Flats - why do many rave about them

[D.I. Joe]

Has there been any mention of Elites Detroit Flats on this thread? Great versatile strings and at £30 much less expensive than aforementioned imported brands.

[Maude]

On 01/12/2021 at 23:09, Geek99 said:

What about these from same vendor ? 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLATWOUND-Bass-Guitar-Strings-Gauge-45-Power-Swing-Set-Light-Medium-Olympia-/332486029353?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

I bought these a while ago, don't be afraid to make an offer. 😉

 

[PaulThePlug]

I think the Olympia are the same as the Adagio's... Same Red Silks... Look the same, feel the same, tension, sound the same to my cloth ears...

 

Got Adagio Flats on my Harley Benton Acoustic and Ibanez Electric Bass, Olympia's on my P and J Bitsa's (J has a low-ish nut and has benefitted from tge Flats slightly higher tension over Rounds to stop an A and D buzz at the first...)

 

Also got Olympia Flats (10-48) on an Epi LP Electric Guitar, and just put another set on my eldests Electro Acoustic Bowlback...

Real nice warm tone...

 

Great Value Flats... Especially for a tryout.

Edited January 9, 2022 by PaulThePlug

[Steve Browning]

John Deacon on early Queen stuff. Bohemian Rhapsody is flats.

[StickyDBRmf]

I think it all depends on what type of tonewood the bass is made of. I hope this hasn't been mentioned before. 

 

[Linus27]

I have a gorgeous Fender Precision which has a maple high gloss fretless neck. So to not chew up the neck, my string choices are pretty limited. I'm currently using Rotosound 77 Jazz Flatwounds which I do like as they are low tension like rounds, feel nice to play and sound very good, I wound say warm and round.

 

However I would like to try something different. Are there any string that are low tension like rounds or my Rotosound flats, brighter and closer tonally to rounds but still smooth like flats as to not chew up my maple gloss fretless neck?

Edited January 15, 2022 by Linus27

[Jonse]

4 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

I have a gorgeous Fender Precision which has a maple high gloss fretless neck. So to not chew up the neck, my string choices are pretty limited. I'm currently using Rotosound 77 Jazz Flatwounds which I do like as they are low tension like rounds, feel nice to play and sound very good, I wound say warm and round.

 

However I would like to try something different. Are there any string that are low tension like rounds or my Rotosound flats, brighter and closer tonally to rounds but still smooth like flats as to not chew up my maple gloss fretless neck?

TI flats or Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds 

[scrumpymike]

2 hours ago, Jonse said:

TI flats or Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds 

Never tried Cobalts but I wouldn't say my TI flats are "brighter and closer tonally to rounds".  The GHS Brite Flats I tried a while back are nearer what Linus27 is after but I seem to recall they were high-ish tension.  I don't think 'bright' and 'low tension' go together.

[EssentialTension]

3 hours ago, Linus27 said:

I have a gorgeous Fender Precision which has a maple high gloss fretless neck. So to not chew up the neck, my string choices are pretty limited. I'm currently using Rotosound 77 Jazz Flatwounds which I do like as they are low tension like rounds, feel nice to play and sound very good, I wound say warm and round.

 

However I would like to try something different. Are there any string that are low tension like rounds or my Rotosound flats, brighter and closer tonally to rounds but still smooth like flats as to not chew up my maple gloss fretless neck?

 

I'm surprised you call Roto 77 Jazz flats low tension. To me they always seem to be high tension.

[Jonse]

5 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

Never tried Cobalts but I wouldn't say my TI flats are "brighter and closer tonally to rounds".  The GHS Brite Flats I tried a while back are nearer what Linus27 is after but I seem to recall they were high-ish tension.  I don't think 'bright' and 'low tension' go together.

Well it's a sliding scale isn't it. TI flats are brighter and more punchy than the majority of flatwounds.  They're certainly closer to rounds than something like Labella Deep Talking flats or Olympias. 

 

TI flats are lower tension than something like Labella Low Tension flats and they're more roundwound-like as well. You can't expect that roundwound zing from them but they're a great string. 

[Paul S]

7 minutes ago, Jonse said:

Well it's a sliding scale isn't it. TI flats are brighter and more punchy than the majority of flatwounds.  They're certainly closer to rounds than something like Labella Deep Talking flats or Olympias. 

 

TI flats are lower tension than something like Labella Low Tension flats and they're more roundwound-like as well. You can't expect that roundwound zing from them but they're a great string. 

 

This is precisely my experience with them.

[shoulderpet]

On 15/01/2022 at 11:07, Linus27 said:

I have a gorgeous Fender Precision which has a maple high gloss fretless neck. So to not chew up the neck, my string choices are pretty limited. I'm currently using Rotosound 77 Jazz Flatwounds which I do like as they are low tension like rounds, feel nice to play and sound very good, I wound say warm and round.

 

However I would like to try something different. Are there any string that are low tension like rounds or my Rotosound flats, brighter and closer tonally to rounds but still smooth like flats as to not chew up my maple gloss fretless neck?

Roto's are usually very high tension, are you sure they are Roto's? TI jazz flats have red silk like Roto's but are low tension, could put be those? 

[Linus27]

5 minutes ago, shoulderpet said:

Roto's are usually very high tension, are you sure they are Roto's? TI jazz flats have red silk like Roto's but are low tension, could put be those? 

 

Yep, definitely Roto's, 100% sure. They were recommended to me by OBBM and I then purchased them through Amazon and fitted them myself.  

[Rich]

I do like the sound of flats, but I absolutely hate the way they feel under my fingers. It's the smoothness, it has this almost slimy quality that I really can't stand. I've tried more than once, but I just can't get on with them. I suppose the only way to replicate the sound in any way will be to somehow prematurely age a set of rounds?

 

[Woodinblack]

Get a set of rough gloves to play with?

[scrumpymike]

28 minutes ago, Rich said:

I do like the sound of flats, but I absolutely hate the way they feel under my fingers. It's the smoothness, it has this almost slimy quality that I really can't stand. I've tried more than once, but I just can't get on with them. I suppose the only way to replicate the sound in any way will be to somehow prematurely age a set of rounds?

 

 

Hi Rich!  How strange, it's just the opposite for me.  Maybe half-rounds or I seem to recall GHS Brite flats had a kind of semi-rough feel.

[Rich]

According to GHS, the Brite flats are "a string that feels like a flatwound, but has the bite and definition of a roundwound". Shame it's not the other way round, they'd be ideal..!  

 

[Reggaebass]

When I bought my BB415 it came with a well used set of D’addario half rounds fitted, they sound like flats but feel a bit like worn rounds 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Reggaebass

[iconic]

On 09/01/2022 at 20:59, PaulThePlug said:

 

 

Got Adagio Flats on my Harley Benton Acoustic.... 

 

 

You can buy flats for acoustics, every day is school day😎

[EssentialTension]

2 hours ago, iconic said:

You can buy flats for acoustics, every day is school day😎

 

I've always had flats on acoustics.

[PaulThePlug]

2 hours ago, iconic said:

You can buy flats for acoustics, every day is school day😎

Same Strings... just fitted to an acoustic, sound loverly compared to the squeaky phosphor bronze things it came with... Didnt even have to touch the truss rod, just took a shim out to lower the action.

Edited January 18, 2022 by PaulThePlug

[Paul S]

A random observation.  Years ago someone on here flagged up using La bella white nylon tapes for acoustics so I tried a set.  Wow.  Much livelier than the black nylon ones, sharper and middier, but still the same sort of feel.  Not cheap just to take a punt on, mind.  

[Supernaut]

20 hours ago, Rich said:

According to GHS, the Brite flats are "a string that feels like a flatwound, but has the bite and definition of a roundwound". Shame it's not the other way round, they'd be ideal..!  

 

 

GHS Pressurewounds sound up your street. 

[EssentialTension]

On acoustics I've used La Bella 760FS, 760FL, 760N, Rotosound 88, Thomastik Jazz, and D'Addario black nylons. They all worked but just sounded different.

[shoulderpet]

3 hours ago, EssentialTension said:

On acoustics I've used La Bella 760FS, 760FL, 760N, Rotosound 88, Thomastik Jazz, and D'Addario black nylons. They all worked but just sounded different.

You're brave putting 760FS on an acoustic