Flats - what type of music do you use them for?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1362512541' post='2000619']
What's the consensus on flats by the way? ...
[/quote]
There isn't a consensus really. Flats vary as much as rounds do.

I'm using Thomastiks, Laklands, La Bellas, and Pyramids on different basses.

[discreet]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1362512541' post='2000619']
I fancy trying some on my Bob Glaub.
[/quote]

I'm using Lakland Joe Osborne Signature Flats and they're amazing.
I also got really good results with La Bella Deep Talkin'.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1362512750' post='2000628']
I'm using Lakland Joe Osborne Signature Flats and they're amazing.
I also got really good results with La Bella Deep Talkin'.
[/quote]

Both of these, especially the Laklands... they're cheaper and growlier.

[nick]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1362508885' post='2000486']
All good, but flats don't [i]have[/i] to be thumpy and fat. They can be clanky, buzzy, boingy and toppy as well.
[/quote]

+1
Sadowsky flats on one my precisions have plenty of punch & an amazing attack, with not that much 'thump'.

[risingson]

I'm using Status Hotwire flats on my P-Bass at the moment, they're excellent value for money and to my ears sound a bit better than the previous D'Addario Chromes I was using, I'd really recommend them. My next P will likely have Thomastiks on it.

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1362509621' post='2000514']
Doesn't Pino use them? When he's grooving with the R&B peoples?
[/quote]

For almost everything now, all of his P's are strung with Thomastiks or La Bellas, he drop tunes with the La Bellas with the hip-hop guys as he reckons the tension screws with the neck of the bass apparently! It's possible he uses rounds on his Jaguar bass and I'm positive he uses them on his fretless Musicman.

Edited March 5, 2013 by risingson

[cocco]

Do the gauges work in the same way? Would 45 flats have the same tension as 45 rounds?

[discreet]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1362514823' post='2000693']
Do the gauges work in the same way? Would 45 flats have the same tension as 45 rounds?
[/quote]

Depends on brand. For example La Bellas are lower in tension (or 'compliance' or whatever you want to call it) than Chromes, which are way too 'tense' for my liking and would deffo need a truss rod tweak on my bass. YMMV and so on.

Edited March 5, 2013 by discreet

[Dingus]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1362514823' post='2000693']
Do the gauges work in the same way? Would 45 flats have the same tension as 45 rounds?
[/quote]

On the whole , most sets of flats feel much tighter than the same gauge of roundwounds because they are greater mass for thame diamater gauge . Thomastic are a notable exception and feel much more elastic than other flats .

Edited March 5, 2013 by Dingus

[discreet]

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1362515238' post='2000698']
...I recently put flats on my aerodyne which I use for our less rocky, folky stuff and I have to admit, it's a fuller, warmer sound, but I still like the clank from new rounds when we do rocky stuff. I am restricted right enough in that I HAVE to use stainless steel strings as I get terrible irritation from nickel...[/quote]

Maybe try Chromes? They're very bright for flats and are stainless steel.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1362514786' post='2000692']
. Fresh set of rounds. Sometimes I will get two gigs out of a set then I have to take them off and clean them before getting maybe one more gig out of them
[/quote]

Used to do the same with rounds in my 80s slap happy Jaydee days (or should that be daze!). Boiled every few weeks, replaced when I had some money.

[4 Strings]

I'm using Picato half rounds on my Sabre at the moment. I say half round, they are really round wounds with the outer winding in flat (as opposed to being round wounds with the outer winding ground flat).

I'm trying to decide if they are the best of both worlds or master of none. They are more like flats than rounds in terms of sound and definitely flats in terms of feel. They work fine, give a particularly glowing sort of tone up the dusty end. I can get Bernard Edwards out of them but nothing too bright, even with the treble boosted on the bass. This is a good thing for most things but not for 'Someone Else's Guy'.

[Beer of the Bass]

I've used flats a lot with my current band Jen and the Gents. There's a link below if you fancy a listen - a couple of the earlier recorded tracks are rounds, but most were with Ernie Ball flatwounds. I'm actually on D'Addario tapewounds now, for a slightly different variation on the flat theme. My favourite sounds seem to come from using flats with a tweeterless cab but with the treble boosted on the amp, so there's a bit of grunty/growly sounding articulation around 2kHz or so but no sizzly metallic stuff above that. I can't quite get the same thing with rounds, somehow!

Edited March 5, 2013 by Beer of the Bass

[4 Strings]

For anyone wanting to try life in the Kingdom of Flat, Bass Tractor has a great deal for BCers, send him a PM to see if it's still available.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1362522294' post='2000894']
I've used flats a lot with my current band Jen and the Gents. There's a link below if you fancy a listen - a couple of the earlier recorded tracks are rounds, but most were with Ernie Ball flatwounds. I'm actually on D'Addario tapewounds now, for a slightly different variation on the flat theme. My favourite sounds seem to come from using flats with a tweeterless cab but with the treble boosted on the amp, so there's a bit of grunty/growly sounding articulation around 2kHz or so but no sizzly metallic stuff above that. I can't quite get the same thing with rounds, somehow!
[/quote]

Thanks, really enjoyed that, great sound on 'Look Around', was that the flats? I guessed a Jazz, then I saw the pic of you (presumably) and the bass, what is that?

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1362522745' post='2000903']
Thanks, really enjoyed that, great sound on 'Look Around', was that the flats? I guessed a Jazz, then I saw the pic of you (presumably) and the bass, what is that?
[/quote]

Cheers! Look Around was my five string with flats on, and both pickups on full. My bass home built - I had a thread on it in the build diaries section here. It's not exactly a jazz, but since it's got Jazz pickups and wiring, ash body, bolt-on neck etc, it does the same job.

[jonno1981]

Instrumental prog rock! I find the TI Jazz flats have plenty of bite and can cut through as well as rounds, at least in my musical context.

[bartelby]

When my Steve Harris Fender P arrived it had, unsurprisingly, Steve Harris sig Rotos on. I was surprised at how bright they sounded.
The brightness lasted a good 20 hours of playing. When they went passed the point I like I chucked them on to my Squier JV P and it's nice and thumpy.

I've switched back to rounds as the SH Rotos were too stiff, but sounded nice.
Might try some D'Addario flats next time around.


Edit: Oh, I play punk-ish stuff

Edited March 6, 2013 by bartelby

[4 Strings]

[quote name='jonno1981' timestamp='1362565832' post='2001308']
Instrumental prog rock! I find the TI Jazz flats have plenty of bite and can cut through as well as rounds, at least in my musical context.
[/quote]

Sounds very interesting - sample please!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1362646597' post='2002518']
Sounds very interesting - sample please!
[/quote]
I'm not certain Palladino is using TI Flats here but it's worth a listen anyway - especially the fill at 1.00

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgFFNXahcg[/media]

Edited March 8, 2013 by EssentialTension

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1362594419' post='2001908']
... a review on YouTube with Ed Friedman and he got the exact sound of Steve Harris. I couldn't believe flats could sound like that ...
[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A72TYFcqk4E