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Are Flatwounds Addictive


stewblack

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Sorry it took longer than I expected but the Olympia flats are now on. They have a little more 'ring' to them than I expected especially on the D and G strings. Also my intonation is now all to seek, so I'll need to have a play with that. But the playability is lovely and when I shove foam under them and wind back the tone pot I AM James Jamerson.

:hi:

Edited by stewblack
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I've had Sadowsky Black Label Flats on my PJ for a couple of years now but took them off last week and put the original set of Blue Label rounds back on. Yesterday they came off again and the flats went back ready for last night's Jam.  They sounded great the through the house band's rig, an old Peavey head and a Trace 4x10.  They are staying on now, so yes I'm addicted.

I also recently fitted a set of Labella 076 1954 Vintage flats to my '73 Precision but not had a chance to try them through a decent rig yet.  That pleasure awaits.

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Just now, musicbassman said:

Can someone explain the difference (if any) between flatwounds and tapewounds?

I've always used roundwounds so this is a bit of a mystery to me.

Tapewounds are wound with plastic and are usually roundwound under the tape ...

http://www.bassstringsonline.com/Black-Nylon-Tapewounds_ep_49-1.html

daddario-bntw03.jpg

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Update. The Olympia flats have been on my Aria for a few days and sadly I seem to have one duff string. The E string is less resonant, has less sustain than the rest and try as I might I cannot sort the intonation. All the others I've adjusted without bother and they are clear and beautiful sounding, a real chime to them, but the E is going back. sad face.

Edited by stewblack
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26 minutes ago, kevvo66 said:

That's a bit pants 😕

I'm going to look on it as an opportunity to see how good the seller's after care is. If all is dealt with well I will definitely be buying more from them. The good strings are very good.

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Since I discovered flats I've never been tempted to return to rounds, (20+ yrs). I have Labella on my Mustangs and Hofner, both model-specific sets. To my ears they have a special warmth, and give the bass a voice of it's own, not just a guitar in a lower register. Add to that the smooth feel and don't forget the longevity. There are those of course that want the zing of rounds and that's OK.

The trick with flats is discovering the right ones for you, gauge, tension, feel and tone, and for each particular instrument.

Edited by grandad
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In answer to the original question, the answer from me I`m afraid is no. I`ve just bought a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats on here, and whilst I love the feel of them I just can`t get the sound I want. I`m sure that for anything other than what I`m currently doing they would be fine, and have to admit they`re great for playing along to music on Youtube etc, but they wouldn`t work for the sound I have in my band. Shame, really nice strings, super comfy to play.

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That seller is Advantage Music and they also have some flats at a tenner a pack! But I can't vouch for them although I'm happy to try them out, here's a link to the ones I bought

 

EDIT: that tenner is an auction sorry to mislead the forum.

Edited by stewblack
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On 20/01/2018 at 14:42, EssentialTension said:

Tapewounds are wound with plastic and are usually roundwound under the tape ...

http://www.bassstringsonline.com/Black-Nylon-Tapewounds_ep_49-1.html

daddario-bntw03.jpg

 Thanks for that pic, I was thinking about removing a bit of the rubber on every string to let it  be in touch with the metal saddle of the bridge. I have them on a Corvette fretless and I love the way they feel and sound, but it has passive pickups and an active -noisy MEC- preamp, and sometimes it's noisy. The strings are not to blame, but it may help a little. 

I have D'A Chromes on a Vantage P bass and love it, Thomastik flats on my old cherry Streamer and love them, and the tapewounds on my Corvette. Other basses have rounds, but I love the tone and feel of flats. 

There's a mistake I keep doing, though. Now I know I have to play a bass or set of strings for at least a month to really know how I feel about it, and how I can make it sound. I am an amateur player, of course, not playing four hours a day, but it is something important I have to remember from time to time. Of course, that helps me bond with my basses strongly, as everytime I grab one I haven't played for some time it just feels and sounds uncomfortable to me, but then I keep playing for some days and magic happens 😄 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been using flats for the past 15 plus years. What started out as an experiment resulted in all of my basses having flats, TI Jazz flats, fitted. I now find it most uncomfortable playing a bass with round wound strings. I guess I am hooked and will just have to live with it. In my opinion the older the strings get the better they seem to sound, my 1977 Precision has a set that are over 10 years old.

I don't play slap but would guess that these are not ideal for that style, if you like a more vintage bass sound, something like 60's Motown, Paul McCartney etc then it is probably worth giving them a go.

i did fit a set of labella tapewound to a Brandoni accoustic bass and I'm rather pleased with them at the moment, but not pleased enough to change fron flats on the various electric basses.

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