Flats to mask a lot of bips and bops for sure.
Have you tried D’Addario nylon tapes? Or Labella’s?
D’Addario tapes are really cool, a bit brighter than the Labella’s.
I like them both but they are very different.
Based on what you are saying above, you might like the D’Addario’s
I’ve tried Labella’s LTFs.
Have not tried any nylon tapes yet. Something else to explore!
LTFs are basically like their normal flats. Have them on the Rick due to, well, good old vintage Rick neck bendy holdy issues.
Does anyone know the name of the song he is playing?
Love this song. It’s
This is a nice song but it sounds different.
@MC-Canadastan Without going too much into detail about my two basses I’d say that I really like Rotosound flats because they are more versatile compared to the GHS. With the tone rolled down you can get very close to GHS’s vintage sound but when up they have the treble the GHS’s don’t have. They also work better with modulation pedals which the GHS don’t do as well. Noteworthy is that Rotosounds are much stiffer and don’t sound nice when new. Once played in they change a lot.
Furthermore, Rotosounds have a more metallic sound compared to the GHS.
I had Rotosounds on a Squier 50s CV I (which I unfortunately sold) and they sounded really great. They sound great on my Fender Mustang (PJ configuration) although I like the GHS better when played with a pick. They sound really woody and not metallic, almost like a Höfner. That’s probably related to the short scale. Rotosound flats tame the metallic (piano-like) harsh sound of my G&L L-2000 I dislike. But if I only had the Mustang I’d have Rotosounds on it.
I relate Rotosound to Sting and The Cure (which I like a lot) but listening to Iron Maiden, yes, that is very much the Rotosound sound. I hope that helps.
I’ve got a set of these incoming bound for the P. Now I have to go ravage the supply closet and find me a sponge to mutilate.
LaBella Deep Talking Bass 1954 Original Vintage Flats were the first flatwound strings I explored because I was after the Jamerson sound. Although they had a lovely sound, I simply could not get used to the feel. Strangely, they felt more like rods than strings.
After a lengthy period of switching back to roundwounds (DR Sunbeams), I last week put LaBella low tension flats on my Vintera p bass to try flatwounds once more.
And: I adore them! They sound fantastic and feel wonderful. They are a bit brighter than the vintage ones (at least according to my memory) but still sound quite fat and warm and I can achieve the same dull sound by rolling off the tone knob. Big endorsement!
I have tried three types of flats on my own bassed: Roto Steve Harris flats, Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flats and GHS Precision Flats.
I like Rotosound Steve Harris flats for their bright tone and deep lows. These would be my favorites, but biyer beware, they’re porky.
For playability, I like the TI Jazz Flats. They’re very light, and surprisingly sonorous (though nowhere near the SH flats).
The GHS PFs win out on price, and are great for that old school, chocolatey tone.
Rotosound makes other flats, 77s, which have crisp highs, deep lows, and are not porky. They’re both monel flats and other than guage don’t know if there’s a difference
I installed the 9050Ls last night and so far I’m enjoying them. They have a nice feel to them and the tension feels just right. They’re supposed to settle in nicely after a few weeks of play.
The only thing I don’t like is the wrap color.
The wrap color is always a suprize to me
Man I’ve been searching and I think this is riffage inspired by RHCP Walkabout.
Update on the Fender 9050Ls…
They’re a pretty solid choice, it’s hard to go wrong with them!
