So You've Never Tried Flatwounds....

[mr.shadow]

Hmm. Flats on a Bongo?

I have them on my fl Jazz as they go so well together (RS55's).

As for putting em on the Bongo, well I think it would hide the character I've come to love. The stinky's will be staying.

 

[Alvabass]

I've just asked for a quote on a fretless Bongo. I've been told that they come with roundwounds, but I like flatwounds on fretless basses. That's one of the reasons I like to have a fretted and a fretless. Not only because of the obvious difference in character, but because I like to have both worlds with strings: Roundwound steels for my fretted and flatwounds for my fretless. BTW, flatwounds are impossible to get here. I had to order a set through the Net when I got my current fretless.

 

[dlloyd]

Hey, what a great band name...another for the list.

Current favorite: The Obvious Imposters.

My favourite at the moment:

***

 

[adouglas]

Hmm. Flats on a Bongo?

I have them on my fl Jazz as they go so well together (RS55's).

As for putting em on the Bongo, well I think it would hide the character I've come to love. The stinky's will be staying.

On a fretted Bongo I could see doing TI Jazz Flats because, for flats, they're real growly. The Bongo I tested sounded great strung with them. More conventional flats, I'm not so sure.

But the only way to really tell is to try.

 

[Alvabass]

The stinky's will be staying.

Er... sorry for asking: Is that a joke or a typo??

 

[shamus63]

I'm actually very temperamental about using flats. I love the sound, but I hate not having my plucking fingers (typo that!) roll off of the strings as smoothly as a set of rounds.

Not to keep endorsing a non-EB product, but so far I've found the TI JF's to work the best. Maybe the set of EB Flats I get from Bo will get me to convert over to EB exclusively...maybe not.

I'll definitely give them a workout, though.

Thanks Jack!

 

[ARES]

after 13 years of thumpin i finally put some flats on my p-bass. the sound is pretty cool when all i need is low end without definition (and why else would i be playing my p instead of my sterling? ), so they work pretty well for that. however, they feel OUTSTANDING. my usual brand is elixir which have always felt great, but they feel harsh compared to these flats!

d'addario chrome flats, i didn't even know ernie ball made flats until recently. might try those next just to experiment.

 

[basspastor]

I could take up fly fishin!

I realize you live in SLO and Indio; having been in both towns I was wondering if I missed something in Indio; like where are you going to go fly fishing?

 

[nspark]

I got my first EBMM bass, a StingRay5, a couple months ago in a trade. I had been reading about how Jack raves about TI Flats on his StingRays and Bongos for a long while, so I actually bought a set from Steve Barr. I got them maybe a week or two after getting my Ray, but I still have yet to put them on it. The rounds are pretty dead, but somehow, I can't bring myself to do it.

I have two basses: the SR5 and a Fender Jazz, which has TI Flats on it. I guess I can't imagine not having a bass with rounds on it. The oddity is that I don't slap and even with the flats on my Jazz, I usually roll the tone knob almost entirely off (maybe at 20%). For what I play, the flats on the SR5 may be perfect. One part old-school thump...one part punchy, growly StingRay tone. I can't see how it wouldn't work out well.

Jack, Mark, and all you other flat-Ray users...talk some sense into me! HELP ME!

-Nick

 

[Dr. Nick]

After 25 some-odd years of playing, I bought my first set of flats, based largely upon the comments here on the board.

My very first (unplayable) bass, courtesy of the good folks at Sears, came with flatwounds, and when that bass went bye-bye, so did the flats.

So I put these flats on my t-bird copy, which has been sittingly forlorn in the corner, and I must admit I like 'em. I couldn't get away with them for most of my playing, but they make a nice change up. My good friend Howie at Guitar Haven tells me these stainless steel jobbies should last for years, (centuries, really, considering how rarely I let go of the Sterling) so I guess it was $25.00 well spent...

 

[Mobay45]

I have TI flats on both my SR5 and my Bongo 5. I'll keep rounds on my newly acquired Stingray though. Sometimes I really like the roundwound sound.

 

[stretch80]

I have flats (chromes) on my fretless el capitan 5 string - they sound amazing on that.

I tried chromes on my SR5, and somehow the mid punch and definition was like was gone. I generally don't like sizzle, so I was thinking flats would be cool, but didn't quite do it. At some point I'll try the EB flats and TI flats. I'm still looking for the right strings for that bass.

On my p-bass, I've got (old ) nickel rounds, and it's still plenty fat and bassy, so I haven't felt like I needed to go flat.

 

[spectorbassguy]

With flats: slap = crap
(Slap bass not pigs)

 

[Aussie Mark]

slap = crap

+1

 

[Big Poppa]

bass pastor

How's Idaho sound? That is where I will be escaping to starting next year.

 

[shamus63]

Since I'm getting a new Sterling in November, I'm keeping that strung with RW's, just so I have a bass with a more modern sound.

Ah, the best of both worlds!