What are your favorite flatwound strings paired with an ebony fretboard? Tone considerations, feel, all aspects on the table here. (I have a J-Bass with frets and a maple neck and passive pickups, fwiw).
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Your favorites flats with ebony?
- Thread starter douglasbass
- Start date
The only ebony fretboard I have on a bass is my Rickenbacker 4002 (yes, "2," not "1" or "3"), even though I have two guitars with ebony fretboards that play great. From the time they were a new string until GHS quit making them during COVID, GHS Progressives in custom gauges 45-60-80-105 were the strings on that bass. I have two NOS sets left, and when they finally die, I will probably have to go with something like Pressurewounds, as they are essentially the same materials and construction.
I know. They are not flats. For flats, being a Rickenbacker, I did try a set of the Optima RB's for awhile, and yes, they capture all the golden tone from the golden era. And being flats, they last a long, long, time, which is good because of their cost.
I know. They are not flats. For flats, being a Rickenbacker, I did try a set of the Optima RB's for awhile, and yes, they capture all the golden tone from the golden era. And being flats, they last a long, long, time, which is good because of their cost.
Thanks, I also have a guitar with an ebony fretboard and GHS flat steels actually -- great sound.
Optima strings I have never heard, to my knowledge.
I do have a nearly new set of LaBella DTFs that might be good.
Fretless LaBella DTF
Fretted TI JF
Flaky answer due preference for the stiffer feel on fretless.
But the honest answer is all fingerboards sound the same when they’re plugged in. If the bass has frets.
Fretted TI JF
Flaky answer due preference for the stiffer feel on fretless.
But the honest answer is all fingerboards sound the same when they’re plugged in. If the bass has frets.
I wonder if the LaBella DTF would loosen up over time, and get a bit less slippery.
I have EB Cobalts on currently but I'm not liking the feel as they age. A tad too sticky for me. And they are 'bright' for flats.
My pickups are overwound and 'dark'; I think ebony will balance this out a bit. So the right flats are key.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I have an ebony board on a fretless 5 and TI Jazz flats sound, and feel, great to me.
Thanks, I may go with TI Jazz flats for something new/different. There might be an entire thread on those alone somewhere. (Plus I love their guitar strings.)
Well... as someone who feels that fretboards don't do much to effect the bass' tone, and who sets up most of his 26 basses to sound the best for a particular musical genre I want to play with each one? Each of the 3 Ebony fretboard basses I own, wear different strings - and one of them wears rounds. It's also the only bass that does - for several reasons. Anyway...
1. '06 Carvin LB-20. This is a very nice bass; it was actually ordered as a left handed Rickenbacker 4003 substitute, after RIC quit making leftys at the end of 2005 (and said they might never make them again). It wears 1st generation Sadowsky Blue Label Flats. It actually does sound very much like my '01 Rick 4003; I use it for much of the same '70's music I play with this Rick (I also have a '73 4001 for...older Rock). I don't take that '01 Rick out much; it's a left handed Color-of-the-Year model (Desert Gold), and if not unique? It's at least very, very rare...
2. '96 Alembic Epic. The only bass that's always finger-picked, the Epic wears TI Jazz Flats. It's the bass that I play Jazz on - or try to, anyway...
3. '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Yes, it's really a left handed Gretsch bass - the only one I've ever seen, that wasn't a '50s custom - or a conversion. It wears TI Jazz Rounds. Why? In 12 or so years of trying so many strings I've lost count, the TIJRs are the only ones that didn't sound like a hippo fart in deep mud, or - at best - a baritone guitar. It's a little bright for the Rockabilly/old C&W that I play with it, but... it's at least playable. And, TIJR's feel almost like flats, so... guess I can't complain too much...
1. '06 Carvin LB-20. This is a very nice bass; it was actually ordered as a left handed Rickenbacker 4003 substitute, after RIC quit making leftys at the end of 2005 (and said they might never make them again). It wears 1st generation Sadowsky Blue Label Flats. It actually does sound very much like my '01 Rick 4003; I use it for much of the same '70's music I play with this Rick (I also have a '73 4001 for...older Rock). I don't take that '01 Rick out much; it's a left handed Color-of-the-Year model (Desert Gold), and if not unique? It's at least very, very rare...
2. '96 Alembic Epic. The only bass that's always finger-picked, the Epic wears TI Jazz Flats. It's the bass that I play Jazz on - or try to, anyway...
3. '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Yes, it's really a left handed Gretsch bass - the only one I've ever seen, that wasn't a '50s custom - or a conversion. It wears TI Jazz Rounds. Why? In 12 or so years of trying so many strings I've lost count, the TIJRs are the only ones that didn't sound like a hippo fart in deep mud, or - at best - a baritone guitar. It's a little bright for the Rockabilly/old C&W that I play with it, but... it's at least playable. And, TIJR's feel almost like flats, so... guess I can't complain too much...
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Well... as someone who feels that fretboards don't do much to effect the bass' tone, and who sets up most of his 26 basses to sound the best for a particular musical genre I want to play with each one? Each of the 3 Ebony fretboard basses I own, wear different strings - and one of them wears rounds. It's also the only bass that does - for several reasons. Anyway...
1. '06 Carvin LB-20. This is a very nice bass; it was actually ordered as a left handed Rickenbacker 4003 substitute, after RIC quit making leftys at the end of 2005 (and said they might never make them again). It wears 1st generation Sadowsky Blue Label Flats. It actually does sound very much like my '01 Rick 4003; I use it for much of the same '70's music I play with this Rick (I also have a '73 4001 for...older Rock). I don't take that '01 Rick out much; it's a left handed Color-of-the-Year model (Desert Gold), and if not unique? It's at least very, very rare...
2. '96 Alembic Epic. The only bass that's always finger-picked, the Epic wears TI Jazz Flats. It's the bass that I play Jazz on - or try to, anyway...
3. '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Yes, it's really a left handed Gretsch bass - the only one I've ever seen, that wasn't a '50s custom - or a conversion. It wears TI Jazz Rounds. Why? In 12 or so years of trying so many strings I've lost count, the TIJRs are the only ones that didn't sound like a hippo fart in deep mud, or - at best - a baritone guitar. It's a little bright for the Rockabilly/old C&W that I play with it, but... it's at least playable. And, TIJR's feel almost like flats, so... guess I can't complain too much...
I have recently become intrigued by the idea of TI Jazz Rounds and Dogal Hellborg rounds; I'm thinking of putting them on one of my fretless basses, but I'm open to the idea of putting them on a fretted bass, too.
BTW, when Pop died, I inherited "Baby" a left-handed double bass from the mid-thirties - German made. I understand how difficult it can be to obtain (or sell) a left-handed bass!
EB cobalt flats for a little more punch
Or TI Jazz flats for a little sweeter tone.
these are both very much on the bright side of flats, but if your pickups tend a bit dark this is the way to go IMO. You can always roll back the tone if you need more thump.
Or TI Jazz flats for a little sweeter tone.
these are both very much on the bright side of flats, but if your pickups tend a bit dark this is the way to go IMO. You can always roll back the tone if you need more thump.
Such a TB answer but... TI Jazz flats work so well on my ebony fretless.
DR Sunbeams were also sweet, but scratched the wood up
DR Sunbeams were also sweet, but scratched the wood up
EB Cobalt flats are my favorite with any type of fingerboard wood; with or without frets.
