Flats on a fretted Jazz bass.

[paul_5]

Jaco only needed Rounds...

[Misdee]

You've also got to bear in mind, modern amps and cabs can make any bass with flats sound different to the olden days when valves and boomy cabs were the only option. There's an awful lot of  hi-fi bass rigs about nowadays that can give a much more precise and detailed version of the flatwounds sound. That clarity, power and punch can negate some of the reasons why bassists ditched those strings in favour of roundwounds.

[Beedster]

15 minutes ago, Misdee said:

You've also got to bear in mind, modern amps and cabs can make any bass with flats sound different to the olden days when valves and boomy cabs were the only option. There's an awful lot of  hi-fi bass rigs about nowadays that can give a much more precise and detailed version of the flatwounds sound. That clarity, power and punch can negate some of the reasons why bassists ditched those strings in favour of roundwounds.

This ^

[ossyrocks]

I'm off out being the house bass player at a funk jam tonight. I had toyed with the idea of taking a P bass with recently installed rounds (which I don't normally use), but have settled on a Jazz with LaBella flats, just because I don't get to play the jazz live so much, and it just sounds great with these strings on it. I agree with @Misdee too, amps have much more influence/affect over tone than they used to. Tonight I will be using a GK Legacy 800 into a Barefaced cab, and I'm very much looking forward to it. 

[AlexDelores]

I put a £20 set of flats on my MIM Jazz on Tuesday night and so far, they’re actually pretty good. 
 

I’m pleased to say that the bridge pickup didn’t instantly stop working the minute they were fitted too, and when I picked it up on Wednesday, it hadn’t turned into a P Bass 🙏

[Stub Mandrel]

On 27/08/2025 at 20:39, Papabull said:

Is this taboo. Asking for friend. Be as opinionated as you want and tell it as you see (hear) it.

 

No. Is this a troll?

[Papabull]

No.  just a question really. PS I'm not sure what a bass troll is !!

[StingRayBoy42]

As others have said, put whatever strings you want on whatever Bass you want.
Different strings (sort of) suit different types of music but as someone above said, rules are there to be broken - if it sounds good, it is good.
I have TI flats on my Jazz and they sound great.

I think I'll play it tonight, actually!

[Stub Mandrel]

38 minutes ago, Papabull said:

No.  just a question really. PS I'm not sure what a bass troll is !!

 

It's ok, people sometimes ask a question in a deliberately provocative way in order to fire a heated discussion (i.e. fishing for comments, trolling by comparison with fishing using a lure).

 

 

 

[jay bass]

I remember reading somewhere that My Generation By the Who  was recorded using  a Danelectro longhorn bass?

il have to try and find the article.

Regarding flats on a jazz bass , i always use flats on my jazz bass  , just prefer the sound personaly, i suppose it depends what type of sound you are looking for.

[Frank Blank]

On 27/08/2025 at 20:39, Papabull said:

Is this taboo. Asking for friend. Be as opinionated as you want and tell it as you see (hear) it.

 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Papabull said:

No.  just a question really. PS I'm not sure what a bass troll is !!

One with a deeper voice, or who types a bit harder 

[Aidan63]

I actually liked groundwounds a lot when I tried them on mine, different attack to the flats, so much so, I cut them down and tried them on my Lionel fretless, now also sold, but I still have the strings if anyone wants to try them on a non through body strung shortie (ie not a Mustang) with 4 in a row headstock, though I guess you could also fit them on a 3+1 or 2+2 headed shortie.

[Agent 00Soul]

All my basses are strung with flats, including my Jaguar which has the same pickups as a Jazz.  Rounds and grounds just didn't do it for me.  I'm in a bit of a musical bubble here where we all use flats, but I'm assuming from the amount of stuff for sale that the vast majority of players use rounds primarily?

[Misdee]

I remember when no one used flats, back in the '80's and early '90's.  At that time flatwound bass strings were something they had in the old days, like rickets and diphtheria. Definitely to be avoided.

 

It all changed with PIno and that Voodoo album. Nowadays everybody has to have a Precision with flats on. It's become another bass playing tyranny.

 

When I finally got some TI flats about ten years ago it was a revelation how much fun they were to play and how I could accurately emulate bass parts I'd been playing right but that didn't sound like the original. More than anything, the different attack and decay you get on flats compared to roundwounds made all the difference.