Specific Take on An Age-Old Question

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I've related the story, frequently, about how I came to play the bass. For background, this is a pretty good start. I expect my few "fans" here to come along and behave as they're wont to do. So, I know I'm going to take some flak, but I am really wanting to know ...

When I first started, we played harder rock/(what used to be known as)heavy metal (Iron Maiden, DIO, Judas Priest ...). I owned two basses and it took my band a full year of brow-beating to convince me to get a back-up bass. One was a Fender P-Bass and the other was the Ibanez P-Bass "clone". I used flat wound strings on both because of the nature of the music.

Through the years (with a gap between 1986 and 1998), I gleaned what knowledge I could from "the experts". I lost two fingertips on my right hand in 1999 and essentially stopped playing the bass until 2010 (or so). So, I'm coming at this from "newbie" position (at least in my own mind).

One of the things I got from "the experts" was flat wounds are for "thump", but to be a more rounded (pun intended) bass player, I should be using round wounds.

I own six basses, now and, until recently, I only used flats on the Fender P-Bass. I bought a set of LaBella's for my P-Bass "clone" and I am in love!

I have never been good at saving old strings. I have know idea why. I get the "mechanics" of it, I've just never been good at it.

So, I'm thinking of putting flats on all my basses. The only way to know if they work on a specific bass is to actually play them on that bass, right?

I have:

'79 Fender P-Bass (flats)
'93 Epiphone P-Bass "clone" (now with flats)
'93 Epiphone Jazz "clone" (rounds)
'17 SDGR SR300E (rounds)
'21 SDGR SR2600 (rounds)
'23 Ibanez RGB350 (rounds)

I have never been truly happy with active electronics so, I understand my preference for pick-ups/electronics play into this, but I am sort of content with the sound on the (freshly strung) 2600.

Specifically: have any of you just put flats on all of your basses and thrown consensus opinion to the wind? Do you play any SR basses with flats and think they sound better?

Thank you, in advance.

 

[4StringDave]

Hi. I think string choice is personal and that you should go with what feels and sounds good to you.

I'm coming at it from the other angle - I started playing in 1990,and almost nobody played flats. The consensus was, like with your experts, that flats were dull. The few players who did play them were also kind of older "dull" players, which also added to the stereotype. So, I played rounds exclusively, even though my gigs were Country, Blues, 60/70s etc...

I tried flats recently due to being in a 60s band, and I have to say I'm liking them a lot. They are more "modern" sounding fender flats, but they give my Jazz bass more of the sound I've always been striving for. More mids, clearer bass with less boom, less treble, but still enough, and a G string that doesn't sound like it's from another bass....

I now also realise that a lot of music and bass tones I like were actually played on flats, eg I like Cliff Williams' tone but not Duff McKagan's.....

I've never tried flats on a Soundgear, as I've never owned one, but I'd say give it a shot. Most people don't know the difference, and even band members can't tell most of the time.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Hi. I think string choice is personal and that you should go with what feels and sounds good to you.

I'm coming at it from the other angle - I started playing in 1990,and almost nobody played flats. The consensus was, like with your experts, that flats were dull. The few players who did play them were also kind of older "dull" players, which also added to the stereotype. So, I played rounds exclusively, even though my gigs were Country, Blues, 60/70s etc...

I tried flats recently due to being in a 60s band, and I have to say I'm liking them a lot. They are more "modern" sounding fender flats, but they give my Jazz bass more of the sound I've always been striving for. More mids, clearer bass with less boom, less treble, but still enough, and a G string that doesn't sound like it's from another bass....

I now also realise that a lot of music and bass tones I like were actually played on flats, eg I like Cliff Williams' tone but not Duff McKagan's.....

I've never tried flats on a Soundgear, as I've never owned one, but I'd say give it a shot. Most people don't know the difference, and even band members can't tell most of the time.

I just noticed you're Glaswegian and live in France (two of my favorite places on the planet!).

Anyway, thank you for that. I paid a lot of money for that 2600 and have never truly been happy with it. I was starting to think there was something "wrong" with me.

I think I may keep rounds on the Jazz clone I have for a couple of reasons: the Jazz clone does sound pretty good and there may be cases where I want that more twangy tone.

 

[KaraQ]

.........

Specifically: have any of you just put flats on all of your basses and thrown consensus opinion to the wind? Do you play any SR basses with flats and think they sound better?

Thank you, in advance.

I put flats on whatever bass of mine I think I'll like the sound of with them. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes not. Some basses get a different kind of strings every time I change them....
I generally don't pay attention to what strings I "should" use, and instead use what I like the sound/feel of. Lately, that's been mostly DRs (I'm using like six different kinds of DR strings ATM, I think), with a few varieties of Rotosounds and even some stock/factory strings mixed in. Whatever I like best on that particular bass

I do have currently a SR bass with flats, an old 80s 5-string. It came with DR Legends installed - I liked them in that application, so they stayed on


imo, use whatever you want & like best. Don't be worried if you change your mind later, string choices don't have to be a permanent decision

 

[dave64o]

I didn’t have them on all of my basses but I had flats on four of my five basses for a few years. The best - and most frustrating - thing about strings is there’s no right answer. If they work on your bass with you’re playing in your hand they work.

I had flats on both a Precision V and a short scale Ibanez semihollow, two basses that you might expect flats to work well on. But I also had them on a ceramic Stingray 5HH and on an L-2500, two active basses you might think would be neutered with flats. I didn’t think so. They sounded great with them and I still have a set of four year old flats on the L-2500 (I just replaced the flats on the Stingray with Elixir Nanowebs, just for the fun of a change). I go back and forth.

I only briefly owned on SR1305 (it was fretless and I $uck on fretless) and the previous owner had flats on it when I bought it. I don’t remember which flats they were but they sounded pretty nice on it.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I put flats on whatever bass of mine I think I'll like the sound of with them. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes not. Some basses get a different kind of strings every time I change them....
I generally don't pay attention to what strings I "should" use, and instead use what I like the sound/feel of. Lately, that's been mostly DRs (I'm using like six different kinds of DR strings ATM, I think), with a few varieties of Rotosounds and even some stock/factory strings mixed in. Whatever I like best on that particular bass

I do have currently a SR bass with flats, an old 80s 5-string. It came with DR Legends installed - I liked them in that application, so they stayed on

imo, use whatever you want & like best. Don't be worried if you change your mind later, string choices don't have to be a permanent decision

I am guilty of falling into the "SDGR (or whoever)-put-those-strings-on-so-the-bass-must-perform-best-with-those-or-similar" trap. I keep forgetting that, like most companies, they'll put on the cheapest strings that don't make their instrument sound like poo-poo.

 

[dieggsy]

I tried flats recently due to being in a 60s band, and I have to say I'm liking them a lot. They are more "modern" sounding fender flats, but they give my Jazz bass more of the sound I've always been striving for. More mids, clearer bass with less boom, less treble, but still enough, and a G string that doesn't sound like it's from another bass....

I was literally just preparing to put fender flats on my jazz bass, and you've just described the exact tonal qualities I'm looking for. ...Priority just shot up. I'll try not to get my hopes up too high just in case (preference, every bass is different, etc.), but man. Wow.

 

[Manticore]

Strings are a matter of preference. Use what you want without concern for what others think. The only time it will matter is if your tone is such that no one wants to hire you, and that would likely be attributable to something other than the strings. To illustrate the point? To me, putting flats on a bass to make it sound better is like putting high heels on an elephant to make it walk better. That's just me. There are legions of well-respected players that have a very different opinion, and that's ok!

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I didn’t have them on all of my basses but I had flats on four of my five basses for a few years. The best - and most frustrating - thing about strings is there’s no right answer. If they work on your bass with you’re playing in your hand they work.

I had flats on both a Precision V and a short scale Ibanez semihollow, two basses that you might expect flats to work well on. But I also had them on a ceramic Stingray 5HH and on an L-2500, two active basses you might think would be neutered with flats. I didn’t think so. They sounded great with them and I still have a set of four year old flats on the L-2500 (I just replaced the flats on the Stingray with Elixir Nanowebs, just for the fun of a change). I go back and forth.

Thank you! There's the crux of it. Toss that in with the people who insist flats "don't start getting broken in until they're a couple of years old.". I "grew up" playing the guitar and, if you're playing a lot, you change your strings every three weeks. If you're not playing a lot, you change them every 8 - 12 weeks.

I only briefly owned on SR1305 (it was fretless and I $uck on fretless) and the previous owner had flats on it when I bought it. I don’t remember which flats they were but they sounded pretty nice on it.

And there's the conundrum. The "common sense" side says what you said in your second paragraph, but people smarter than I tell me that playing rounds on a fretless is "dangerous" to the fingerboard on the fretless.

Your statement just makes common sense to me. Thank you.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I was literally just preparing to put fender flats on my jazz bass, and you've just described the exact tonal qualities I'm looking for. ...Priority just shot up. I'll try not to get my hopes up too high just in case (preference, every bass is different, etc.), but man. Wow.

I'd like to hear your take on that, when you do it. Although as I said, I am leaning toward keeping rounds on my Jazz clone, I'm at a point where I can be easily disabused of that stance.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Strings are a matter of preference. Use what you want without concern for what others think. The only time it will matter is if your tone is such that no one wants to hire you, and that would likely be attributable to something other than the strings. To illustrate the point? To me, putting flats on a bass to make it sound better is like putting high heels on an elephant to make it walk better. That's just me. There are legions of well-respected players that have a very different opinion, and that's ok!

Luckily (or unluckily), I never have to worry about getting hired ever again (except for studio work). My gigging/touring career is over. So, your "Use what you want without concern for what others think." rings very loudly. Thank you.

 

[brianrost]

I keep three Fenders strung with flats for that sound. I have two Steinbergers strung with rounds for that sound. I like both sounds and use them where appropriate. I never even thought about trying flats on the 'Bergers because I already know what it will sound like.

Same with upright bass...one DB with synthetic "gut-like" strings, one DB with steel strings. Different sounds, used where appropriate.

 

[mambo4]

have any of you just put flats on all of your basses and thrown consensus opinion to the wind? Do you play any SR basses with flats and think they sound better?

My main player always has TI Jazz flats
My backup P Bass goes back and forth between TIs and DR Sunbeams
depending on how motivated I am to try slap

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I've related the story, frequently, about how I came to play the bass. For background, this is a pretty good start. I expect my few "fans" here to come along and behave as they're wont to do. So, I know I'm going to take some flak, but I am really wanting to know ...

When I first started, we played harder rock/(what used to be known as)heavy metal (Iron Maiden, DIO, Judas Priest ...). I owned two basses and it took my band a full year of brow-beating to convince me to get a back-up bass. One was a Fender P-Bass and the other was the Ibanez P-Bass "clone". I used flat wound strings on both because of the nature of the music.

Through the years (with a gap between 1986 and 1998), I gleaned what knowledge I could from "the experts". I lost two fingertips on my right hand in 1999 and essentially stopped playing the bass until 2010 (or so). So, I'm coming at this from "newbie" position (at least in my own mind).

One of the things I got from "the experts" was flat wounds are for "thump", but to be a more rounded (pun intended) bass player, I should be using round wounds.

I own six basses, now and, until recently, I only used flats on the Fender P-Bass. I bought a set of LaBella's for my P-Bass "clone" and I am in love!

I have never been good at saving old strings. I have know idea why. I get the "mechanics" of it, I've just never been good at it.

So, I'm thinking of putting flats on all my basses. The only way to know if they work on a specific bass is to actually play them on that bass, right?

I have:

'79 Fender P-Bass (flats)
'93 Epiphone P-Bass "clone" (now with flats)
'93 Epiphone Jazz "clone" (rounds)
'17 SDGR SR300E (rounds)
'21 SDGR SR2600 (rounds)
'23 Ibanez RGB350 (rounds)

I have never been truly happy with active electronics so, I understand my preference for pick-ups/electronics play into this, but I am sort of content with the sound on the (freshly strung) 2600.

Specifically: have any of you just put flats on all of your basses and thrown consensus opinion to the wind? Do you play any SR basses with flats and think they sound better?

Thank you, in advance.

I'm pretty sure the most important thing isn't the type of strings on a bass as how well you get the sounds you want and or need out of it. I'm also of a bent with enough work you can get usable sounds from them regardless of what type of strings are on it.

 

[Ostie]

Nope. I have seven basses, only one has flats. If I want a flats tone, I grab it. I’ve only tried flats on one other, and I didn’t like it. The other six have rounds.

 

[SLO Surfer]

I usually let a bass decide what type of stings sound best on it, not some strangers on the internet. Although there’s lots of good information to be gleaned and differing opinions to consider here, I still rely mostly on my own ears for things like string choices.

 

[Crash 56]

I have used rounds exclusively since 1980. Im thinking of putting flats on my G&L SB-2, to geta more "P"ish tone from it......

 

[taketwo]

As many have said: use what sounds good.
I have one bass with flats and one with rounds, deliberately configured to be as different as possible.
I tried playing a variety of songs using only flats (Chromes), and frankly, it could be good enough if I had to.
Switching between neck/both/bridge pickups allows the tone to fit the song.
Trying out flats with misc. music...and did I just play a set?!

 

[CochinoBass]

I started playing in '83 and I didnt know anyone that used flats, and I dont think I ever saw any in a store, or if I did I didnt realize what they were. I wasnt until around the early 2000s that I tried my first set of flats on my Epiphone Rivoli. Flats stay on my Rivoli, but I switch back and forth with my 4003 and P, just depends on the vibe I am looking for. I never thought I would like the 4003 with anything but rounds but after I tried it with the Maxima 4440 RB flats I love it.

 

[alex1fly]

Flats on everything sounds awfully boring to me. Also to outfit the rest of your basses with flats would be around $200. Here's what I would do. As my other basses' strings wear out, replace them with sets that you're interested in. Maybe its flats, maybe its different rounds, maybe its tapes. Since you want to shake things up why not allow yourself to do that over time, rather than going all-in on the one thing you're excited about right now? Just my 2 cents.

I do have to plug La Bella tapewounds, though. The smooth feel of flats but with a little more zing. It's a great middle ground between flats and rounds, and to my ears they bring in the best qualities of each. I too am tempted to just put tapewounds on everything I have lol, but am going to follow the advice I typed above.