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What ARE flats?

B

Bass_masta16

Jul 9, 2008
1,084
3
32
Wellington, Ontario, Canada
#1
Unless someone can redirect me to a post that answers this question, can someone please tell me what flats are?

I want to know why they make the sound that they do.
Do they feel any different from rounds? If so, how so?
How are they better then rounds for your fretboard?
And then just any additional information about them.


Thanks.
 
#2
Flatwounds are bass strings that are polished smooth for a even feel. They are more mellow than rounds because of their polishing. Rounds has a more open, brighter sound and are rougher on the fretboard than flats, but are more popular.
 
#3
Yeah, they're quite a bit different than roundwounds.
They make a tone more similar to an upright bass, and make virtually no scratching noise when sliding up and down the neck. They're supposedly better for a fretboard than rounds, especially in the case of fretless necks.
Good day, sir!
 
#4
The strings are wound with a flat strip instead of a round wire. The surface of the string feels smoother to the touch, and they give a less high-endy sound. They cause less damage to the fingerboard and frets over time.
 
#5
frozilla said:
Flatwounds are bass strings that are polished smooth for a even feel. They are more mellow than rounds because of their polishing. Rounds has a more open, brighter sound and are rougher on the fretboard than flats, but are more popular.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't those be half-rounds, or groundwounds? I thought that flats generally meant strings wound with tape... or are tapewounds different again? :confused:
 
#6
IME the "damage" caused by roundwounds is exaggerated. You have to play them a _long_ time before you start needing your frets worked on. Flatwounds do offset this effect, but that certainly shouldn't be a determining factor on which strings a person buys.
 
#7
stoo said:
Wouldn't those be half-rounds, or groundwounds? I thought that flats generally meant strings wound with tape... or are tapewounds different again? :confused:
Click to expand...
strings1.jpg
 
#17
I really like the sound of flats, but I've found that I tend to play them "slower" than rounds. It's hard to explain, but with roundwounds, there is a certain amount of my finger touching the surface of the string. With flats, there is more of my finger contacting the string, so the string almost tends to feel "sticky." I started using that guitarist's finger-lube spray when I play my flats.
 

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