Flatwound String Help

Gear
22

I have one bass with flats on it. All of my others have rounds, which I am most comfortable with and used to; I play rounds routinely, and flats not so much.

This thread urged me to pick up my flats bass.

Afterwards, I was thrilled to have put in ninety minutes straight of playing my sublime Cutlass with TI Jazz Flats. These strings are just next-level in feel, playability and tone.

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23

Before moving on to La Bella for initial testing I got a set of Thomann own branded Harley Benton set - and honestly I preferred it much over the next Fender set. Of course La Bella is the solution for flats but for testing I highly recommend this as a cheap (like only third of DTF price) but pretty awesome set: Harley Benton HQS Bass 45-100 Flatwound – Thomann United Kingdom

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24

I wound up getting D’Addario nylon tapewounds (ETB92)

OMG! They feel so nice, and sound amazing. There is a distinctive, percussive punch that the original strings did not have.

I’m even liking the way they sound on the bridge pickup, which before I thought was too harsh.

As a beginner I feel a bit like I’m cheating now. :sweat_smile:

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25

Going to repeat myself a bit here.
On Aliexpress there is a brand “Alice” that do flatwounds, I have them on 2 basses and have no complaints.
They are just under $30 AUD posted.
That is cheaper than rounds here.

I also have laBella DTF and tapewounds, LaBella Bass VI flats, Pyramid BassVI flats, Fender Flats, DR Neons on basses for comparison

Just checked- those Thomaan ones cost $47 to ship to Oz, 2X the string cost!

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26

I love my Fender flatwounds on my Ibanez SDGR. I Also use a Fender Rumble 25 for practice and my amp tech BF just transitioned a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 guitar amp to a Bass tube amp…its Da Bombe!!!

27

There are many famous bassists who prefer flats, including John Entwistle, Paul McCartney, Bootsy Collins, MY HERO GEDDY LEE, Cliff Williams,…on and on…
I highly recommend Flat wounds :grinning:

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28

I thought John Entwistle was (ahem) instrumental in getting roundwound strings created with Rotosound in the first place, as he wanted something brighter and more expressive than flats could give him?

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29

Yep, that’s correct. :+1:

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30

And Bootsy appears to use DR Coated Stainless Rounds.

Geddy Lee uses Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Stainless Rounds, the ones Entwistle used.

31

If goth and post punk is your thing, just like me, I just want to add that for example Simon Gallup uses Rotosound Flats. They are unique and different but beware, they are very stiff. I presently have GHS Flats.
I used Chatgpt for this comparison which I tried out and seemed correct:

LaBella Flat Wound Strings

  • Tone: Deep, thumpy, and vintage. Often associated with the classic Motown or '60s vibe.
  • Feel: Very smooth surface with high tension, offering a solid, consistent feel under the fingers.
  • Applications: Ideal for players seeking a warm, old-school sound for genres like Motown, jazz, reggae, or classic rock.
  • Notable Models: LaBella 760FS (Standard gauge) and 760FL (Lighter gauge).

GHS Flat Wound Strings

  • Tone: More balanced and versatile compared to LaBella. Slightly brighter initially but mellows out over time. Known for more mids and less sub-bass emphasis.
  • Feel: Smooth surface but typically lower tension than LaBella, providing a more flexible and less stiff playing experience.
  • Applications: Great for players who want a versatile flatwound that can handle vintage tones as well as more modern styles.
  • Notable Models: GHS Precision Flats (known for balance and a more modern flatwound tone).
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32

David J uses flats too (D’Addario Chromes).

That said, those are the only two I know of on flats, and I think it’s a pretty safe bet most post-punk bass players use rounds.

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33

You are right. Rotosound has Gallup in its list but the last time I saw Simon I forgot to ask him :rofl:
IMPO after having tried out Rotosound, D’Addario Chromes, LaBella and GHS I dare saying that all sound different. Chromes are great with more highs but I only tried them on a short scale bass and they feel great. LaBellas have the best feel but are very, very vintage thumpy sound, Rotosounds sound great but they are very stiff. I used them in the beginning and I’m still learning not to apply so much force with my fretting hand but I guess it helped to make my fingers stronger. GHS are a good option between feel, tone and tension.
In the end learning to EQ seems to compensate.

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34

I’ve had D’Addario Chromes and La Bella DTF before. Neither did it for me.

I moved to TI Jazz Flats and, in comparison to the others, I couldn’t be more satisfied with their feel and tone.

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35

You forgot about me… :sunglasses:

Edit: although truth be told, I go more for pressurewounds than flats a good deal of the time.

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36

my bad! :rofl:

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37

Very interesting! Thanks for the history lesson :sunglasses:

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38

They have purple silk right?
Thinking about them for my Purple Orange bass

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39

EB cobalt flats have purple silks too I’m pretty sure. I like them fwiw

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40

I haven’t tried any EB strings, may be time…

41

What are silks? Is that the covering near the tuning side?

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