Nice playing, and good to see someone demoing by playing some real-world bass line, and especially with backing so we can hear how it sits with other instruments.
I've been playing flats for 20+ years. My faves right now are the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds. You can roll down the tone and get an old school sound. Full up and you're close to a roundwound tone. Throw on a Nordymute and you can get a faux upright.
Recently bought a 60s Precision bass. Had rounds on it, not sure what I wanted, have tried TI's previously as well as chromes. Watched this and picked up the Dunlops the next day. I love how they sound on the bass. I can play a large catalogue of music with them and they respond to effects and touch in a massive way. I can dig in more than I can with T.I's, and the tension isnt as brutal as chromes.
That's good info I have the TI flats and rounds on my two P basses. I like the flats on the P but don't love them, maybe I'll move those to my J bass and try the dunlops on the P.
Great video and great tones! I’ve tried some different flats, like Ernie Ball and Rotosound. But my favorite feeling flats are LaBella Low Tension Flexible Flats. Quite thumpy, not very detailed, so not that versatile. But the feel is…luxurious. That said, I’m looking at trying GHS Brite Flats next. Should have more clarity.
I’ve gotta try the La Bella Low Tension next!! I currently have TI’s on my P Bass, Dunlops on my Jazz and La Bella Deep Talkin on my Fretless. Good luck with the Brite Flats; I didn’t like them.
Gawd Dang.... I'm on a search. I was a TI guy, then now I'm on the La Bella Low Tensions flats..... The La Bella Low Tensions flats were so smoothly polished. This is important to me as I was in a bad fire and lost all the skin off both arms and hands. I'm a rare and grateful person as the skin grew back, but will not callus. Rounds tear my fingers. And I need modern sounds.... :P Thank you for your demo.... any others you'd like me to check out?
Really Enjoyed your videos for this and other flatwounds. I’m surprised your 2 favorite flat sets are so unalike, but I get why you like them. I’ve used Chromes on a number of basses, absolutely love the sound of them, but the stiffness and tension make them too difficult for me to play for very long. I just got my first set of TI 344 flats a couple of days ago, and am absolutely loving both the feel and the more upfront sound of them. The Dunlops sounded fantastic with the pick playing you did toward the end of the video! 🤟
I bought a second bass from Jake Serek. At that time he was using Dunlop flats on his basses if you chose flat wounds instead of roundwounds. In his words they “feel broken in right out of the box.” I still prefer nickel roundwounds but really liked the Dunlop flats mainly due to ease of playing. They have moderate tension (not as stiff as chromes but not too loose like TI flats.) They are a good set of flats if you are on the fence about trying them. Also, they are not especially dark or bright (chromes). They do not come in an extra long (through the body) length or in a short scale.
I just recently ordered some, and glad I did after hearing you play with them. They sound awesome!! Just found your channel. Love the video. I subscribed.
My favorite, too. A little more attitude in the high mids, and more clear in the lower mids. They just seem more clear and bitey than other flats and feel fantastic to me after they wear in a bit.
@@Phaidrus I use 45 through 105, but I can tell you that they loosen up quite a bit after wearing in a little. They don't stay stiff nearly as long as LaBellas or Chromes.
Rumblin’ Man making flats great again! 😄 I may have to try these when I decide to change my Rotosound flats. I think these may sound better on my jazz bass than the Rotosound flats that are currently on it. Still loving my Rotos on my P bass.
MFGA!!!! 🧢 Yes I know I recommended the Roto’s, but I recommend these slightly more. Hahahah. Nothing wrong with the Roto’s. They sound really good for certain things!
Love your content, I've been looking for the "best" P for decades (20 years is decades right 😀) I've owned a bunch of vintage P basses and to me mexican made instrument sound amazing. I've owned a road worn, a classic 50 and a standard mexican made 90s p and all of them sounded amazing. Better than most of the vintage ones i owned. I think the road worn was probably the best, although it was a tad too wooly (unlike the vintage ones I owned tbh), but the pickup seems to remedy that.
These sound more hi-fi than I thought they would. Also, I was happy when you brought back the Rumblin Man slap theme in the slap demo section. I miss hearing that at the beginning of your videos. As for my favorite flats, I still really like D’Addario 40-95, although I have a set of TI’s on my 60’s style Jazz Bass and a set of GHS 45-95 that I want to put on a parts P-Bass.
Thanks man! Yeah, figured I’d use that ole slap line and work on a new backing track for it. It’s good so far but can be spruced up a little. Liking the Chromes most you say? Yeah, I feel ya. They’re awesome. The TI’s are such a joy to play as well. Haven’t tried GHS but I heard they are really high-tension.
@@RumblinMan It depends on which gauge you get. I’ve tried 45-105 before and the tension is really tight, but the 45-95 is somewhere between D’Addario and TI in tension.
@@RumblinMan One thing I did forget to mention is that you should try the Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. Not the smoothest feeling flats out there, but they have a very bright sound and the tension is very comparable to TI’s.
Interesting strings! They seem to really step back and make the voice of the bass take the lead. Sometimes hard to tell that they're really flats with the tone wide open. They also seem to have a bit more midrange presence compared to the Rotosound, but that's hard to tell since your other Roto/TI demo was done on the Jazz Bass. I'd agree that they might be great for flatwound starters or for people looking for something very versatile. I'd be missing some thump personally. The Chromes have that thump, but can lack a bit in the midrange. The TIs, from what I have listened to, have a great attack/articulation, but lack a bit in the bass. And LaBellas are known to be rather dark, but the demos that I have heard sounded really nice, with a good balance of thump, bottom end, and a very nicely rounded midrange.
Merry Christmas 🎄 good sir, first allow me to say these are tremendous flatwounds. I have been strictly using D'ADDARIO flatwounds all year on both of my P basses. Which I love but I would consider strongly getting a set of these. We have drastically different styles or at least approaches to the Precision Bass. Yet in all sincerity I have always appreciated your channel. I've been watching your videos ever since playing Nirvana and Silver Chair were the most difficult songs I could play from start to finish.
Excellent video. This is why I check out your videos before anyone else. I run D'Addario Chrome flats 45-100 on my P-bass and they sound so good I'll likely stay with that combo. I use Labella's black nylon coated flat on a Jackson and they also sound good but not quite as good as the D'Addario's though it could be the bass. I've used Rotosound flats over the years and they're among my favorites. Just ordered a set of the Steve Harris series Rotosound flats for my new Schecter Stiletto and looking forward to seeing how that combo sounds. God bless, brother.
I’m honored that you check me out first - THANKS man!! I appreciate the support. Sounds like your journey with flats has been very similar to mine. I had a Stiletto once as well, and it’s a great bass!! Rockin sound.
LaBella, brother. I do feel the need for some zing. So I will try these on a bass one day! I have roundwounds (factory) on a sire M7 6 string and havent switched strings, just to have versatility as the Sire has such a beautiful Pre-Amp. I have a G&L 2000 with flats and its my go-to unless i need extra zing. Not to discount the Set that I have from LaBella as it does mix the two aspects very very good for most applications. I don t like rounds anymore in terms of feel so its all about what i can do with flats un less i need a round zing (rare but applicable)... bryan adams is an example. Personally I prefer round wounds in many of his bass player parts I have covered.
TIs are still my favorites so far. I've tried most with the exception of the Dogal Jaco System Flat Carbon and the Ernie Ball flats (and knowing my taste I'm inclined to avoid them as I haven't loved their strings overall). I have these dunlops on my Acinonyx and I'm liking them a lot. I'd like to give chromes another chance I only had them on a fretless and they were good but not awesome on that bass.
I’ve not tried the Dunlops yet, but probably will do so eventually. I have several basses with flats. Each bass just seems to have its own favorite personality with one type of flats over another. I, too, love TI’s and have them on a few basses (Ric 4003, Guild Starfire II, Hofner Club Bass, Fender American Pro Jazz), but then I also have LaBella Flexible Flats on a few (Lakland 44-51, Guild M85, Ric 3001, EBMM Sting Ray), and D’Addario Chromes on a few (Epi Jack Casady, Guild Chris Hillman Signature Starfire I, G&L ASAT). I’ve also tried Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, but haven’t loved them except on my Lakland Hollowbody 30. And I use Rotosound Monel Flats on a vintage EKO violin hollowbody which sound great for that bass. That said, like you, TI’s are my favorites, but not necessarily on every bass. I’ve mixed and matched several of these aforementioned strings with different basses, but settled on the combinations that I described. That’s just me, of course. We are all different. I encourage you to try those LaBella Flexible Flats though. I’m not a fan of their deep-talking strings and other vintage choices, but those low tension Flex’s work well for me. I love your channel, Bro’, and I love your Savior, too! Keep on keeping on…
Hey brother! Glory to God! 🙌 Yeah man, sounds like you have some sweet basses and a great taste in strings. I’m interested to try the La Bella’s you mentioned... I love a good low-tension string. Gotta check those out.
Any comment on how these strings age after a bit longer? I love flats with a bit of extra brightness, but some I've tried dull fast and with the price of these it would get _very_ expensive to buy fresh sets often. If they wear in keeping some of the top end then it would be easier to justify the price. Another left field suggestion, Galli Synthesis Flatwounds. They are chrome on a synthetic core which should be a bit different, not tried them yet but I've been using Synthesis nickel roundwounds for the last year or so and they have a uniquely nice high end that is present but never zingy, and they've kept it really well with age and through a lot of playing without going completely dead. I'm meaning to try the synthesis flats, hoping they have similar characteristics with the flat feel.
After a few months or so with these strings, there hasn’t been a ton of change. They’re a little less zingy now. But they seem to retain their character for a while. I think it’s hard to go wrong. I’ll plan on a follow-up video down the line! I’ve never heard of the Galli before but that sounds cool…. I will have to check them out!
Hey rumbling man I've been using Ernie Ball group 4 flats on most of my bases. Since flat are a little more tension that's why I went to the group four but anyway they're great because they have that thump and low end that a flat round has and you don't get that string noise when you're moving your fingers up and down the neck plus if you need high-end it's there just turn up your tone control.
These are good sounding strings...good flats from Dunlop ! ,in my day you only bought Dunlop if you were not well off but times change...they cut threw well,being a mostly finger player i will give them a try...as much as i luv my Rotosound flats they lose their upper mid & top end quickly ,great if you play Motown all the time...but i don't...good demo big guy...👍🎸
Thanks for the review. My set of these sounds much drier than the Chromes, I.e. without all of the harmonics and mids I hear on the chromes. To me the chromes sound closer to roundwounds than these in terms of richness of sound but these sound more focused which might help them be heard better in a mix.
Thanks for sharing your insight. I do really like the Chromes. I’ve always had good experiences with them. Between these and the Chromes, it’s a tough call.
Early Larry Graham was played with flats and I’ve always enjoyed the slap sound that he got. Everyone is roundwound crazy these days and this unique voice has been lost but slap on flats just punch through a dense mix in a way that rounds will never be able to do without massive eq
Hi, how do they compare to the TI flats in terms of loose feeling? I love the loose feeling of my T.I's but need short scale for my squire sonic bronco. Cheers
I've been playing bass forever (since 1976) and I have just never liked the sound of flatwounds, but do like the feel and lack of string noise. I just cannot get into that dead, thuddy, indistinct sound that most flats have. So I've played rounds almost always. The last few years, I've had EB cobalt flats on a couple of my basses. I've been fairly happy with them (almost a love/hate relationship--sometimes I'm in love, other times they aren't doing it for me). Your Dunlops sound a lot like the slinky cobalt flats to me. I think I might have to give them a try. I really like the brightness you're getting--still sounds like a flat, but there is a definition there that is generally lacking with most flats. That slap segment actually sounded good--I think that's the first time in over forty years that I have thought slapping sounded good on a set of flats. Gonna have to check them out. Anyone else out there compare EB slinky cobalt flats with these Dunlops??? I do really like Dunlop Super Bright Nickel rounds, so I know Dunlop makes quality strings.
Thanks so much man. I suggest giving the Dunlops flats a try. They have a certain versatility to them that I’ve never felt in other flats. You just may like them!
I have tried both and for my musical tastes I prefer the Dunlops. I am running them on a Ibanez SRX505 5 string which has an active 2-band circuit. The chromes just aren't as sonically full as the Dunlops. I stay pretty much flat on my eq while rolling the lows off maybe 1-2 and get some great mid-rangey but thick deep blues tones. To be fair I tend toward blues but in a band setting the Dunlops have a nice cut to them without being roto or rounds. Chromes to me never get deep smoke filled room whiskey blues tones.
Hmmm...I love the sound of those strings.They sound kinda like Cobalts.Gonna have to try those out!I have always been into round wounds,but recently I have made the switch over to flat wound strings and I have to say that I love them! They sound good in the mix ! I play in church and it's going to be flatwound's for Jesus 🎵✝️👍
I think I have Dunlop stainless steel 105/45 flat wounds on my p bass. The felts are black on both ends and the balls are brass. I know they're Dunlop 105/45, but I'm not sure about the stainless. Do you know how to tell?
@@RumblinMan Thanks for the reply! I have them on a P Bass I bought. I really like the way it sounds...very versitle, just like you said. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks for the video! Do you think it would be necessary to have a Fender p bass "re-setup" when changing from fender round wounds to Dunlop flatwounds of the same size (e.g., 45-105). Thanks for your help!
@@RumblinMan Thanks, man. I'm running flatwounds DiAddario Chromes (100s) on 1 of my p basses and flatwound Dunlop (105s) on the other one. I see what you mean about the Diaddarios. I like them too. I'm just going to leave both basses as is. I appreciate your channel!
When I switched on my 5 string from 45-130 round Curt Mangan's to 45-125 Dunlops I didn't need to adjust the truss rod at all, my E string intonation had to be adjusted more than the other strings but all said, I didn't have any significant neck adjustments. Your mileage might vary. Let me know how it goes!
I´m torn between TI´s and Dunlops.... I keep switching back and forth. What I like about the Dunlops is that they are a bit stiffer than the TI´s and they got a little more thump in my opinion. But TI´s sit better in a mix because of the mids )I think. I haven´t tried Chromes though...
I found your channel and subscribed. I don’t play bass but can u tell me if I were to pick up the instrument where do I start and get progressively better with practice? In other words is there a sequence order to attain a good building structure to get to intermediate in about a year? RUclips has great content but can be overwhelming with no mentorship and guidance. I will use flats when I buy my J bass because I like the old Motown sound.
This set sound pretty much the same as my La Bella , I use the FS 45 - 105 and they have pretty high tension. Maybe this dunlop are a little bit on the trebble side but I am much more interested in worn out flatwounds and it takes ages : I have my la bella since a year and they sound still pretty new. Hope you will do a video of this dunlop after few month to see how they settle in ... cheers ...
@@RumblinMan yes, sometimes I feel that my La bella are too dark, my rosewood board PB don't help ... So today I ordered chromes , I hope they will be a little bit brighter , I would also love to get that flat tubby sound as they age...
@@RumblinMan yes I have thomastik on my other PB with maple neck , they feel a little bit weird to me because of the light gauge but they fit well my bright sounding bass ;)
@Rumblin Man they're not bad, light and medium sets are comparable to chromes tension wise. If you like TIs you might want to try the LTF series. The original Jamerson set is stiff as all get out but those are heavy gauge. DTFS are not super versatile in comparison to the dunlops or chromes, i.e. I would never really slap or do tap stuff with them. I mean you can but it is far from their strong suit. What they do have is a distinct midrange response that no other strings really nail. Even when they die down that focus and clarity is still there for years and I mean years to come.
@@RumblinMan Based on your comments in the review on the LaBella's. I put a set on my Squier P VM with the Nordstrand NP5F pickups. I had them on a custom bass but they were too dark. They're PERFECT on this guy. Just put a set of Magma black tape wounds (BE405NB) on my Squier J VM with Ultra Jazz pickups. I dunno yet. Time will tell. Please keep the reviews coming!
I have the La Bella’s on a bass, but I like these much better. The La Bella’s are high tension and stiff. The Dunlop’s are much lower in tension, they’re a lot brighter, and they’re flexible. They’re not “floppy” or as flexible as Thomastik, but are more in that direction, is why I think they’re a great string. I recommend trying them out. Unless you’re playing fretless, of course.
I tried flats once the tension was way more that’s the roundwojnds but then maybe I just want used to the high tension and smoothness which felt very wierd
I had D’addario Chrome on my jazz bass. I would like to try some flats on my Yamaha 5 string. A lot of bass players always put flats on p basses but I find that they sound great on modern basses as well.
Fender 9050L's will rip with that Vintera pickup, they keep a particular brightness other flats don't seem to and will bring out the ragged edges of the 50's voiced p'up
Thanks so much. This bass being Classic Series never had a Vintera pickup. The Sonic is much more versatile. That said, while I like Fender’s rounds a lot, I don’t care for the tension of their flats.
These are my favorite flats too. The problem is I can’t find them in a five string. Using on Fender Player Plus with neck changed to 9.5 roasted maple. I didn’t like the 12 radius.
Strings on the bass are very important, I also play guitar but am definitely am more of a bass player. As a little kid I played violin and trumpet. So of course when I hit 12 it was guitar, my uncle played both and started showing me how to play guitar, then I had a proper guitar teacher. This is the early 70's and all my friends wanted to be Jimmy Page. Then I heard Led Zeppelin and I heard John Paul Jones and that was it, I wanted to be JPJ. I don't think with guitar the strings are as important. I am glad to here a bass player who loves flats. I am quite a bit older then you, but I just started watching your channel and my first comment was the Black Beauties video, which I don't like. Sorry for long comment but to me you do seem like a old school bass player, the way you play I just get that vibe and it is so refreshing to see a younger guy that loves flats, don't get me wrong I have rounds on some of my P basses, but my Jazz has to have flats and they a Roto Sound and definitely about a year ago I put the D'Addario Cromes on my #1 bass my 73 Fender Jazz, and I am loving them, they might be my new favorite strings. I have 82 Westone Concord that I have down tuned C# and I was having a hard time because of the tension so I tried Roto Sound Steve Harris 50-105 flats that worked out.
Thanks for the comment! I’ve always been an “old soul”, if you will. Flats are where it’s at! No buzz. These Dunlops are fantastic but I may like Thomastik just as much.
@@RumblinMan I am set for strings for now it seems like all of my basses needed strings all at once but maybe I will try the Dunlops next time. For the first time I tried to boil a couple of pairs, heard of it but never did it. You do get a little more life out of them, take care
As much crap as they get, I've found that I've fallen in love with the Dunlop stainless strings (both rounds and flats). The sucky part is they are hard to find for my 5 string short scale without paying an arm and a leg. Great review man!
For some reason, I am way pickier about flats than rounds. I like LaBella best. That said, GHS Brite Flats are my favorite string for Jazz style basses. The GHS Precision flats are a close second to the Labella for a typical flatwound sound. Dunlops are fine, but I think the GHS flats are better at a lower price point. Thomastiks are too dark for my taste. I loathe Chromes and Ernie Ball flats.
FYI the link to the string is for a Medium scale bass and will not work on the bass shown in the video or any other standard full scale bass. I found this out after they arrived. oops.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but flats are for those that cant. Yeah, they sound decent in certain scenarios, but rounds all the way for me.
Haha. I would love details on this opinion. I like flats because of the sound and the feel. It’s a preference. I can do just as well on rounds - see my other videos.
Nice playing, and good to see someone demoing by playing some real-world bass line, and especially with backing so we can hear how it sits with other instruments.
Thank you so much!!
I've been playing flats for 20+ years. My faves right now are the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds. You can roll down the tone and get an old school sound. Full up and you're close to a roundwound tone. Throw on a Nordymute and you can get a faux upright.
+1 on slinky cobalt, I use it on my P5, I'm lovin it!
I wanted to go for cobalt but i heard a lot of complaints about rust
Hi, when u say old skool sound, what type, rock, jazz, soul, funk, which one please in your opinion
dang.. Good thing i went for TI's!@woochito
Thomastik-Infeld JF344, also know as Ti's :)@woochito
Excellent demo Daniel, thanks for using our P Bass pickups!
Thanks bro!! That pickups SINGS in this vid!!
Digging your style and tone, Rumblin Man! Very informative demonstration of these flatwounds in a well produced video.
Thanks so much!!
Recently bought a 60s Precision bass. Had rounds on it, not sure what I wanted, have tried TI's previously as well as chromes. Watched this and picked up the Dunlops the next day. I love how they sound on the bass. I can play a large catalogue of music with them and they respond to effects and touch in a massive way. I can dig in more than I can with T.I's, and the tension isnt as brutal as chromes.
That's good info I have the TI flats and rounds on my two P basses. I like the flats on the P but don't love them, maybe I'll move those to my J bass and try the dunlops on the P.
Great video and great tones!
I’ve tried some different flats, like Ernie Ball and Rotosound. But my favorite feeling flats are LaBella Low Tension Flexible Flats. Quite thumpy, not very detailed, so not that versatile. But the feel is…luxurious.
That said, I’m looking at trying GHS Brite Flats next. Should have more clarity.
I’ve gotta try the La Bella Low Tension next!! I currently have TI’s on my P Bass, Dunlops on my Jazz and La Bella Deep Talkin on my Fretless. Good luck with the Brite Flats; I didn’t like them.
Gawd Dang.... I'm on a search. I was a TI guy, then now I'm on the La Bella Low Tensions flats..... The La Bella Low Tensions flats were so smoothly polished. This is important to me as I was in a bad fire and lost all the skin off both arms and hands. I'm a rare and grateful person as the skin grew back, but will not callus. Rounds tear my fingers. And I need modern sounds.... :P Thank you for your demo.... any others you'd like me to check out?
Sounds killer, Brother! Rock on, and keep the good stuff coming!
Thank you Jimmy! God bless ya bro.
Really Enjoyed your videos for this and other flatwounds. I’m surprised your 2 favorite flat sets are so unalike, but I get why you like them.
I’ve used Chromes on a number of basses, absolutely love the sound of them, but the stiffness and tension make them too difficult for me to play for very long. I just got my first set of TI 344 flats a couple of days ago, and am absolutely loving both the feel and the more upfront sound of them.
The Dunlops sounded fantastic with the pick playing you did toward the end of the video! 🤟
Thanks so much! I love flats. I plan to do a comparison video some day.
I bought a second bass from Jake Serek. At that time he was using Dunlop flats on his basses if you chose flat wounds instead of roundwounds. In his words they “feel broken in right out of the box.” I still prefer nickel roundwounds but really liked the Dunlop flats mainly due to ease of playing. They have moderate tension (not as stiff as chromes but not too loose like TI flats.) They are a good set of flats if you are on the fence about trying them. Also, they are not especially dark or bright (chromes). They do not come in an extra long (through the body) length or in a short scale.
I just recently ordered some, and glad I did after hearing you play with them. They sound awesome!! Just found your channel. Love the video. I subscribed.
Thank you so much!!!
I just found your channel this morning! Man, we're blessed by your work. I subscribed! keep it up, bro.
I took Fender flats, they're not dull and have a certain bite you shouldn't expect from flats. But that's my choice of course :)
That's what I found also. At the same time, they do mellow out after awhile to a more smooth, warm sound.
Which set Fender flats did you get? Thinking of getting the 9050M (55-70-90-105) but I'm afraid the tension will be enormous.
Those are my favorites as well. I love Dunlops out of the box, but the Fenders sound better within 5-6 months, which is nothing for flats.
My favorite, too. A little more attitude in the high mids, and more clear in the lower mids. They just seem more clear and bitey than other flats and feel fantastic to me after they wear in a bit.
@@Phaidrus I use 45 through 105, but I can tell you that they loosen up quite a bit after wearing in a little. They don't stay stiff nearly as long as LaBellas or Chromes.
Love that pick tone! Thank you for sharing, Bassman 😊🎶🎵❤️🙏
Thanks bro! I love a great pick tone myself.
Sounds great. I really appreciate the brighter sound. I can’t stand the “vintage” thud thud of something like the La Bella.
Yeah, I’m with ya. That’s why I haven’t particularly tried La Bella. I don’t want mud.
Rumblin’ Man making flats great again! 😄 I may have to try these when I decide to change my Rotosound flats. I think these may sound better on my jazz bass than the Rotosound flats that are currently on it. Still loving my Rotos on my P bass.
MFGA!!!! 🧢 Yes I know I recommended the Roto’s, but I recommend these slightly more. Hahahah. Nothing wrong with the Roto’s. They sound really good for certain things!
Love your content, I've been looking for the "best" P for decades (20 years is decades right 😀) I've owned a bunch of vintage P basses and to me mexican made instrument sound amazing. I've owned a road worn, a classic 50 and a standard mexican made 90s p and all of them sounded amazing. Better than most of the vintage ones i owned. I think the road worn was probably the best, although it was a tad too wooly (unlike the vintage ones I owned tbh), but the pickup seems to remedy that.
These sound more hi-fi than I thought they would. Also, I was happy when you brought back the Rumblin Man slap theme in the slap demo section. I miss hearing that at the beginning of your videos.
As for my favorite flats, I still really like D’Addario 40-95, although I have a set of TI’s on my 60’s style Jazz Bass and a set of GHS 45-95 that I want to put on a parts P-Bass.
Thanks man! Yeah, figured I’d use that ole slap line and work on a new backing track for it. It’s good so far but can be spruced up a little.
Liking the Chromes most you say? Yeah, I feel ya. They’re awesome. The TI’s are such a joy to play as well. Haven’t tried GHS but I heard they are really high-tension.
@@RumblinMan
It depends on which gauge you get. I’ve tried 45-105 before and the tension is really tight, but the 45-95 is somewhere between D’Addario and TI in tension.
@@RumblinMan
One thing I did forget to mention is that you should try the Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. Not the smoothest feeling flats out there, but they have a very bright sound and the tension is very comparable to TI’s.
@@AllbeeHivezChristianAllbee NICE, dude!! I’ve had others tell me about those. I’d like to try them.
I would love to hear a direct comparison between these and the TIs.
I may be able to make that happen!
Interesting strings! They seem to really step back and make the voice of the bass take the lead. Sometimes hard to tell that they're really flats with the tone wide open. They also seem to have a bit more midrange presence compared to the Rotosound, but that's hard to tell since your other Roto/TI demo was done on the Jazz Bass. I'd agree that they might be great for flatwound starters or for people looking for something very versatile. I'd be missing some thump personally. The Chromes have that thump, but can lack a bit in the midrange. The TIs, from what I have listened to, have a great attack/articulation, but lack a bit in the bass. And LaBellas are known to be rather dark, but the demos that I have heard sounded really nice, with a good balance of thump, bottom end, and a very nicely rounded midrange.
Merry Christmas 🎄 good sir, first allow me to say these are tremendous flatwounds. I have been strictly using D'ADDARIO flatwounds all year on both of my P basses. Which I love but I would consider strongly getting a set of these. We have drastically different styles or at least approaches to the Precision Bass. Yet in all sincerity I have always appreciated your channel. I've been watching your videos ever since playing Nirvana and Silver Chair were the most difficult songs I could play from start to finish.
Excellent video. This is why I check out your videos before anyone else. I run D'Addario Chrome flats 45-100 on my P-bass and they sound so good I'll likely stay with that combo. I use Labella's black nylon coated flat on a Jackson and they also sound good but not quite as good as the D'Addario's though it could be the bass. I've used Rotosound flats over the years and they're among my favorites. Just ordered a set of the Steve Harris series Rotosound flats for my new Schecter Stiletto and looking forward to seeing how that combo sounds. God bless, brother.
I’m honored that you check me out first - THANKS man!! I appreciate the support. Sounds like your journey with flats has been very similar to mine. I had a Stiletto once as well, and it’s a great bass!! Rockin sound.
Great review! I have to ask though, which brand do you think feels more slippery under your fingers, Chromes or these Dunlop flats?
Good Video! First time watch! My go to strings are currently ErnieBall cobalt flats, and DR lowrider nickels!
Awesome!!!! How are those DR’s?! Something I should try??
LaBella, brother. I do feel the need for some zing. So I will try these on a bass one day!
I have roundwounds (factory) on a sire M7 6 string and havent switched strings, just to have versatility as the Sire has such a beautiful Pre-Amp.
I have a G&L 2000 with flats and its my go-to unless i need extra zing.
Not to discount the Set that I have from LaBella as it does mix the two aspects very very good for most applications.
I don t like rounds anymore in terms of feel so its all about what i can do with flats un less i need a round zing (rare but applicable)... bryan adams is an example. Personally I prefer round wounds in many of his bass player parts I have covered.
that may well be the widest tonal range, with punch, of any flats I have ever heard, and I'm also a Thomastik fan. Great review!
Thank you! These definitely have an amazing sound.
TIs are still my favorites so far. I've tried most with the exception of the Dogal Jaco System Flat Carbon and the Ernie Ball flats (and knowing my taste I'm inclined to avoid them as I haven't loved their strings overall). I have these dunlops on my Acinonyx and I'm liking them a lot. I'd like to give chromes another chance I only had them on a fretless and they were good but not awesome on that bass.
Love the slap groove and tone
Thank you!
I’ve not tried the Dunlops yet, but probably will do so eventually. I have several basses with flats. Each bass just seems to have its own favorite personality with one type of flats over another. I, too, love TI’s and have them on a few basses (Ric 4003, Guild Starfire II, Hofner Club Bass, Fender American Pro Jazz), but then I also have LaBella Flexible Flats on a few (Lakland 44-51, Guild M85, Ric 3001, EBMM Sting Ray), and D’Addario Chromes on a few (Epi Jack Casady, Guild Chris Hillman Signature Starfire I, G&L ASAT). I’ve also tried Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, but haven’t loved them except on my Lakland Hollowbody 30. And I use Rotosound Monel Flats on a vintage EKO violin hollowbody which sound great for that bass. That said, like you, TI’s are my favorites, but not necessarily on every bass. I’ve mixed and matched several of these aforementioned strings with different basses, but settled on the combinations that I described. That’s just me, of course. We are all different. I encourage you to try those LaBella Flexible Flats though. I’m not a fan of their deep-talking strings and other vintage choices, but those low tension Flex’s work well for me. I love your channel, Bro’, and I love your Savior, too! Keep on keeping on…
Hey brother! Glory to God! 🙌 Yeah man, sounds like you have some sweet basses and a great taste in strings. I’m interested to try the La Bella’s you mentioned... I love a good low-tension string. Gotta check those out.
Any comment on how these strings age after a bit longer? I love flats with a bit of extra brightness, but some I've tried dull fast and with the price of these it would get _very_ expensive to buy fresh sets often. If they wear in keeping some of the top end then it would be easier to justify the price.
Another left field suggestion, Galli Synthesis Flatwounds. They are chrome on a synthetic core which should be a bit different, not tried them yet but I've been using Synthesis nickel roundwounds for the last year or so and they have a uniquely nice high end that is present but never zingy, and they've kept it really well with age and through a lot of playing without going completely dead. I'm meaning to try the synthesis flats, hoping they have similar characteristics with the flat feel.
After a few months or so with these strings, there hasn’t been a ton of change. They’re a little less zingy now. But they seem to retain their character for a while. I think it’s hard to go wrong. I’ll plan on a follow-up video down the line!
I’ve never heard of the Galli before but that sounds cool…. I will have to check them out!
Hey rumbling man I've been using Ernie Ball group 4 flats on most of my bases. Since flat are a little more tension that's why I went to the group four but anyway they're great because they have that thump and low end that a flat round has and you don't get that string noise when you're moving your fingers up and down the neck plus if you need high-end it's there just turn up your tone control.
I've been playing the EB Cobalt Flats.......But this sold me on these!
I think you’ll like these.
What can you say about string tension with flat wounds?
These are good sounding strings...good flats from Dunlop ! ,in my day you only bought Dunlop if you were not well off but times change...they cut threw well,being a mostly finger player i will give them a try...as much as i luv my Rotosound flats they lose their upper mid & top end quickly ,great if you play Motown all the time...but i don't...good demo big guy...👍🎸
Thanks man!
Wow. Those are versatile. Just enough top end bite. May need to get a set.
They’re great!
nice demo. I like a lot the Pyramid Gold Flatwounds on my yamaha BBP34.
Hey Rumblin Man, great video. Ive been using thomastic jazz flats on my p bass but these Dunlops have got me thinking!
The Dunlop’s are great, but I like the feel of the Thomastik’s a little better. But sound-wise, Dunlop rocks.
Thanks for the review. My set of these sounds much drier than the Chromes, I.e. without all of the harmonics and mids I hear on the chromes. To me the chromes sound closer to roundwounds than these in terms of richness of sound but these sound more focused which might help them be heard better in a mix.
Thanks for sharing your insight. I do really like the Chromes. I’ve always had good experiences with them. Between these and the Chromes, it’s a tough call.
@@RumblinManGreat video..Have you tried cobalt flats?
Thanks, Brother. Great review. Can you use these Dunlops with string through body basses?
Thank you! And yes.
Early Larry Graham was played with flats and I’ve always enjoyed the slap sound that he got. Everyone is roundwound crazy these days and this unique voice has been lost but slap on flats just punch through a dense mix in a way that rounds will never be able to do without massive eq
Hi, how do they compare to the TI flats in terms of loose feeling? I love the loose feeling of my T.I's but need short scale for my squire sonic bronco. Cheers
Do these strings have red white and blue ends. I bought a used pbass and it has flats that I love, black silk with red white blue and gold ends
Gold, silver and black ends
I've been playing bass forever (since 1976) and I have just never liked the sound of flatwounds, but do like the feel and lack of string noise. I just cannot get into that dead, thuddy, indistinct sound that most flats have. So I've played rounds almost always. The last few years, I've had EB cobalt flats on a couple of my basses. I've been fairly happy with them (almost a love/hate relationship--sometimes I'm in love, other times they aren't doing it for me). Your Dunlops sound a lot like the slinky cobalt flats to me. I think I might have to give them a try. I really like the brightness you're getting--still sounds like a flat, but there is a definition there that is generally lacking with most flats. That slap segment actually sounded good--I think that's the first time in over forty years that I have thought slapping sounded good on a set of flats. Gonna have to check them out.
Anyone else out there compare EB slinky cobalt flats with these Dunlops??? I do really like Dunlop Super Bright Nickel rounds, so I know Dunlop makes quality strings.
Thanks so much man. I suggest giving the Dunlops flats a try. They have a certain versatility to them that I’ve never felt in other flats. You just may like them!
I have tried both and for my musical tastes I prefer the Dunlops. I am running them on a Ibanez SRX505 5 string which has an active 2-band circuit. The chromes just aren't as sonically full as the Dunlops. I stay pretty much flat on my eq while rolling the lows off maybe 1-2 and get some great mid-rangey but thick deep blues tones. To be fair I tend toward blues but in a band setting the Dunlops have a nice cut to them without being roto or rounds. Chromes to me never get deep smoke filled room whiskey blues tones.
Hmmm...I love the sound of those strings.They sound kinda like Cobalts.Gonna have to try those out!I have always been into round wounds,but recently I have made the switch over to flat wound strings and I have to say that I love them! They sound good in the mix ! I play in church and it's going to be flatwound's for Jesus 🎵✝️👍
I hope flatwounds for Jesus is going great! The Dunlop’s are definitely worth checking out.
I think I have Dunlop stainless steel 105/45 flat wounds on my p bass. The felts are black on both ends and the balls are brass. I know they're Dunlop 105/45, but I'm not sure about the stainless. Do you know how to tell?
I’m not sure!
@@RumblinMan Thanks for the reply! I have them on a P Bass I bought. I really like the way it sounds...very versitle, just like you said. Thanks for your videos.
Sounds great! Those strings are nice!
Thanks Grant! God bless.
Thanks for the video! Do you think it would be necessary to have a Fender p bass "re-setup" when changing from fender round wounds to Dunlop flatwounds of the same size (e.g., 45-105). Thanks for your help!
I think a setup adjustment will be a good idea. The Fender flats, from what I recall, are ridiculously high-tension. You’ll like these a lot better!
@@RumblinMan Thanks, man. I'm running flatwounds DiAddario Chromes (100s) on 1 of my p basses and flatwound Dunlop (105s) on the other one. I see what you mean about the Diaddarios. I like them too. I'm just going to leave both basses as is. I appreciate your channel!
When I switched on my 5 string from 45-130 round Curt Mangan's to 45-125 Dunlops I didn't need to adjust the truss rod at all, my E string intonation had to be adjusted more than the other strings but all said, I didn't have any significant neck adjustments. Your mileage might vary.
Let me know how it goes!
I´m torn between TI´s and Dunlops.... I keep switching back and forth. What I like about the Dunlops is that they are a bit stiffer than the TI´s and they got a little more thump in my opinion. But TI´s sit better in a mix because of the mids )I think.
I haven´t tried Chromes though...
Such a tough call. I love both the TI’s and the Dunlops. The Chromes are a happy medium.
I found your channel and subscribed. I don’t play bass but can u tell me if I were to pick up the instrument where do I start and get progressively better with practice? In other words is there a sequence order to attain a good building structure to get to intermediate in about a year? RUclips has great content but can be overwhelming with no mentorship and guidance. I will use flats when I buy my J bass because I like the old Motown sound.
Do you have a local music store that offers lessons? That’s a really good way to start.
@@RumblinMan Thank you. Did you get started by taking lessons since you play bass and guitar 🎸?
@@tonycampbell9626 my dad actually taught me the basics!
This set sound pretty much the same as my La Bella , I use the FS 45 - 105 and they have pretty high tension. Maybe this dunlop are a little bit on the trebble side but I am much more interested in worn out flatwounds and it takes ages : I have my la bella since a year and they sound still pretty new. Hope you will do a video of this dunlop after few month to see how they settle in ... cheers ...
I will plan on doing so! The Dunlops are lower tension and brighter than the La Bella’s. I have some La Bella’s on my fretless and really like them.
@@RumblinMan yes, sometimes I feel that my La bella are too dark, my rosewood board PB don't help ... So today I ordered chromes , I hope they will be a little bit brighter , I would also love to get that flat tubby sound as they age...
@@hippoferd the Chromes are great strings. I also recommend the Thomastik-Infeld.
@@RumblinMan yes I have thomastik on my other PB with maple neck , they feel a little bit weird to me because of the light gauge but they fit well my bright sounding bass ;)
@@hippoferd I have mine on a maple p as well! They are definitely light. But I enjoy them. Very worn-in.
Labella DTFS for most things. If I need versatility chromes are alright enough. DTFS are my favorite pound for pound though
I've heard the DTFS are quite stiff. Is that your experience?
@Rumblin Man they're not bad, light and medium sets are comparable to chromes tension wise. If you like TIs you might want to try the LTF series. The original Jamerson set is stiff as all get out but those are heavy gauge. DTFS are not super versatile in comparison to the dunlops or chromes, i.e. I would never really slap or do tap stuff with them. I mean you can but it is far from their strong suit. What they do have is a distinct midrange response that no other strings really nail. Even when they die down that focus and clarity is still there for years and I mean years to come.
@@tplank216 that’s cool! I have been planning to try the Low Tension Flats.
Great video. I'm using the Chrome XL Flats for 5 Strings. Any reviews on tapewounds?
Congrats man! I’ve never reviewed tapes, but would love the opportunity.
@@RumblinMan Based on your comments in the review on the LaBella's. I put a set on my Squier P VM with the Nordstrand NP5F pickups. I had them on a custom bass but they were too dark. They're PERFECT on this guy. Just put a set of Magma black tape wounds (BE405NB) on my Squier J VM with Ultra Jazz pickups. I dunno yet. Time will tell. Please keep the reviews coming!
How would you compare the Dunlops to LaBella's Deep Talking Bass flatwounds?
I have the La Bella’s on a bass, but I like these much better. The La Bella’s are high tension and stiff. The Dunlop’s are much lower in tension, they’re a lot brighter, and they’re flexible. They’re not “floppy” or as flexible as Thomastik, but are more in that direction, is why I think they’re a great string. I recommend trying them out. Unless you’re playing fretless, of course.
@RumblinMan thanks, Brother. Very helpful and informative. God Bless you. 🙏 🤘🎸🎸🤘
@@christosfragias592 same to you! ✝️
Why not for fretless?@@RumblinMan
La Bella Low Tension Flats are definitely worth a try.
I’m very interested in trying some!!
I tried flats once the tension was way more that’s the roundwojnds but then maybe I just want used to the high tension and smoothness which felt very wierd
For great low-tension, I highly recommend the Thomastik-Infeld flats.
Awesome video !!
I had D’addario Chrome on my jazz bass. I would like to try some flats on my Yamaha 5 string. A lot of bass players always put flats on p basses but I find that they sound great on modern basses as well.
What song did you play to at the ending?
Fender 9050L's will rip with that Vintera pickup, they keep a particular brightness other flats don't seem to and will bring out the ragged edges of the 50's voiced p'up
Thanks so much. This bass being Classic Series never had a Vintera pickup. The Sonic is much more versatile. That said, while I like Fender’s rounds a lot, I don’t care for the tension of their flats.
These are my favorite flats too. The problem is I can’t find them in a five string. Using on Fender Player Plus with neck changed to 9.5 roasted maple. I didn’t like the 12 radius.
These sound awesome, its just a shame they're so expensive! The price of bass strings all around these days is crazy.
Yeah, it can be a challenge to find a decent price on bass strings. These flats are great. I can see spending $70 on a set. But $100? No.
Strings on the bass are very important, I also play guitar but am definitely am more of a bass player. As a little kid I played violin and trumpet. So of course when I hit 12 it was guitar, my uncle played both and started showing me how to play guitar, then I had a proper guitar teacher. This is the early 70's and all my friends wanted to be Jimmy Page. Then I heard Led Zeppelin and I heard John Paul Jones and that was it, I wanted to be JPJ. I don't think with guitar the strings are as important. I am glad to here a bass player who loves flats. I am quite a bit older then you, but I just started watching your channel and my first comment was the Black Beauties video, which I don't like. Sorry for long comment but to me you do seem like a old school bass player, the way you play I just get that vibe and it is so refreshing to see a younger guy that loves flats, don't get me wrong I have rounds on some of my P basses, but my Jazz has to have flats and they a Roto Sound and definitely about a year ago I put the D'Addario Cromes on my #1 bass my 73 Fender Jazz, and I am loving them, they might be my new favorite strings. I have 82 Westone Concord that I have down tuned C# and I was having a hard time because of the tension so I tried Roto Sound Steve Harris 50-105 flats that worked out.
Thanks for the comment! I’ve always been an “old soul”, if you will. Flats are where it’s at! No buzz. These Dunlops are fantastic but I may like Thomastik just as much.
@@RumblinMan I am set for strings for now it seems like all of my basses needed strings all at once but maybe I will try the Dunlops next time. For the first time I tried to boil a couple of pairs, heard of it but never did it. You do get a little more life out of them, take care
As much crap as they get, I've found that I've fallen in love with the Dunlop stainless strings (both rounds and flats). The sucky part is they are hard to find for my 5 string short scale without paying an arm and a leg. Great review man!
Thanks so much! They’re great strings for sure.
Delicious! Thank you for this!
My pleasure!
Sounds great
Just looked up the price. Wow almost $100!!!
For some reason, I am way pickier about flats than rounds. I like LaBella best. That said, GHS Brite Flats are my favorite string for Jazz style basses. The GHS Precision flats are a close second to the Labella for a typical flatwound sound. Dunlops are fine, but I think the GHS flats are better at a lower price point. Thomastiks are too dark for my taste. I loathe Chromes and Ernie Ball flats.
Nice! Haha. I still have a couple sets I need to try.
FYI the link to the string is for a Medium scale bass and will not work on the bass shown in the video or any other standard full scale bass. I found this out after they arrived. oops.
Tried them… a bit too bright for my taste..I go for the late sixties sound, and for me, that is LaBella flexible flats…
Fender supposedly has low tension flats
I’ve never heard of Fender offering any. The only Fender flats I’ve ever used were so high tension that they warped a neck!
Gah! Sounds so great!
Thomastik infeld 4 me
Flat wounds, p bass, it's a good day!
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but flats are for those that cant. Yeah, they sound decent in certain scenarios, but rounds all the way for me.
Haha. I would love details on this opinion. I like flats because of the sound and the feel. It’s a preference. I can do just as well on rounds - see my other videos.
@@RumblinMan Great video . Have you tried GHS Brite Flats or D’Addario half rounds ?
@@WyattLite-n-inn I have tried the Brite Flats, but they were weird IMO. I didn’t like them.
@@WyattLite-n-inn I have tried the Brite Flats, but they were weird IMO. I didn’t like them.
Your statement is just about as stupid as your handle, longdongbongchong...
Awesome review. Thought provoking. Maybe I’ll switch
I really wonder how long this zing would last before they mellow out?
Been a couple years now. They are more mellow than they were. But there’s still some zing.
Thomastik