Hello TBers,
I wanted to share my experience with 3 sets of flats that I have been using on-and-off, for the last two years. My intent is to provide a general overview of each string (texture, tone, tension etc.) for gigging bass players, and those looking to make the switch from nickel/steel rounds.
Here are the breakdowns of each set:
DR Legends (45-105, only available in this gauge)
Feel: In a word...fantastic! These are clearly the smoothest strings that I have ever played. DR uses a polishing process on the stainless steel wrap which makes them literally gapless when reviewed closely under light. They are as smooth as glass, and a treat to slide on. In terms of tension, they are not as high tension as oher medium gauge flats because they are a roundcore string (you can read more about this on DR's website). They will make your fretting hand work more than medium gauge rounds, but the supple feel and low tension of the strings make them very playable given time.
Tone (EQ): The Legends are basically broken-in upon stringing. I have noticed very little difference in brightness, low-end response, or any other tonal characteristic since installing them over a year ago. They are definitely in the old-school thumpy world of traditional flatwounds, and have a pronounced mid-range and nice lows. The high end is surprisingly lively, and hasn't tamed since they were purchased. The only issue that I have had with the tone of this particular set, is that the E string is thumpy to the point of being dull, and lifeless. It was essentially dead from the get go, and I eventually contacted DR for a replacement. The current string is way too fresh to comment on right now, so I'll have to monitor how it breaks-in tonally over the next couple of weeks.
Tonal Balance: The E,A, and D strings of this set are very balanced out of the package. Even with the dead E string, all three stings have a very warm characterisic with a strong presence in the mix when playing live. As noted above, the G string is quite bright and I hope that it eventually tames to match the rest of the set over time. As of now, it seems to standout when playing bass lines that span the entire fretboard.
As a whole, this set doesn't hold a particularly unique tone, but many people play flats just to get that warm thump that approaches an upright bass. This set achieves that easily with some palm-muting, and rolling off the tone knob.
D'Addario Chromes (45-100)
Feel: This set has a very smooth texture that is a drastic improvement from the company's nickel/steel roundwound offerings. If held closely to light, you can see minimal gaps in the outer wrap across all the strings of the set. However, the windings are so close that you are only left with a feeling that is slightly less satisfying than the DRs. Overall, they are great to the touch and offer a very smooth texture.
In terms of tension, this gauge is close to a medium gauge set of roundwound nickel-plated strings. The individual tension of each string is higher than that of the DRs simply because they are made using a typical hex-core construction process. This gauge is easy to convert to for roundwound players, because the difference in tension is negligible to most players using sets that are 45-105 during gigs.
Tone (EQ): This set does require a lenghty break-in process, and essentially sound like rounds out of the package. This makes them easy for roundwound players to convert to, but are also what turns some players off after installing them for the first time (myself included). Once settled, they do become warmer and lose the excessive bright characteristic which they have initially. At this stage, they offer a uniquely semi-bright tone, at least for a set of flats, which makes them perfect for playing in cover bands. This crisp tone is very useful for getting a great pick attack tone, and allows them to even be slapped decently. This lively tone has not diminished over time, and the E string has finally lost its brighter characteristics (i.e. overtones).
Tonal Balance: This set is more balanced than the DRs, simply because the brightness is maintained throughout the strings. Despite what I've read online, the liveliness of the G string does not seem out of place when compared to the rest of the set. There is a mid-scoop in the lower midrange, which makes them less traditional sounding, but the more modern sound makes them more versatile than most flatwounds on the market. There is a large ground covered tonally between the E and G, but they are still more balanced overall than the DRs that I tested.
Rotosound Jazz Bass (40-100)
Feel: This set has the roughest texture of the three, and probably the worst of all flatwounds on the market. With that being said, they do become smoother feeling over time. When held closely to light, the wraps are clearly visible and the oddball E string becomes clearly visible. This string has a brighter colour than the others, and the wraps are very wide throughout the lenght of the string. Even after being played in, the string still feels rougher than the others in the same set. Overall, they are a harder feeling string, due to the monel material, but they are still a much more comfortable experience than nickel roundwounds.
Tone (EQ): The tone of this set is very mid-heavy, with a crisp top end that is not zingy. The lows are fairly lacking, so you're essentially left with a strong mid characteristic that is very detailed and pleasant to the trained ear. Once worn-in, this set is actually the most subtle and organic sounding of all three. The set is clear sounding without being overly bright, or too boomy either.
Tonal Balance: The balance of this set is atrocious out of the package. The E and A strings are shiny, bright sounding, and bear no resemblance to a traditional flatwound string. The D and G however, are warm sounding and even duller in appearance than their counterparts. After convincing myself to be patient, they did even out very well over time and are actually very well-balanced now. When playing bass lines across the fretboard, or scales in the first position, you can hear how balanced the tones are across the strings. The only drawback with this particular set is the lack of authority from the E string.
Verdict
Out of the three sets that I have tested, my overall choice would be the Rotosound Jazz Bass. Despite their texture, and lack of lows, they provide a very subtle tone that is earthy, mid-focused, and very well-balanced. Once broken-in, they are very traditional sounding and almost quiet in their nuance. The only drawback with this particular set, is that they don't offer the wide ranging tones that the DRs, or D'Addarios do. Of those two, I would choose the Chromes simply because of the lack of tonal balance in the DRs, and that dead E string which may, or may not, continue to be an issue.
I wanted to share my experience with 3 sets of flats that I have been using on-and-off, for the last two years. My intent is to provide a general overview of each string (texture, tone, tension etc.) for gigging bass players, and those looking to make the switch from nickel/steel rounds.
Here are the breakdowns of each set:
DR Legends (45-105, only available in this gauge)
Feel: In a word...fantastic! These are clearly the smoothest strings that I have ever played. DR uses a polishing process on the stainless steel wrap which makes them literally gapless when reviewed closely under light. They are as smooth as glass, and a treat to slide on. In terms of tension, they are not as high tension as oher medium gauge flats because they are a roundcore string (you can read more about this on DR's website). They will make your fretting hand work more than medium gauge rounds, but the supple feel and low tension of the strings make them very playable given time.
Tone (EQ): The Legends are basically broken-in upon stringing. I have noticed very little difference in brightness, low-end response, or any other tonal characteristic since installing them over a year ago. They are definitely in the old-school thumpy world of traditional flatwounds, and have a pronounced mid-range and nice lows. The high end is surprisingly lively, and hasn't tamed since they were purchased. The only issue that I have had with the tone of this particular set, is that the E string is thumpy to the point of being dull, and lifeless. It was essentially dead from the get go, and I eventually contacted DR for a replacement. The current string is way too fresh to comment on right now, so I'll have to monitor how it breaks-in tonally over the next couple of weeks.
Tonal Balance: The E,A, and D strings of this set are very balanced out of the package. Even with the dead E string, all three stings have a very warm characterisic with a strong presence in the mix when playing live. As noted above, the G string is quite bright and I hope that it eventually tames to match the rest of the set over time. As of now, it seems to standout when playing bass lines that span the entire fretboard.
As a whole, this set doesn't hold a particularly unique tone, but many people play flats just to get that warm thump that approaches an upright bass. This set achieves that easily with some palm-muting, and rolling off the tone knob.
D'Addario Chromes (45-100)
Feel: This set has a very smooth texture that is a drastic improvement from the company's nickel/steel roundwound offerings. If held closely to light, you can see minimal gaps in the outer wrap across all the strings of the set. However, the windings are so close that you are only left with a feeling that is slightly less satisfying than the DRs. Overall, they are great to the touch and offer a very smooth texture.
In terms of tension, this gauge is close to a medium gauge set of roundwound nickel-plated strings. The individual tension of each string is higher than that of the DRs simply because they are made using a typical hex-core construction process. This gauge is easy to convert to for roundwound players, because the difference in tension is negligible to most players using sets that are 45-105 during gigs.
Tone (EQ): This set does require a lenghty break-in process, and essentially sound like rounds out of the package. This makes them easy for roundwound players to convert to, but are also what turns some players off after installing them for the first time (myself included). Once settled, they do become warmer and lose the excessive bright characteristic which they have initially. At this stage, they offer a uniquely semi-bright tone, at least for a set of flats, which makes them perfect for playing in cover bands. This crisp tone is very useful for getting a great pick attack tone, and allows them to even be slapped decently. This lively tone has not diminished over time, and the E string has finally lost its brighter characteristics (i.e. overtones).
Tonal Balance: This set is more balanced than the DRs, simply because the brightness is maintained throughout the strings. Despite what I've read online, the liveliness of the G string does not seem out of place when compared to the rest of the set. There is a mid-scoop in the lower midrange, which makes them less traditional sounding, but the more modern sound makes them more versatile than most flatwounds on the market. There is a large ground covered tonally between the E and G, but they are still more balanced overall than the DRs that I tested.
Rotosound Jazz Bass (40-100)
Feel: This set has the roughest texture of the three, and probably the worst of all flatwounds on the market. With that being said, they do become smoother feeling over time. When held closely to light, the wraps are clearly visible and the oddball E string becomes clearly visible. This string has a brighter colour than the others, and the wraps are very wide throughout the lenght of the string. Even after being played in, the string still feels rougher than the others in the same set. Overall, they are a harder feeling string, due to the monel material, but they are still a much more comfortable experience than nickel roundwounds.
Tone (EQ): The tone of this set is very mid-heavy, with a crisp top end that is not zingy. The lows are fairly lacking, so you're essentially left with a strong mid characteristic that is very detailed and pleasant to the trained ear. Once worn-in, this set is actually the most subtle and organic sounding of all three. The set is clear sounding without being overly bright, or too boomy either.
Tonal Balance: The balance of this set is atrocious out of the package. The E and A strings are shiny, bright sounding, and bear no resemblance to a traditional flatwound string. The D and G however, are warm sounding and even duller in appearance than their counterparts. After convincing myself to be patient, they did even out very well over time and are actually very well-balanced now. When playing bass lines across the fretboard, or scales in the first position, you can hear how balanced the tones are across the strings. The only drawback with this particular set is the lack of authority from the E string.
Verdict
Out of the three sets that I have tested, my overall choice would be the Rotosound Jazz Bass. Despite their texture, and lack of lows, they provide a very subtle tone that is earthy, mid-focused, and very well-balanced. Once broken-in, they are very traditional sounding and almost quiet in their nuance. The only drawback with this particular set, is that they don't offer the wide ranging tones that the DRs, or D'Addarios do. Of those two, I would choose the Chromes simply because of the lack of tonal balance in the DRs, and that dead E string which may, or may not, continue to be an issue.
