Roundwound vs. Flatwound Bass Strings in the mix!
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- Bass Strings: Roundwounds VS. Flatwounds - Does the choice of your bass strings really matter in a full band mix? Let's find out! For more info head over to bonedo.de/bass
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The arrangement of the other parts made difference as to whether the string differences could be heard easily. The RnB example was quite sparse so the slightly deeper / lower harmonic content of the flats was more obvious.
There's more variety in the sounds of flats than rounds though. At one end a set of La Bella Deep Talking Flats are super deep and low mids with hardly any treble content, then there's Ti Flats and Fender flats with a big mid push, and then there's things like EB Cobalt flats which are almost like a round.
Personally I like Fender flats as they are not twangy like a round, but not overpowering in the lows like the La Bellas. Lack of string noise when moving position or using a pick is what made me try them in the first place.
Well said! I use Fender flats on my Thundergun and they are smooth, rich, and lively. I use EB Cobalt flats on my Hofner 500/1 and they are deep, blossomy, and have a touch of round bite. I use D’Addario Chromes on my Hofner Galaxie and they are somewhere in between. Rounds may cut with top end, but too crispy can be noisy (which diminishes as the strings age) and the upper mids can be harsh sounding. But new rounds have the piano string crispness and flats can only get so close (if you don’t mind string swoosh noise).
The flats are more subtile, the rounds more versatile and cut through the mix a little bit more to my ears. It is a question of playing comfort too.
I think it's a win for the roundwounds in the way that you can use an EQ, roll off some highs or high-mids and get roundwounds sounds darker like the flats. But it's harder to make the flatwounds sound more brighter or get more "fret noise". In any case, good playing is always the job of the bassist and that's what's most important!
I just love the attack of flats for old school sounds! But rounds are more versatile for sure. That's why I use both: Rounds on the modern J-style 5-string, flats on the old P-style.
The way to go!
That's what I'll be doing.
Depends on what bass you have, what styles/tone you’re into, and what feel you want from a string.
For me: Fresh rounds for rock and slap, old flats for everything else 😎
The guy in AC/DC, Cliff Williams, plays a Stingray and uses flatwounds.
I guess that counts as "Rock"😂
Agreed!
Great sound, you can hear the differences 👍🏼
I liked the flats on most of these. To me they sound a lot cleaner and modern. I gotta try them on my jazz. Great showcase video!
For me there was not much difference at all. The flats may have been a little more subtle in the mix. I been through my fair share of flats, each brand sounding a bit different. What brand and gauge of flats and rounds are you using? Also, love the Lakland! I've got three Lakies but not a 44-64.
Great video! The sound quality is great too. What gear are you using to record to video? Thanks!
Hi Dave, Thanks! I used an iPhone 13 mini for video and a universal Audi volt 2 interface.
Ive always found myself coming back to flats. Even for a modern rock setting. Especially if you use flats that are relatively fresh (under a year old) of the bright variant like fender or chromes. I find I can add a lot more dirt to my tone and not disappear into the guitar sounds. I still have that very forward sounding fundamental, with the dirt.
The flats cut through the mix more than I would've thought, but then again I've got a bias towards the sound of flats.
I think the flats are more defined.
Great horn groove! We're those real horns or sampled?
At least through my laptop speakers I did not notice a huge difference between the two, but they both sound great! (I really dig that R&B riff in particular.) For me, it's about the feel while playing. I prefer flats (or tapes) for a smooth feel and no "raking" sound when I move my hand.
With decent no Bluetooth headphones with cable you really hear the difference.
@@svenjansen2134 Bluetooth isn't going to stop you hearing the difference lol. Wouldn't judge a bass sound on laptop speakers but you really only have to go up to like a $20 set of actual speakers for the difference to be very obvious.
I prefer flats, on rhythm guitars too
Ernie Ball Super Slinky Flatwound Bass Guitar Strings, 45-100 are my pick. These babies are bright but have a texture I love, I mean the sound, but the physical feel is awesome too. I can play longer without pain, but the sound is just perfect for me. Just my 2¢ I guess I should go practice 😮
Flats always sound so much better in the mix. It fills in a hole where rounds are competing for the guitar spectrum. Flats also hit the fundamental harder and more focused.
My #1 bass has flats, #2 has rounds. I mostly play punk and rock. The one I take to the gig is whatever I feel like at the time. Do I want to throb, or do I want to rage today. It's not such a big difference that I can't take whichever bass I feel like using.
So what's the no 1 and 2 basses? P and J?
I was surprised but in most cases I would select flatwound strings in a mix.
it would interesting to listen reggae
Ideal for reggae because of the dry thump.
actually flats are used way more often in recordings then rounds. they have more fundamental, less harmonics and a mid-hump that makes the sound easier to fit even with many instruments.
rounds have more harmonics, less mids and fundamental, so they often get lost in the mix, between the frequencies of other instruments.
What brand/type of flatwound strings are you using on the recording?
Woah! Rock is debatable, but in every other genre flats simply dominated the mix! 😮
Both sound great. Just like Flats, sound and feel better.
I have player Rounds forever. I'm in the process of putting a dedicated Flat P together. Jamerson , Hurley etc. I guess I have not developed an ear or a taste for Flats. The roundwounds sound better to me on every example. Flat's must be an aquired taste. But I will also put foam under the strings, maybe that will convince me.
There are so many types of rounds and flats.. These rounds don't sound like steel. Which are these? Nickel plated, full nickel rounds? Which flats are they being compared to?
I can't hear any difference... but I'm not a bassist, neither a musician!
Still welcome! Use headphones! Pick up a bass it's real fun and easy to learn.
@@svenjansen2134 I'm a beginner in fact. It's so fun to learn bass. I love it.
Horses for courses. I like both but, Flats for me. You can still do a lot with your hands in regards to tone, regardless of the strings to a degree. 👍
I don‘t if I‘m the only one who hears/feels it but I don‘t get why anybody would play rounds. Especially after hearing this amazing comparison.
I would have to make a choice. I would take the bassist and whatever strings are handy.
Was willste feststellen, wie die Saiten klingen, auf einem P-Bass? Die werden gleich klingen. Vllt. haben die Roundwounds 5% mehr Strahlung, aber das wars schon. Interessanter wär der Vergleich auf einem PJ-Bass. Außerdem, kein Hinweis, was für Saiten benutzt wurden, bekanntlich haben die Roundwounds verschiedene Wicklungsstärken.
roundwound more strong in the mix, flat more subtle and thumpy
They sound identical. The rounds seem a bit louder, but identical tone.
me encantaron las planas en la pista de pop
Funny that most of the commenters prefer flats. I'd have never guessed.
One day somebody will explain to me how much convenient/comfortable it is to play rounds strings considering their noise and roughness in contact with fingers (I don't use pick)...
Actually flats burn much more fingers than rounds because it has more surface in contact with your skin
@@Roy-McBride75 are you kidding, aren't you?
Flats all day long, all my basses have La Bella 760FS strings on them 😁😂
Barely a difference actually. Maybe a good amount of EQ?
No EQ or whatsoever used. Just pure D.I. Signal.
You win my subscribe when don't start talk about the cliches ❤
Thats the way a sound comparison video should be.
I'm sick of these "I'm the best slapper/fiddler in town" videos. With hours of Blabla and the guys face directly in the cam all the time.
Bass is not a solo instrument and theres no use in hearing it solo without a band with thousand of notes per hour.