CONUNDRUM!

[mikewalker]

OK, I have these two virtually identical basses.

View attachment 2789203

The Vacarro on the left weighs one pound less, and has a strong midrange growl.
The Hartke on the right weighs a pound more than the Vacarro, and has the DEEPEST sound I have ever heard in any bass. Both have identical Aluminum necks. (lots of Twang and sustain for days)

I bought the Hartke hoping for deep-but-twangy Kramerism, and it has exceeded my expectations. My original intention is to tune it down a whole tone with extra-heavy roundwounds.

I bought the Vaccaro so I could have a "lumineck" with FLATWOUNDS! (Normal tuning) I have a set of Steve Harris heavy rotosound flats ready to go. (Just waiting til I get around to installing the set of EMGs I have sitting on my kitchen counter for it!)

The PROBLEM:

Since they are both sitting around (with a couple of other basses ahead of line in surgery) I have been playing them "As is" about equally. And I find the Vacarro has just an exquisite tone with roundwounds. Crazy nice! But it is "destined" for flats. Hmmmm....

IF you had one bass that was "just way deeper" - wouldn't it be the obvious candidate for the Detuned extra-heavy rounds (deep, rich "piano sound"??) I really have to put flats on ONE of these, but I'm wondering if the sweet tones I get from the Vacarro with rounds will translate with a set of heavy flats on it?

AND I wonder if some of that creamy goodness is coming from the passive "basslines" pickup set? It's going to get the EMG transplant next week, for sure. Will the EMGs do their job and just give me "more of the natural bass goodness"?

I KNOW that you could say - well just put the flats on one and the rounds on the other, try em out and then switch em around. Sure... BUT you know how it munches the strings a little when you uncurl them and pull them through the bridge when you take a set off... call me obsessive, but I love to put a set of strings on and then DON'T MESS WITH THEM til it's time to throw em into the "emergency backup string bin".

Anyway, if anyone has any opinions on "Which bass is best for ̷m̷e̷t̷a̷l̷ flats!"
(That is too say, the bassier one, or the mid-ier one...)
Keeping in mind that the one that gets the rounds will be detuned to DGCF!

 

[smperry]

Moved to Bass Guitars as requested.

If you want to discuss which string sets more than which basses, and want this moved to Strings, just let me know (quote this or tag me).

 

[smperry]

Nice basses!

Bottom line for me would be: Which bass do you prefer with rounds?

I'm assuming that's what they both currently have. But...that's complicated by the fact that you're changing pickups. Still...which bass do you prefer with rounds? I'd leave that one as is and then decide with the other whether pickup change is even needed in addition to the flats, or whether the flats you already bought are the "right" flats. Respectfully, I think you might be putting the cart before the horse. You had certain expectations, and bought replacement pickups and a specific flatwound string set based on those expectations. Now that you have the basses in hand, start with what is working best and then decide how/if to tweak the other.

JMO but, I think the general idea of two similar basses, but one with flats and the other with rounds, is a good one.

 

[mongo2]

I use nylon tapes and sometimes flats. I got there by trying many different string brands/gauges/types over the decades I've been playing.

You answered your own question when you mentioned trying both types of strings on each bass. You could always buy sets for each bass so they're fresh when you install them.