First Time Using Half Rounds

[edbnuts]

I strung up my Fender PJ with D'Addario Half Rounds that I purchased from BSOL and gave them a go last night. I've been using Chromes for the last few years. I've read that some folks here think these are the worst of both worlds but after last night and trying them for myself, IMO they are the best of both worlds.

 

[DirtDog]

I’m with you man! I like playing rounds but a finger injury with nerve damage makes them too uncomfortable to play. I use half rounds and they work great for me. I’ve got a short scale that I’ve got to string up with half rounds if I can find the right length.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I strung up my Fender PJ with D'Addario Half Rounds that I purchased from BSOL and gave them a go last night. I've been using Chromes for the last few years. I've read that some folks here think these are the worst of both worlds but after last night and trying them for myself, IMO they are the best of both worlds.

I've been using either D'Addario Half Rounds or GHS Brite Flats on my Rick 4001 since the late 70's. I like ground roundwounds quite a bit.

 

[Root 5]

I love D'Addario Half Rounds. They have a lovely warm, deep fundamental and useable brightness; they're a nice alternative to flats. And the sticky feeling some freak out about goes away quickly.

Here is some string porno for ya. I tried to take close up pics of a set of mine.

 

[bholder]

sticky feeling some freak out about goes away quickly

...after you've rubbed your fingertips off and developed tougher calluses! But yeah, I like half rounds, always keep a few basses with them on.

 

[edbnuts]

I've been using either D'Addario Half Rounds or GHS Brite Flats on my Rick 4001 since the late 70's. I like ground roundwounds quite a bit.

How do the Brite Flats compare to the Half Rounds?

 

[JRA]

i just posted on another thread, basically saying: "whatever works for you!" i have the same opinion here: if you like them = that's all that counts!

i used to used half rounds: IME they were pretty nice, but i missed the extra 'edge' i felt i got from roto rounds. i was younger and i was looking for something which both sounded good and which did not "tear up my fingers." building proper calluses allowed me to use any string, so = back to rounds! i like the TI jazz rounds (expensive) because of the 'loosey goosey' quality they have for me, but i think a lot of half-round users might appreciate their "smooth" feel --- not unlike half rounds.

 

[michael_t]

How do the Brite Flats compare to the Half Rounds?

GHS Brite Flats ARE half-rounds. What makes them unique is the Alloy 52 (nickel-iron) used for the wrap wire, vs. pure nickel for the D'A.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

How do the Brite Flats compare to the Half Rounds?

IMO their surface feel and tone are similar, the Brite Flats seem to keep their brightness longer.

 

[Yahboy]

Been use ENR before, but I can't play comfort with it string surface.

 

[Aidil]

Good that OP likes the Half Rounds. I used to have them on my old fretted 6 and then tried them on my old fretless 6... but then after tried the Pressurewound on the fretted and Chromes on the fretless, the ENR were off.

 

[Root 5]

IMO their surface feel and tone are similar, the Brite Flats seem to keep their brightness longer.

They would start out brighter too because of their material.

 

[peoriashows]

I love D'Addario Half Rounds. They have a lovely warm, deep fundamental and useable brightness; they're a nice alternative to flats. And the sticky feeling some freak out about goes away quickly.

Here is some string porno for ya. I tried to take close up pics of a set of mine.

Right on! I've been using half rounds for nearly 20 years and I still forget about the sticky feeling every time I put a new set on because it goes away so fast.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I was going to try Brite Flats on my main bass, which is a 6-string, but I stumbled upon Pressurewounds, and they ended up being perfect for it.

I have Boomers on my Lull M5V, and they sound fantastic on it, but I'm curious to hear what Brite Flats sound like on it.

If the BFs overrule the Boomers, I'm putting Boomers on my other 6-string. I figure that will give me quite a bit of variety for the upcoming band recordings.

 

[Root 5]

but I'm curious to hear what Brite Flats sound like on it.

If you appreciate a warm, deep fundamental with useable brightness, you'll like them. If you like tons of 'bright' and 'zing.' Then no.

 

[FunkHead]

Been use ENR before, but I can't play comfort with it string surface.

Wubbit beeebuh thibbis Eeebuh Ebbbin ARbuh Youbuh spabeeakuh ubbbuv?

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

If you appreciate a warm, deep fundamental with useable brightness, you'll like them. If you like tons of 'bright' and 'zing.' Then no.

I'm hoping to cop that early Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones tone. Think: "The Lemon Song". I have a hunch they'll deliver it in spades.

 

[Root 5]

I'm hoping to cop that early Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones tone. Think: "The Lemon Song". I have a hunch they'll deliver it in spades.

IMO they will.

 

[howlin]

I've read that some folks here think these are the worst of both worlds but after last night and trying them for myself, IMO they are the best of both worlds.

GHS Pressurewounds are the best of both worlds IMHE.

And the sticky feeling some freak out about goes away quickly.

That “sticky feeling” goes away after the dead skin from your fingers fills in the gaps.

 

[michael_t]

Half-rounds (aka groundwound) tend to get mixed reviews around here. Some love them, some hate them, while others simply go "meh". Are they really the "best of both worlds between rounds and flats" or "the worst of both worlds"? I used to think half-rounds were only half of what's good about either rounds or flats.

As a huge GHS fan, I've tried a handful of their offerings in the last few years - Boomers, Round Core Boomers, Pressurewounds, Balanced Nickels... And just a couple of days ago I put a brand new set of the Precision Flats on my P bass to try for the first time.

The Pressurewounds are working out really well on my new Yamaha active 5-string and looks like the P Flats on my P will stay on there for a while. So, the question is what should I try next on my Fender Jazz? Brite Flats! I figure the only way to satisfy my curiosity about them is simply to try them for myself. They should fall somewhere between the PWs and the PF both in tone and feel.

So, I just ordered a set of L3075 (45-56-77-98) to try out. I like the idea the Brite Flats are the same Alloy 52 as the Pressurewound, vs. the pure nickel on the D'Addario Half-rounds.