Flats are off

[BabyBlueSound]

Alright alright they're not technically flats but I got to show this to everyone now!

 

Tapes with a nice leather pick. Smooooooooth tone!

 

[Stub Mandrel]

I have labella tapewounds on an acoustic. Still stiff but much nicer feel thsn fender flats.

[RichT]

8 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I have labella tapewounds on an acoustic. Still stiff but much nicer feel thsn fender flats.

 

Really? I've had a couple of sets of LaBella white tapewounds before now and they're the most flexible strings I've ever used by a country mile. They make TI Jazz flats look stiff. 

[RichT]

On 11/06/2025 at 08:23, Marvin said:

I restrung the Squier P bass last night. I replaced the Fender flats with some Ernie Ball Super Slinky rounds.

 

There is a change in tension, not huge but noticeable. I've always used D'Addario in the past, but I really like these EBs. For rounds you don't seem to get a lot of finger noise and they feel quite smooth for. 

 

For what I'm doing now, I think I'll stick with rounds.

 

I've posted on here on the past about how I liked D'Addario rounds and I kill EB Slinkys within a week... however, a couple of years have passed and as is often the way I've now done a complete 180 on this opinion! I've been putting EB Slinkys on everything where I need rounds and have come to love their sound, including crucially the way they age.

 

It may be due to me moving almost exclusively to short scale, but at 30" scale I now find D'Addarios and Elixirs are a bit pingy and insubstantial on the lower frets of the E string, like they produce odd harmonics that overshadow the fundamental or something. The Slinkys sound a lot more solid in that range. Plus they also have the smoother feel so less finger noise and chewed up finger tips. 

[Stub Mandrel]

8 hours ago, RichT said:

 

Really? I've had a couple of sets of LaBella white tapewounds before now and they're the most flexible strings I've ever used by a country mile. They make TI Jazz flats look stiff. 

 

Only stiff compared to rounds.