flats or rounds?

[leftieray]

After many years of peeling blisters of my fingers using round wound strings, I've changed to flats about a year ago (after many years thinking about it) what have I been missing I just love these flats. I've now changed all my basses to flats. What do you guys use and think?

[ricochet]

They probably make sense on a bass. On guitars, they kill higher harmonics and sustain, which is why the jazzers like them.

[lpdeluxe]

I used GHS Brite Flats on my basses for years, with an occasional sortie into LaBella nylon-tape wound territory. Now I've converted to Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on all my basses (and have even converted one of friends to restring his with them).

Pricey, but very long lasting and live sounding, they are superior to anything else I've used. Some don't like the slightly lower tension, but that doesn't bother me.

This fall I will get a 5-string, and along wih it I'll get a set of TIs.

[The Saint]

What about fretless basses? Do the flat wound strings work or would you stay with the round wound?

[leftieray]

Flats on a fretless awesome. you'll get the Pastorious sound

[lpdeluxe]

Flats on a fretless awesome. you'll get the Pastorious sound

Depending on the bass, your skill level, and the material you are playing. I have flats on my fretless Precision -- nobody's ever accused me of sounding like Jaco.

[tobie]

After many years of peeling blisters of my fingers using round wound strings, I've changed to flats about a year ago (after many years thinking about it) what have I been missing I just love these flats. I've now changed all my basses to flats. What do you guys use and think?

The last time I've gone back to rounds, they lasted exactly 10 minutes before I went back to flats. No other sound will do, thanks!

[leftieray]

not all can be jaco, but what i meant was flats work well on a fretless. You can develop your own sounds

[LesFromChicago]

[lpdeluxe]

I re-read this thread and discovered that I expected to buy a five string in fall 2009! Well, I did get a fiver in 2010, a Godin A5 Fretless. This April I found a MusicMan StingRay 5 for a really good price (it's a '99) and sure enough, it now sports Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats. The Godin? It came with flats.

[BobHolland]

Hello, I've been away for a while. More health problems I won't go into that just now.
I've been using GHS Pressure wound bass strings for the last year & they are between flats & rounds. My Precision Bass has the Pressure wounds & my Jazz Bass has Ernie Ball Slinky Rounds. I like both. I want to try some D'addario Chrome Flats someday. But for now I like what I am using.

[BobHolland]

Well it's been a while & I did try the Chrome flats. I gave them 3 weeks & changed back to Ernie Ball Rounds. I thing the sound I didn't like was the harshness of the pickups. Duncan Quarter Pounders that were on the Pbass when I got it used. I'll try flats again when I can afford some new Pbass pickups.