Nylon Tape Wound Bass Strings

[Born 2B Mild]

For (too) many years, I have stuck to roundwounds, and no doubt will continue to carry on using them for my rock & funk playing.

However, I'm loving the flats I put on my spare bass recently. Not only the sound, but also the silky smoothness of the feel. Just right for some of the retro blues stuff I'm jamming with some mates right now. I came across in this forum someone liking Nylon Tape Wound Bass Strings. How do these compare in sound and feel to flats, or are they very similar?

[simon1964]

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='344052' date='Dec 3 2008, 01:31 PM']For (too) many years, I have stuck to roundwounds, and no doubt will continue to carry on using them for my rock & funk playing.

However, I'm loving the flats I put on my spare bass recently. Not only the sound, but also the silky smoothness of the feel. Just right for some of the retro blues stuff I'm jamming with some mates right now. I came across in this forum someone liking Nylon Tape Wound Bass Strings. How do these compare in sound and feel to flats, or are they very similar?[/quote]

I tried a set on my fretless precision (which normally has flats). To me, they feel and sound very different. There was a ''floppiness'' to the ones I used, and the sound was very ''thuddy''. Much closer to an upright acoustic bass. The feel is very smooth - more so than normal flats.

Personally, I didn't like them on the Precision. I ended up putting them on a cheap fretted acoustic, and they sound really great on there.

[Adrenochrome]

+1 Floppy and thuddy.
There a set in my cupboard at home not doing anything if you want to try em out?
Guages are always quite fat; I think mine are 55-115.

[The Burpster]

Yep I use GHS ones. They are average on the PRSs (and P basses that I've had) and not really that nice sounding...

However on my Ovation Viper (electro accoustic) they sound fabulous. I concurr with the above comments about double bass sound - thats exactly how they sond to me.

On the right bass they are lovely to play and very tactile and produce a lovely warm tone, on basses that a they dont suit they sound dull and thuddy.

[BassBod]

They vary a bit - the roto ones sound like old crap flats, but the La Bella's are much more focussed and lively (if heavy guage). The Status ones are also pretty alive and very flexy for a standard guage set (like the Thomastik flats).

[Guest]

[quote name='BassBod' post='344304' date='Dec 3 2008, 04:24 PM']They vary a bit - the roto ones sound like old crap flats, but the La Bella's are much more focussed and lively (if heavy guage). The Status ones are also pretty alive and very flexy for a standard guage set (like the Thomastik flats).[/quote]

I too liked the la Bella's, i also found the tension higher.

[bumnote]

Didnt Graham Mabey use these with Jo Jackson?

He sounded pretty awsome to me.

[markytbass]

I had some Roto Tru-bass on a Stingray and they sounded great, nice and thuddy. Put some on my Jazz and they didn't sound or play the same.