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Perfect flats?


Fuego

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Hey guys! new 2 the forums but am looking for the prefect Flatwounds. What do u guys use? i have a pair of D'Addario Chromes (50-105) but am looking for somethin better! they sound bad when tapping, wait! is that for all flatwounds?

 

-Fuego

The basses

-'04 MIM Jazz bass black

-'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural

-Peavey FuryII blue

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Welcome to the LowDown, a great bass site.

 

Hmmm...a pair of strings...do you play the 10K Alien Bass listed in another thread?

 

I use 2 pair of strings...and I've just recently switched to Thomastic Jazz Flats. I like them a lot, but I'm not sure about tapping.

 

Look at the top of the page...click the little word "search" and ask a question...loads of answers will be found there made by people smarter than I.

"Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread.

 

Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate.

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I have La Bella flats on one bass.

 

I've also used D'Addario Chromes, Fender flatwounds, and Pyramid Golds. And played basses that had Thomastic flats on them.

 

La Bella flats are more old-school sounding. Chromes are brighter. Thomastic strings feel completely different from all the others, they feel "softer".

 

Generally even at the same gauges, flatwounds have more tension than roundwounds. All the tappers I have seen had reasonably light gauge roundwounds and very low action.

 

If you wanted to tap on flatwounds, and I'm not sure why you would want to do that, I think your only choice would be the Thomastics. They have much lower tension than any other brand of flatwound.

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I am also seeking flats at the moment.

I am looking for a stainless string, no nickel. I currently play DR Highbeams, and like their low tension.

Can anyone say if the TIs are comparable tension-wise to the Highbeams?

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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J, thanks. I am so sold on the Highbeams that I would like something with a similar feel if possible for the flats. Any suggestions?

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks Jeremyc! think ill get a set of labella's soon, am goin to be playing in the schools jazz band so those i think would be perfect. as for tapping, i tend 2 use my bass for everything but not much slap so they should work. Thanks again

 

Fuego

The basses

-'04 MIM Jazz bass black

-'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural

-Peavey FuryII blue

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I'll put in another vote fot Thomastik's, they are, hands-down, the best flats I've ever played.

Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai

 

Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.

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I use Ernie Ball Group I (the big guage) Flats on my kit P-bass.

 

They sound good. And they are only $20 on Musician's Friend.com

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I've been looking for a "darker-sounding" set that are heavier then the normal 45-105. My only beef is the lack of selection at some places. I'm on my way to check out juststrings.com. I have a pretty decent set on MIM P but I don't remember the brand, I'm still looking for something better.

 

Does anyone have experience with the black nylon wrap strings? (Fender I believe)

If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing!
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Search the forums, thought i saw somethin on nylons when i was looking at old stuff

 

Fuego

The basses

-'04 MIM Jazz bass black

-'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural

-Peavey FuryII blue

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TI Jazz Flats:

 

* Very long-lasting (possibly because of plastic, rather than metal core?).

 

* Very low tension (great on necks, but probably no good for slapping/tapping).

 

* Not "conventional" flats. I wanted something with that sounded more like an acoustic-bass, than the low-end of a piano, so I switched from round-wounds. It's generally agreed, though, that TI's are not "true flats" (true flats have metal core, and high tension).

 

* A very "expressive" string, when plucked or picked (again, forget slapping/tapping). Large variety of sounds, depending on technique.

 

Phil

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I don't like Nylon wrapped strings. They have no punch at all. Its like you cut the mids all almost all the way.

 

For heavy flats check out the Ernie balls I mentioned before. They are 50-110 I think. I know the E-String is 110 and the A is 95.

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hummm think ill check out the ernie balls than cuz am low on money lol also they should fit the American Deluxe P-Bass am gettin perfect. Just cuz the e-string is a 110!

 

Fuego

The basses

-'04 MIM Jazz bass black

-'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural

-Peavey FuryII blue

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I just put Thomastik-Infeld Acoustic Bass strings on my ABG. These are phosphor bronze wound on a nylon core. I took off the GHS phosphor bronze strings that I had on it.

 

The gauges of these puppies are 41, 55, 68, and 86, so they are very light.

 

These strings would only work on a bass with piezo pickups because there is no steel in the strings for a magnetic pickup to hear.

 

It'll probably take about a week before it stays in tune (nylon keeps stretching) but they produce a very sweet tone, pretty unique sounding. The bass is now about half as loud as it was with the other strings but sounds a lot better. It never was loud enough to use acoustically anyway.

 

They do roll a little under the left hand (like nylon guitar strings do), so that'll take some getting used to.

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