One step brighter than Flatwounds for recording

[Sam Miller]

I currently have La Bella LTF-4A Flatwounds on my vintage Rickenbacker. I love soft, warm sound live through a bass amp, but not so much for home recording, where you have to consider how the mix sounds through smaller speakers. I end up trying to get more definition out of the bass post-recording through adding subtle distortion and boosting the highs, but the bass still sounds a little flat, lifeless, undefined, lost in a mix when translated to smaller speakers. In the hands of a skilled engineer, I suspect you can make any type of strings work. However, I am just a humble home recording dude.

I am thinking of switching strings, but I find many roundwounds too bright for my liking. Any suggestions for a type and brand of string that is a little brighter, richer mid/high timbre, than flatwounds but still retains most of their warmth and silky feel---in other words, a string sound somewhere between the usual round and flatwound types? Nickel-plated, tapedwound? What type and brand of strings would you suggest.

 

[ShawnG]

I would suggest giving EB Cobalt Flats a try.
IMO, they are their own beast, somewhere between “normal” flats and rounds.

 

[Sam Miller]

Thanks ShawnG for you suggestion. I'll look into Cobalts. One thing I should add is that I chose La Bella strings, because they are lower-tension than usual flatwounds, better on a thinner neck. What is the tension like on EB Cobalts?

 

[AboutSweetSue]

I’ve never used Pressure Wounds but I guarantee they’ll get the nod. Cobalts are about two or three steps from La Bella...Fender 9050s are a solid option.

1. Fender 9050 (More mids, retains good bottom)
2. TI Jazz Flats (A bit out there. They nail that mid content and upper but lose the low end...)
3. GHS Brite Flats (Good all around string)
4. I hate Chromes. Sounds like you’re playing through a tin can.

 

[ceesaar00]

Yes. Cobalt Flats.
They are lower tension than regular flats.

 

[CallMeAl]

I like Fender 9050 and Chomes for “bright flats,” especially when new.

Pressurewounds have a great mid punch and growl, possibly the sound you’re looking for, but I wouldn’t really say they have a “silky feel.”

subtle distortion and boosting the highs

I like flats with a little distortion, but bump the lo mids

Another thought, If you have some rounds lying around, Eucerin + Rounds = juicy broken in goodness
Eucerin Skin Cream Kills Strings DEAD!!!

 

[sonojono]

Bright flats?

Cobalt Flats. Just watch out for your arm hairs!!

 

[burgerdj]

+1000 on Cobalt Flats. You likely won’t go back to roundwounds.

 

[lermgalieu]

I would have also recommended Chromes for the brightness issue, but they are not low tension.

 

[Aidenn7]

cheap round wounds.. but tape your fingers.. and play with a pick..

 

[Sam Miller]

From Ernie's website, "Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound Bass Strings combine the smooth feel of traditional flats and the power of Cobalt. Featuring a SuperBright Cobalt ribbon wrap, Cobalt underwraps, and optimal hex-core to wrap ratio, the new Flatwound Bass strings are the first flat that actually feels like a flat and sounds like a round." Seems that is the sound I am looking for.

 

[Bassamatic]

+1 for Pressurewounds. Really the best compromise between flats and rounds. Chromes to my ear are very mid heavy and honky. I found the LTFs to be a bit less bright than the T.I.'s that I have gone back to for flats.

 

[GBassNorth]

I currently have La Bella LTF-4A Flatwounds on my vintage Rickenbacker. I love soft, warm sound live through a bass amp, but not so much for home recording, where you have to consider how the mix sounds through smaller speakers. I end up trying to get more definition out of the bass post-recording through adding subtle distortion and boosting the highs, but the bass still sounds a little flat, lifeless, undefined, lost in a mix when translated to smaller speakers. In the hands of a skilled engineer, I suspect you can make any type of strings work. However, I am just a humble home recording dude.

I am thinking of switching strings, but I find many roundwounds too bright for my liking. Any suggestions for a type and brand of string that is a little brighter, richer mid/high timbre, than flatwounds but still retains most of their warmth and silky feel---in other words, a string sound somewhere between the usual round and flatwound types? Nickel-plated, tapedwound? What type and brand of strings would you suggest.

Cobalt Flats should give you the sound you're after. I have them on several basses for the exact same reason you're mentioning. Just a note on the Cobalts - some (very few) people I know report getting sore fingers playing them, might be a Cobalt alergy or might be the way the strings are wound. I've never had any problems with them. If you need to go a step brighter than Cobalts there's always Chrome flats but they are an acquired taste. I have them on one bass and it's sounds really good in some mixes but not so good in others.

 

[Sam Miller]

+1 for Pressurewounds. Really the best compromise between flats and rounds. Chromes to my ear are very mid heavy and honky. I found the LTFs to be a bit less bright than the T.I.'s that I have gone back to for flats.

What brand of Pressurewounds do you suggest?

 

[Sam Miller]

Cobalt Flats should give you the sound you're after. I have them on several basses for the exact same reason you're mentioning. Just a note on the Cobalts - some (very few) people I know report getting sore fingers playing them, might be a Cobalt alergy or might be the way the strings are wound. I've never had any problems with them. If you need to go a step brighter than Cobalts there's always Chrome flats but they are an acquired taste. I have them on one bass and it's sounds really good in some mixes but not so good in others.

Good to know. In another forum, someone brought up that sometimes the Cobalt Flats feel sticky? Maybe a reaction to the person's sweat? Odd, eh? EB extra slinky cobalt flats, randomly get sticky during gig!

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I'll throw out a suggestion for GHS pressurewounds. They have a round-wound like brightness at first but, once they settle in, are a good compromise between flats and rounds.

 

[spantini]

I'm using La Bella 0760M .052-.110.

If you're recording into a DAW, you could try experimenting with adding a duplicate track and re-amping that through a guitar amp sim. Finding the right one will really clean up the sound which you can lightly blend with the original.

 

[micguy]

Another vote for GHS Pressurewounds. They're precisely the thing for when you don't want rounds or flats.

 

[S.F.Sorrow]

If you want definition when mixing bass you shouldn't boost the highs but the mids. Mids can of course mean anything from 200Hz to 3kHz (or even wider depending on who you ask) but depnding on the song/genre I would try somewhere between 700Hz to 1.5kHz for definition. Remember to eq the bass IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MIX, not soloed. That's the mistake most people make when mixing/eq'ing bass: The settings where the bass sounds best soloed is practically never the settings that actually work in the mix.

If you still want new strings there's always pure nickel roundwounds. They're almost as warm/smooth sounding as flats but generally have a bit more upper mid presence. They don't have the THUMPY character of flats though, they behave very much like roundwounds. My favourites are the Pyramid Pure Nickels closely followed by the GHS Balanced Nickels. Both are great. The Pyramids have a long break in period before they sound great so if you want fast results the GHS Balanced Nickels are the best choice.

If you want flatwounds with more upper mid presence the TI Jazz Flats are great. In fact, they are my favourite strings EVER. They have very loose tension and may seem a bit lacking in the lows until you get used to them and realize that they're actually PERFECTLY balanced. I can't think of any other bass strings that sit better in the mix than the TI Jazz Flats. Still, they are so unique and utterly different from any other strings out there that they're not for everyone. It's very much love or hate with the TI Jazz Flats.

I've never found a "halfway" type of strings I liked. Bright flats, pressurewounds, groundwounds, half-rounds... whatever they are called they all sound horrible to me but lots of people like them so YMMV.

 

[krfoss]

I just out roto sound 77s on my p bass and am enjoying the sound. A little brighter, but still full.