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Basses with flats in clean amps?


gorandelac

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I'm not trying to rise the dust here, but seem p-basses are getting more famous everyday, and specially flatwound strings.

So just wanna know why some people use pbass (or any high-end bass) and flats and then have clean amps and cabs, like Barefaced, Bargantino or Vanderkley. It's like you don't want to hear all those frequencies on your bass, but on you amp it should be crystal clear. I tried flats, wasn't my thing, I have two Barefaced cabs, so I know what they can produce, I have also Fodera MG5, 2x Alembics (Series 1 and Signature Balance K body), Fbass AC5, Moollon B524, Yamaha BB series, Fender jazz bass 1966.

I know it's good for certain songs, and it would probably sound better on Ampeg SVT. Just don't know why are people killing their bass sound with flats, specially on high-end basses, and I know it's modern today to sound vintage, but sometimes it's just doesn't sound nice.

So just to hear you thought on that.

 

Thanks

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I’ve tried flats many times and just can’t get them to work for me, but then I play punk and rock so in general not the right tools for the job. The only time they fitted well for me was in a band where we had 2 basses, I played the lower register with clean flats, Motown type lines, the other bass was higher register with driven rounds, like New Order. Worked well and if I ever play Motown or similar I’ll head back to flats as for me that style of music lends itself to the thud of flats.

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Depends on flats - LaBella deep talking bass are a whole different kettle of fish to TI’s. Not all flats are the same just as not all round wounds are the same.

Some people will say a fretless is not for metal/rock - plenty of examples of non-ballads using them

Clean Amps with an intelligent EQ can bring out what you need.

Realistically - to prove it disprove, you would probably have to try out a load for yourself if you want

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Just now, Cuzzie said:

Depends on flats - LaBella deep talking bass are a whole different kettle of fish to TI’s. Not all flats are the same just as not all round wounds are the same.

Some people will say a fretless is not for metal/rock - plenty of examples of non-ballads using them

Clean Amps with an intelligent EQ can bring out what you need.

Realistically - to prove it disprove, you would probably have to try out a load for yourself if you want

Yea, Probably they are just not for me, I tried a bunch of them... Not on all my basses, but I'm just not the guy for it, just wondering, why flats on clean amps, do you really need 16khz speaker for flats? :)

 

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I use flats on my P bass. . . . and I've got a lump of foam under the strings. I happen to like that Duck Dunn, Bob Babbitt, Willie Weeks sound and the music those guys made with that set up. On the other hand I mainly gig my active Jazz bass with zingy rounds. I only own clean sounding amps. Can't stand woolley sounding gear.

I think it's possible to like both/all  ends of the tone spectrum.

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1 minute ago, fretmeister said:

Your personal opinion has no bearing on the personal opinion of other players.

 

That's it.

I know but it was like asking, what do you like in them, I'm not against them. Just don't understand using clean amps to have that sound on bass... just that, maybe flats are not only they use, so when they are on roundwound, then they need clean amp...? Just a question.

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Just now, gorandelac said:

Yea, Probably they are just not for me, I tried a bunch of them... Not on all my basses, but I'm just not the guy for it, just wondering, why flats on clean amps, do you really need 16khz speaker for flats? :)

 

There is so much at play here, pick up hotness, tone knob, bass pre amp.

As an example the Stellartone  Tonestyler can add a bit of ‘grit’ to a tone. I use it with flats, clean for a nice slightly bitey tone for want of better words.

Another bass pick ups really likes flats, it just takes its response and I works better clean or dirty.

All variations on a theme

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2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I use flats on my P bass. . . . and I've got a lump of foam under the strings. I happen to like that Duck Dunn, Bob Babbitt, Willie Weeks sound and the music those guys made with that set up. On the other hand I mainly gig my active Jazz bass with zingy rounds. I only own clean sounding amps. Can't stand woolley sounding gear.

I think it's possible to like both/all  ends of the tone spectrum.

Perfect answer, yea I don't do that kind of music so, it's probably that I try them in different situation, it would be different to my ear. thanks

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I think modern amps tend to have a cleaner sound with more headroom and they allow people to hear their flats better than ever - they don't/shouldn't sound just like 'dead' strings, they have a rich and deep sound that is better reproduced by a modern HiFi amp in my experience. I actually find the treble component essential in making a great flat sound because the strings produce some bright clank which gives some definition, if you let it.

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2 minutes ago, ped said:

I think modern amps tend to have a cleaner sound with more headroom and they allow people to hear their flats better than ever - they don't/shouldn't sound just like 'dead' strings, they have a rich and deep sound that is better reproduced by a modern HiFi amp in my experience. I actually find the treble component essential in making a great flat sound because the strings produce some bright clank which gives some definition, if you let it.

Yea, I need to check that thread about flats again... :)

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I have a P bass with flats and often play through my "clean" amp. I sometimes add drive. I like the sound of the flats clean, it has a character that the same bass can't reproduce with rounds. I also like the same bass and amp with nylon wrap strings. The bass sounds OK with rounds but I've got other basses that sound better with rounds, so horses for courses. Though my p bass with flats does sound flipping amazing through an Ampeg SVT and 8x10 I like a clean amp anyway. If I want it to sound like something else I'll use an amp emulator off my multi fx and/ or other effects. 

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1 hour ago, gorandelac said:

I know but it was like asking, what do you like in them, I'm not against them. Just don't understand using clean amps to have that sound on bass... just that, maybe flats are not only they use, so when they are on roundwound, then they need clean amp...? Just a question.

It's just one of those really subjective things where no explanation will help.

 

You don't understand it like I don't understand the perverts who put pineapple on pizza!

 

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Yep only use La Bella flats on all my basses. Mainly Fender P’s but also on a Sandberg,  Stingray and a Jazz. Play through either DB751 or Handbox R400 into Barefaced 610 or Big twin and the sound is epic. Playing in Foos tribute and it works beautifully. What a sound and it’s just there. Used to only use Bass Boomers but I just didn’t realise flats weren’t just THUD. Sounds is killer. 

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2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

It's just one of those really subjective things where no explanation will help.

 

You don't understand it like I don't understand the perverts who put pineapple on pizza!

 

It’s almost essential on a pizza! 😉

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As said before, it depends on the brand of flats and the sound that you are after. I play with quite a bright, percussive sound and I couldn't get it right with the stock D'addario rounds so changed to a set of D'addario flats which are quite bright and middy.

I am very happy with the sound I have now.

The only bass I have ever owned that sounded dreadful with flats with my MM Sterling and that was using Chromes as well. It sounded dead boxy and crap and I could not coax a decent sound from it at all and ended up using EXL roundwounds on it.

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A little pineapple on a ham pizza - very nice, it's a little zing on top of the smooth ham & cheese.

Another flats fan here, a touch of compression, dip the mid's a bit and find that rich, warm, creamy smooth  tone that sits comfortably in the mix rather than cutting through.

But each to their own.

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