Flat wound vs round wound strings

[MC-Canadastan]

@Mac

I believe the Steve Harris signature bass comes with flats and he is far from Motown

Yes, but the bass ships with Fender SS flats 45-105, not the actual flats Steve uses (Rotosound SH signature) which are 55-120.

[Mac]

Ah thanks for that @MC-Canadastan
I’ve just purchased some fender medium flats and so far so good. I did have the Steve Harris Rotosounds in my cart at the time but the thickness did put me off

[John_E]

@MC-Canadastan

55-120

Those are bridge truss cables for god’s sake!

[howard]

You could BEAD that. Would be light but would work.

[T_dub]

@PamPurrs

This “Round world, flat world” debate seems to endure for eternity.

IDK why, we all know it is a Round Planet, which Science has proven time and time again.

@John_E

Oh wait, its Pepsi, Over, Fender, the first one.

Coke, Don’t care, Fender by quality default, Don’t care and it"s not a flat earth.

And Coach AND Woody

@John_E

Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power played rounds, but man does he ever sound like flats

Thats a great player.

@PamPurrs

Record a sample of the Kiss cover with flats and listen to it. You may be surprised.

No, please don’t.

[PamPurrs]

@T_dub

No, please don’t

Afraid of being proven wrong are you?

[howard]

It would just be sad.

[howard]

@T_dub

Coke, Don’t care, Fender by quality default, Don’t care and it"s not a flat earth.

my answers exactly

Seriously Coke by a mile.

though the real answer is Dr. Pepper.

[PamPurrs]

@howard

would just be sad.

It could be beautiful. Why are you round wound people so closed minded? SMH

[T_dub]

@PamPurrs

Afraid of being proven wrong are you?

Umm. Not that.

@howard

It would just be sad.

A-ha, yes, this.

@howard

though the real answer is Dr. Pepper.

I actually said that in another post. And I do drink Diet Dr. Pepper pretty exclusively.

@PamPurrs

It could be beautiful. Why are you round wound people so closed minded? SMH

I have flats on one of my basses. Don’t ask how often I play it.
How many basses do you have rounds on?
If you still have them on the acoustic, it doesn’t count, as I know you will have flats on it shortly.

[T_dub]

@PamPurrs

The only “occasion” I can think of on which a bass with rounds would be handy would be if I was into slapping and wanted a bass that I could beat the crap out of while playing.
But then, it would have to be a bass I don’t much care for, and I’d have to name it after one of my ex’s.

I might also add that I have flats on a Stingray. And you are the first to point out my love affair with all things StingRay.
I didn’t just shlep them on one of my toss away’s that is sitting in the closet for sale.

Oh, Wait, it is for sale, but I am not in a hurry, and holding steady with my price for it.

[PamPurrs]

See here’s the thing. I don’t like rounds because I don’t like their texture. It’s a personal choice. It has nothing to do with how they sound. I don’t go about dissing them and saying things like, “Oh, if you use rounds on that song it’ll be dreadful”.
I like flats because I like their texture and tone. That’s my choice and the choice of many people.
Why can’t you round lovers just get a handle on that and stop dissing flats as if they’re rubbish?

[howard]

Where did anyone ever say that?

All I remember saying is I feel their tone is less suited to some styles of music. (I do also personally dislike how they feel but that’s not calling them “rubbish”.)

I’ve joked a bit but I don’t recall ever saying they were categorically bad. I think people should use whatever strings they want.

With all due respect, Pam, you seem to be the one that keeps dragging this out. Toby and I are more or less just responding here. Which we should probably wise up about, but whatever.

I mean,

@PamPurrs

Any bass sounds better with flats,

come on. You don’t get to throw stuff like that out there and then be surprised when people disagree.

[Wombat-metal]

Flats don’t sound like shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSNABST4b0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZySqMlEuSQ

[howard]

@Wombat-metal

Flats don’t sound like shit

And no one said they do.

[PamPurrs]

You just about had a cow at my suggestion of trying the Kiss song with flats.

[howard]

I literally just joked “It would be sad.” It was a joke, and was my entire post.

[Al1885]

Choices are great. Now we can have what we want and how we want at ant time. I’ll say this though, flats are a lot more forgiving than rounds.

[howard]

Yep. People should use whatever strings they like best.

That said, pointing out the different tonal characteristics of them is not wrong either. Because they do exist and are good to know about.

[PamPurrs]

@howard

You don’t get to throw stuff like that out there and then be surprised when people disagree.

First off, you know I was just joking because you had said the same thing about rounds.

Listen, it’s a personal choice and I think a talented bass player can pull off any song with flats, rounds, or tapes. I know I can, and I’m not even that talented