Rounds or flats on a fretless

[Clarky]

Simple question. I always assumed it was best to use flats on a fretless - if only not to scratch up the fretboard - but was watching the Percy Jones clip earlier and followed up by reading that he uses DR round strings. I am guessing you get a more biting attack with rounds and less slide-y/mwah-y stuff going on. As I have a fretless ebony board coming fairly soon for my Jazz I am interested in people's views here. Thanks, Clarky

[mart]

I've always preferred flats - I don't like too much zing. And after trying Thomastiks I've never looked back - I love the feel of them, and the sound.

[ikay]

Hi Clarky,

I'm a fretless novice but have tried both and much prefer flats (TIs in my case). Large factor in moving to flats was the excessive string noise I got from rounds, no doubt due to my lousy technique. Planning to try some Status grounds soon which are apparently a good halfway house. BTW anyone who says rounds don't mark an ebony or phenolic board is lying!

Ian

[BassBus]

Yeh, I think it all comes down to sound preferences to. I have tried flats, halfwound and rounds on fretless. I don't like the sound flats produce on a wooden board but I use them on my Status S2 fretless and get a lovely tone. Spose it's the hard phenolic board. I use halfwounds on wooden boarded fretless and that just opens up the tone for me. I have TI Jazz Flats on my Spectorcore which sound great. I think they lean more towards the sound of a halfwound/groundwound string though. Just don't get on with rounds on fretless, too much finger noise for me.

[EssentialTension]

I voted flats but then I always do.

TIJFs on my fretless Precision

[Cat Burrito]

Flats for me but as already been said, it depends what sound you are after

[Clarky]

Sorry - to clarify on the sound I am after, it's as a backup to a DB and not in any way as a solo Pastorius/Jones type instrument. I couldn't even come within a million miles of their technical abilities! Think Boz Burrell in Bad Company I guess, ie, unobtrusive, unflashy and blending in with the song rather than "look at me"!

From the answers (for which thanks, gents) so far it looks a clear vote for flats.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Clarky

[fatback]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1056215' date='Dec 12 2010, 05:12 PM']Sorry - to clarify on the sound I am after, it's as a backup to a DB and not in any way as a solo Pastorius/Jones type instrument. I couldn't even come within a million miles of their technical abilities! Think Boz Burrell in Bad Company I guess, ie, unobtrusive, unflashy and blending in with the song rather than "look at me"!

From the answers (for which thanks, gents) so far it looks a clear vote for flats.[/quote]

Definitely flats for what you're looking for.

Me, I find Elixir coated the best compromise for fretless. They give a nice singing tone without the aggressiveness of proper rounds and don't tear up the (rosewood) fretboards at all. But i'm not looking for an upright tone.

Edited December 12, 2010 by fatback

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Flats

on everything!

[Prosebass]

Rounds every time for me .....however
For the sound you want try these [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/622-rotosound_tru_bass_black_nylon_strings_65_115_long_scale_rs88ld"]Tru Bass[/url] I have used them on short scales and they have a lovely warm rounded tone .

[mep]

I've been using nickel coated rounds on mine and it has a great feel and great sound.

[BigRedX]

It completely depends on the sound you want.

Half my fretless basses are strung with Rounds (Pedulla Nickels, Overwater Nickels and LaBella Hard Rocking Steels) and the other half with flats (TI Jazz Flats). Also different strings will suit different basses.

If you like the sound of rounds then fit them. Unless you go mad with sideways vibrato or your fingerboard is made of some very soft wood (and therefore probably unsuitable for a fretless) you'll be fine. If you do start getting some wear that compromises the sound you can always get the fingerboard re-shot, or consider having it coated (although that will change the sound again).

Whatever you do don't compromise your sound because the right strings for the sound might give you a bit of extra fingerboard wear.

[Beer of the Bass]

I don't have a fretless any more, but my favourite strings were TI Jazz Flats, like lots of other people here. They have a bit more sustain than other flats I've tried and plenty of mids, which works well for a fretless tone. They do work best for players with quite a light touch, so they may not be for everyone. I also enjoyed Rotosound Solo groundwounds for a brighter sound.
I've never quite got what people mean when calling a fretless electric tone, "upright-like", since double bass pizz tone can be anything from a dark thud (i.e with guts or orchestral strings) through to a much more singing tone (with Spirocores etc - think Dave Holland). The Thomastik flats are closer to the latter.

[Bloodaxe]

Rotosound pressurewounds here - so Halfs. Good halfway house IMO, but they still chew up the board.

Clarky, for what you're after then flats & a bit of foam sponge wedged under the strings should give an adequately woody thump. I don't really get on with flats as they're too smooth - the Roto's have enough tooth to feel 'right' but don't drag anywhere as near as much as rounds.

EDIT:
[quote name='BigRedX' post='1056502' date='Dec 12 2010, 08:40 PM']Unless you go mad with sideways vibrato or your fingerboard is made of some very soft wood (and therefore probably unsuitable for a fretless) you'll be fine.[/quote]
I disagree with this. My SB has tramlined at the 'money end' & I'm not aware of applying bends overmuch down there. If side vibrato/bending [u][i]was[/i][/u] the cause, I'd expect there to be more tramlining up around the 7th fretline. There isn't, but there are a lot of shallow transverse scratches:



[quote name='BigRedX' post='1056502' date='Dec 12 2010, 08:40 PM']Whatever you do don't compromise your sound because the right strings for the sound might give you a bit of extra fingerboard wear.[/quote]

+100% on that one - the 'board is just another consumable in my opinion. Mine will probably need a reshoot next year.

Pete.

Edited December 13, 2010 by Bloodaxe

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='Prosebass' post='1056289' date='Dec 12 2010, 06:21 PM']Rounds every time for me .....however
For the sound you want try these [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/622-rotosound_tru_bass_black_nylon_strings_65_115_long_scale_rs88ld"]Tru Bass[/url] I have used them on short scales and they have a lovely warm rounded tone .[/quote]

Gotta agree there - from your description I'd say tapewounds will give you exactly what you're after. Give them a go!

[algmusic]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1056883' date='Dec 13 2010, 02:05 AM']Gotta agree there - from your description I'd say tapewounds will give you exactly what you're after. Give them a go![/quote]

+1

[MoonBassAlpha]

Rounds for me. I find it's nice to have the top end available for bringing out harmonics if you need to, and when you don't, you can just dial the tone down.
I think the sound with rounds has more complexity and I just find it more interesting.

[wrinkleygit]

tried Ti flats on my overwater but found the tension a little too slack, mainly on the E, tonaly the g was a little weak for me, changed over to d'addario chromes & much prefer the sound & tension of these ( about a 1/4 turn tighter on the truss rod ) although it took a few hours playing in sound wise for these to settle in. Have also now put a set of these on my sterling (fretted), great strings for jazz , blues, soul in my opinion , mike b.

[willyf87]

I use the pressure wound solos by rotosounds, sound pretty much like rounds but don't chew up the fret board as much. Give the exact sound I want on my ebony board.

[Legion]

I'm not really a fan of rounds and much prefer flats on my Sadowsky P, or on any P bass for that matter.

Oddly though I prefer rounds on my TF. Mind you they are very very dead (2+ year old Hi Beams), and thats what I like about them. I like to be able to dig in on the fretless as it gives a great tone and some noise that would be awful if it was fretted, but being fretless you just get cool woody clicks Every now and then I think I'd prefer flats and put some TI's back on it, then go straight back to the dead old Hi Beams because "digging in" with TI's means using almost no force at all.

Just gotta play around with strings to find what you like I guess.

[Ghost_Bass]

Hi, i haven't adventured myself in the way of the fretless (maybe next year is going to be the one) but i use these on my acoustic bass:

They are great for the tone you're aiming and won't get your FB wasted. The only problem with them is that their sound falls off after little more than two months but they're very cheap so it won't be a big expense.

As for rounds vs flats i agree with the "try and choose what your ears like best" theory. I'll reserve my vote for when i get my old Maison TB 5-stringer defretted and restaured.

[Fat Rich]

Status Hotwire Halfwounds on Phenolic fingerboards, they're quite bassy sounding strings and tame the brightness of the phenolic.

D'Addario halfwounds on wood fingerboards as they're a little brighter without being over the top.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Fat Rich

[JDH]

I've tried rounds, half rounds and flats on my fretless jazz. TI jazz flats do it for me!

[Bass_Guardian]

I dont have a fretless but ive voted roundowunds nevertheless

Ed Freidland swears by roundwounds for [b]every[/b] fretless he has.

And from what ive heard they sound good to me

[Mykesbass]

Had flats on my VMJ but got a set of halfwounds for when my new fingerboard comes back for my Cort, but then I'm looking for a compromise, less finger noise but a little more oomph when needed. Will have to hold fire on voting until then!