grayn Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Up until last saturday and after about 40 years on the bass, for the first time, I tried flatwound strings. They were on a nice Gretsch Goldtone bass. I'd read a lot of people, saying they go very well, on my recently acquired, Epiphone Allen Woody bass. And I really fancied taking it to the next level of 60s retro-ness. So I got some short scale, D'addario Chromes, flatwound strings and put 'em on, this evening. Funny thing is, it's one thing trying someone else's bass, with different strings but when you put flatwounds on a bass you've been playing a lot, with roundwounds, it does take some getting used to. The sound is really, very different. You lose some ring and bounce and perhaps a little definition. But you gain a solidity and smoothness and that lovely retro thump. Yes, I'm warming to them, it'll probably take a few more days and a little amp fiddling to really use them to their best. Definitely feel I've made a good decision though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 It's not at all uncommon with flats for the strings to start to sound (even) better after a few weeks on the bass. So persevere with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1370980713' post='2108321'] It's not at all uncommon with flats for the strings to start to sound (even) better after a few weeks on the bass. So persevere with them. [/quote] +1. In all honesty, I can't really see me ever going back to rounds. I know it's very much "horses for courses" and all that, but I really [b]DO [/b]wish I'd at least given flats a go 2 or 3 decades earlier than I did. Still, better (very) late than never I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grayn Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thanks guys. I've read that before, about them getting better with time. Sounds cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Flats are great and I often switch between rounds and flats depending on which band I'm gigging with - I think I need a second bass again Stick with the flats IMO it's one of those sounds live which you just cant beat and for all the definition lost you get a real meaty bass sound which just sits in there and works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyonbass Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 I hav a Red Lakland 44 - 64 PBass that sits right in front of my livingroom chair, that has flats on it, I've gigged w it twice since I got it in 2020...I've learned that since this is my "around the house Bass" that when I go back to my Custom Fender "Adam Clayton" Jazz Bass and my #1 Bass, my Hamer Cruise (it's sounds like a Ric 400/1 and plays like buttuh) that both hav rounds on them, that my Basses w rounds don't feel right? Honestly, I'm not in Geddy A&M any longer and I actually enjoy tha Heck outta FLATs. Everybody is playing FLATs - the way that i kno that FLATs are back is bc they cost more than ROUNDs...betta git urself a set...string one w ROUNDs and the other w FLATs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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