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Your favourite flatwounds for short scale?

#41
Boneless said:
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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Yes I was working on that theory sort of, short scale use thin or basically just flexible strings. Went with strings of light gauge and/or flexible construction. Short, stiff strings should be likely to work poorly, intonation, etc.

Worked out well in a Starfire II, both with La Bella LTF and Pyramid Golds. That’s 30 3/4” scale.

Didn’t work well on an EB-0, just too loose and bassy. 30 1/4” scale. I tried LTF, GHS Precision, Roto Jazz (terrible), Dunlop 40-100. What did work was GHS brite flats, which are heavier gauge but flexible due to ground wound construction. They are bright at first but mellow out nicely.
 
#43
Thanks for the advice everyone, lots of useful info here, interesting to read all the different takes on this topic. I’m thinking either LaBella LTF or DTF, although tempted to try Chromes and Pyramid Gold too. Wonder why Chromes are so divisive, they’re probably the most commonly used FW strings here in the UK. I need to do some more research on the Cobalt flats, the brightness thing they have has always put me off but it seems like some people swear by them.
 
#52
markjazzbassist said:
You could also try tape wound strings. Being in the UK the rotosounds are nice. They have a lot of bass content.
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I absolutely love tapes on a regular scale bass, I have them on my Tony Franklin fretted PJ. I tried DAddario tapes on a short scale once a while back and I didn’t like them at all on that bass, but I know the Roto tapes have a fatter tone than the DAddario tapes so they may be a good choice too. Lots of options..
 
#53
I am obsessed with Pyramid Gold flats. I have them on three of my five shorties. I play with a thin pick and I love the way they respond. There's a percussiveness (to use a weird word) to them that is unique in my experience.

Previous to getting into Pyramid Golds, I was really into LaBella DTFs. They are still fabulous strings and you can't go wrong with them.
 
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#54
Well, after much research and careful listening, I’ve ended up putting D’Addario Chromes on there, and I am SUPER happy.

Tone-wise it was a choice between those and the Labella Deep Talkin Flats. The Chromes won because I felt like the bass needed a push in the lows / low mids, and they seemed to have that low mid grunt a little more than the DTF’s. Going by what people say, I don’t know if Chromes are the perfect choice for all short scales but they have made this particular bass come to life, the low mids and thump I was missing are right there and the fundamentals are super defined and weighty. I can’t believe how much difference strings make, it’s like bringing a whole other personality out of a bass.
 
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#55
Like all my basses, I try to match the flats on my shorty's to the bass itself, and what I want to use it for. At the moment, I have... 9, IIRC... short scale basses (out of 27 or 28 - I forget). Half of them wear La Bella DTF's - usually 45-105 or so; or GHS #3020 Precision Flats (44-95). As for the rest? One wears La Bella 760FX's (39-96); one wears DR SFL45 Legends (45-105); one wears Roto TruBass 88M Tapes; and, one wears the only set of rounds in my herd - TIJR 324 Jazz Rounds. The German Hofner 500/2 Club Bass wears it's factory Hofner Flats - I think. They do seem identical in every way to the short scale Pyramid Gold Flats, though...:whistle:
 
#56
GIBrat51 said:
Like all my basses, I try to match the flats on my shorty's to the bass itself, and what I want to use it for. At the moment, I have... 9, IIRC... short scale basses (out of 27 or 28 - I forget). Half of them wear La Bella DTF's - usually 45-105 or so; or GHS #3020 Precision Flats (44-95). As for the rest? One wears La Bella 760FX's (39-96); one wears DR SFL45 Legends (45-105); one wears Roto TruBass 88M Tapes; and, one wears the only set of rounds in my herd - TIJR 324 Jazz Rounds. The German Hofner 500/2 Club Bass wears it's factory Hofner Flats - I think. They do seem identical in every way to the short scale Pyramid Gold Flats, though...:whistle:
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Have you tried the GHS Balanced Nickels? That's what I have on my short scale bass for all the reasons in the name, big round tone, and as they seat in, take on some of that organic woodiness that we all love about "golden era" Fender flats.
 
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#57
iiipopes said:
Have you tried the GHS Balanced Nickels? That's what I have on my short scale bass for all the reasons in the name, big round tone, and as they seat in, take on some of that organic woodiness that we all love about "golden era" Fender flats.
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Nope; never tried them. Probably never will, either. Nerve damage from years of riding old motorcycles that shook like a cement mixer, plus hours and hours of using a jackhammer in a combat engineering squadron, have left me with very damaged nerves in my hands and fingers. Combined with lots of frostbite, doing military stuff in very cold places? My fingers simply cannot stand round wound bass strings - at all. Some of them are much worse than others; but, except for TI's Jazz Rounds, they all feel like I'm running my fingers up and down a wood rasp. And, round wound guitar strings aren't much fun, either; which is why all 4 of mine wear flats. So, unless GHS magically turns them into flats - or tapes? Sorry; wonderful as I'm sure they are, no Balanced Nickels for me...:cool:
 
#58
GIBrat51 said:
Nope; never tried them. Probably never will, either. Nerve damage from years of riding old motorcycles that shook like a cement mixer, plus hours and hours of using a jackhammer in a combat engineering squadron, have left me with very damaged nerves in my hands and fingers. Combined with lots of frostbite, doing military stuff in very cold places? My fingers simply cannot stand round wound bass strings - at all. Some of them are much worse than others; but, except for TI's Jazz Rounds, they all feel like I'm running my fingers up and down a wood rasp. And, round wound guitar strings aren't much fun, either; which is why all 4 of mine wear flats. So, unless GHS magically turns them into flats - or tapes? Sorry; wonderful as I'm sure they are, no Balanced Nickels for me...:cool:
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I appreciate your situation. Thanks for letting me ask.
 
#59
Hi folks. I hope it's OK to run with this thread now the OP has concluded his search
Can anyone recommend flats with good mid attack that will last for years?
From reading through the previous comments, it sounds like GHS Precisions might be good for this, but I don't know how long they stay that way.
They'll be going on my 30" scale P bass.
20240130_195655.jpg
 
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#60
4 Out of 5 said:
Can anyone recommend flats with good mid attack that will last for years?

They'll be going on my 30" scale P bass...
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For a flatwound with "good mid attack" you might want to consider the Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Flats (not Cobalt). Smooth and mellow with nice midrange clarity.

The good news is Ernie Ball has just introduced a new short-scale set (45-105) of their traditional stainless steel flats.

Stainless Steel Flatwound Electric Bass Strings | Ernie Ball

I'm not quite sure how available they are in NZ at this point, though.
 
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