String ID - Flats

[dmc79]

Just curious about these as despite playing for 25 years I’d never used flats before, until these arrived on a Mustang I briefly had. The smoothness / playability was something else, and I should probably have removed and kept them, but I snipped them off and replaced with rounds. 

So, does anyone think they know what these flats with blue silks are? They are gone so I can’t say what was on the ball ends. I wouldn’t rule out trying flats on my P someday. If I do, it would be something at the brighter end of the flat spectrum, if such a string exists, I’m not one for motown / dull muffled thud sound, and keep the tone fully open. So essentially if there’s a flat string which kind of sounds like a round, but with the nice playability / reduced fret noise etc, of flats, I’d be interested. Thanks 

 

 

 

 

 

[Reggaebass]

They look like D’addario chromes if they look like this at the ball end, sounds like TI flats might be what you are looking for, they are quite bright as flats go , they were too bright for what I play 

[msb]

Many flats are springy sounding when you first put them on , it can take a couple of weeks of solid playing for them to settle down. TIs are a very low tension string , but have a nice middle , they project well in a mix. Some find them too flimsy , I love them on 34 in basses but like something stiffer on the short scales I favour these days.

[dmc79]

Thanks for the replies. Never even considered flats before, they are expensive, but I guess last longer and don't eat your frets like rounds do. They felt nice on the short scale, but now I am back on long scale I feel I should try flats on my P bass sometime. I think the smooth feel of the above pictured flats was highlighted more than usual, as I'd put some stainless Roto rounds on a Squier PJ bass briefly, so obviously going back and forth running my hands over both sets of strings, they were like chalk and cheese, it felt a relief to go back to my usual nickel plated rounds, but I still keep thinking about how nice those flats felt! 

 

D'Addario Chrome XL say 'Warm / Mellow' on the packet, which I'm not sure is what I want, are any other flats brighter as you say TI are? Also are half rounds / pressurewounds a good kind of middle ground between the feel and playability of flats and a bit more brightness / zing that rounds give? I mean I don't expect mega zing from flats, but certainly don't want too mellow either, if that makes sense. I've seen mixed reports on Cobalts, with some loving them, whilst others reported rust issues. 

 

I'll have a read through some opinions on flats anyway. 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by dmc79

[Supernaut]

Chromes are the brightest flats out there. If you need brighter still, I would say try Pressurewound strings. GHS Pressurewounds and SIT Silencers are good examples. 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

After trying a lot of flatwounds, Ernie Ball cobalts flats, which I currently have on my thunderbirds, are brighter than chromes in my experience.

[dmc79]

Today I picked up a lovely 2003 Candy Apple Red American Series Precision. It’s strung with flats, which the seller said were La Bella. Can anyone ID them please? 
 

According to specs on a string selling site, Low Tension Flats have burgundy silk, whilst 760 Deep Talkin Bass have red. But other threads brought up by a Google search show that DTF can have a red/orange silk, so I’m a little confused.
 

Anyway, they feel amazing with no finger squeak, and sounded great through a tube amp when I tested it before buying (I normally play through IEMs). I’ve never had flats on a P bass so I’ll certainly try these for a while. Thanks 
 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by dmc79

[Reggaebass]

16 minutes ago, dmc79 said:

Today I picked up a lovely 2003 Candy Apple Red American Series Precision. It’s strung with flats, which the seller said were La Bella. Can anyone ID them please? 
 

According to specs on a string selling site, Low Tension Flats have burgundy silk, whilst 760 Deep Talkin Bass have red. But other threads brought up by a Google search show that DTF can have a red/orange silk, so I’m a little confused.
 

Anyway, they feel amazing with no finger squeak, and sounded great through a tube amp when I tested it before buying (I normally play through IEMs). I’ve never had flats on a P bass so I’ll certainly try these for a while. Thanks 
 

 

 

They look like 760FL if no silk at the ball end, great strings