Best flats for a P Bass guys and gals?

[Mr Fretbuzz]

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1373471411' post='2138032']
I've got Fender flats on a couple of my fretlesses. I find them not as smooth as the ones on my other fretless which I bought off ebay with the strings already on. Don't know what they are but they have black silk. Anyone know what they might be (with apology for the hi-jack)
[/quote]

Not sure but maybe La Bella 760 Black Nylon Tapewound ?? which are suitable for Fretless apparently

[Mr Fretbuzz]

As the Am Std P Bass nut is cut for .045, .065, .085, .105,... I'll probably get La Bella 760FS Standard Flatwound for about £36 or GHS Precision Flats PFM Medium for about £29.50 as they are an exact fit... or get both, stick one set on my Squire and compare them for feel but they would bound to sound different owing to Bass quality.

[AntLockyer]

I have the 760FS in my American Standard. But had no issue with .055 - .105 in my Squier Jazz.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1373565693' post='2139156']
Not sure but maybe La Bella 760 Black Nylon Tapewound ?? which are suitable for Fretless apparently
[/quote]
They have dark purple silk.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1373471411' post='2138032']
I've got Fender flats on a couple of my fretlesses. I find them not as smooth as the ones on my other fretless which I bought off ebay with the strings already on. Don't know what they are but they have black silk. Anyone know what they might be (with apology for the hi-jack)
[/quote]
La Bella 760FS have black silk.

Lakland Joe Osborns also have black silk.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1373565225' post='2139149']
They are the number 1 seller Drakers with Thomann.. 3000 sets sold but I read that there is a query over tension?
[/quote]
I'm not sure what you mean by 'there is a query' but TI Jazz Flats are very low tension.

[lee4]

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1373463124' post='2137867']
For £20 I like the Fender Flats.
[/quote]
+1 here.Good value and a good sound.

[yepmop]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1373570915' post='2139222']
+1 here.Good value and a good sound.
[/quote]

I have and use fender flats very nice and an excellent price if you shop around, Amazon sometimes do them for £15. But for me, LaBella's just have that nice bottom end that the fenders lack a little (to my ears anyway).

[Greggo]

I've been tempted to try flats for a while now, especially now I have a 2nd and third bass. I've got an Ibanez Roadstar II (similiar shape to a modern Ibanez SR300) which puts out slightly too much treble even with tone rolled off, so thinking a set of flats might sweeten the deal a little bit.

Ive seen the fender flats cheap, but I've read that they have a fairly high tension? I have this bass strung 45 - 105 with a low action, but I understand same guage flats have a higher tension and can be harder to play at first.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1373621344' post='2139687']
I've been tempted to try flats for a while now, especially now I have a 2nd and third bass. I've got an Ibanez Roadstar II (similiar shape to a modern Ibanez SR300) which puts out slightly too much treble even with tone rolled off, so thinking a set of flats might sweeten the deal a little bit.

Ive seen the fender flats cheap, but I've read that they have a fairly high tension? I have this bass strung 45 - 105 with a low action, but I understand same guage flats have a higher tension and can be harder to play at first.
[/quote]
Gauge alone is no guarantor of tension one way or another.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1373622752' post='2139710']
Gauge alone is no guarantor of tension one way or another.
[/quote]

Can I ask a stupid question re tension? Does tension largely affect playability or are there major sound differences too? It's been said above that the TI flats are low tension and possibly looser to play. Does that add clank or excessive noise to the sound? I forked out for La Bella flats and had to change them after a few days due to what I found to be excessive tension. I thought a dogdy neck might be the problem, but they weren't a whole lot better on a perfect neck either.

[Sibob]

Bear in mind the Lakland strings are made by GHS (99% on that), so if you can't find the Laklands, try sourcing GHS .

Si

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='pobrien_ie' timestamp='1373624644' post='2139742']
Can I ask a stupid question re tension? Does tension largely affect playability or are there major sound differences too? It's been said above that the TI flats are low tension and possibly looser to play. Does that add clank or excessive noise to the sound? I forked out for La Bella flats and had to change them after a few days due to what I found to be excessive tension. I thought a dogdy neck might be the problem, but they weren't a whole lot better on a perfect neck either.
[/quote]

Well, there's a large element of personal preference in it. Some people rather like the higher tension of La Bella flats (although they are not particularly high tension). Other people like the lower tension of TIs. Either way you can change the feel of the string under your fingers (that's compliance by the way not tension, the tension does not change) by where you play with your right hand - over the end of the fingerboard for more compliance or over the pickup or close to the bridge for less compliance. The tension however stays the same as long as the string is tuned to the same pitch.

Lower tension does not cause clank unless your bass is not set up properly and/or you are digging in too much.

Different strings have different tones - at least in a loose sense - but there is no direct link between tension and tone.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1373639058' post='2140040']


Well, there's a large element of personal preference in it. Some people rather like the higher tension of La Bella flats (although they are not particularly high tension). Other people like the lower tension of TIs. Either way you can change the feel of the string under your fingers (that's compliance by the way not tension, the tension does not change) by where you play with your right hand - over the end of the fingerboard for more compliance or over the pickup or close to the bridge for less compliance. The tension however stays the same as long as the string is tuned to the same pitch.

Lower tension does not cause clank unless your bass is not set up properly and/or you are digging in too much.

Different strings have different tones - at least in a loose sense - but there is no direct link between tension and tone.
[/quote]

Cool. Thanks for the informative response. I'll take some time to digest this properly.

I'm just back from leaving a bass at a luthier (DW Guitars) where I got some interesting facts about the tension differences between flatwounds and roundwounds. Interesting stuff.

To the OP, sorry for hijacking the thread!

[Maude]

I have Chromes on my P bass and love them, but on the strength of some opinions in this thread I have just ordered a medium set of Laklands to try on my Yamaha Bex 4.
If they don't suit I'll put them on my fretless P

[Telebass]

[quote name='Drakers' timestamp='1373559640' post='2139082']
Mr Frettbuzz,
The absolute best, THOMASTIC INFELD made I think in Austria. I was faced with the same dillema but since I found these I wouldn't use anything else.
The downside is they are expensive, I think I paid about £40 for the set about a year ago.
[/quote]
+1.
Used on Precisions (JF344), Mustang (JF324), and Alien (trimmed 344s, will restring with 324s eventually).

[Roger2611]

I have put Fender flats on both My Precision's and my Precision Lyte I really like the sound but I am not entirely convinced with the feel of them, if I try to slide on the strings it feels like if I go too far the heat generated will give me a blister...does that make sense? Anyway I have another set ready to put on my fretless but I have held off because the idea of the fretless is to be able to slide into the notes, I am not going to want to be sliding round on these strings if it is going to cause blisters.

So I am a bit unsure at the moment

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1375039936' post='2156085']
I have put Fender flats on both My Precision's and my Precision Lyte I really like the sound but I am not entirely convinced with the feel of them, if I try to slide on the strings it feels like if I go too far the heat generated will give me a blister...does that make sense? Anyway I have another set ready to put on my fretless but I have held off because the idea of the fretless is to be able to slide into the notes, I am not going to want to be sliding round on these strings if it is going to cause blisters.

So I am a bit unsure at the moment
[/quote]
Less pressure for a lighter slide and less friction burn.

[Lozz196]

I`ve a set of GHS Precision Flats on the way, will update once on the bass and have used them with my band.

[fretmeister]

I got some Chromes today. Only had half an hour with them so far but I like them much more than the Roto Monels I was using.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1375043258' post='2156140']
I`ve a set of GHS Precision Flats on the way, will update once on the bass and have used them with my band.
[/quote]

Got them today. Best feeling flats I`ve had so far, and look nice as well, not too shiny, plus have very nice purple silks on the end. Soundwise, well I`ve not used them with the band yet so can`t comment. I don`t want to formulate an opinion based on home use, as what I want with these is to have a solid low end, really locking with the kick drum and not straying into the higher frequencies. If they do that, then I`ll be happy.

[JapanAxe]

No hijack intended, but would the alleged higher tension of, say, the Rotosound 77s be an advantage for the low B on a 5-er?

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I haven't tried flats before but I'm going to give the La Bella Deep Talkin 760FS standard a go :-)

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1375786179' post='2165478']
Thanks for all the recommendations. I haven't tried flats before but I'm going to give the La Bella Deep Talkin 760FS standard a go :-)
[/quote]

I've had them before - I like them a lot too.

Still in love with my Chromes though!

[Mr Fretbuzz]

I don't mind the feel of them and they certainly sound different on my 15 w practice amp... They seem to have less sustain than rounds which helps in the damping department but I'm having trouble getting any harmonics below fret 5 even though I've rolled the tone up...