Flats - why do many rave about them

[EssentialTension]

10 minutes ago, shoulderpet said:

You're brave putting 760FS on an acoustic

 

It was a fretless Takamine B10. It was no problem and made the bass sound even more like an upright.

[Bunion]

Just now, EssentialTension said:

It was a fretless Takamine B10. It was no problem and made the bass sound even more like an upright

I had bad G.A.S. for one of those at one time they are beautiful basses and sound wonderful I hope it didn’t play well or it may start up again 😄

[EssentialTension]

Just now, Bunion said:

I had bad G.A.S. for one of those at one time they are beautiful basses and sound wonderful I hope it didn’t play well or it may start up again 😄

 

 

 

[Bunion]

😩

[RhysP]

On 15/01/2022 at 14:10, EssentialTension said:

 

I'm surprised you call Roto 77 Jazz flats low tension. To me they always seem to be high tension.

I found that with the Rotosound flats too.

I couldn't even stay in the room with them, the tension was unbearable.

[EssentialTension]

5 minutes ago, Bunion said:

😩

 

Good luck with the GAS!

[Bunion]

Pfft

[nilebodgers]

On 15/01/2022 at 14:10, EssentialTension said:

 

I'm surprised you call Roto 77 Jazz flats low tension. To me they always seem to be high tension.

I stuck 40-100 Roto 77s on my USA Jazz and the tension feels pretty much identical to the 45-105 stainless rounds that were on there before. The truss rod didn’t need touching.

 

[EssentialTension]

44 minutes ago, nilebodgers said:

I stuck 40-100 Roto 77s on my USA Jazz and the tension feels pretty much identical to the 45-105 stainless rounds that were on there before. The truss rod didn’t need touching.

 

 

So are you saying lower tension or higher tension?

[nilebodgers]

4 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

 

So are you saying lower tension or higher tension?

Maybe a fraction higher for the flats, but close enough that the playing feel isn’t too different. I looked at the Rotosound string tension info and deliberately chose a slightly lighter set of flats than my usual rounds to keep the tension down. This is how it has played out in practice.

[Bagman]

Put LaBella Flats on my L2 Steinberger today and it’s Smooth Sailing

 

Lovely stuff

[wintoid]

1 hour ago, Bagman said:

Put LaBella Flats on my L2 Steinberger today and it’s Smooth Sailing

 

Lovely stuff

 

Oh really?  So there are double ball end flats, or some sort of adapter for normal strings?

[Sardonicus]

I have Elites Detroit Flats on my Jazz and I love them, it was only supposed to be a temporary thing but they're staying on for good. 

 

I would love to try a set of La Bellas but they're a little too rich for my blood, the Elites are only £27.99 on Strings Direct and that's more my budget.

[rmorris]

On 29/11/2021 at 22:40, wateroftyne said:

IME for the last 20 years or so, whenever there’s been a discussion about flats,

someone has always piped up to say they’re a fad 😄

 

Fair point. But I have noticed more discussion of them last few years.

On a related note - ime there was a good deal of discussion / debate some years ago on 'Pressure Wound' and 'Ground Wound' options. But I don't see them discussed much these days ?

[wateroftyne]

21 minutes ago, rmorris said:

 

Fair point. But I have noticed more discussion of them last few years.

 

As a flats user of 20 years or so, the chat has been pretty steady for the last decade, I reckon.

[stevie]

During a previous discussion about flats on here some years ago, there was mention of Status flatwould strings, which are sold direct and are half the price of the usual brands. I've used TI flats before, but the price is a bit eye-watering nowadays. So I thought I might try the Status ones. Any recent experience?

[Geek99]

Colour me interested also 

[EssentialTension]

19 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

 

As a flats user of 20 years or so, the chat has been pretty steady for the last decade, I reckon.

 

It's been about twenty years of flats for me too.

 

Two factors among others in the increase in use of flats are:

1) The internet has allowed the growth of bass forums, such as Basschat and Talkbass, where strings get discussed and people are encouraged to try new things e.g. flats.

2) The growth of the internet has also led to great and easy availability of a wide range of strings, ready to be purchased at the press of a button, whereas the old shops stocked a very limited range of strings and mostly not flats.

 

Some might want to call it a fad, but flats are not going away.

[Linus27]

On 18/01/2022 at 19:13, nilebodgers said:

Maybe a fraction higher for the flats, but close enough that the playing feel isn’t too different. I looked at the Rotosound string tension info and deliberately chose a slightly lighter set of flats than my usual rounds to keep the tension down. This is how it has played out in practice.

 

Yes, this is exactly the same for me, I also chose the lighter gauge of Roto 77 Flats and found the tension to be a smidge higher but pretty much close to a set of rounds. I'd tried flats a few times before and could not get of with them due to the higher tension but found the lighter gauge Roto 77's were pretty much identical to a set of rounds.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Linus27

[Sardonicus]

Flats were the original strings that would've came on the first Fender basses, therefore they are not a fad, they are the original, never bettered, bass strings.

 

Does this mean that rounds are a fad?

[shoulderpet]

56 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

 

Yes, this is exactly the same for me, I also chose the lighter gauge of Roto 77 Flats and found the tension to be a smidge higher but pretty much close to a set of rounds. I'd tried flats a few times before and could not get of with them due to the higher tension but found the lighter gauge Roto 77's were pretty much identical to a set of rounds.

According to the Rotosound webpage the 100-40 flats are a few ibs heavier tension than there Swingbass 105-45 strings, there 105-45 flats are around 214ibs tension but they feel when heavier as they are quite stiff strings 

[nilebodgers]

After a bit of time playing them, I'm really enjoying flats. The smooth slideyness is really comfortable to play.

 

It's not a sound that would work for everything, but it sits well when the bass is required to be supportive rather than up front.

[scrumpymike]

Just as an aside, I find that my life as a total flats player is made much easier because my basses have 3 pickups (selectable singly or in any combination) and my amp has 2 channels.  I don't do pedals but my set-up gives me a massive tonal palette without ever losing that more substantial/thicker/rounder/warmer/fatter (pick your own word!) character that's built in to flats.

[Sardonicus]

1 hour ago, nilebodgers said:

 

It's not a sound that would work for everything, but it sits well when the bass is required to be supportive rather than up front.

 

I agree 100%, I play in a church worship band and my job is to lay down fat supportive bass lines, there's no room for `bassletics' when praising the Lord, it's all about Him, not me 👍

[EssentialTension]

3 hours ago, Sardonicus said:

Flats were the original strings that would've came on the first Fender basses, therefore they are not a fad, they are the original, never bettered, bass strings.

 

Does this mean that rounds are a fad?

 

Yes, Fender basses were factory-fitted with flats from the beginning until the late 1970s.