yet another flat string query

[Paul S]

Hi all.

I've just acquired a Westone Thunder 1A. I want to put flats on it - currently use TI Jazz flats on another bass and am loving them. However. For my new band we detune a semitone (playing heavy-ish classic rock stuff) and I think they are loose enough as it is. I've had a read through some older posts but just can't get my head around what I would need from the bewildering choice out there. Do I need a thicker guage to compensate for detuning a bit? As far as I can see Tomastik don't do a thicker guage (or do they?) Or would the different tension in a different make, say la Bella, make enough difference?

help!

[EssentialTension]

You're correct, Thomastik don't do different gauges. I use TI Jazz Flats on my fretless with a D-tuner and on the odd occasions I drop the E string to D it copes but I don't know that I'd want it that loose all the time. You might be better off with something a little more tense such as ... well, any flatwound compared to the TIs.

[Clarky]

If you go to Stringbusters website [url="http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?MAIN=http://www.stringbusters.com/ko-kat/BASS%20STRINGS/LA%20BELLA/"]http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?...NGS/LA%20BELLA/[/url] you will see there are a few different gauges of La Bella Flats (all codes start 760F). The standard gauge ones (45-105) are thicker than TIs and would almost certainly in my view take slight downtuning. The really heavy Jamerson ones ( 52-110) would definitely take it but are thick as transatlantic cables to my hands!

Edited April 9, 2010 by Clarky

[Paul S]

Thanks for that. Looks like La Bella standard flats are the way to go then - though out of stock at the moment.

Possibly a stupid question but would extra long ones be ok - is it just a question of winding them round more?! They are the same price.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Paul S' post='801131' date='Apr 9 2010, 06:24 PM']Possibly a stupid question but would extra long ones be ok - is it just a question of winding them round more?! They are the same price.[/quote]
With flats, it can be risky to wind the unsilked portion of the string due to greater likelihood of breakage. I wouldn't recommend it - nor through-body stringing.

[noelk27]

[quote name='Paul S' post='801131' date='Apr 9 2010, 05:24 PM']Thanks for that. Looks like La Bella standard flats are the way to go then - though out of stock at the moment.[/quote]

Maybe not. If you're thinking about La Bella Deep Talkin' flats, these will certainly feel stiffer than your current TIs, but La Bella is what I'd reference as being a medium feel, where TI is a soft. If you want a stiffer string then D'addario Chromes are what you'd reference as stiff, and Dean Markley flats as very stiff.

[josh3184]

I was wondering essentially the same thing as Paul S but never got round to making a thread, so thanks Paul Seen Status strings mentioned too, how does everyone think they'd handle down-tuning?

[Paul S]

Hmm, never straight forward is it. A bonus is that the D'Addarios 50-105 are in stock... but they aren't really cheap enough to start experimenting with on a whim.

Just a thought - when I bought my Scavenger bass it was already strung with some gorgeous but quite heavy and stiff flats - they are still on there and a different feel entirely to the TI Jazz flats. They have black silk at the business end and a brass ball at t'other end - would this be a clue as to what they are?

[josh3184]

Bump

[Paul S]

As they were in stock and I didn't want to hang around for the La Bellas I bought D'Addario Chrome flats, 50-105. One set will go on a bass with regular tuning, the others will be detuned to E# - basses are similar so it should be a decent comparison. I'll report back when I get them back from the set up/clean as to how the detune affects tension etc.

[josh3184]

brilliant, thanks

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='Paul S' post='808109' date='Apr 16 2010, 10:21 AM']As they were in stock and I didn't want to hang around for the La Bellas I bought D'Addario Chrome flats, 50-105. One set will go on a bass with regular tuning, the others will be detuned to E# - basses are similar so it should be a decent comparison. I'll report back when I get them back from the set up/clean as to how the detune affects tension etc.[/quote]

Pretty sure E# is an F, and you really bend E[sup]b[/sup]

[Paul S]

Doh! :blush:

[Paul S]

Partial update.

Got both basses back yesterday afternoon and took one to rehearsal last night. Westone Thunder 1A dropped a semi-tone. Compared to the Tomastik flats on my Fender Jaguar, which I had been using previously, the D'Addario chromes were MUCH better. The extra guage and obvious tension in the strings made playing feel more natural. We also drop down the E to D for 'Slither', so I effectively dropped down to C# - handled it nicely.

I can still make no comparison with same strings played with regular tuning but as it was last night was a big improvement.

Have to add I am loving the Thunder 1A bass, too. Exactly the right sound I have been chasing when used active but rolled back a quarter turn. And it is a joy to play.