Good Flatwounds for these songs on a P-Bass?

#42
I'm using a light gauge set of GHS Precision Flats on one PB and a set of Labella Copper White Nylons on my other.

Both are excellent choices IMO. I like a PB to sound old school, and these two sets of strings get me plenty of that.

michael_t said:
Considering that's only two days away, this may not be the time for worrying about strings.
As a few others have already suggested, you should just focus on nailing the parts instead of nailing the tone.
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This too.

FWIW it'll take some playing before a set of flats really opens up and gets its full sound. So whatever flat set you do put on your bass isn't going to be at it's best when you audition in two days if you load it up now. A possible short term compromise might be a set of pressurewounds. They get a lot of that old school character and thump straight out of the box. It's probably one of the better utility infielder strings in that respect since it's neither too round nor too flatwound sounding. Highly recommended.

The higher tension of flatwound strings compared to most rounds may also be an issue for you. And you'll probably need to do a good setup on your bass as well because of it. So maybe new strings (other than pressurewounds which usually just drop in and replace whatever you're using) isn't a good idea with an audition so close.

Either way good luck! Hope you nail the audition. :thumbsup:
 
#43
I thought there was only one kind. Thomastik Jazz Flatwounds. Expensive, but they last forever. Nothing like them. Carol Kaye used flatwounds on so many of the classic recordings in the studio. If you are looking for The Beat Goes On tone, that was Carol. And so, so many others. Classic bass tone: Precision Bass with Thomastik flats. And no, she didn't have TI flats back then. But she endorses them now.
01_CarolKaye.jpg
 
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#44
Charley Umbria said:
IMHO, the Ric with almost any type of strings would be appropriate for that song list. Rics have been a staple of pop and rock music since the `60’s.

Bring your A game and your A bass.
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Thanks, You're absolutely right. I just ran through the songs on my Ric. It's just so easy to play. I can close my eyes and hit every note. I'll still get some Flats on the Precision but I'll have to get comfortable on it then break it out....
 
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#46
GregT said:
I thought there was only one kind. Thomastik Jazz Flatwounds. Expensive, but they last forever. Nothing like them. They are also the strings Carol Kaye used on so many of the classic recordings in the studio. If you are looking for The Beat Goes On tone, that was Carol. And so, so many others. Classic bass tone: Precision Bass with Thomastik flats.
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Not quite correct...

Yes, Carol Kaye does use and endorse TI Flats today; however, back in the days she used whatever came stock on her P basses. The legend has it that every time she needed to change strings on her P bass, she would simply swap the whole bass. I'm pretty sure they didn't come with TI Flats back then.
 
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#48
michael_t said:
Not quite correct...

Yes, Carol Kaye does use and endorse TI Flats today; however, back in the days she used whatever came stock on her P basses. The legend has it that every time she needed to change strings on her P bass, she would simply swap the whole bass. I'm pretty sure they didn't come with TI Flats back then.
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Right, Carol would have been using stock Fender flatwound strings in the 1960s. I read that she used Rotosound flats for a while in the 1970s.
 
#49
MoeTown1986 said:
Any flats will work. I myself like Dunlop flats as they're lower tension and I like the black silks.
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I cannot agree more. I've tried Chromes, TI's, LaBella, GHS and DR Legends and the Dunlop Flats are by far my favorite. Tension, tone, feel, string to string balance are all exactly what I've been looking for. I think for $33 dollars, they are the best of the bunch IMO.
 
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#50
quilanthegreat said:
I cannot agree more. I've tried Chromes, TI's, LaBella, GHS and DR Legends and the Dunlop Flats are by far my favorite. Tension, tone, feel, string to string balance are all exactly what I've been looking for. I think for $33 dollars, they are the best of the bunch IMO.
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I’m with ya! I tried Ernie balls, fenders, and chromes and hated them all. Gave up on flats all together. Tried Dunlop’s and I’m sold.
 
#51
I play with LOTS of bands, and choose my gear for each one. I've never thought about what strings to play. With all respect- maybe overthinking it a little. Now go knock 'em dead.
 
#54
michael_t said:
Not quite correct...

Yes, Carol Kaye does use and endorse TI Flats today; however, back in the days she used whatever came stock on her P basses. The legend has it that every time she needed to change strings on her P bass, she would simply swap the whole bass. I'm pretty sure they didn't come with TI Flats back then.
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They were flats that came on Precisions back then. Not sure when she switched to Thomastik, but her recommendation is good enough for me. Still her signature tone was P Bas with flats.
 
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#57
As others have mentioned; at this late stage in the game roll with what you have. Try turning the tone knob down and/or putting a piece of foam under the strings right in front of the bridge. The foam takes a long time to monkey around with ime in order to get the exact effect you’re looking for. Can’t see you breaking in flats in 2 days. After the gig do some research into which brand of flats have the tension you’re looking for because they can vary widely.
 
#59
FunkHead said:
Oh and here's the bass in question.
View attachment 3011154
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Good looking bass!

I'd recommend Dunlop flats. It's what I've been using on my P bass. Plus the black silks look super cool!

But if the audition is Friday night I wouldn't use any new strings. Stick with what you're comfortable with and have used.

I once changed from Rotosound 66s to Rotosound 77 flats and didn't play the bass much before band practice (this was back when I only had 1 bass). It was a disaster, the super high tension on those strings ruined the practice. I'm pretty sure my bandmates thought I forgot how to play bass.
 
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#60
GregT said:
I thought there was only one kind. Thomastik Jazz Flatwounds. Expensive, but they last forever. Nothing like them. They are also the strings Carol Kaye used on so many of the classic recordings in the studio. If you are looking for The Beat Goes On tone, that was Carol. And so, so many others. Classic bass tone: Precision Bass with Thomastik flats.
View attachment 3011458
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Uh, Did Fender have an OEM contract with Thomastik back in the '60's? My understanding is that early on Fender bought the Squier String Factory and during the "golden era" made all their own strings, including bass.

By contrast, Rickenbacker had their strings made by Maxima during the same era; Pyramid supplied Hofner, and Thomastik was making double bass strings.

Others with more info please post.
 
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