I want to complain

[redstriper]

Why are almost all new basses supplied with round wound strings when lots of players don't like them and they make the instrument sound completely different than with flats?

Why is it generally presumed everybody wants a zingy modern tone?
If you play reggae or old school soul, country or blues and you want a new bass, you have to guess what it will sound like after you change the strings.

Am I alone in wanting to audition basses with flat wound strings?
I think suppliers should offer a basic choice of string types and shops should have models with both flats and rounds in proportion to their public demand.

Not all bassists want to play metal or sound like Jaco............ do they???????

Has this poll been done before and if so what were the results and if it's a while ago, have opinions changed?

Edited February 28, 2011 by redstriper

[Ou7shined]

I like both - but with different situations/basses. Flats for a whumpy P tone and rounds for... well... just about everything else.

I guess most folk prefer rounds that's why they do it.
Also maybe the manufacturer thinks that the supplied strings represents the sound they want their product to be associated with.

[Darkstrike]

I'm a fan of rounds, flats, tapes, and halfwounds.

Still, the VAST majority of bassists prefer rounds, so rounds are what come stock on most instruments.
When I bought my Squier VM Fretless Jazz, the shop had already changed the strings to TI Jazz Flats, which was pretty awesome.

As for the genre deal, I was speaking to a bassist lately, between sets at a bar gig, he was playing Irish music, with a real fat, thick, deep, smooth tone, total buttery reggae tone. He was playing a Trace rig, with a Stingray(pre-EB 2-band red/maple, fwiw), and rounds, told me he just can't stand flats. It was really odd, but dang was it incredible sounding.

[lettsguitars]

flats are more expensive. nuff said. there in it for the money mate, not to make you happy.

[Blademan_98]

I prefer flats but as stated above, the rounds are cheaper.......

[bartelby]

I use both. Flats on my P and fretless basses and rounds on the actives

[Lozz196]

My preference has always been rounds - Rotos to be precise, as don`t really like any other brands.

However, now have a set of D`addario Chrome flats on one of my Precisions, and they encourage me to play in a different style, more motown/reggae-ish sounds.

So, essentially, tools for the job. Roto rounds fit my general style of playing/music better (punk/heavy rock) which is why I prefer them. If I joined a motown or reggae band, flats it would be.

[The Burpster]

Flats for me....

Roundworms what are they......?

[gafbass02]

Rounds for me....

Flatwounds, what are they....?

[Fat Rich]

I have a bass with flats and a couple with halfwounds / groundwounds but I find it difficult to judge the tone of a bass with flats on as the strings influence the tone more than the bass does (to my ears anyway!)

I think with fairly fresh roundwounds you get the full tone of the instrument which is important if you're choosing a new bass and don't want to end up with a dull toneless plank.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1143015' date='Feb 27 2011, 08:10 AM']I prefer flats but as stated above, the rounds are cheaper.......[/quote]
You should look into Status Hotwire flats.
I've tried most of the usual top end brands you hear talked about on here but find these to be better all round (no pun intended ) - a relaxed tension with a more open tone... oh and they're half the price.

[Grand Wazoo]

The votes speaks for themselves.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='redstriper' post='1142970' date='Feb 27 2011, 01:34 AM']Why is it generally presumed everybody wants a zingy modern tone?[/quote]

They dont thats why some use Roto's

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='1142996' date='Feb 27 2011, 04:04 AM']fat, thick, deep, smooth tone, total buttery reggae tone. He was playing a Trace rig, with a Stingray(pre-EB 2-band red/maple, fwiw), and rounds, told me he just can't stand flats. It was really odd, but dang was it incredible sounding.[/quote]

Nothing odd about that, I have been telling people this for ages its pre EB FTW

[voxpop]

I really like both, it depends on what bass I'm using. If I had to choose just one it would be flats. Either TI or chromes.

[Conan]

Rounds all the way for me. Never played a set of flats that I liked. But then again, I haven't really tried very hard!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='redstriper' post='1142970' date='Feb 27 2011, 01:34 AM']Why are almost all new basses supplied with round wound strings when lots of players don't like them and they make the instrument sound completely different than with flats?[/quote]
It used to be the other way around. I bought a new Fender Precision in 1976 and it came with flats as stock.

[lee650]

Ive just put some chromes on my jazz (used to have some on a P bass i had) as i have a lot of shows coming up that require that thumpy DB tone,(not that it will sound anything like a DB )and as much as i love the sound of flats on a recording, i realy cant get on with the dark,indistinct sound they make live, its not a bad sound just not for me, a nice set of worn sunbeams can get plenty of warmth.

[BigRedX]

TBH if you care about your strings then whatever is fitted to basses in the shop be they round, flat or in between are unlikely to be the ones you want.

I have basses strung with both rounds and flats. IMO different music suits different basses and different basses suit different strings.

If manufacturers were to start supplying basses strung with flat would strings at best they would be some very average generic types, or if you were really unlucky they'd be Rotosound Flats (IMO good for stretching between posts to keep you cows and sheep in place, not so good for musical applications).

The best thing to do is to cultivate a relationship with your local music store. Talk to them about the merits of stocking more than just the common strings from Rotosound, Ernie Ball and Elites. Buy all your musical equipment from them and then you might find that they will be more amenable to swapping out the strings for something you feel more comfortable with.

[purpleblob]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1143171' date='Feb 27 2011, 11:54 AM']TBH if you care about your strings then whatever is fitted to basses in the shop be they round, flat or in between are unlikely to be the ones you want.[/quote]

+1 on this.

[icastle]

I think roundwounds are just more 'musically flexible' than flats - I use flats on my fretless and rounds on everything else.

[molan]

78% voting for rounds at the moment - probably goes some way to show why most basses come with rounds fitted. . .

[BassBus]

I've been throught them all. I hate the sound of flats on a wooden neck, but then I like a zingy tone on a fretted bass. However, I have used flats on my graphite necked Status fretless and they sound good on that. I also use halfwounds on that. Always rounds on fretted basses.

As has been commented, simple supply and demand on the price.

[BigRedX]

BTW I didn't vote in the poll because you didn't offer a selection for both.

There is no right answer. You need to match the strings to the bass the player and the music.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1143248' date='Feb 27 2011, 01:06 PM']BTW I didn't vote in the poll because you didn't offer a selection for both...[/quote]
Me too. I think we'd see less of a landslide if that option had been offered from the start.