Geek99 Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Just tried some on a jazz bass and they were surprisingly good under the fingers Very surprised and very pleasantly so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I'd never go back to rounds. But it depends on the sound you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I had a brief honeymoon with flats but now pressurewounds are my string of choice. Best of both worlds IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aceuggy Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Would quite like to try some flats. Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1393798367' post='2384524'] it depends on the sound you want. [/quote] +1. I like both rounds and flats. Each has their place depending on the music being played. [quote name='aceuggy' timestamp='1393798959' post='2384538'] Would quite like to try some flats. Any recommendations? [/quote] I'm sure that you'll get lots of recommendations. My personal choice is TI (Thomastik/Infeld) jazz flats. They are expensive but worth it IMO. They have very low tension though, which is not to everyone's liking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I've got some Status hotwire flats on my basses. Quite nice, I wish they were a teeny little more flexible and bendy. They do sound quite nice though, not at all thuddy. Quite cheap too, £26 for a 6 string set. I'd like to try some TI flats, but I'm put off by the price (£70 for a 6 string set !!!!!!!!! ), and the B string is enormous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Laklands... About 22 quid shipped direct. Nice and warm, with clear mids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I had TI Jazz flats, now have D'Addario Chromes. Had I only ever had the Chromes, then they would be excellent, but the TI's are totes amazeballs! The only reason that I changed was I successfully broke the D string whilst playing "Hit Me" & couldn't afford another set or source a single "D". The Chromes are quite bright for flats, but they do dull down (or maybe I was used to hearing 3 1/2 year old flats). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee4 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Fender flats all the way. I tried the Status strings but found that the g was twangy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Fender flats here as well, I like their sound and feel and they're not expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I like the Status Hotwires. The Rotosounds I tried were OK but I prefer the Status, they feel and sound better to my ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) I only have two bass guitars because I want the roundwound sound and the flatwound sound. I've got a Thumb strung with Rotos '66 and a Jazz strung with La Bella 760FLs. I took both, and my double bass, to a band practise tonight and used all three of them. Can't imagine doing this band without all three of those sounds available to be honest. Edit: Forgot I've now got two basses strung with rounds. I put together a bitsa P to do that English post-punk P-bass roundwound sound. Another great classic bass guitar sound. Edited March 4, 2014 by thisnameistaken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1393893408' post='2385659'] I took both, and my double bass, to a band practise tonight and used all three of them. Can't imagine doing this band without all three of those sounds available to be honest. [/quote] I think I'd like to hear your band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Imagine what a band sounds like when the guitarist doesn't turn up and you're pretty much there. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1393812956' post='2384648'] I've got some Status hotwire flats on my basses. Quite nice, I wish they were a teeny little more flexible and bendy. They do sound quite nice though, not at all thuddy. Quite cheap too, £26 for a 6 string set. [/quote] [quote name='lee4' timestamp='1393874384' post='2385392'] I tried the Status strings but found that the g was twangy. [/quote] [quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1393877942' post='2385448'] I like the Status Hotwires. The Rotosounds I tried were OK but I prefer the Status, they feel and sound better to my ear. [/quote] Hmm thats an interesting one. I really like Status half rounds straight out of the box but wasn't as impressed with the flats. Since then I have found Status round wounds take a long time to play in but once there they are great. Maybe I didn't give their flats enough time to settle down. I'll have to dig them out and try them again. Edited March 4, 2014 by Pinball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) I have Lakland flats on my passive Lull P and it sounds fantastic. I have played this set up exclusively for 3 years..... but..... I am missing some of the dynamics I used to be able to get with my active Lakland and the DR Lo-Riders. Edited March 4, 2014 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 My first choice of flats is LaBella Deep Talking 760FLs. Quite like TI Jazz flats, too, thereafter any flats at all over roundwounds. I have been gradually stockpiling them when they come up for sale here secondhand and now have all my basses strung with flats. I went through a period of thinking I needed roundwounds to get the right kind of attack for heavy rock but, now I have changed back to flats, find I can still get all the oomph I need by changing the EQ. For me, and the sound I am looking for, nothing, but nothing, quite sounds like an old school woody Precision with flats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 i have LaBella deep talkin flats on my kelly Dragonfly and I get a really nice 'near-upright' thump - they feel great too. For gigging, I have Daddario Chromes on my fretless alembic and absolutely love everything about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1393918343' post='2385698'] Hmm thats an interesting one. I really like Status half rounds straight out of the box but wasn't as impressed with the flats. Since then I have found Status round wounds take a long time to play in but once there they are great. Maybe I didn't give their flats enough time to settle down. I'll have to dig them out and try them again. [/quote] [size=4][font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Their flats seem to have [/color][/font][font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]improved. I tried a set a few years ago and wasn't too impressed, they were dead out of the packet. [/color][/font][/size] [size=4][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I needed a 6 string set though, and there's not a lot of choice, so gambled a bit on them, but I really quite like them.[/font][/color][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I`ve got flats on one of my Precisions and really like the sound, but for the music I do, rounds seem to fit better. I`m not giving up on the flats though, tonights rehearsal is going to consist of me driving the rest of the band mad whilst I try and get the sound I want from the flats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Don't flats just work? I changed the strings on my Pbass, didn't touch anything else, and it just sounded great from the off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I keep going back and forth between flats and rounds. I love the idea of flats but rounds seem to keep winning out. Ive got a set of Chromes and TI's (missing a D string at the moment) that have been on and off my gigging bass for the past couple of years. Each time i put them on and love the tone, but then at gigs i miss the overtones. At the moment i have a new set of GHS Precision's on and to my ears these are what flats should sound like. More thump than the TI's and Chromes, and very smooth to play. I do love TI''s for their lower tension but never felt they produced the thump i thought flats should produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 [quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1394031560' post='2387127'] I keep going back and forth between flats and rounds. I love the idea of flats but rounds seem to keep winning out. Ive got a set of Chromes and TI's (missing a D string at the moment) that have been on and off my gigging bass for the past couple of years. Each time i put them on and love the tone, but then at gigs i miss the overtones. At the moment i have a new set of GHS Precision's on and to my ears these are what flats should sound like. More thump than the TI's and Chromes, and very smooth to play. I do love TI''s for their lower tension but never felt they produced the thump i thought flats should produce. [/quote] I find it a tease as well. I have 2 of the six now with rounds and 3 with flats and 1 with tapewound black nylon... that's my way round it for now lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I limit myself to one gigging bass, so for me its all or nothing. I can quite easily get by with either of course, and considering most of our set is songs from the 60-70's flats work well, but i also like to hear those overtones as well. I thought Chromes would get that but i find thme very close to dead rounds, and thats not quite the same as a nice deep thump flat string. Im hoping the GHS flats will be "the one" but i know ill eventually put rounds back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I've kept my '78 P strung with flats for a while now whilst my '74 Jazz has got rounds so I've got a nice balance of both worlds. I need flatwounds more for what I play now so I tend to lean more towards my P-Bass for basically everything when it comes to my original material, but it's nice to have my Jazz bass when I need something a little less heavy-handed, usually when I dep out for other bands. I love La Bella 760FL's. My only slight issue with them is that they do seem to lack a bit in mid range, not loads but perhaps more than other flats I've tried. I've heard Lakland flats are good in this respect so I might take a punt on them next time I need flats... probably in a few years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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