My flatwound / roundwound love affair!

[gjones]

You can get a flatwound sound from roundwounds, if you take all the tone off your bass. But you can't get a roundwound tone from a bass fitted with flatwounds.

Which is why I always go for roundwounds.

If you want to go 'vintage', then put a lump of sponge up by the bridge, to mute the strings, and turn all the tone off on your bass. Instant James Jamerson.

[Twigman]

I use D'Addario Half Rounds....the zing of rounds with the feel of flats which can also sound like flats

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1434118823' post='2796895']
You can get a flatwound sound from roundwounds, if you take all the tone off your bass.

[/quote]

I hear this a lot, but I don't agree. I like flatwounds with no muting, tone control on full and the treble boosted on the amp, so the sound is actually quite bright but not in a metallic or zingy way That provides a sound which I can't get from roundwounds - you can get the harmonic content similar with tone controls and EQ but the attack/decay envelope is quite different.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Beer of the Bass

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1433162608' post='2788386']
I picked up my P-bass last night immediately after playing the Lakland, and I couldn't believe how unimpressed I was with the sound - lifeless and dull - like big rubber bands! This is the bass that can't sound bad - have used in all sorts of situations and has never let me down!
[/quote]

I get this when I go from my G&L to my P. Both are strung with D'Addario Chromes, but the sound of the G&L's MFD pickup is so bright (especially in active mode) that the P sounds dull in comparison.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1434118823' post='2796895']
You can get a flatwound sound from roundwounds, if you take all the tone off your bass. ...
[/quote]
Not really, in my experience - and anyway different flatwounds sound quite different to each other as well as different to rounds.

Of course, with enough EQ and effects etc, you can make anything sound completely unlike a bass.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1434118823' post='2796895']
You can get a flatwound sound from roundwounds, if you take all the tone off your bass. But you can't get a roundwound tone from a bass fitted with flatwounds.
[/quote]

Nah. What you get there is roundwounds-with-the-tone-rolled-off tone.

[gjones]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1434120189' post='2796907']
I hear this a lot, but I don't agree. I like flatwounds with no muting, tone control on full and the treble boosted on the amp, so the sound is actually quite bright but not in a metallic or zingy way That provides a sound which I can't get from roundwounds - you can get the harmonic content similar with tone controls and EQ but the attack/decay envelope is quite different.
[/quote]

And then you plug into a DI box (pre EQ which is usually the case) and the sound person reduces your fastidiously, sculptured, sound into an inaudible, mushy, mess.
I quite like the sounds of flats when I have control of how I EQ them. But that rarely happens if I'm going through a venue's PA and my amp is there purely for onstage monitoring.

Edited June 12, 2015 by gjones

[wateroftyne]

I completely agree. Most engineers assume you use flats 'cos you don't like being heard.

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1434121444' post='2796937']
And then you plug into a DI box (pre EQ which is usually the case) and the sound person reduces your fastidiously, sculptured, sound into an inaudible, mushy, mess.
I quite like the sounds of flats when I have control of how I EQ them. But that rarely happens if I'm going through a venue's PA and my amp is there purely for onstage monitoring.
[/quote]

That can happen, but it's a sound guy issue rather than a string issue. I'd rather stick with the flats and be able to get my favoured sound under certain circumstances than use rounds and not be able to get the sound I like under any circumstances.

[bassbiscuits]

Yeah there's definitely a difference between real flats, and rounds with the tone rolled off.

I'm sure I read somewhere that a sine wave (if that's the right word) of flatwounds being played show they fill out more of the actual sound, whereas a round wound has all the extra zing and attack, but actually gives less of the fat fundamental tone than a flatwound.

Which is why you hear flats on a lot of recordings.

In a nutshell they are very different sounds on a measurable level.

Jury's out for me though. I've always used rounds for their feel, sound and flexibility. But I did stick flats on my old precision for some recording and they sounded and felt beautiful. Different, but very nice.

For gigs I'm still using rounds most of the time tho.

Maybe it'll come with age. I already listen to Radio 4, drive an old volvo and take my slippers round to other people's houses...

[Telebass]

Slope slipperier by the minute...

[discreet]

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1434141136' post='2797178']
I'm sure I read somewhere that a sine wave (if that's the right word) of flatwounds being played show they fill out more of the actual sound, whereas a round wound has all the extra zing and attack, but actually gives less of the fat fundamental tone than a flatwound.
[/quote]

Yes, that's what I was trying to say in post #25 and failing.

[grandad]

I have the same D'Addario flats on both my Tokai SG and Aria Pro II Cardinel CSB380. They sound so different.

The Tokai, (32"), has lots of smooth low end and no bark - 2 humbuckers. EQ is pretty flat.

The Aria, (32.5"), has a lot of grit - 1 single P type pup. EQ needs a smiley face to tame the mids.

I enjoy both very different tones and prefer the feel of flats.

I'll never go back to rounds, don't like the feel and all that finger noise would annoy.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1434146963' post='2797229']
I have the same D'Addario flats on both my Tokai SG and Aria Pro II Cardinel CSB380. They sound so different.

The Tokai, (32"), has lots of smooth low end and no bark - 2 humbuckers. EQ is pretty flat.

The Aria, (32.5"), has a lot of grit - 1 single P type pup. EQ needs a smiley face to tame the mids.

I enjoy both very different tones and prefer the feel of flats.

I'll never go back to rounds, don't like the feel and all that finger noise would annoy.
[/quote]

^^^ This. I have Chromes on all 4 of my basses (see 'boast list' below!), and they all feel, play, and sound different.

[geoham]

I've pretty much only played my steel round strung Lakland since I bought it a couple of weeks ago, and I'm loving the tone of the rounds when playing solo, though to be honest much of it is lost in a band situation. I'm getting used to the feel of rounds again, though I definitely prefer flats my far.

I've got a wee bit of slap (1 song!) stuff in my function band now - clearly better on rounds, though I'd be interested to hear if any of you slap flats?

[ballstomonty]

Just started using flats for the first time after 20 years or so. For Darkside my floyd band they work great on the seventies stuff and I agree that their clunky tone full treble on my 50s P is a very distinctive sound. Using rotosound flats.

I'm still using rounds on my musicman for the eighties stuff and bits of the wall stuff. Listening to our live recordings the flats manage to fill the sound without being too bassy or toppy which can happen with the musicman.

Funnily enough on my fretless bass (j Davey p bass copy) I preferred it with rounds as it was strung when I bought it rather than the fender flats I put on it. I'm going to try some nickels on that to get more expression

[krispn]

I've currently got my 4 sting p with rounds and my 5er Jazz with flats.... I love the sound and feel of the jazz and it's a misconception to think rolling the tone off on round wound strings is the same thing as playing flats.

Most of my gigging is done on the 5er and while I'll bust out the p for the occasional rockier track the tone of the Jazz just sounds and sits well in the mix(I hope)! It's funny I used to flip between rounds and flats as sometimes it's just nice to change things in tone/feel/sound. We quickly get accustomed to the sounds we make so it's nice to mix it up. Might stick some new DR's on the P this week ahead of next weeks gigs just for a big of a change!