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Roundwounds - yuk!


Roland Rock
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While killing time at a recording studio last night, I picked up a bass that was lying around. It quickly occurred to me that I had not played roundwound strings for about ten years, and the feeling was somewhat akin to chewing tinfoil, or running fingernails down a blackboard
It was both the feeling on my fingers, and the noise when sliding the fingers.

It's possible that I'll want a more bright, and modern tone at some point, so can you advise a good compromise? Decent groundwounds for example. I once tried RS pressurewound, but they just felt like roundwounds to me.

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I agree about the Roto ground wounds. I had to look very closely to make sure they werent rounds in the wrong pack!! I would recommend GHS Bright Flats. They are grounds dispite the name. Not THAT bright but brighter than Chromes. but still have a bit of a tw*** and feel very smooth too.

A

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+1 for Thomastiks, I've a set of their flats on a fretless and they sound good. I don't think they're tapewound as it looks like there are thin dark lines following the winding so possibly ground wounds? I've nothing to look at them close up, but that's what they look like...

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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1334180647' post='1612334']
+1 for Thomastiks, I've a set of their flats on a fretless and they sound good. I don't think they're tapewound as it looks like there are thin dark lines following the winding so possibly ground wounds? I've nothing to look at them close up, but that's what they look like...
[/quote]
I think Thomastik Jazz Flats are flatwound. To me they look and feel like tape and the TI website describes them as ' Nickel Flat Wound Roundcore'

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Think I'll always prefer flats myself, but I do keep one bass strung with roundwounds - DR Nickel Lo-Riders, which I find in tone & tension to be a good halfway house.

Going from a flats perspective, for a more contemporary tone, I like Sadowsky black label flats. Great feel, lot of presence & mids...
I've had a set on my Shergold for over a month now, they've just settled in - not thumpy oldschool, more in the vein of TI's but with sensible tension - georgeous strings. :D

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[quote name='nick' timestamp='1334220919' post='1612598']
Think I'll always prefer flats myself, but I do keep one bass strung with roundwounds - DR Nickel Lo-Riders, which I find in tone & tension to be a good halfway house.

Going from a flats perspective, for a more contemporary tone, I like [b][color=#000000][size=5]Sadowsky black label flats[/size][/color][/b]. Great feel, lot of presence & mids...
I've had a set on my Shergold for over a month now, they've just settled in - not thumpy oldschool, more in the vein of TI's but with sensible tension - georgeous strings. :D
[/quote]

^^ Aren't Sadowsky strings re-badged GHS?

My favourite long time have been GHS Precision Flats, got them on my 'best P's.

Just trying TI Jazz Flats, first time I've had a new set, they're certainly lovely tension & soft/flexible but a bit on the bright side - even, dare I say a bit tinny - I'm sure they'll improve with use & when the neck has settled & been tweaked :)

Cheerz, John

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[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1334221573' post='1612612']
^^ Aren't Sadowsky strings re-badged GHS?
[/quote]

No, they're actually made by Labella (which I also like) to Sadowsky's specification, & quite different to the Deep Talkin' flats.

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I'm a recent La Bella convert. La Bella Steels have plenty of zing and plenty of mids while still retaining that lovely P bass rumble. Nothing old fashioned about their tone at all! Nice tension too, I'm a robust fingerstyle or plectrum user and they suit me down to the ground rather than Rotos or D'addarios which I find are a little too stiff.

Truckstop

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Makes me chuckle to read about a "more modern tone" from round wounds when they've been about since the late 60s!

IMO if you find you need that round wound tone then there's really no substitute for the real thing. Man up. Work on your fretting hand calluses and your technique so you don't get unwanted string noises (although to a certain extent they are part of the round wound sound).

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Understood, but there's no harm in asking whether there are strings out there which both feel and sound the way I want them to. It's my understanding that there have been certain innovations to facilitate this, such as groundwounds, or pressurewounds.



What about coated strings? Do they feel any smoother?

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I think it all depends on exactly what sort of "round wound" tone you want. You may well find that some of the half-way house string types will suit. Having said that I do think that trying to make strings that aren't round wound sound like those that are is as useful as suggesting that you can get a flat wound tone out of round wounds simply by rolling off the treble. Unfortunately the only way you are going to find out what suits you is to try some for yourself.

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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1334226986' post='1612744']
I think it all depends on exactly what sort of "round wound" tone you want. You may well find that some of the half-way house string types will suit. Having said that I do think that trying to make strings that aren't round wound sound like those that are is as useful as suggesting that you can get a flat wound tone out of round wounds simply by rolling off the treble. Unfortunately the only way you are going to find out what suits you is to try some for yourself.
[/quote]
Try some for yourself is the only way.

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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1335620243' post='1633814']
My mother used to say that some questions are best not asked. ;)
[/quote]

My dear old Mum had lots of sayings too :P good weren't they :happy:

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