Why do so many players love flats?

[Marko 1]

Ok, what are some recs for someone who is interested in trying out flats?

Long story short, always played rounds, love worn in rounds. Just what I've always played.

I do have flats on my musicmaster, but that bass it has always been a struggle with me to really connect with. I bought the strings on a lark, couldn't even tell you what they were. They were relatively cheap and whatever they had at the little music shop in Hoboken.

So maybe I should try a new pair, maybe that's what's holding that little guy back. Any suggestions?

I settled on DR Nickle Lowriders as my only strings, but decided to put E.B. Cobalt Flats on my Ray-5, which I used today for rehearsal, and dang it sounded sooooo good.

If you're not sure you'll like flats, I recommend trying them, they're not so far away from the sound of rounds that you'll regret trying them.

 

[dave64o]

I settled on DR Nickle Lowriders as my only strings, but decided to put E.B. Cobalt Flats on my Ray-5, which I used today for rehearsal, and dang it sounded sooooo good.

If you're not sure you'll like flats, I recommend trying them, they're not so far away from the sound of rounds that you'll regret trying them.

I tried Cobalt Slinkys on my 2007 ceramic SR5 several years ago and thought they sounded good, but they were noticeably more flexible than I like so I never went back to them.

Nickel Lo Riders, however, are my favorite overall string, despite enjoying the affair I’m currently having with Chromes, my favorite flats so far. How would you compare the feel of the Cobalt flats to nickel Lo Riders? If they’re a pretty stiff feeling string, I might give them a shot first before replacing the Chromes on that bass and putting Lo Riders back on (just for a change of pace, I still love Chromes).

 

[Jazzfretless]

Never flats! I like tone, and the ability to change it as needed. Flats are dull and over-tensioned - that makes it harder on my hands, especially when playing 4 hour gigs regularly.
D'Addario Pro Steels Extra Light Gauge for fretted 4 ands 5 strings, D'Addario Half-Rounds for my fretless since I put the custom neck on in 1987. I didn't want the rounds to chew up the neck like a friend's bass I saw. I still have the same neck as shown in my pic, refinished it once with only a few minor dings.

 

[4StringDave]

Never flats! I like tone, and the ability to change it as needed. Flats are dull and over-tensioned - that makes it harder on my hands, especially when playing 4 hour gigs regularly.
D'Addario Pro Steels Extra Light Gauge for fretted 4 ands 5 strings, D'Addario Half-Rounds for my fretless since I put the custom neck on in 1987. I didn't want the rounds to chew up the neck like a friend's bass I saw. I still have the same neck as shown in my pic, refinished it once with only a few minor dings.

Nowadays there are plenty of lower tension "modern" flat. Check out Thomastik Jazz Flats or Labella Low Tension Flats.

 

[Baloo Pasquariello]

Flats on all my basses. Love 'em. They can sound a bit dull when playing by myself, but in a band, they just slide right in. I love how they feel.

And a pick can do awesome things with flats!

 

[DavyR]

I am pretty much exclusively a short scale player these days, and I haven't had any intonation problems with flats (and I am meticulous about intonation).

Better words than "intonate" would have been "sound/play in tune". My retired luthier, who's very well respected, said he agrees with me that rounds sound/play more in tune than flats. It's physics. I'm going to look into the science behind this. I suspect there's a difference in the way they vibrate and create a cleaner wave. Regardless, everyone should play what they want to play.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

@DavyR, stiffness (talking about the type of construction, not talking about tension) makes higher harmonics go sharp. We've had some good threads about it (maybe search on "inharmonic").
So, for example Cobalt flats (the most flexible flat I'm aware of) should be a lot better in this regard than some rounds which can be much stiffer. For example, they're even more flexible than the excellent TIJRounds.

 

[Terry McGill]

For years and years I used round wound strings and sometimes I struggled to find a tone that I felt fit whatever band I happened to be playing in at the time. One day at a recording session as we were working on the bass sound the producer said something about how he thought flatwound strings would work really well for the song we were working on. I hadn't really thought about flatwound strings in years. I had to order the strings online because no store in the area carried them. I started with D'addario Chromes but I gradually worked my way to Labella Low Tension flats. Flatwound strings changed the way I played the bass and I think the producer sensed this. Also the first time I used them on a gig I found it really easy to dial in a tone I liked. Most of my basses have flats on them now.

 

[Terry McGill]

I hear you brother..my 4 P basses all have Labella Deep Talking Flats..I can't even play a bass with rounds no interest

 

[Jazzfretless]

Nowadays there are plenty of lower tension "modern" flat. Check out Thomastik Jazz Flats or Labella Low Tension Flats.

Nope. Hate flats. The feel, the sound. Will never use them.

 

[Heavy Blue]

About 80% flats, gotta have rounds on the Stingray and one Fender.

Why? Started with getting rid of finger zing. I really dislike it. Then I discovered the feel and I've been down the flatwound rabbit hole ever since. After that I realized that I loved the tone. Lots of fundamental without all the high end zingyness of rounds. Just a good solid tone!

 

[chadhargis]

I love flats. The feel, the tone, and the stiffness that some flats offer.

For example, on my P bass I have a set of the "Jamerson" Labella flats. More like guy wires than strings, they are marvelous. Fat, round, thumpy, and just all around good. I've never understood the whole tension debate. If you set up your bass correctly (including having the nut cut properly...most are too high from the factory), you won't have any problems playing heavy gauge strings for hours.

I have Chromes on my Stingray at the moment as that bass is just to thin. I get that is part of the Stingray tone, but the flats really mellow it nicely and I think it sounds great. Chromes are brighter sounding flats so I don't lose the punch of the Ray.

I have LaBella low tension flats on my fretless. They play like butter, don't chew up my fingerboard, and make for a nice "mwah" without finger noise.

My short scale, 5 string jazz, and G&L L-2500 all have StringJoy nickel wound strings. Great strings made locally. Nice to support a small local business.

My custom built bass ended up being on the dark side...which sounds amazing, but I put a set of stainless strings on it to brighten it up a bit and they give it that "piano" tone so many seek.

My basses are tools and I choose the right one for the job at hand. If I only had one bass, I'd probably NOT put flats on it as I could always roll of the tone or use an EQ and move my plucking hand up closer to the neck to get a rounder, sound.

 

[Heavy Blue]

I've never understood the whole tension debate. If you set up your bass correctly (including having the nut cut properly...most are too high from the factory), you won't have any problems playing heavy gauge strings for hours.

I concur. I have the 760FM (the next one in tension down from the Jamerson's) and the tension allows for a very low setup on my Precision, making it easier for me to play. Before the installation, I had concerns about them being too stiff but not so and I'm not an overly big or strong guy either.

Is your P neck one with the 1¾" nut width? I was considering the Jamerson's but as my P is modern with a 1⅝" nut width. I'm concerned that the neck won't take it, reinforcing bars or not. When I installed the 760M's I had to tighten the truss rod nearly a full turn as it was.

 

[chadhargis]

I concur. I have the 760FM (the next one in tension down from the Jamerson's) and the tension allows for a very low setup on my Precision, making it easier for me to play. Before the installation, I had concerns about them being too stiff but not so and I'm not an overly big or strong guy either.

Is your P neck one with the 1¾" nut width? I was considering the Jamerson's but as my P is modern with a 1⅝" nut width. I'm concerned that the neck won't take it, reinforcing bars or not. When I installed the 760M's I had to tighten the truss rod nearly a full turn as it was.

My P bass neck is a Warmoth with graphite stiffening rods. It's huge and stiff. I've had no issues with it and I've had the Jamerson strings on it for months. They sound marvelous. Big time thump.

 

[Robert Booker]

I've had a set of LaBella 760M DFT on my PBass for years without any neck issues at all. In fact it's that time of year when I may need to actually loosen the truss rod a notch or so. With those and a Babicz FCH Bridge the action is incredibly low and the bass isn't at all hard to play. I've done 4 set gigs with it many times.

 

[alex1fly]

Flat players use the time they save on string changes to get on Talkbass and brag about how great flats are?

I tried to toss my rounds and play only flats on all my basses... its just too boring for me. I get the benefits, I gigged them for several years, and have had flats on at least one bass since I started using them 4ish years ago. But man, the zing and feel of good roundwounds is just fun and rewarding. And I'm not even talking about slap/pop styles.

 

[micguy]

I've never understood the whole tension debate. If you set up your bass correctly (including having the nut cut properly...most are too high from the factory), you won't have any problems playing heavy gauge strings for hours.

If the sound in your head has the harmonics and twang of a good set of rounds, you can very easily tire yourself out trying to dig that sound out of a set of flats. I can play for many hours on rounds, but I'll sprain a finger if I try to play flats for too long - my brain won't allow me to not try to get "my sound". I can, however listen to guys who play flats, and enjoy it - it's just not what works if you put a bass in my hands.

 

[chadhargis]

If the sound in your head has the harmonics and twang of a good set of rounds, you can very easily tire yourself out trying to dig that sound out of a set of flats. I can play for many hours on rounds, but I'll sprain a finger if I try to play flats for too long - my brain won't allow me to not try to get "my sound". I can, however listen to guys who play flats, and enjoy it - it's just not what works if you put a bass in my hands.

That makes sense. That "twang" is what I EQ out of rounds. My treble control is almost always cut and sometimes the tone control too. As a bassist, I want to occupy my slice of sonic space without stepping on guitars, keys, singers, etc. That "thump thump"...yeah...that's me.

 

[Medbo_BassBoy]

Been watching the rounds vs flats poll numbers. Flats just pulled way ahead!

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

Been watching the rounds vs flats poll numbers. Flats just pulled way ahead!

The number of TBers who voted for Both is higher — but some of the comments here lead me to believe that some folks regard this as some kind of a competition. Why doesn't everyone simply use what they like and stop worrying about others' opinion? Bear in mind that the OP actually started this thread about 3 weeks ago to simply ask what so many players love about flat-wounds, yet many commenters were more focused on saying that they don't like flats.

Suppose someone started a thread asking, "What makes sushi so popular?" In what way would it be useful to read through a load of people responding by saying, "Ew, I would never eat raw fish" or "I hate the texture of seaweed" or "Tried it once because I heard [name of favorite bass player] likes sushi, but I did not care for it, I prefer hamburgers and pizza"?