stringing a fretted bass with flatwound strings

[sprocketflup]

......any reasons why I shouldn't?

[tommorichards]

i have one. There is no problem at all. People used to do it all the time in the 50's and 60's.

Enjoy the thumpy sound!

[EssentialTension]

What problem? No problem. All electric basses had flatwounds originally, there were no roundwounds.

[Jazzneck]

I still do on mine - Stingray, Precisions, Mustang, Ampeg and I don't change 'em unless I'm really forced to when they don't hold tune anymore (and then I sulk and play with bacon fat covered fingers until the buggers sound like a bass and not a piano.)

[Twigman]

Why would there be a problem?

Posts like this often get me asking 'what are they thinking?'

[EssentialTension]

The only reason for not putting flatwounds on any bass, fretted or not, is that you don't like flats for one reason or another.

I have flats on everything.

[KiOgon]

Flats rule - a few speed bumps ain't gonna change anything

[lurksalot]

I thought flats on a fretless was the law .....

and I have flats on all bar my newest and that wont be long


ed cos I hit the post button too quick

Edited May 31, 2013 by lurksalot

[dand666]

i have flats on my Hofner, and just about to put some on my Jack Casady.

Love em.

[yepmop]

Flats Rule man!

[discreet]

[quote name='sprocketflup' timestamp='1370021589' post='2095722']
...any reasons why I shouldn't?
[/quote]

No.

[Cat Burrito]

What everyone else said

[chris_b]

[quote name='sprocketflup' timestamp='1370021589' post='2095722']
......any reasons why I shouldn't?....
[/quote]

This is rock and roll.... you can do what you want.

[DarkHeart]

ive got flats on all mine, even my car had one tonight

[Perry]

When I first used Flats I noticed that they didn't flex as easily as roundwounds. I got used to it quickly and haven't looked back since.

Enjoy

[Dingus]

For certain styles of music and certain styles of musicians , flats are very much in vogue at the moment . I've been thinking about getting some myself , and I am very much of the generation that believed the virtual extinction of flatwound bass strings was a mark of social progress , similar to the eradication of tuberculosis or the development effective hemmorhoid treatments . For thirty years they were the bass playing equivalent of flared trousers ( i.e most right - thinking folks thought they would never make a comeback ) but they have achieved the seemingly impossible and become trendy again . A lot depends on how you like to be heard in the mix - there is a reason why most bass players turned to using roundwounds , and that is primarily the amount of cut and prescence they give you . Before everybody jumps on me and tells me how flats can cut through just as much , I am just saying that flats give you a very different kind of balance in the overall sound that might not satisfy everybody .

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1370090064' post='2096344']
...there is a reason why most bass players turned to using roundwounds , and that is primarily the amount of cut and prescence they give you ...
[/quote]

And perhaps bass players hoped that greater 'presence' in the mix would mean more punters saying:

'Good Lord! I never realised bass players were so [i]important[/i]. I shall henceforth revise my opinion in respect of their miserable insignificance.'

Edited June 1, 2013 by skankdelvar

[wateroftyne]

What other kind of strings are there...?

[Coilte]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1370090064' post='2096344']
For certain styles of music and certain styles of musicians , flats are very much in vogue at the moment . I've been thinking about getting some myself , and I am very much of the generation that believed the virtual extinction of flatwound bass strings was a mark of social progress . For thirty years they were the bass playing equivalent of flared trousers ( i.e most right - thinking folks thought they would never make a comeback ) but they have achieved the seemingly impossible and become trendy again .
[/quote]


First time I have ever heard the words "in vogue", "social progress" and "trendy" being used in association with flats.

[SlapbassSteve]

Do what works for you! Personally I absolutely hate flats with a passion, despite several attempts to get to like them, especially on fretless... each to their own!

[grahamd]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1370095115' post='2096395']



First time I have ever heard the words "in vogue", "social progress" and "trendy" being used in association with flats.
[/quote]

...or bass players

[Dingus]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1370090748' post='2096352']
And perhaps bass players hoped that greater 'presence' in the mix would mean more punters saying:

'Good Lord! I never realised bass players were so [i]important[/i]. I shall henceforth revise my opinion in respect of their miserable insignificance.'
[/quote]

Yes ! That's what did happen - kind of . The prominent role that the bass guitar enjoyed in a lot of popular music from the mid - Seventies till the mid - Nineties couldn't and wouldn't have happened with flatwound strings .

[yorks5stringer]

[i]Got Nylon flat tapewounds on my Godin A5, no issues other than the B is around 3" thick.....![/i]

[jezzaboy]

Flats on the p bass, half rounds on the Mustang and zinghy rounds on the Yamaha.

The best of all worlds.

[tappel]

I have flats (TI's) on two of my basses. They sound fabulous. To me, there's nothing like flats on a P bass.

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

Tom