a Flats question

[police squad]

I love the fender long scale flats that come as standard on the JMJ Mustang

I would like to have similar on a P bass I have.

How would the same strings feel on a P bass.

My yard stick here is, Rotosound RS66 swing bass, on all my P basses. Tension is fine 45-105 on the rounds

I'd like a similar tension to the Rotos please, without buying hundreds of sets

 

I ask because I have joined a new band doing Americana stuff. I'll use the JMJ but would like a P bass backup with flats (I have plenty of P basses with rounds)

 

TIA you fantastic lot

[danweb22]

I have Fender flats on my Classic 50s P and had the same flats on my JMJ, on the JMJ they definitely feel looser which is understandable considering the shorter scale length of the JMJ and the fact the Fender flats are for a long scale bass. I ended up fitting Chromes to the JMJ to get a bit more tension.

 

 

[police squad]

9 minutes ago, danweb22 said:

I have Fender flats on my Classic 50s P and had the same flats on my JMJ, on the JMJ they definitely feel looser which is understandable considering the shorter scale length of the JMJ and the fact the Fender flats are for a long scale bass. I ended up fitting Chromes to the JMJ to get a bit more tension.

 

 

I dont want any more tension on the JMJ, I just want to P bass to feel nice. I have some cheap Olympia flats on it 45-105 and they're way to stiff. I used it at a gig and had to put it down after 2 numbers and went to the JMJ.

 

How do they feel on the Classic 50s P bass

[Chiliwailer]

I’m not a fan of high tension either, and do prefer the cleaner tone of a light Flatwound. 
I like 40-95, which you can get with EB Group IV and Chromes, both similar-ish to Fender flats, personal preference but I prefer Group IV. GHS Precision flats come in 45-95 if you want a more old school sound. And of course Thomastik and LaBella do low tension, but won’t sound anything like the Fender flats. 
Just highlighting strings I know well and use. 

[Jonesy]

I had a set of Fender flats on a PBass (think they were the 50s?) and thought they were quite high tension. I don't have any exact info on tension, but my finger tips on my right hand would hurt after a 3hr practice.

 

I now use TI Jazz flats anytime I want flats and find them much easier on the fingers.

[police squad]

1 minute ago, Chiliwailer said:

I’m not a fan of high tension either, and do prefer the cleaner tone of a light Flatwound. 
I like 40-95, which you can get with EB Group IV and Chromes, both similar-ish to Fender flats, personal preference but I prefer Group IV. GHS Precision flats come in 45-95 if you want a more old school sound. And of course Thomastik and LaBella do low tension, but won’t sound anything like the Fender flats. 
Just highlighting strings I know well and use. 

nicely done. I'll check out prices

[police squad]

Just now, Jonesy said:

I had a set of Fender flats on a PBass (think they were the 50s?) and thought they were quite high tension. I don't have any exact info on tension, but my finger tips on my right hand would hurt after a 3hr practice.

 

I now use TI Jazz flats anytime I want flats and find them much easier on the fingers.

what gauge TI flats please

[danweb22]

36 minutes ago, police squad said:

I dont want any more tension on the JMJ, I just want to P bass to feel nice. I have some cheap Olympia flats on it 45-105 and they're way to stiff. I used it at a gig and had to put it down after 2 numbers and went to the JMJ.

 

How do they feel on the Classic 50s P bass

 

They feel good, I don't find them stiff at all, they are the light gauge Fender flats (9050L 45-100)

[Lozz196]

I found Roto 40-100 flats to be comparable to their 45-105 rounds tension wise.

[police squad]

15 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I found Roto 40-100 flats to be comparable to their 45-105 rounds tension wise.

are they any good Lozz

[police squad]

17 minutes ago, danweb22 said:

 

They feel good, I don't find them stiff at all, they are the light gauge Fender flats (9050L 45-100)

I might try these then

[danweb22]

2 minutes ago, police squad said:

I might try these then

Not a bad price (£35) either considering most other flats now seem to be around £65 upwards

Edited December 2, 2022 by danweb22
grammar

[Jonesy]

42 minutes ago, police squad said:

what gauge TI flats please

 

I went really light........43-100 on a P & Ric and then 43-106 on my SG.

[Lozz196]

21 minutes ago, police squad said:

are they any good Lozz

Well at heart I’m really not a flats guy, but they’re a bit more scooped in the sound than most other flats, and can be pushed to sound quite “round” and aggressive as the top end is pretty decent. Apparently Phil Lynott used them so have a listen to some live Lizzy perhaps?

[police squad]

Just now, Lozz196 said:

Well at heart I’m really not a flats guy, but they’re a bit more scooped in the sound than most other flats, and can be pushed to sound quite “round” and aggressive as the top end is pretty decent. Apparently Phil Lynott used them so have a listen to some live Lizzy perhaps?

Yep I know Phil used them. I just want nice natural thump really. I love the JMJ sound but will need  a spare bass on my new band project and as I have several P basses, one of those with flats should do it. I dont think I'm looking for a scooped sound, it's weird isn't it. P bass + rounds has worked for me my whole gigging life, when I wanted the bass upfront in the mix etc. Easy to temper the rounds with a bit (ok a lot) of right hand muting at the bridge. But I am loving the feel of the JMJ with flats. My new band is an Americana project with some really amazing players, so I feel flats and a nice laid back feel should work well

[Lozz196]

Oh they still sound like flats, but are easier to be pushed to a rock sound than others. 
 

My flats faves are Dunlops, find them to be really nice to play. 45-105 are less tension than Roto rounds tho.

[Chiliwailer]

30 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

 

I went really light........43-100 on a P & Ric and then 43-106 on my SG.

Wow, never knew about the 43-106., curious as to what that gauge is like then… though think I’m too settled with the 43-100 to change, absolutely love them. 
 

Aha, must be the short scale gauge for a shorty SG? 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Chiliwailer

[police squad]

19 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Oh they still sound like flats, but are easier to be pushed to a rock sound than others. 
 

My flats faves are Dunlops, find them to be really nice to play. 45-105 are less tension than Roto rounds tho.

how do the dunlops sound?

[Lozz196]

They’re nice, more like a traditional flat but again take highs nicely and don’t sound “flubby” on a Precision like some can.

[Jonesy]

27 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Wow, never knew about the 43-106., curious as to what that gauge is like then… though think I’m too settled with the 43-100 to change, absolutely love them. 
 

Aha, must be the short scale gauge for a shorty SG? 

 

Is indeed, they're the light gauge for short scales. It's the only short scale I've ever owned, but the scale length and light gauge make it a lot of fun to play.

[Dan Dare]

I've an idea Fender flats are re-badged D'Addarios (probably Chromes). They feel very similar and have the same coloured ball ends.

[Chiliwailer]

48 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

I've an idea Fender flats are re-badged D'Addarios (probably Chromes). They feel very similar and have the same coloured ball ends.

Pretty sure the ball end colours are different, even if just on one or two strings? I agree there are similarities, but quite different characteristics IMO. 
Possibly a different type of D’Addario at best.  

[NAS Bass]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

I've an idea Fender flats are re-badged D'Addarios (probably Chromes). They feel very similar and have the same coloured ball ends.

Apart from being made by D'Addario, 9050s and Chromes are very different

[police squad]

I went 45-100 with the Fender flats.

They actually feel really nice, when sat down noodling away. The proof will be on a gig or a rehearsal.

As mentioned, it's actually as a backup to my JMJ.

 

cheers everybody

[chris_b]

I'd recommend TI flats. I put a set on my PJ5 about 7 years ago and they are perfect for all my bands, from blues and rock to Reggae and from top 40 to Americana.