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 yet 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 now 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.

Edited Saturday at 08:19 by Misdee

[Agent 00Soul]

16 hours ago, Misdee said:

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.

 

That explains a lot.  The mid-80s was when I first started playing bass.  I got so sick of being unable to sound like the stuff I liked, even after a revolving door of basses and amps, that I just quit.  In the late 90s, with bands like Stereolab and Air as well as Serge Gainsbourg and the "Melodie Nelson" bass sound as a talking point, in the magazine interviews and also musicians on the ground, everyone seemed to be saying said flats on the bass were the crucial ingredient.  So I bought a set and that was the sound I hadn't heard before on one of my instruments.  I played non-stop until Covid, age, and changing countries more or less put me out of action.  But the vast majority of players I interacted with in those decades, used flats too - even for hard rock and psych.

Edited Saturday at 12:18 by Agent 00Soul

[chris_b]

18 hours ago, Misdee said:

When I finally got some TI flats about ten years ago it was a revelation. . . .

 

+1

I put flats on my PJ5 at about the same time. My first set since the 60's. I'm now also using TI flats and love the feel and sound.

[PaulThePlug]

Flatwound Strings have a more prominant 'Fundamental' than Rounds,

and thus when 'seen' by the narrower magnetic field of a Single Coil rather than the parallel coils of a conventional humbucker give a more articulate note, than the more smeared mix of Rounds seem by two rows or magnets/windings.

 

2 of my Passivated Ibbys, an SR300 with Maida Vale Stack Coil pickups and a SR400 with Dimarzio Twin Coil Jazz pickups, along with the 38mm Nut and sleek neck give a great Jazz Bass-esq playing experience with a lovely worn pebble body and without that funny lump.

 

My 2 Actual Jazz Bodied Basses are PJ's.

 

Recommend you (your friend...) give Flats a whirl, and Adagio Flats at £18ish are a real good toe-in-the-water place to start. I have em on a few...

Edited Saturday at 16:44 by PaulThePlug

[Papabull]

Thanks all and especially Paultheplug for such a detailed explanation. Really appreciated .....

[AlexDelores]

21 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Flatwound Strings have a more prominant 'Fundamental' than Rounds,

and thus when 'seen' by the narrower magnetic field of a Single Coil rather than the parallel coils of a conventional humbucker give a more articulate note, than the more smeared mix of Rounds seem by two rows or magnets/windings.

 

2 of my Passivated Ibbys, an SR300 with Maida Vale Stack Coil pickups and a SR400 with Dimarzio Twin Coil Jazz pickups, along with the 38mm Nut and sleek neck give a great Jazz Bass-esq playing experience with a lovely worn pebble body and without that funny lump.

 

My 2 Actual Jazz Bodied Basses are PJ's.

 

Recommend you (your friend...) give Flats a whirl, and Adagio Flats at £18ish are a real good toe-in-the-water place to start. I have em on a few...

The cheap flats I’ve just put on my Jazz bass are these Adagio ones and they’re really nice. Better feel to me than the Fender Flats I’ve previously used. But, for whatever reason I now have a bit of a rattle on my A string when played open. Can only assume it’s because they’re lower gauge, so sitting lower in the nut and not giving any break angle to the string post? Maybe 🤷‍♂️

 

 It’s not awful though. But, the strings are really nice on my jazz. Keeping them on I think, assuming I can get the rattle sorted. 

[Agent 00Soul]

I've tried lots of string brands over the years.  Here are some of my experiences off the top of my head, if they are of any use to any one.  I didn't include stuff I don't remember any more or are discontinued.  Also to note, unlike a lot of flat players I change string sets when they wear out.  In no particular order:

 

Sadowsky - best strings over all in both sound and how long they last, but expensive

Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Nickel - the most comfortable to play and sound great, long lasting but when they die they really die

La Bella Deep Talkin' - sounded great on the hollow bodies but a bit muddy on the solid body, but I replaced them with...

Pyramid Gold - my hollow/semi-hollows are strung with these, very long-lasting but also expensive

Rotosound Jazz 77 - the closest flat I've found to a round wound twang and treble, stiffest tension but worth it if you want the sound without the grinding and fret noise

Rotosound Tru Bass - tapewound but sound like flats, surprisingly bouncy sound on a P-bass

D'Addario Chromes - deep bouncy sound but wear out too quickly

GHS Brite Flats - nothing special

 

[obbm]

2 hours ago, Agent 00Soul said:

I've tried lots of string brands over the years.  Here are some of my experiences off the top of my head, if they are of any use to any one.  I didn't include stuff I don't remember any more or are discontinued.  Also to note, unlike a lot of flat players I change string sets when they wear out.  In no particular order:

 

Sadowsky - best strings over all in both sound and how long they last, but expensive

Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Nickel - the most comfortable to play and sound great, long lasting but when they die they really die

La Bella Deep Talkin' - sounded great on the hollow bodies but a bit muddy on the solid body, but I replaced them with...

Pyramid Gold - my hollow/semi-hollows are strung with these, very long-lasting but also expensive

Rotosound Jazz 77 - the closest flat I've found to a round wound twang and treble, stiffest tension but worth it if you want the sound without the grinding and fret noise

Rotosound Tru Bass - tapewound but sound like flats, surprisingly bouncy sound on a P-bass

D'Addario Chromes - deep bouncy sound but wear out too quickly

GHS Brite Flats - nothing special

 

Have to agree with you about Sadowsky strings.  Until recently I had original Blue label flats on my Metro HPJ for the last 10 years.  They have just been replaced with the newer formulation Blue label.  I have also put the latest Blue labels on my MM USA Sterling.  When funds allow I shall get a set for my '71 Jazz.  Very happy with them.

[Bagman]

I'm using Labella Flats on my 71 Jazz , very smooth 

 

I never tried the old Sadowsky Blue flats but I have a New set on my Tobias and very good indeed

 

I liked GHS flats on a fretless Jazz I had.