Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
Welcome to TalkBass! Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Would love to play flats more
But sometimes the music calls for a little more slap tone at times...
But sometimes the music calls for a little more slap tone at times...
All the basses I play with any regularly have flats. My Guild B30 has old bronze rounds on it. There is one particular shortly I'm prowlin' for, and I ever buy it, it'll get rounds.
I voted the second choice becuase every once in a while I take leave of reason and use rounds for a week.
I go on periods. sometimes all my basses are strung with flats, sometimes I pick one and string it with rounds and use it most of the time, and other times I only keep rounds on every bass.
it depends on what I play at home, mostly, because live it's hard to really tell the difference in the bands I play in, due to the kind of music.
for example, I don't slap very much, and play mostly in pop, rock and blues bands, so flats and rounds sound almost the same in the overall context. I don't play with "agressive pick style" so that I need overly bright sounds, and again, flats or rounds are the same.
so I "decide" at home; if I'm in the "slap" mood and playing at home is mostly slapping and popping, I switch to rounds. if I'm in the "muted motown vibe", and want the feeling of flats, they come back on.
the nice thing is that flats don't die, so I can dismount them and keep the sets in my drawer, waiting to be used.
when I play in studio, it's a different thing, and it depends on the song.
it depends on what I play at home, mostly, because live it's hard to really tell the difference in the bands I play in, due to the kind of music.
for example, I don't slap very much, and play mostly in pop, rock and blues bands, so flats and rounds sound almost the same in the overall context. I don't play with "agressive pick style" so that I need overly bright sounds, and again, flats or rounds are the same.
so I "decide" at home; if I'm in the "slap" mood and playing at home is mostly slapping and popping, I switch to rounds. if I'm in the "muted motown vibe", and want the feeling of flats, they come back on.
the nice thing is that flats don't die, so I can dismount them and keep the sets in my drawer, waiting to be used.
when I play in studio, it's a different thing, and it depends on the song.
I love flats, but sometimes they get a little boring. Rounds are too bright for me, i.e., you can hear all my clinkers. So I've been playing around with pressure wounds, which I kinda like. Anyone else?
Flats on the fretted passive PJ 4-string
Rounds on the fretted active modern J 5-string
Rounds on the fretless passive MM 4-string
I've been playing the PJ a lot recently, so I'm playing flats a bit more often than rounds, but it probably evens out pretty much over time. Basically for me it's that I don't prefer flats or rounds, but I prefer one or the other for specific instruments I own.
Rounds on the fretted active modern J 5-string
Rounds on the fretless passive MM 4-string
I've been playing the PJ a lot recently, so I'm playing flats a bit more often than rounds, but it probably evens out pretty much over time. Basically for me it's that I don't prefer flats or rounds, but I prefer one or the other for specific instruments I own.
bassbully
Endorsed by The PHALEX CORN BASS..mmm...corn!
Mostly flats, but rounds will always have their place.
Flats=5: P, J, 2xHollowbodies, DB.
Rounds=5: 2x P's, 1x HB, 5er, Ric.
Tapes: 2x fretless'.
Jazz gigs: only flats or tapes.
Rock gigs: 50/50, depends on the set.
Recording: whatever the song needs.
Noodling at home: flats (Hollowbodies, DB) or Tapes (Fretless).
Edit:- I just realised my least played basses have rounds on them. Hmmm.... might try flats on them & see.
Flats=5: P, J, 2xHollowbodies, DB.
Rounds=5: 2x P's, 1x HB, 5er, Ric.
Tapes: 2x fretless'.
Jazz gigs: only flats or tapes.
Rock gigs: 50/50, depends on the set.
Recording: whatever the song needs.
Noodling at home: flats (Hollowbodies, DB) or Tapes (Fretless).
Edit:- I just realised my least played basses have rounds on them. Hmmm.... might try flats on them & see.
Last edited: