Discussion: "I can make my rounds sound like flats"

Mar 11, 2013
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I've read many people on here saying, in some way or another, that they can make their rounds sound like flats. It's often phrased as "I can take away treble but I can't add it."

This has never been my experience. I've tried everything from using my tone knob, to changing pickups, to using pedals and the EQ on my amps. Sure, I can take away treble content in the signal but it sure don't sounds like flatwound strings, regardless of what I do.

*To be clear* I'm NOT interested in actually trying to make my rounds sound like flats. I have basses with rounds and ones with flats so that I can have the sounds I need when I need them. I just find myself wondering how many of the folks who believe this mantra have actually tried to make their rounds sound like flats, and how many just say this for the sake of saying it.

If you've actually accomplished this feat, how did you get there? What gear did you use (bass, pickups, strings, effects, etc), and how close was the sound, both solo and in the mix?
 
I've read many people on here saying, in some way or another, that they can make their rounds sound like flats. It's often phrased as "I can take away treble but I can't add it."

This has never been my experience. I've tried everything from using my tone knob, to changing pickups, to using pedals and the EQ on my amps. Sure, I can take away treble content in the signal but it sure don't sounds like flatwound strings, regardless of what I do.

*To be clear* I'm NOT interested in actually trying to make my rounds sound like flats. I have basses with rounds and ones with flats so that I can have the sounds I need when I need them. I just find myself wondering how many of the folks who believe this mantra have actually tried to make their rounds sound like flats, and how many just say this for the sake of saying it.

If you've actually accomplished this feat, how did you get there? What gear did you use (bass, pickups, strings, effects, etc), and how close was the sound, both solo and in the mix?

You are correct. It can't be done. It can be approximated, and in a variety band setting, well, yeah, I'd do rounds and fake the flats sound, cuz you really can do the opposite.

But flats have a unique sound, period.
 
I have all kinds of flats and all kinds of rounds.

The longer and deader my rounds go, the more they sound like flats. I use fingers mostly, almost zero pick.

I can get them to sound just like flats. But I prefer the silky feel of flats over finger-whistling rounds.

Some rounds are better at sounding like flats than others though.
 
I like nickel rounds but not bright.
Closest I get is tone know / EQ, and some sort of mute.
Somebody here used to make one that slid under the strings by the bridge.
 
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Umm, sort of. Once the treble gets rolled off on either (by age or eq) they get pretty close. Rolling off treble on rounds will never sound like flats with the treble/tone up. Plus, rounds always seem to have that full overtone sound going on, while flats never seem to.

One exception might be the modern flats thing.
 
This is a pointless discussion - it is physically impossible to make round wound strings sound like flats. The people that think they can must be playing through some low-fi set up that masques all the sonic details and transients.
The way that rounds and flats are constructed makes it impossible for them to sound anything alike
 
JPJ used Roto rounds with his J on LZ albums. The uninformed believe JPJ used flats.

Yes, it is easy to make rounds sound like flats in mixes or band settings, but the opposite is nearly impossible unless you use EB Cobalts.
 
I started playing in the early 60's when Fender basses came only with LaBella flatwounds on them. A set very similar to what they sell as the Jamerson set today. When RotoSound came out with the first round wounds in the late 60's it was nirvana for me. I get as close as I want to flats with my tone control today.
 
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