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Woah... is this normal for Flats?

Din Of Win

Din Of Win

Feb 24, 2009
3,652
116
43
Frederick, Maryland
#1
So,

Even though i've been playing bass for almost 15 years now... i have NEVER strung up a bass with flats!

About a month and a half ago, i got a black-friday deal on a set of D'Addario Chromes and promptly put them on my SX P/J. Well, I hated them. A week later, i was told to do a set-up on the bass, as that may help. It sounded better... but still not 'GOOD' to my ears.

And so... the bass sat for over a month... unplayed.

Over the weekend, while i was suppose to be cleaning, i plugged in the SX and fiddled around...

Well, damn... NOW it sounds inCREDIBLE!!! I can get that 'kinda-sorta-Jamerson-tone'... which is what i WANTED the flats for in the first place.


So, is it normal for flats to sound better over time? Or is it just that i happen to preffer the older flats tone to their brand-new tone?
 
#2
Din Of Win said:
So,

Even though i've been playing bass for almost 15 years now... i have NEVER strung up a bass with flats!

About a month and a half ago, i got a black-friday deal on a set of D'Addario Chromes and promptly put them on my SX P/J. Well, I hated them. A week later, i was told to do a set-up on the bass, as that may help. It sounded better... but still not 'GOOD' to my ears.

And so... the bass sat for over a month... unplayed.

Over the weekend, while i was suppose to be cleaning, i plugged in the SX and fiddled around...

Well, damn... NOW it sounds inCREDIBLE!!! I can get that 'kinda-sorta-Jamerson-tone'... which is what i WANTED the flats for in the first place.


So, is it normal for flats to sound better over time? Or is it just that i happen to preffer the older flats tone to their brand-new tone?
Click to expand...

Chromes are famous for taking a while to settle in. I suspect they will continue to improve over the next few years... yes, I said years

Glad you like 'em
 
#3
mozarwasagenius said:
Chromes are famous for taking a while to settle in. I suspect they will continue to improve over the next few years... yes, I said years

Glad you like 'em
Click to expand...

Oh man... if THAT's the case... i'm sure my like will turn to love, no problem!! :D


They sure were sounding sexy playing along to some Black Sabbath (haha, made it through all of the album; Vol. 4, and half of the album; Sabbath Bloody Sabbath) with a Traynor YBA-3 and a 1x15!!

I even tried to jam along some to "Darling Dear" to REALLY try out my Jamerson-ness... close... but no cigar (but 'tis to be expected... i'm no Jamerson :D)
 
#9
If you want the Jamerson sound, you gotta go with LaBella's, as that's the only string he ever used (that is known anyway). He also set his bass up to have very high action, nearly to the point of being unplayable. Because his first love was upright, he liked to dig in a play hard.

I like the old school sound of flats, except for the B string on my 5er. I tried Chromes and ended up getting rid of them. I went to nickel wounds and liked them, but missed the "thump".

My bass teacher convinced me to try a set of TI flats. They have a lot less tension than the Chromes and the B is very good. I have them on my G&L L-2500 which has incredibly hot pickups. They TI's work really well with the MFD pickups.

I kept nickels on my BTB and have the flats on my G&L. Best of both worlds.
 
#10
chadhargis said:
If you want the Jamerson sound, you gotta go with LaBella's, as that's the only string he ever used (that is known anyway). He also set his bass up to have very high action, nearly to the point of being unplayable. Because his first love was upright, he liked to dig in a play hard.

I like the old school sound of flats, except for the B string on my 5er. I tried Chromes and ended up getting rid of them. I went to nickel wounds and liked them, but missed the "thump".

My bass teacher convinced me to try a set of TI flats. They have a lot less tension than the Chromes and the B is very good. I have them on my G&L L-2500 which has incredibly hot pickups. They TI's work really well with the MFD pickups.

I kept nickels on my BTB and have the flats on my G&L. Best of both worlds.
Click to expand...

Are the TI Flats long enough to go through the body on the G&L? I've been wanting to try them out, and this concern is the only reason I haven't done so yet.

A bit of thread hijack, I know... Thanks for bearing with me. :hiding:
 
#11
Long enough, maybe, but I strung through the bridge as the B string is too thick to pass through the body.

I've not noticed any lack of sustain or other other detriments from stringing though the bridge. I was told that flats don't like to be bent at a sharp angle either, so bridge stringing works better in that respect.
 
#13
Sounds like the set up took a little time to settle in. Also, because you weren't as hyper aware of expecting one thing or the other often affects approach and playing.

I use flats on my Hofner but they're just too dull otherwise -- even on the vintage P which is "that" sound.

Speaking of which, I had a set of nickels on the P for YEARS and they had that nice dead thump but started to fray and I had to replace them. :bawl: It's been 4 months with the new set and they're just starting to calm down.
 
#14
I'm a big advocate of flats. I've used them for many years now, and I've been playing since 1963. I use RotoSound RS77LDs on all my basses. Vintage P, vintage jazz my fretted and fretless Sting Rays and a variety of Drake Customs, both fretted and fretless. I stretch them well when strung new and they seem to "settle in" right away. The tone is exceptional and much more punchy than any round wounds I've ever played. I think the punch partially comes from the fact that the string tension is greater on the flats, leaving less flab in the sound. Eliminates more over-ring from excessive string vibration. Some other bassists seem surprised when I talk about the virtues of flats, but when they hear my basses and play them, they're sold on flats.

Koog.
 
#15
What you're experiencing is FSS (flatwound string syndrome)!

When you put on your first set of flats, the sound is just so different than what you are used to, you can't accept it, it just sounds wrong. The second time, you realize the feel is better, but you still think the sound isn't for you. By the third time you play them it's like a light switch going on.

I LOVE flats!!!!!! Once you lose the brightness and zing of rounds, your bass starts to sound like a bass! After some extended use you also notice your bass sits better in the mix and you can actually hear yourself more in band situations without having to be extremely loud.

Chromes are supposed to be the brightest flats. I like Rorosound Jazz 77's. A lot of people on this forum rave about TI's. La Bella's are the string of choice for Jamerson. Try em all and find the ones that work best for you, and welcome to the flat side!!!!!!

PS, I have heard from several people (secondhand) that La Bella recomends that you do not string their strings through the body.
 
#18
prd004 said:
What you're experiencing is FSS (flatwound string syndrome)!

When you put on your first set of flats, the sound is just so different than what you are used to, you can't accept it, it just sounds wrong. The second time, you realize the feel is better, but you still think the sound isn't for you. By the third time you play them it's like a light switch going on.

I LOVE flats!!!!!! Once you lose the brightness and zing of rounds, your bass starts to sound like a bass! After some extended use you also notice your bass sits better in the mix and you can actually hear yourself more in band situations without having to be extremely loud.

Chromes are supposed to be the brightest flats. I like Rorosound Jazz 77's. A lot of people on this forum rave about TI's. La Bella's are the string of choice for Jamerson. Try em all and find the ones that work best for you, and welcome to the flat side!!!!!!

PS, I have heard from several people (secondhand) that La Bella recomends that you do not string their strings through the body.
Click to expand...
That's only on certain specific string sets, not the entire line. It will have a disclaimer on the package telling you that specific set should not be monuted string -thru.
 
#19
I've tried Chromes and Rotosound Jazz Bass 77's, but since about 2 1/2 years ago I've been using LaBella flats on my two main Fenders. They sound and feel incredible. Yes, the feel does take a little getting used to, but as time goes on, your bass just sounds like a bass. I do play a lot of upright bass as well, so the flats (with the ridiculously high action that I prefer) make my electric basses feel a little bit more like my upright bass.
 
#20
Nikoubis said:
Are the TI Flats long enough to go through the body on the G&L? I've been wanting to try them out, and this concern is the only reason I haven't done so yet.

A bit of thread hijack, I know... Thanks for bearing with me. :hiding:
Click to expand...

If you are going to string through the bridge on an G&L 5 string it is worth doing the excellent 'Ken Baker Bridge Modification'. It is totally reversible so if you ever feel the need to string through again you can remove it.

http://www.bassesbyleo.com/l2500_bridge_mod.html
 

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