Flatwound City Limits

[risingson]

I love flatwounds but I can't merit using them on my primary bass right now... I need a bit of a rock grind, plus rounds have a bite that suits my playing well. In the near future though I'll use Thomastik flats on the Jazz bass all the time once I've got two basses!

[lee4]

Flats+bridge pup=bloody great sound.
Flats+neck pup=room filling low end.

[foal30]

good for you
Chromes on a P for me is soul city

also I find myself in agreeably with the BBC. I will not send him a photo however.

[BottomEndian]

Just as a related note, I ordered some TI Jazz Flats (43-100) from Stringbusters yesterday. They've contacted me today to let me know that there's been a manufacturing problem with a recent batch (one string in every set is dead... Mrs Endian took the call, so she can't remember which string it was... "either E or D... or G"), so they're sending them all back to Thomastik and getting replacements in about a week.

So if anyone's had a duff TI set recently, this could be the problem. Kudos to Stringbusters for actually sorting it out. A lesser retailer might have just sent them out and hoped I wouldn't notice!

[mike257]

I've got a set of Webstrings Detroit Flats on my main bass, and they're a revelation. Is there much of a step up in quality from the Webstrings to the likes of TI's D'addario, etc getting mentioned above?

[stevie]

[quote name='redstriper' post='505963' date='Jun 4 2009, 11:35 PM']Cheers Stevie (again) I'm not going anywhere...............[/quote]
There was a thread on flats a few weeks ago when Geejay (Graham) generously offered up a used set of Ernie Ball flats and I got in there just before you. He said at the time that, if I decided not to keep them, you were next in line. Well, I tried them and liked them but I just couldn't get on with the gauge - they're 55 - 110s, the equivalent of telegraph wires. They put enormous pressure on the neck and slow my playing down. I like 55- 110 roundwounds, but these are something else.

Anyway, I decided I should take the plunge and get myself some TIs. Unfortunately, when they arrived, the D was duff and I've put the Ernie Ball Chromes back on my bass while I await a replacement set. Funnily enough, this ties in with BottomEndian's post. I'll send you the set on as soon as I'm sorted and let you know when to expect them. If you try replacing the bottom three strings on your bass with the top three strings on this set, the tension and the sound won't be a million miles away from the sound of TIs. They are third-hand now, but I don't think they've been used much, as they still have a reasonable about of sparkle.

Geejay asked me to cover the postage by giving a pound the next time I passed a charity box. So that's the deal for you too. And if they don't suit you, just pass them on to someone else on the list.

[redstriper]

Nice one Stevie - you are a gentleman, I'll pm you my address unless you've still got it from the time you sent me the speakon sockets.
I have GHS 45-105 flats on my jazz bass at the moment, which have been on for about 8 or 9 years I think, (I lose track of time).
The E and A are fine, but I find the D and G a bit thin and toppy.
I've heard very good things about the TIs, although I'm surprised at the dead D because they aren't cheap and they make a big thing about quality on their website.
I was thinking of ordering some, but I'll hold on for a while until they sort the problem out.
It will be interesting to try the Ernie Ball Chromes and compare them to the GHSs, I like a very deep tone, but I also like flexible strings and it might be a case of mixing string types to get the best of both worlds.
Played in is better for me because I'm not bothered about sparkle, just deep smooth bass.

Thanks again Stevie and please let us know how your replacement TIs shape up.

Steve.

[Hodge]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='506190' date='Jun 5 2009, 10:56 AM']Just as a related note, I ordered some TI Jazz Flats (43-100) from Stringbusters yesterday. They've contacted me today to let me know that there's been a manufacturing problem with a recent batch (one string in every set is dead... Mrs Endian took the call, so she can't remember which string it was... "either E or D... or G"), so they're sending them all back to Thomastik and getting replacements in about a week.

So if anyone's had a duff TI set recently, this could be the problem. Kudos to Stringbusters for actually sorting it out. A lesser retailer might have just sent them out and hoped I wouldn't notice![/quote]


Hmmm......

I just the other day recieved two sets of TI JF344s from Stringbusters but haven't opened them yet. Mebbe I'd better get in touch with them and see if these were from the same batch before the problem was identified.

I've had TIs my main two basses for a year or two now and they still sound great. As Wateroftyne said, they're expensive to buy (30-36 quid) but last for ever.

Liamcapleton, I had doubts too about flats for rock, but they're suprisingly versatile.
If you go to the Lakland site they have sound clips of a selection of their basses playing different styles with different pick up selections and with rounds and flats too.

To my tastes the flats do slap and hard rock better than the rounds do reggae and jazz. To be honest I prefer the flats for all styles, but have a listen, you may be suprised at how well the flats can sound in a rockier setting.

And as for the feel of them, our guitarist described it as like playing a cloud. Whenever I pick up a round-strung bass now it feels like barbed wire covered in glue under my fingers.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='506190' date='Jun 5 2009, 10:56 AM']Mrs Endian took the call, so she can't remember which string it was... "either E or D... or G"[/quote]
It transpires they left a message, so I had a listen. Definitely the D that's the problem.

[Brother Jones]

I'm sick to death of flats. They have been flavour of the month for a little while, probably because the sounds people are after are increasingly nostalgic.

It's gone too far in my part of the world. Last week I tried a second hand five string (a [i]five[/i] string people!) that had been strung with flats.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='507007' date='Jun 6 2009, 02:52 PM']I'm sick to death of flats. They have been flavour of the month for a little while, probably because the sounds people are after are increasingly nostalgic.

It's gone too far in my part of the world. Last week I tried a second hand five string (a [i]five[/i] string people!) that had been strung with flats.[/quote]


My Ibanez 5's got Chromes on it. I think it sounds great!

Definitely not nostalgia for me. It just fits in better with what I want to do, and feels so much easier under the fingers.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='507007' date='Jun 6 2009, 02:52 PM']I'm sick to death of flats. They have been flavour of the month for a little while,[/quote]


Don't worry... it's just a fad. They'll never catch on in the long term.

[Born 2B Mild]

Bass wise, it's not often I experience something fundamentally new, but stringing La Bella flats on to my five string (Ibby SR505) recently has opened up a completely new feel and style zone for me. I'm lucky to play in more than one band, so I'm not foresaking roundwound rock, but it's great that I am able to add this extra dimension.

[redstriper]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='507007' date='Jun 6 2009, 02:52 PM']I'm sick to death of flats. They have been flavour of the month for a little while, probably because the sounds people are after are increasingly nostalgic.[/quote]

Funny, I feel just the same way about rounds - never liked em, never will.

[Brother Jones]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='507017' date='Jun 6 2009, 03:05 PM']

Don't worry... it's just a fad. They'll never catch on in the long term.[/quote]

You know what I mean - ten years ago hardly anyone played them. Now everyone's jumping on the bandwagon. Ah well, welcome to groupthink central..

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='507318' date='Jun 7 2009, 12:39 AM']You know what I mean - ten years ago hardly anyone played them. Now everyone's jumping on the bandwagon. Ah well, welcome to groupthink central..[/quote]

'Groupthink central'? ha ha ha. You funny man.

I've been using them exclusively for.. ooh.. eight years or so. And I'll still be using them when everyone goes back to rounds.

SHAZAM!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='507318' date='Jun 7 2009, 12:39 AM']You know what I mean - ten years ago hardly anyone played them. Now everyone's jumping on the bandwagon. Ah well, welcome to groupthink central..[/quote]
I don't think it's true that hardly anyone played them.

[redstriper]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='507474' date='Jun 7 2009, 12:44 PM']I don't think it's true that hardly anyone played them.[/quote]


I've been happily playing flats for over 30 years and I'm not the only one, although roundwounds are certainly much more common especially since Jaco showed what you can do with them.
I have a good friend who's been playing with rounds for the same time and neither of us would change - he plays jazz funk and I play reggae, we both have old fender jazz basses and neither of us are particularly nostalgic or religious about our string choice - it's simply a matter of having the right tools for the trade.
The only difference is that he likes to change strings every few weeks, while it's every few years for me.

The main problem is finding a good range of flatwounds to try.
New basses are nearly always strung with roundwounds which makes it hard to know how they will sound and feel with flats.
Maybe more new basses will come strung with flats now that they're regaining popularity and it's funny to think of people resenting it - they're just strings!

[~tl]

TI flats rock. I have them on my 4-string Precision now and it sounds and feels amazing. Still got rounds on my 5-string, since it's a much more "modern" sounding bass, but may try TIs on it at some point.

Edited June 7, 2009 by ~tl

[The Bass Doc]

Anyone out there confirm my recollection that the early imported run of Musicman Stingray basses (circa 1978) were supplied with flats as standard?

ALSO same recollection on a new (in 1976) Gibson T-bird? - I don't have the bass any more but have just rediscovered a string set put away years ago and indexed 'from Bi-centenial T-bird' - Flats with orange thread wraps.

DITTO 70s Rickenbacker 4001. I reckon they've always been around but guys re-strung so regularly and kept trying the latest products, usually rounds.

[Monz]

OK OK OK I give in

Tried to buy some today... does any of the big music store chains stock em, Nope

Has anyone got a 5 string set of flats I can buy... I need to try some if only to rule them out

I bet they will sound delish on a SR5 through a messa 200W valve amp though

Come on guys someone sell me a set

[pantherairsoft]

Wow... until readind this thread I had never even considered the use of flatwounds on a fretted bass. I have always lived by the safe knowledge that flatwounds are for fretless...

I'm interested now...

[redstriper]

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='507682' date='Jun 7 2009, 07:29 PM']Wow... until readind this thread I had never even considered the use of flatwounds on a fretted bass. I have always lived by the safe knowledge that flatwounds are for fretless...

I'm interested now...[/quote]

I always thought the opposite!
When I started playing my influences were Jaco who used rounds on his fretless and Jamerson who used flats on his fretted.

Once I realised where my style was going it was a simple choice.

[redstriper]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='507634' date='Jun 7 2009, 06:31 PM']Anyone out there confirm my recollection that the early imported run of Musicman Stingray basses (circa 1978) were supplied with flats as standard?

ALSO same recollection on a new (in 1976) Gibson T-bird? - I don't have the bass any more but have just rediscovered a string set put away years ago and indexed 'from Bi-centenial T-bird' - Flats with orange thread wraps.

DITTO 70s Rickenbacker 4001. I reckon they've always been around but guys re-strung so regularly and kept trying the latest products, usually rounds.[/quote]

I thought all electric basses came with flatwounds until Jaco came and changed the World.

[Brother Jones]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='507358' date='Jun 7 2009, 07:40 AM']'Groupthink central'? ha ha ha. You funny man.

I've been using them exclusively for.. ooh.. eight years or so. And I'll still be using them when everyone goes back to rounds.

SHAZAM![/quote]

Good for you matey.

Like many things, it's just a question of personal preference. If 'your sound' involves flats then great. What I'm concerned about is the way that less experienced players seem to be using flats because they are easier to control - in the same way that we played 30-90 Superwounds in the 80s because they had lighter tension and (often) lower action.