Can a roundwound guy be happy with flats?

[shamus63]

Originally Posted by bovinehost
Yes, I do agree with that, but if there's nothing wrong then there's nothing wrong.

I love the mileage that line has gotten! Great one, Jack!

Oh, yeah...keep an order of the Colonel's chicken around when you use flats; no mo' sticky finga's!

 

[Golem]

Let me answer it this way. I'll bet that all the flatwound lovers in this forum were roundwound users originally.

What do you mean by "all"? Like if I'm the only exception, then "all" is still the general rule [no offense taken if so, that's a legit statistical approach]. Anyway, my first bass came with RWs, not by my choice, as I knew nothing about strings. It wasn't long before I wanted to know why my bass didn't sound like a bass. Turns out, for me, RWs were never the sound in my head. I'm not a convert to FW. I was born to play FW.

 

[Oldtoe]

I've tried to keep flats on a bass. I really, really have. I just to listened to too much Geddy in my formative years, and it seems to have stuck in my psyche somewhere. Gimme my stainless DR Hi-Beams.

 

[Rayan]

RoundIsTheSound-FlatzWhereIt'zAt

...
Q1) Is this a maturity thing?
Q2) Do I just need to grow up and develop a taste for flats (and Scotch)? ...

~

A1) Sorta, but not exactly; & Maybe, but not necessarily
A2) Consider for example, when I was a few years younger
- I was "partial" to gals with "36 Charlies" (Roundwound)
- As I matured I became more "appreciative" of gals with "32 Alphas" (Flatwound)

The Scotch part is up to you ...
- if you prefer, you can have my Scotch and I'll have your "32 Alphas"!
~
/R

 

[philthygeezer]

I like both.

 

[Lazybite]

Strummer talk like Drummer.....strummer friend

 

[bovinehost]

Ungawa!

Strummer smart.

 

[Morrow]

You have to hear flats in a live playing situation to really see how they work. They slide right under everything and sound fat.

I tend to practice at home on rounds and use flats whenever I gig.

 

[tkarter]

I had to play roundwounds that were on the bass in the store until I bought it. I have never failed to put flats on immediately. Does that still count as I played roundwounds originally?





tk

 

[bovinehost]

Mark is probably talking about the "good old days" when everyone wanted to sound like Chris Squire. Flats were standard issue on new basses in the early 60s but I guess John Entwhistle changed all that! Then the 70s rolled around and who wanted to sound like them old guys? Even I played Rics with roundwounds. And other things with roundwounds, too. There were no flats!

I mean, maybe there were, but no one knew where to get them and we had all forgotten anyway.

I rediscovered flats in the late 90s and have never looked back. (Well, quick glances but no one saw me. Unlike Lot's wife, I suppose I got away with it.)

 

[Psycho Ward]

So if a guy were to want to try a really good set of flats, what would you suggest? And where do you get them, I've heard of TI's but nobody around here has them? Do they come in left handed?

Thanks.

 

[tkarter]

TI's are the stuff IMHO and Dude can fix ya up pretty quick. Fender 9050's off the shelf at any music store.

Hopefully soon most stores will stock the EB flats.

the lefthanded ones have some little arrows ahead of the wrap those point to the nut.




tk

 

[strummer]

So if a guy were to want to try a really good set of flats, what would you suggest? And where do you get them, I've heard of TI's but nobody around here has them? Do they come in left handed?

Thanks.

I think you can even get a pack of flats with a complimentary bowtie

When I was a kid, I once walked into every guitar shop on Denmark street (london, GB) asking for a kind of string I had heard of back home in Stockholm, Sweden, that no one stocked.
Couldn't figure out why they all fell down laughing when i asked for "groin wounds". I was 11, and today I am ever so happy no one gave me any...

 

[Golem]

You have to hear flats in a live playing situation to really see how they work. They slide right under everything and sound fat.

I tend to practice at home on rounds and use flats whenever I gig.

I'm inspired by that. Being a born-to-play-flats type myself, I find RWs make irritating noises, especially in non-ensemble practice. So your regime looks, for me, like a way of practicing under more adversity than I will really face playing out, like a good way to improve my touch. Idea is that whatever habits/style/etc minimizes my irritation during practice [with RW] will pay even bigger dividends playing out [with FW].

 

[Oldtoe]

I'm forced to accept Mr. Bob Nyswonger's assessment of flatwounds: Like putting a rev limiter on a high performance car.

Gee, and I don't even wank.

 

[bovinehost]

You know, I'm a personal friend of Bob Nyswonger.

heh heh.

 

[bassmonkey]

Just took delivery of the Rocco Prestia at Bass Day '98 DVD. Would I be correct in assuming he is playing flats? Nice sound.

 

[shamus63]

Just took delivery of the Rocco Prestia at Bass Day '98 DVD. Would I be correct in assuming he is playing flats? Nice sound.

The last set of Rocco sig series I got were actually RWs...I forget which brand.

BTW, that's a great DVD! I have it on VHS from a few years ago...need to update. TOP live just floors me every time!

 

[Mobay45]

I can tell you that a round guy can be happy with flats!

 

[shamus63]

Judging from that other thread, most of the guys prefer Rounds!