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Your favourite flatwounds for short scale?

#21
I tried the Dunlops and the TI's. Not on short scale, but I dunno why it would matter incrimentally all that much. Anyway, settled on the Dogal carbon steel flats for 34 scale---unreal strings. I am interested in trying the Magma flats---their SS rounds are awesome.
 
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#22
sethlow3 said:
Based on what you’re saying, La Bella.

I also like Chromes.
They get a weird rap on here, but after they die, they keep great tone… and I am a low mids junkie.

I love the super lights on fours.
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I want to love Chromes, they feel good and have a cool silk color, but the tone, argh, that metallic tin sound they make drives me crazy
 
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#23
Pyrrho Epoche said:
I tried the Dunlops and the TI's. Not on short scale, but I dunno why it would matter incrimentally all that much. Anyway, settled on the Dogal carbon steel flats---unreal strings. I am interested in trying the Magma flats---their SS rounds are awesome.
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You were able to get dogal flats to work on a short scale? Do you have pics of the wrap at the tuners? I want to try them.
 
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#25
From the tone you are after the LaBella DTF shorts should be good. Note if it is string through body, the -MUS labella’s may fit better.

I tried TI flats and LaBellas. I settled on EB cobalt flats because I like the tone. The labellas feel amazing and play great but a just a tad too dark for what I wanted. (Perfect for say, Motown though).
 
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#27
klattman said:
From the tone you are after the LaBella DTF shorts should be good. Note if it is string through body, the -MUS labella’s may fit better.

I tried TI flats and LaBellas. I settled on EB cobalt flats because I like the tone. The labellas feel amazing and play great but a just a tad too dark for what I wanted. (Perfect for say, Motown though).
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I have the LaBella MUS’s on my Mustang. To my ear, they sound like what you’re looking for (Jazz, Motown, B15, etc.).
 
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#29
I’ve busted open long scale flats (labella, others) on a short scale at the tuning peg. Many of them don’t like being stressed if the flat wraps are winding the tuning posts.
For flats I try to get the right length.

though I’ve had a set of long EB flats on my string through 30” scale and they are ok even though cranked around the peg.
EB makes 30” short scale flats now but those are too short for string through.
 
#30
Pyrrho Epoche said:
klattman said:
You were able to get dogal flats to work on a short scale? Do you have pics of the wrap at the tuners? I want to try them.
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No, like I said, i have a 34 scale. If you can get Dogal flats for short scale, I would definately try. Not sure if they work.

Ok, not finding any short scale flats dogal makes. I see what you are saying.
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There is a Dogal Jaco set in Hoefner length, the JC106CH, and one short-string set in the Traditional System Flat Wound line, the R45.
 
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#33
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#37
Similar feel to 45-105 Dunlops + low mids = La Bella 760FL.

GHS flats probably also great, but I haven't tried them in short scale. The E on the La Bellas is excellent for short scale so it's hard to recommend anything else.
 
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#38
Beware of tension problems. On my Guild Starfire I (which really wants medium-scale strings), I have tried:

- GHS Precision flats
- Ernie Ball Group IIIs
- Pyramid Gold 40-100 flats
- Optima Chromes
- LaBella DTF extra light (.039-.096, I think)
- Thomann flats (actually not that bad! €15!)

The only strings that sounded sort of right on that bass were the LaBella DTFs (but they were too thin, the G and D strings buzzed a lot against the bridge saddles giving a bit of a sitar sound when digging in). All the others, to different degrees, had E strings sounding weird (chorusy, badly intonated, really unpleasant overtones). Pyramid Golds are the ones that managed to sound the best, and they're still not quite there (but they take a looooong time to settle in; also, they bring out a really nasty dead spot at F# on the E string). The worst offenders were the Optima Chromes and the GHS Precision flats.

Yes, I crimp my strings when I install them and I ensure they aren't twisted once tuned. On my other short scale, a Höfner Club, I have TI flats and they have a perfect E string (and they really work well on that bass). I have a hunch that the thinner the strings, the better they sound (on a short scale). By the way, all of these strings sounded better tuned a whole step sharp.
 

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