Most Round-Like Flats

[Schlippy]

Late to the party but another +1 for the Ernie Ball cobalt flats, had some on a short scale for maybe eitheen months now and they've still got plenty of top end left, I remember posting here when I first got them how impressed I was with the tone after they'd broken in. I've got another shortie with some (admittedly 2.5 years old at this point) D'Addario XL nickels which essentially sound like flats now, the cobalts have aged a helluva lot better than them.

 

Edit - the one potential downside with the cobalts (and all pressure/ground-wound pseudo-flats in my experience) is that they can be pretty abrasive on your fingertips if you're prone to sweating or play often in humid conditions. It's something I've never experienced with the mirror-finish you get on "true" flats (LaBellas especially) so I assume it's something to do with the process of transitioning a standard roundwound into a hybrid. Might just be me tho, I am a bit of a sweaty Betty as our 'Strine chums would say.

Edited June 29 by Schlippy

[dmc79]

Still a bit on fence with flats after a couple of months. I’m aware that you’re supposed to give them time, but does the sticky / grabby feeling ever go away? 
 

I’ve used Fast Fret a couple of times, it doesn’t seem to make that much difference. Perhaps Fender 9050L flats aren’t as glassy smooth to the touch as others. They feel ok when moving about quicker, but if I hold & sustain a note for a few seconds, the finger really gets stuck on the string.
 

Is this just something you have to put up with when playing flats, or is it more that others are just smoother so it’s not an issue? I believe Chromes have a similar slightly grabby feel, but I pretty much ruled them out earlier anyway. Wondering about trying Ernie Ball stainless steel Group or TI Jazz. Are these smoother & less grabby? I’m sure La Bellas are nice and smooth but also ruled out as not the tone I’m after. Thanks  

 

 

 

 

[Lozz196]

From recall the most comfortable flats I’ve used were Dunlops. I’ve never consciously noticed a grabby feel on any but maybe the Dunlops don’t have it and that’s why I found them so nice to play. 

[ghostwheel]

3 hours ago, dmc79 said:

Wondering about trying Ernie Ball stainless steel Group or TI Jazz. Are these smoother & less grabby? I’m sure La Bellas are nice and smooth but also ruled out as not the tone I’m after. Thanks  

In my (admittedly short) experience with Fender 9050, they didn't feel much different to Ernie Ball Group flats. I've got two sets of Ernie Ball Group III on two basses, and to me, they feel and sound very good. I play with a lot of slides and small corrective movements, for those being fretless basses. It might feel different on a fretted one though. My only fretted bass is a Stingray strung with Cobalt flats.

I think it might also be about one's mind-set. Mine was "it will work whatever effort it needs".

 

P.S.: Dunlops are fine, but they also are bloody expensive. They feel a bit smoother though. Each to their own.