smooth. No clank, no fret noise just smooth. Ohhh yeah! I felt like I was cheating, it made me play so smooth and nice. And then it hit me, why the Hell haven’t I tried these sooner... :bassist:

Is it me or do these strings sound like they have a lot of low end to them? Is that the nature of flats?

Shaun
Click to expand...

That's generally the nature of flats.
 
#52
Currently I'm using but have some Fender 9050ms standing by. I love the chromes but like has already been mentioned the feel "sticky" because you get more friction with more surface contact. I now also use string lube with them and love it.
 
#53
Hey guys, I'm struggling to put all this together in my head. I've got a new P-bass with classics 60's RI electronics (ash body, rosewood neck) on the way and I'm trying to decide what I'm going to put on it.

I put chromes on my longscale Ibanez Artcore--with a soapbar sized, large pole humbucker that favors the bridge side--about a month ago, and I just am not digging it. It just comes off with too many overtones on the low end and too zingy on the high end. I've been blaming the pickups which actually led to me buying this P bass off ebay (coupled with finding the large hollow-body uncomfortable to play). On the other hand, I have an old Yamaha RBX170 with brand new EB slinkies that I've been playing instead of the Ibi the last couple days. It's still too zingy on the high end, but overall it's a lot more mellow and pleasing to my ears. I also like the lower tension feel of the roundwounds on that bass. Both sets of strings are light guage. I like to be able to get a little lower mid growl, but overall I like a nice mellow sound. I'm also in a pop/rock type outfit.

In sum, I want a mellow, round tone that's really even across all four strings. I also would like it to be able to get growly when I dig in toward the bridge.

It sounds like maybe the DR's would be what I'm looking for based on this thread. The Labellas might be good too, but are they going to be as close to the feel that I like? Also, I'm a bit impatient, and the wait on the Labellas to settle in might be a little to much for me to handle. I've already bought two new basses this month; I don't need to have another excuse to blame the bass and decide to buy another haha.
 
#55
Atlanta Dave said:
The Atlanta Bass Gallery set me up with SIT Semi-Flats for my P Bass awhile ago and I really like them. They are pretty darn close to the best of both worlds. Cheap too!
They don't get mentioned very often here on TB but that is OK too, keeps the price low.
I have Chromes on my Squier Jazz and they are nice but I prefer the SIT Semis overall.
Click to expand...

Those SIT's sound like they might be interesting. What do you like better about them than the chromes?
 
#60
I have tried 3 sets of flats.
First was the ghs precision flats (45-105), then came the new fender flats (55-105), and now im using the daddario chromes (40-95).

In terms of preferance:
1) Ghs or chromes tied. i like the flexibility of the chromes but the ghs strings went thumpier faster.

2) fender flats.

Right now, with the chromes, i like my eq flat except for a slight mid bump and my tone control rolled between 25-50%. good thump but with enough brightness to cut through. good luck!
 

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