Which flatwounds?

[luckman67]

Another late vote for the Fender 9050 flatwounds, mine have been on since Jan 2015. Toying with the idea of buying 2 sets & making a 45-105 set, always used that gauge I guess you like what you like.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1458664527' post='3009621']
Yes - the Status ones, really woody sound.

I also have Status on my cream Umbo and an old set of LaBella 760FL's on a 70's Precision that I rarely use.
[/quote]

Woody sounds good! I have Trubass on my L1000, I think I'm looking for something less soft sounding - woody might be the way to go!

Would you recommend the LaBellas on an L1000?

[Opticaleye]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1459458059' post='3016894']
Woody sounds good! I have Trubass on my L1000, I think I'm looking for something less soft sounding - woody might be the way to go!

Would you recommend the LaBellas on an L1000?
[/quote]

I tried 760FL's on the L1000 but they accentuated a dead spot on the G string that I never notice with other strings. The 760FS are too stiff on that bass. Ti's sound good but I've never really got on with the rubber band feel (although the newer ones I've played on on other people's basses feel a bit firmer).
The Status are the nearest sound to the TI's that I've tried but with a little more tension. It takes a month or so but they just keep getting better after that.

[davebass66]

I have a few audio samples just uploaded if you want to hear a few?

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/282133-flatwound-strings-mini-shootout/page__view__getnewpost

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1459459249' post='3016903']
I tried 760FL's on the L1000 but they accentuated a dead spot on the G string that I never notice with other strings. The 760FS are too stiff on that bass. Ti's sound good but I've never really got on with the rubber band feel (although the newer ones I've played on on other people's basses feel a bit firmer).
The Status are the nearest sound to the TI's that I've tried but with a little more tension. It takes a month or so but they just keep getting better after that.
[/quote]

Thanks, just ordered a set of flats from Status - if they're as good as you say they are outstanding value when comparing the price to, well, any others at all! Thanks for the recommendation, I'll be patient and give them a month or so and report back. (I have a lot of recording to do in June/July - hoping to mail the sound before then!)

[discreet]

The last few sets of strings I got from Status were deader than corduroy. When I complained about them and tried to send them back for a refund or a replacement, I got a few emails initially, then it all went quiet and I was completely ignored. Not great.

[Opticaleye]

Yes I bought a set of Status half rounds and the E seemed dead. They replaced without a quibble but the replacement didn't seem much different!
It eventually opened up though.

I've learnt to hold my nerve with flatwounds. They rarely sound perfect out of the packet. Best to wait a couple of months at least from a sound point of view

[discreet]

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1459508446' post='3017201']
I've learnt to hold my nerve with flatwounds. They rarely sound perfect out of the packet. Best to wait a couple of months at least from a sound point of view
[/quote]

That is true, but I've found La Bellas and Fender 9050ML sound great from the off and just continue to improve. YMMV of course.

[Opticaleye]

Yes, I like the sound of the 760FL especially at home. On a gig they seem to lack the mids that the 760FS, Status and Ti's have. I really liked the new Fenders (I have 4 sets !) but they started to sound a bit "soft" in the attack after a short time and lack a little thump. Different basses sound better with particular strings though so, as you say, YMMV.

[Wylie]

Rotosound!

[Grahambythesea]

La Bella Low Tensions are really good and you probably won't have to muck about with the bridge/intonation when you put them on as they are so similar to round wounds.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1459638797' post='3018356']
Rotosound!
[/quote]
'Jazz Bass' strings?

[Grangur]

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1459638797' post='3018356']
Rotosound!
[/quote].... were the makers of the worst set of strings I ever fitted. The G broke. I took it back to the shop and they took over a month to send me 1 string as replacement. And when fitted they were as stiff as fence wire.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Grangur

[NoirBass]

Just wanted to add that I never really got flats (despite having experimented with a few different sets) until I played a mates vintage P bass with some La Bellas on - Total game changer. I immediately got some 2nd hand 760M's from here and after a bit tweaking the setup of my bass they settled nicely and sound/feel great. They needed to 'break in' a bit though. I've just bought a set of 760FS for my Jazz bass and they are great straight put of the packet. Very even across the strings, not 'sticky' as flats sometimes feel and full of lovely thump tone.

So, my vote goes for La Bella's - 760M for a P and 760FS on a Jazz. Oh, and 760QM quarter rounds for my Tele Bass.

[Highfox]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1459749845' post='3019108']
.... were the makers of the worst set of strings I ever fitted. The G broke. I took it back to the shop and they took over a month to send me 1 string as replacement. And when fitted they were as stiff as fence wire.
[/quote]
I'm pretty much the same with them, took them off after one gig, sounded nice but far too stiff for me to enjoy fingerstyle.

[Grangur]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1459753584' post='3019126']
I'm pretty much the same with them, took them off after one gig, sounded nice but far too stiff for me to enjoy fingerstyle.
[/quote]
Each to their own I guess. I've fitted Chromes and liked them. (We need to be positive here. Although I know I'm the only one so far with a negative comment)

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1459753584' post='3019126']

I'm pretty much the same with them, took them off after one gig, sounded nice but far too stiff for me to enjoy fingerstyle.
[/quote]

Me too - made my Stingray 5 virtually unplayable. But I love flats (with sensible tension) - you needed to be an arm wrestler to play my SR5 with that particular make and model of flats.

[grandad]

Recently fitted a set of Rotosound RS77M on a Viola and another set on a Mustang, (90, 75, 50, 40). Good strings, tension and tone-wise. Good price too and very good advice from Jason and John at Rotosound. Some folks love them, some do not.

After a fellow BC'er extolled the virtues of D'Addario Tapewound on this forum I invested in a set for my SG bass. He loved them but for me they just didn't do it. I sold them on for 1/2 price and someone else got to try them out. So it's horse for courses. Some years previous I fitted a set of Tubass 88's to a Jazz bass and got a lovely soft deep tone.

My Aria came with a set of Flats which are very bright, red silks, D'Addario I think, (105's I think). The Tokai SG came with a set of flats, not bright at all, very warm and plenty of lows, also red silks, (also 105's I think). These are at least 10 years old.

It's a case of matching the guitar with the strings. If you hit on the right tone, the right tension and the right feel then you've cracked it. One make of flats is not going to suit all basses.

I'm restoring a Yamaha Motion II bass at the moment. It's a medium scale. I would probably choose 100's or 105's rather than the thinner gauge RS77M's when I restring it. I'd like to try a Set of LaBella's as I've heard so much chat about how good they are. The price of them is a bit steep though.

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1459756277' post='3019139']
Recently fitted a set of Rotosound RS77M on a Viola and another set on a Mustang, (90, 75, 50, 40). Good strings, tension and tone-wise. Good price too and very good advice from Jason and John at Rotosound. Some folks love them, some do not.
[/quote]

I've heard that the long scale Rotosound flats are a quite different string to the medium and short scale sets (in terms of tension, surface finish and tone). I don't know why they do that, but I've heard it from more than one person.

[grandad]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1459761578' post='3019195']
I've heard that the long scale Rotosound flats are a quite different string to the medium and short scale sets (in terms of tension, surface finish and tone). I don't know why they do that, but I've heard it from more than one person.
[/quote]

All my basses are medium/short scale so only ever had RS77M's new that is. The thinner gauge suits the Viola and Mustang, the Yamaha needs a thicker gauge I feel.

[ezbass]

I bought some EB Cobalts the other day. I had my first proper play with them today and I must say that I'm impressed. None of the stickiness and grot that I have experienced with LaBellas (I gave them a wipe before fitting and there was even the hint of a mark on the white cordon I was using). Tension-wise they seems very similar to my normal 45 -100 D'Addarios and, therefore, I guess similar to Super Slinkys. Do they sound like round wounds? Well this is hard to tell as I have them fitted to a fretless with an MM type p/up on it, whilst my D'Addario round wounds are fitted to a Ric. However, plucking the open strings on both acoustically does produce a similar tone, although the roundwounds seem to have a little more treble, but they may be the Ric's maple construction imparting that. Amplified, the EB's produce a nice parpy tone with a slightly attenuated top end compared to the steel roundwounds this bass came fitted with. They have a good bottom end without being dubby or boomy. In conclusion, I think EB have pretty much achieved what they set out to do with the Cobalts; flatwound feel with roundwound-like tone. I'd buy them again.

[4 Strings]

The Status strings finally arrived (took a while, but got an apology from them a few days before they came).
If you don't like paying for packaging you'll like these a lot! Very simply packaged with all four strings together in a plastic wallet with a paper insert. For £18+VAT (and with silk wound ends too), this simplicity suits me!

Installed on my G&L L1000 and they are an immediate step in the right direction for me. The Trubass strings were fine, but rather soft sounding for me, the Status flats have more aggression and don't appear to change sound if you dig in. If there's a criticism it's the E string sounding a tad softer than the others at the moment, but otherwise intonation is perfect, tension is even across the strings and, for me, neither sloppy nor too taut, and tone up the dusty end is good.

I'm still playing them in will report back in a month or so, but very promising so far.

In the meantime my otherwise favourite round wound strings have been Newtones by a long chalk. I enquired about flats with them, they have responded that they have carried out some experiments which have gone well, so maybe some news from there sometime.

[chrisanthony1211]

I currently have TI flats on my Precision which I do really like, however I can't quite decide if I like the low tension or not, one day I love it, the next day I'm not quite so sure, but they do sound great!
Anyway I've decided to give some Pyramid golds a try, they should hopefully be arriving tomorrow, not cheap, but I'm not expecting to have to change them for a while!

[Opticaleye]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1460496929' post='3026353']
The Status strings finally arrived (took a while, but got an apology from them a few days before they came).
If you don't like paying for packaging you'll like these a lot! Very simply packaged with all four strings together in a plastic wallet with a paper insert. For £18+VAT (and with silk wound ends too), this simplicity suits me!

Installed on my G&L L1000 and they are an immediate step in the right direction for me. The Trubass strings were fine, but rather soft sounding for me, the Status flats have more aggression and don't appear to change sound if you dig in. If there's a criticism it's the E string sounding a tad softer than the others at the moment, but otherwise intonation is perfect, tension is even across the strings and, for me, neither sloppy nor too taut, and tone up the dusty end is good.

I'm still playing them in will report back in a month or so, but very promising so far.

In the meantime my otherwise favourite round wound strings have been Newtones by a long chalk. I enquired about flats with them, they have responded that they have carried out some experiments which have gone well, so maybe some news from there sometime.
[/quote]

With regards to the E string on the Status, please stay with them as they really do open up. The set on my G&L L1000 have been on for a couple of years and still do not sound soft. They still have a nice percussive click to go with the vintage thump and great mids.
If you think they sound ok now you have a treat in store over the coming months.

[Telebass]

2 basses: P with a J neck has TIs on, around 2 years old. Love it. Yamaha BB414 has a newish set of ECB81 Chromes. A little heavier, more aggressive, also enough tension to allow a half step detune. Have yet to try the new Ernies, but no reason to change anything for at least a year or two!