Jazz bass with flats

[Ricky 4000]

I know I'm a late developer, but I've just accidentally discovered playing funk with flats on a J bass.

All 3 knobs turned up full, and straight in to my cheapass Behringer 802 USB mixer, using channel #1 for some boost from the mic' pre, and half a turn on the compressor.

Playing along to this through a high pass filter. It's so down and dirty, playing it in my Larry Graham (modified) style, I feels like a wild animal, and it sounds... it sounds exactly like the smell of sex.

Many thanks to the BCer who recently put me on to Betty Davis. I have the album now on Spotify. 👍

[paul_5]

It’s great isn’t it? I love flats on a Jazz.

[Reggaebass]

All my jazzes have flats or tapes, out of 13 basses only 1 has rounds and that’s my P 🙂

[hooky_lowdown]

@Ricky 4000 Which flats are you using on your jazz?

[Skinnyman]

You mean there are people who put rounds on a jazz?

Perverts.

Mine has worn the same pair of d'addario chromes for the last six years and just sounds better and better.

 

[Grahambythesea]

All Jazz has flats, it’s what makes it a Jazz. Something to do with the odd tuning of brass instruments. 🎷

[Sibob]

I never liked flats on a Jazz, neck pup sounded great, bridge pup less so IMO, hence why I stick to flats on a P and rounds on a Jazz lol

Si

Edited May 27, 2019 by Sibob

[chris_b]

I tried flats on a passive Jazz that I owned a few years ago. While it sounded pretty good, it brought the sound of the Jazz too close to the sound of my P bass. I ended up going down the traditional route with flats on the passive P and rounds on the active J.

[CameronJ]

I feel like if/when I finally get a proper jazz-type bass, I may put flats on the J and keep rounds on my P(s)!

Edited May 27, 2019 by CameronJ

[Ricky 4000]

8 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

@Ricky 4000 Which flats are you using on your jazz?

A good question. They came on the bass. Green silks and coloured ball ends. Probably not expensive.

I wonder if somebody can identify them? 👍

[hooky_lowdown]

7 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

A good question. They came on the bass. Green silks and coloured ball ends. Probably not expensive.

I wonder if somebody can identify them? 👍

Fender flats, they are pretty good.

[Reggaebass]

7 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

A good question. They came on the bass. Green silks and coloured ball ends. Probably not expensive.

I wonder if somebody can identify them? 👍

They look the same as  my fender flats 🙂

[Soledad]

2 hours ago, Sibob said:

hence why I stick to flats on a P and rounds on a Jazz

me too - EB Cobalts on the P, D'Addario rounds on the Jazz. I could see a day I'd put cobalts on the Jazz too, but the P + flats is a perfect fit I reckon. 

[SpondonBassed]

8 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

Mine has worn the same pair of d'addario chromes for the last six years and just sounds better and better.

I've got them on the Squier VM Jaguar.  Lovely and compliant.

[Marvin]

I've got D'Addario Chromes (flats) on my jazz. It sounds great.

Although...the rounds I had on my jazz were SO old that the Chromes sounded very bright initially.

[Ricky 4000]

3 hours ago, Marvin said:

I've got D'Addario Chromes (flats) on my jazz. It sounds great.

Although...the rounds I had on my jazz were SO old that the Chromes sounded very bright initially.

That's a thing, I dunno if these Fender flats will soon lose the "bite" that they have at the moment...

[paul_5]

I like a bit of bite from my Jazz so I went for the Ernie Ball Cobalts - perfect mix of thump and bite when I dig in.

[Reggaebass]

17 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

That's a thing, I dunno if these Fender flats will soon lose the "bite" that they have at the moment...

I’ve had mine on for about 2 years and they haven’t really changed much tone wise , maybe mellowed a bit, which I like,    but they are on a jazz I don’t play constantly , probably around 6 hours a week , my main jazz has tapewounds 🙂

[Ricky 4000]

6 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I’ve had mine on for about 2 years and they haven’t really changed much tone wise , maybe mellowed a bit, which I like,    but they are on a jazz I don’t play constantly , probably around 6 hours a week , my main jazz has tapewounds 🙂

What sort of sound do the tapewounds have, RB?

I think Teebs has some black ones, but I figured that's an S&M thang...?

Edited May 27, 2019 by Ricky 4000

[Skinnyman]

7 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

 

I think Teebs has some black ones, but I figured that's an S&M thang...?

Eeeeewww.

 

[Reggaebass]

2 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

What sort of sound do the tapewounds have, RB?

I think Teebs has some black ones, but I figured that's an S&M thang...?

😂.     The D’Addario tapes I’ve got have quite a deep warm sound but still clear, definitely not zingy, absolutely perfect for reggae 🙂

[chris_b]

22 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

What sort of sound do the tapewounds have

The flats I've used have a great, thick, warm, chewy, fat and thumpy sound with most of their energy centred in the low mids. They don't always sound great on their own but in a band they just fit right in.

They sound like this

Sean Hurley (including a great insight to playing a band @ 4.36)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsApLu5TF6I

 

Mike Leech  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_eVcCAUXo

Bob Babbitt  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM

 

[project_c]

Daddario tapes on P’s, J’s and PJ’s all the way for me. I don’t slap but I don’t think tapes would be ideal for slap, they have a very dark and juicy tone for finger style, and they’re great for digging in, but they don’t have that metallic sound at all, it’s a much more subtle tone than that. I love them though, if it wasn’t for tapes I don’t think I’d be able to play the music I like playing, I swear by them.

[CameronJ]

@project_c where do you you buy your d’addario tapes from?

[Teebs]

13 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

I wonder if somebody can identify them? 👍

If tuned correctly, I imagine they're E A D G (from left to right in the photo).

Hope this helps

Edited May 28, 2019 by Teebs