Flats - why do many rave about them

[Chienmortbb]

On 21/12/2021 at 16:47, Boodang said:

Also sounding like a stuck record but ..... Galli Synthesis flats (from bass direct) are low tension. 

I don't buy from Bass Direct.

[wateroftyne]

1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said:

I don't buy from Bass Direct.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest they might be available from other vendors.

[ezbass]

29 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest they might be available from other vendors.

Bax and Thomann according to a quick Google search. Couldn’t see any other UK based supplier other than BD, but I didn’t look too hard.

[Boodang]

3 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

I don't buy from Bass Direct.

Out of interest, why is that?

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest they might be available from other vendors.

 

Indeed, you could go somewhere reliable like bax!

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Indeed, you could go somewhere reliable like bax!

Now, I won’t have that. I emailed them a few days ago, fully expecting no reply and they haven’t let me down.  

[Waddycall]

Put a set of chromes on my Ray 34 with hybrid pickups a couple of days ago. I’ve always liked this bass but the tone I was expecting has always eluded me (hence multiple mods including fitting the Delano hybrid pickups). With the chromes it’s finally getting there. A flat eq sounds like a flat eq and eq adjustment now makes sense and does what I expect it to. Not tried it with the band yet but looking forward to doing so.

[Stub Mandrel]

If you asked Le Corbussier, he might reply:

 

Quote

The house is a machine for living in.

 

 

[Quatschmacher]

On 22/12/2021 at 10:38, BlueMoon said:

Really annoying is when one string is dead. However, some brands "design-in" a duller sounding low E string as part of the mystique. Intentionally thuddy from the outset. I seem to recall Pyramid flats having this.

GHS Precision flats were like this too, the E string sounds nicely broken-in from the outset, whereas the others take a few weeks before they lose the zing. 

[Quatschmacher]

On 25/12/2021 at 08:00, Waddycall said:

Put a set of chromes on my Ray 34 with hybrid pickups a couple of days ago. I’ve always liked this bass but the tone I was expecting has always eluded me (hence multiple mods including fitting the Delano hybrid pickups). With the chromes it’s finally getting there. A flat eq sounds like a flat eq and eq adjustment now makes sense and does what I expect it to. Not tried it with the band yet but looking forward to doing so.

I used Chromes on my Sterling for about ten years - the same set - which I loved. I had GHS Precision flats on the Stingray I sold recently and they were a wonderful match. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Quatschmacher

[Delberthot]

One thing that I have recently discovered, at least to me anyway, is that flats sound terrible through IEMs.

 

I've tried Chromes on my active Jazz and Roto 77s on my passive Precision and they're absolutely awful. They lack any kind of character and sound really wooly.

 

I'm using my Radial Bassbone, Behringer P1 and KZ AS10 IEMs

 

Put rounds on either bass and they come alive again.

 

It could be simply because I'm using a set of £35 Ali Express IEMs but I'd rather spend £18 on a set of strings that I am happy with every 8 or 9 gigs than risk £1000+ with a set of custom IEMs that might still not give me what I'm after.

 

BTW I'm really happy with the IEMs. Took a few gigs to get used to them but am really enjoying it now

[Supernaut]

Can anyone give me an example of a rock or hard rock band where the bass player uses flats?

 

Bar Iron Maiden. 

[wateroftyne]

5 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Can anyone give me an example of a rock or hard rock band where the bass player uses flats?

 

Bar Iron Maiden. 

 

Starter for ten:

Pino - NiN, John Mayer

Early Geezer

John Paul Jones back in't early days

Robert De Leo - STP

Your man from Greta Van Fleet

[EssentialTension]

46 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Can anyone give me an example of a rock or hard rock band where the bass player uses flats?

 

Bar Iron Maiden. 

 

Phil Lynott and Rotosound Jazz Bass flats.

[Supernaut]

48 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

Robert De Leo - STP

 

Had no idea he used flats - what songs or albums were that? 

[wateroftyne]

11 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

 

Had no idea he used flats - what songs or albums were that? 

 

Hmm... I was looking at this, but then it looks like the content might be a bit mixed up with someone else's...

https://www.daddario.com/artists/guitar/Robert_DeLeo/

[Jonse]

I was a bit obsessed with Rob DeLeo for a while and think I read somewhere that he currently uses DR HI-Beams.

[scrumpymike]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

Can anyone give me an example of a rock or hard rock band where the bass player uses flats?

 

Bar Iron Maiden. 

 

Silverback - La Bellas I believe 😊

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by scrumpymike

[Guest]

Standard Internet wisdom seems to be that Cliff Williams uses Chromes in the studio 

[Supernaut]

22 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

 

Hmm... I was looking at this, but then it looks like the content might be a bit mixed up with someone else's...

https://www.daddario.com/artists/guitar/Robert_DeLeo/

From what I can find online, he did use flats on certain songs, especially albums 4 and 5 but he was mainly a rounds guy. 

[Lozz196]

I don’t know which album it was but I read an interview with Nate Mendel where he said the producer got him to use flats on a Foo Fighters album for a slightly different (and probably almost unheard) sound.

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Standard Internet wisdom seems to be that Cliff Williams uses Chromes in the studio 

Yes I’ve read that he uses, in his words, “wires” only for live use, preferring chromes for recording.

[nilebodgers]

After my successful experience of just changing the G, I have followed through and put a  full set of Rotosound 77 Jazz 40-100 flats on my J. Interestingly the neck didn’t move at all compared to the 45-105 rounds, so I didn’t even have to tweak the truss rod.

 

I like them for doing the Jazz exercises I have been practicing, it’s a more mellow sound (and no finger squeaks) and the initial pluck of the note seems more prominent compared to rounds, so it’s a tip of the hat to the attack of a double bass.

[naxos10]

+1

I've just fitted the 77s shortscale strings to two of my basses and concur with nilebodgers comments.

[D.I. Joe]

On 05/01/2022 at 09:25, Supernaut said:

Can anyone give me an example of a rock or hard rock band where the bass player uses flats?

 

Bar Iron Maiden. 

 

Roger Glover in the MkII Deep Purple Days

 

Phil Lesh of Grateful Dead (career-long, as I understand)

 

Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane (not sure about post-Airplane though)

 

Ben Sheppard of Soundgarden

 

The bassist in Pearl Jam who's name eludes me... Jeff Ament?