Flatwound woes!

[Cicero]

I was super-excited to get home and string up a set on flatwounds on my P-Bass.

All is well, when suddenly, to my horror, the A string starts to unravel just above the nut.

There was nothing I could do about it. I dont know how or why. Never had this happen before. I know LaBellas aren't generally recommended for through body, but that wasn't even the case.

Kinda gutted... £55 and I can't play my P-Bass. No stockists locally. They were ordered online.

Any thoughts on what caused this? 😟

[Dan Dare]

Sounds like a fault in the winding process. Send it back for a replacement.

[Cicero]

16 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

Sounds like a fault in the winding process. Send it back for a replacement.

I've put in a return order and have a replacement set on the way.

Hope the same thing doesn't happen!

[Sibob]

These things happen, been a long time since I've had it happen, but still. Just to double check, you're not stringing them through body? Your wording is a little confusing.

I bet you'll get the replacement A string and be good to go

Si

[dave_bass5]

The only strings ive had this happen to me was a set of TI Flats. one string out of the pack did this. I spent months looking for a replacement in the UK, then gave up. A year or so later i found a place that did singles and ordered one, and it wasn't cheap. On top of that i had ordered the wrong string lol. Had to order yet another.

[Cicero]

£11 a string! Ain't cheap.

8 hours ago, Sibob said:

These things happen, been a long time since I've had it happen, but still. Just to double check, you're not stringing them through body? Your wording is a little confusing.

I bet you'll get the replacement A string and be good to go

Si

Nope, didn't string through the body. luck

I'll be super careful next time, although it does just sound like bad luck 🙈

[Rocker]

Why not string the P bass through the body rather than from the bridge?  Thanks.

[bassmachine2112]

Hiho, it might be an idea to crimp the string and cut to length above the crimp to stop it unravelling.

[gary mac]

I don't cut flats these days. I know that generally too much string wrapped around the tuner post is not a good thing but with flats I make an exception.

[markdavid]

On 20/02/2019 at 20:22, Cicero said:

I was super-excited to get home and string up a set on flatwounds on my P-Bass.

All is well, when suddenly, to my horror, the A string starts to unravel just above the nut.

There was nothing I could do about it. I dont know how or why. Never had this happen before. I know LaBellas aren't generally recommended for through body, but that wasn't even the case.

Kinda gutted... £55 and I can't play my P-Bass. No stockists locally. They were ordered online.

Any thoughts on what caused this? 😟

Sounds like a defective string, nothing you could have done to stop this

 

[Chrisbassboy5]

I know that Scott's bass lessons suggests crimping the end of the strings before you had them which means that the string doesn't unravel. He says that people claim it's a dead string in a pack but that people don't crimp and put a bend in the string before attaching which is why this happens any views on this?

[Sibob]

On 28/02/2019 at 11:03, gary mac said:

I don't cut flats these days. I know that generally too much string wrapped around the tuner post is not a good thing but with flats I make an exception.

Lol, you make an exception to give yourself more work? 

Si

[Grangur]

On 27/02/2019 at 20:12, Rocker said:

Why not string the P bass through the body rather than from the bridge?  Thanks.

Flat wounds have a continuous smooth surface, so trying to bend the string on a tight radius, as you do when feeding the string through the body,  will damage the string.

[PawelG]

On 28/02/2019 at 12:03, gary mac said:

I know that generally too much string wrapped around the tuner post is not a good thing

Why is it not good?

[Reggaebass]

I was always told 2-4 windings and don’t overlap the string or it can affect tuning stability,  seems to work, not sure what would happen if you wrapped it round lots , never tried it 🙂

[Chrisbassboy5]

 

[pete.young]

It's god's way of telling you to stick with round wounds.