Anyone here not a fan of flats?

[gjones]

I don't really like the feel or sound of flats. a few ears ago I bought a bass with a set of flats on them. I took them off and kept them in a draw. Occasionally I'll take them out and fit them to one of my basses, then realise they sound too indistinct and woolly for me and put them back in the draw.

Maybe they are just not very good strings. They have gold wraps at the headstock end, anybody know what make they might be?

[Davo-London]

IS NO-ONE LISTENING?

I said that I don't like flats.

I have nickel rounds on any bass with strings!

HOWEVER, even though I don't like anything about flats (feel, tension, sound) I do like the 750Ns.

Most of the posts here rant about their pet hates with flats. I agree with all of them - that's the whole point.

Am I going mad ...

[dannybuoy]

You post a thread titled "Anyone here not a fan of flats?" then get annoyed when people come in to confirm that they are not a fan of flats?!

BTW, tapewounds are roundwounds under the wrap, perhaps that's why you like them!

[kodiakblair]

Beat me to it dannybuoy

[blue]

I think flats are great, I don't use them, but they have a unique mojo all to their own.I could see using them at some point in the future if they were really necessary or requirement.

My statement is not entirely true. I forgot my German made Hofner Limited Edition Club Bass with Cavern Club PU spacing has flats. It's a really fun bass to play. I'll probably will gig with it this weekend.

Blue

Edited February 16, 2017 by blue

[Lozz196]

I`m not a fan of flats for my needs, but think they sound great when used in genres that they fit well, ie Motown.

[Rich]

[quote name='Davo-London' timestamp='1487204442' post='3238098']
IS NO-ONE LISTENING?

I said that I don't like flats.

I have nickel rounds on any bass with strings!

HOWEVER, even though I don't like anything about flats (feel, tension, sound) I do like the 750Ns.

Most of the posts here rant about their pet hates with flats. I agree with all of them - that's the whole point.

Am I going mad ...
[/quote]
Ah right. Well if you'd said that you were only interested in your own opinion, we wouldn't have bothered. Sorry.

[Barking Spiders]

I recently changed one of my two fretlesses and my Aria Pro II to flats and am well chuffed with the change in sound. Flats on the Aria give a deeper 'feel' rather than sound so are great for playing classic Stax etc. On the fretless I now prefer the sound and feel to rounds. Plus the tones don't dull after several weeks of daily use. They're crap for slap though.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Barking Spiders

[Coilte]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1487192632' post='3238005']
If I am honest, I don't really understand flats, if a sound is too bright you back the treble or tone off a little?
[/quote]

IMO no matter how much EQ you apply, you will never get rounds to sound like flats.

Personally, I like both rounds and flats. For the latter I use TI's.

[Davo-London]

Thanks Dannybuoy for explaining that tapewounds are really roundwounds. This explains a lot.

Sorry for the rant.

Davo

[ubit]

I realise flats have their place. Certain sounds call out for flats, but it's just not my taste. I love the sound of clean clear new rounds. There's a kind of resonance and harmonic , that you hear with a new string and they feel great!

[Conan]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1487246060' post='3238315']
Ah right. Well if you'd said that you were only interested in your own opinion, we wouldn't have bothered. Sorry.
[/quote]

Excellent response!

I only use flats (LaBellas) on my fretless, but have often thought of giving them a try on one of my J basses. I might give these N sets a look...

[grandad]

Nowadays we are so lucky to have the choice of such a variety of strings compared to what was available in the 60's. And it's different strokes for different folks.

But it's impossible, and to expensive, to try out every make and experience the subtle differences between them. And that's where this forum is a god-send. The information on all string makes is here to research. Takes a bit of time but it's here with useful links to comparison charts and plenty of personal opinions.

As much as I enjoy and exclusively use flats I don't HATE round-wounds. Probably like most of us the latter is where I started from. Then I tried nylon and then discovered flats purely by accident as they were on a 2nd hand Tokai SG I bought around the turn of the century. They will remain on it and are mellowing nicely.

The real challenge for us bassists wrt strings is settling on a particular type for the music we play and sound we want. Also, not one type will suit/feel/sound the same for every instrument. I have different flats on each instrument I own.

To address the point of the post, why not temper today's personal preference and choose to enjoy the variety and difference if only by proxy.

Edited February 17, 2017 by grandad

[radiophonic]

The main problem I have with flats is that they don't sound like rounds! In their own way they are fine and I really like the thumpy double bass type tone I can get, but swapping basses mid set (fretless) means a big change in sound. Even Cobalts - which are supposed to be bright - don't really cut it. I may have to suck it up and put rounds on the fretless. I should possibly get a cheaper fretless though. Not sure I want to carve up the Jazz.

[NancyJohnson]

Many moons ago, my first bass had flats on it. When I broke a G-string, the local guitar place only had rounds so being the poor lad that I was, I just bought a round G. I spent the next few weeks playing almost exclusively that string in awe of its zingy characteristics.

With this in mind, I never played flats after those strings came off. Why would I want my bass to sound like it had year old rounds on it?

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Davo-London' timestamp='1487204442' post='3238098']
IS NO-ONE LISTENING?

I said that I don't like flats.

I have nickel rounds on any bass with strings!

HOWEVER, even though I don't like anything about flats (feel, tension, sound) I do like the 750Ns.

Most of the posts here rant about their pet hates with flats. I agree with all of them - that's the whole point.

Am I going mad ...
[/quote]

Thread title fail.

[Painy]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1487339539' post='3239127']
Many moons ago, my first bass had flats on it. When I broke a G-string, the local guitar place only had rounds so being the poor lad that I was, I just bought a round G. I spent the next few weeks playing almost exclusively that string in awe of its zingy characteristics.

With this in mind, I never played flats after those strings came off. Why would I want my bass to sound like it had year old rounds on it?
[/quote]

Not really flats vs rounds but does remind me of the first time I ever changed strings.
My first bass was a Hohner B2a bought second hand and I guess the strings that came on it were pretty old already but the chap selling it included a new set of Elites double ball ends. I kept the old strings on for a good while and at that stage (with nobody to guide me otherwise) I was cutting all the mids and treble on the amp, boosting the bass, rolling off the tone and playing with my thumb over the end of the fingerboard because, well "it's a BASS".
When I noticed the strings were looking a bit gunky I decided to change them. Put the new strings on and actually thought that "weird metallic twangy sound" meant that there was something faulty with the new strings so swapped them back!

A few months later my friend showed me the Year and a Half in the Life Of... Metallica videos and there was a bit with Jason soundchecking where you could hear his bass clearly solo'd. I realised that the mids and treble were how you could actually hear the notes that he played (I hadn't heard ...And Justice For All yet) so I put the new strings back on. Ever since then I've just preferred a bright, aggressive sound when playing with a band. Other people seem to make flats sound really good but when I tried them with my band recently it was just mud .

Edited February 17, 2017 by Painy

[Coilte]

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1487325352' post='3238917']
The main problem I have with flats is that they don't sound like rounds!
[/quote]




Problem....?... They are FLATS !!!....they are not meant to sound like rounds. They are meant as an alternative.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Coilte

[ubit]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1487343277' post='3239167']





Problem....?... They are FLATS !!!....they are not meant to sound like rounds. They are meant as an alternative.
[/quote]

Exactly ! If flats sounded like rounds, we would just be talking about " strings "

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1487343277' post='3239167']
They are FLATS !!!....they are not meant to sound like rounds. They are meant as an alternative.
[/quote]

It's amazing isn't it that despite 50 or 60 years of string innovation, coatings, wraps, hex/circular cores, freezing them, boiling them, groundwinding them (and so on), the battlefield really just still comes down to flats vs. rounds.

You know, I'm generally interested in putting a set on my Precision if only to try and calm down the toppy frequency. A test if you will.

[NancyJohnson]

Yikes. Why so expensive?

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1487575868' post='3240774']
Yikes. Why so expensive?
[/quote]

On the plus side, a set will last you years. My TIs have been on for 7, and 20+ is not unheard of!

[fftc]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1487155714' post='3237531']
I [i]really[/i] dislike flats, but in my case it's because of the feel. I hate the smoothness, they feel almost slimy. Weird I know, but they make me want to wash my hands. I'm not happy unless I've got windings under my fingertips. Which is a shame, because flats can sound great.
[/quote]

For me that 'slimy' is 'silky' and I love it. Slides are much more fun on the lovely silky smoothness!
Fender 9050CLs for on mine. Not too pricey either.

[quote name='Davo-London' timestamp='1487204442' post='3238098']
IS NO-ONE LISTENING?

[/quote]

This is a forum. You don't expect people to actually read the posts, do you?

[Coilte]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1487575868' post='3240774']
Yikes. Why so expensive?
[/quote]

Perhaps as an initial payout...yes. However, as dannybuoy says, the fact that they last a loooong time, makes them cheaper in the long run.

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1487584202' post='3240840']
Perhaps as an initial payout...yes. However, as dannybuoy says, the fact that they last a loooong time, makes them cheaper in the long run.
[/quote]

Anyone got a decent set that's only been on a bit that they're getting shot of? Precision length. I'm actually quite tempted, bit for the price. I could be converted to the dark side. I've just put a fresh set of Nanowebs on my P. It'll be a few months.