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So You've Never Tried Flatwounds....

bovinehost

bovinehost

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Joined
Jan 16, 2003
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As the title says, so you've never tried flatwounds on your bass.

Tell me why not.

I need to know.

Come on, dig deep. I may be able to help you.
 
never ever.

im one of those crazies that likes stainless steal strings ... nice n bright.

describing sound with words is impossible (for me at least) but the sound i get from my Sterling w/ a set of DR Hi Beams on is pretty much perfect for me. nice n growly but bright.

i may be a lost cause jack ... i even turn all the eq knobs on the bass to 10. help me sir
 
phatduckk said:
never ever.

im one of those crazies that likes stainless steal strings ... nice n bright.

describing sound with words is impossible (for me at least) but the sound i get from my Sterling w/ a set of DR Hi Beams on is pretty much perfect for me. nice n growly but bright.

i may be a lost cause jack ... i even turn all the eq knobs on the bass to 10. help me sir
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you also like tweeters in bass cabs? :rolleyes:
 
I tried flats a looooonggg time ago. I did not like them, too clunky.

I did try the TI-flats on my fretless and loved the tone. I also got spanked by BP for not trying EB flats :eek:

So, I have ordered a set of Group III EB Flats (45-65-80-100) and custom gauge set of 50-65-80-95 to give them a try on my fretless. I will let you all know how it comes out.

btw...I did pickup another set of TI-jazz flats as a backup until the EBs come in...don't tell BP!!!! :eek:

Ant
 
I am not a bass player, but doesn't it all boil down to your style and the type of music you play?
 
I actually have flatwounds on a Jazzbox guitar that I hardly ever play. Not really my style ;)
 
I am not a bass player, but doesn't it all boil down to your style and the type of music you play?
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In some cases, yes. At my age, Chris Squire comes to mind as the end-all and be-all of roundwound sound during the latter part of my "formative" years. He certainly wasn't going for old school thump on "Fragile" or "Close to the Edge", records that had quite an impact on the bassists I knew at the time.

These days, many bassists go for a post-modern zingy sound albeit with plenty of bottom, and, in some cases, severely scooped mids. I'm sure there are a lot of bands out there whose sound is, to some extent, dependent on that particular bass tone.

I personally feel that flats work for nearly everything I do. Classic rock, blues, standards and of course rockabilly/y'allternative. They were part of the sound I grew up with. McCartney is the obvious icon, but also all that hot Motown stuff from the early 60s, the Stax records, everything I heard coming out of New Orleans when I was a kid.

So I'm curious as to how many guys here have never even tried them. For you modern guys who never delve into blues and so on, there may not be any hope for you. And, frankly, flats may never do what you want them to do.

But I'm interested in the guys who play old-time rock and roll, I guess, or soul or R&B, but who have never had the opportunity or motivation to try 'em out.
 
I've got TI Jazz Flats on my Sabre; initially I wasn't impressed (except for the FAT tone!).

Now that I've gigged them, I'm hooked! Got a fatter tone than Mama Cass after a binge weekend!
 
phatduckk said:
i even turn all the eq knobs on the bass to 10.

I know of a couple really good bass players (not me) that keep all knobs on their bass wide open and do the adjusting from the amp. They claim you are getting the full effects of the bass when doing this.
I tried it and well it does give you a different sound, I do it some time depends on which of the three amps I am using.
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Jack..I totally understand what you mean. There is that certain sound with flats, be it old school thump or whatever you would call it, and I love that sound. I am thinking maybe Rocco(my favorite bass player living or dead) uses flats.
 
guys

This is what i'm talking about...if I ran the company with forumites preferences I would be homeless......worldwide roundwounds out sell flat wounds 100 to one.....

Maybe I will take the pressure off and just sell flats... smaller factory fewer employees less workers comp to bitch about guitar center wouldn't care ....**** I could take up fly fishin!
 
jongitarz said:
Jack..I totally understand what you mean. There is that certain sound with flats, be it old school thump or whatever you would call it, and I love that sound. I am thinking maybe Rocco(my favorite bass player living or dead) uses flats.
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squibb cakes !!!!

their current singer is amazing too !!!!!!!!!
 
tommyindelaware said:
squibb cakes !!!!

their current singer is amazing too !!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Oakland Stroke!!!! The shortest best FUNK in the world! The album with Squibb Cakes is" Back To Oakland" Awesome stuff!
 
jongitarz said:
Oakland Stroke!!!! The shortest best FUNK in the world! The album with Sqibb Cakes is" Back To Oakland" Awesome stuff!
Click to expand...
I bought my flats with Rocco definitely in mind!
 
Here is why I'm asking the question. A few decades ago, Derek (God bless him, wherever he is at the moment) sent me some swag, and he knew I played flats so he gathered up what he had at the moment and sent 'em to me. But there were only three gauges! He was out of the 85s!

So I had 50s, 70s, and 105s and what do you do with that?

Nothing. So they sat here for the better part of two years.

I hornswaggled Derek into completing the sets this week, so now I have four sets of Ernie Ball flats, gauged 50-70-85-105.

What I want to do is give deserving forumites the opportunity to try these strings at no cost. I initially thought of a contest involving naked girlfriends posing with Bongos, but.....well, but NOTHING! I still think it's a damned fine idea, frankly, but....

Here's the deal. If you're willing to try these fine strings and will promise to give them a fair shake and give us a report back (hey, this is wide open, so positive or negative is fine), then email me at bovinehost at comcast dot net and the first four to respond get a set of free strings, just like the old 'register your instrument' days!

Postage is on me. It's the least I can do. And give Derek a kiss when you see him, right?

Jack
 
I'm a flat guy. Wait...that didn't sound right. I like flatwounds. I find that I can still get plenty of "brightness" out of them when I need it. Plus, they feel nice under my fingers.
 
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