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Why is G soooo bright on many flat wound sets?

Doug Bright

Doug Bright

Dec 7, 2018
283
418
#1
This is so frustrating. I find a set of strings that I like a d the G string is very thin and bright compared to the rest of the set.
Why is that?
I've had it from LaBellas DTF and LTF, Dunlop, Olintos, and others I can't remember.
Tried on many different instruments....
Thoughts?
I want the chocolatey old school LaBella sound but even on all strings.
 
#5
michael_t said:
One of the best sets of flats I've tried with a non-twangy G and a non-thuddy E is the GHS Precision Flats 45-60-75-95. Chocolatey? Yes! A close second would be the Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100).

The worst? D'A Chromes ECB84 (40-60-80-100).
Click to expand...
I'll throw some support in for the GHS PFs too, they're my go-to for P-basses without question.

OP, I'm not sure how long you've been playing them, but flats can take quite a while to "cure" and "break in" compared to rounds. It can vary a lot depending on the brand and materials, but almost every flat I've played needed considerable seat time to start breaking in. Some ways to speed up or alleviate the imbalance with the G strings:

- Try a different gauge (like noted above), get a heavier G and lighter E and A strings
- Lower the G side of your pickups, the extra distance usually rounds things out for me
- Play with sweaty or dirty hands to accelerate the "Funkifying" process ;)
- Experiment with foam mutes of some kind, you may be surprised how much this contributes to that classic flats tone
- Play closer to the neck, finger position can effect tone a great deal too
- Not sure how you feel about using compressors, but they've been on records for decades...must be a reason people keep using them :thumbsup:
 
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#6
Because G is the only string in a standard set that only has one layer of windings. Which probably means less "losses" and therefore more overtones that are not muted.

Edit: You can try a high density foam mute very close to the bridge saddle on only G. I often do than on E to get rid of unwanted overtones until the strings have aged enough to mask them anyway.
 
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#8
Doug Bright said:
This is so frustrating. I find a set of strings that I like a d the G string is very thin and bright compared to the rest of the set.
Click to expand...
When all else fails, you might want to try this to speed up the process of breaking in the G...

JimmyM

Thread 'Eucerin Skin Cream Kills Strings DEAD!!!'

Nothing else even comes close for deadening flats. Eucerin Aquaphor does OK at it, but it's only OK. And forget the other medicated formulas. Plain white Eucerin cream is the ticket for making your new flats thumpy quickly. Store brand substitutes are fine as well, but some can be runnier than others.

Takes a couple overnight applications and wipedowns to really work, but the first application takes care of the worst of the zing while the second makes them sound like they've been played in by a sweaty person for a month or two. Even works on zingy-when-new Chromes. Results were more...
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#9
I notice the same thing with flats. I put a tiny foam mute on the G string to even it out - small rectangle of craft foam with a slit in it. Jam it right up at the saddle held in place by the saddle screw. It helps but not perfect.
 
#10
New strings can be a gamble. Just because we bought a name brand and spent some bucks for some new strings..........doesn't mean that we will be getting a perfect set of strings.

Quirts!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's possible that your G string might mellow out after some weeks.

I've bought many TI Flats for my bass collection and I've been happy with all of them. HA! Used to be $45 a pack. Try $99 ($100) today!!!!!!!!! Tariffs?
 
#11
Father Gino said:
How long do you leave these flats on your bass? I find that flats can take months to really break in.
For me, Labella DTF 760 strings do a great job for getting that even old school tone. But you have to give them a chance to settle down.
Click to expand...
These strings have been on at least 1 year.
Im not new to flats and am aware they must break in, I just really hate the imbalance from string to string.
 
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#12
bassdude51 said:
New strings can be a gamble. Just because we bought a name brand and spent some bucks for some new strings..........doesn't mean that we will be getting a perfect set of strings.

Quirts!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's possible that your G string might mellow out after some weeks.

I've bought many TI Flats for my bass collection and I've been happy with all of them. HA! Used to be $45 a pack. Try $99 ($100) today!!!!!!!!! Tariffs?
Click to expand...
I have TI flats on 2 basses and they are great, just not the sound I want for this instrument.

I think I will try the GHS precisions for EADG and keep the Dunlop low B.
I will report back.

Thanks all.
 
#13
Doug Bright said:
I have TI flats on 2 basses and they are great, just not the sound I want for this instrument.

I think I will try the GHS precisions for EADG and keep the Dunlop low B.
I will report back.

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
For what it is worth, I've had good results with D'Addario Chrome Flats. They have about 4 different gauges. They are fairly bright flats. I kick mine down with the passive tone control on my stock Ps.

Good luck with your string quest.
 
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#15
Doug Bright said:
I've heard they are very bright. Are they even from string to string?
Click to expand...
Chromes start off bright, but they do mellow out after about 6 months of playing. I have a set of Chromes on one of my Ric 4003s and that has been my experience. I can get some darker tones from my bass by turning down the tone knobs.

My Chromes are medium gauge (50-105) and they are tuned to D Standard. The F (highest) string was just as bright as the rest starting out. I didn't notice anything different. Perhaps it could be the gauge that I'm using?
 
#16
Doug Bright said:
I've heard they are very bright. Are they even from string to string?
Click to expand...
D'A Chromes are bright as in "clanky" when new (at least to my ears). I started out with the ECB81 set (45-65-80-100), but found the 45G and the 65D a bit too tense for comfort so switched to the ECB84 set (40-60-80-100), which stayed on one of my J's for 4 yrs. They started out alright but the 40G remained way too bright and "twangy" even after 4 yrs while the 100E eventually went all thuddy. I then discovered the Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100), which I ended up liking a lot better than the Chromes. A little more of the low-mid punch (vs. hi-mid clank) and no twangy G or tight D.
 
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#18
I made a thread about this problem a while back.

antfarm

Thread 'Flatwounds with a full and warm G'

Currently, I have a two years old set of LaBella Low Tension Flats on my Fender AO '60s Jazz Bass and I like them a lot. That is, I really like the lower three strings. The G is very weak and trebly in comparison, even after repeatedly curing it with a good amount of Eucerin which worked great for the other three strings [1].

I play a lot of Reggae recently and in many songs would like to use the G string instead of shifting to the upper register on the lower strings. I like the sound of traditional flats and have tried my share of them in different gauges in the past (GHS Precision...
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You have to give them time to settle in, but if you do not want to wait that long, you can try this, it really works.

JimmyM

Thread 'Eucerin Skin Cream Kills Strings DEAD!!!'

Nothing else even comes close for deadening flats. Eucerin Aquaphor does OK at it, but it's only OK. And forget the other medicated formulas. Plain white Eucerin cream is the ticket for making your new flats thumpy quickly. Store brand substitutes are fine as well, but some can be runnier than others.

Takes a couple overnight applications and wipedowns to really work, but the first application takes care of the worst of the zing while the second makes them sound like they've been played in by a sweaty person for a month or two. Even works on zingy-when-new Chromes. Results were more...
  • Like
 
Last edited:
#20
Seems to be the way. Play higher up the fretboard on the top strings? Top string will always be bright. Or embrace the bright? I like having a bit of pop on the G with my flats. Also what does it sound like in a mix? Might not be as prominent.
 

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