The ULTIMATE bass string Shootout... tapes vs rounds vs flats
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Ok... let's talk bass strings!
In this video I’m comparing 3 different types of bass strings…
Roundwounds vs Flatwounds vs Tapewounds.
i.e. the ultimate string shootout! ;)
I figured it’d be fun to film a video for you so you can hear them in comparison with each - and most importantly, on the same bass.
Once you watch the video where you can hear in comparison to each other… make sure to leave a comment below the video and let me know which one YOU preferred.
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott :)
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One of the secrets to the brighter tapewound tone is the lower tension. Wider string amplitude compensates for the smoothness of the wraps and when it rattles against the fret, it puts back some of that rasp and growl. The flatwounds, being totally metal, have higher tension than roundwounds, so they vibrate more firmly, leading to a smoother and more consistent tone. A lot of people think tapewounds are darker by default due to the outer wrap muting the string a bit, but that's not necessarily true. If you peel off the tape around the string, you will find a small roundwound string in there, which, since it is metal, the pickups will "pick up" on rather than sensing the vibration of the flat outer ribbon of the flatwounds, rounding some of the treble out.
PANICBLADE That was highly informative, thanks!
love how you put that!
PANICBLADE Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I had also been told tapewounds were even "darker" than flats.
I suppose hypothetically a tapewound string could also be flatwound or groundwound on the inside. Tapewounds seem pretty niche though so there might not be a lot of variety.
Note, lower tension means also new setup for your bass
For reference - here's the total set tension - according to D'Addario:
50-105 tapewound (66.290 kg), which are comparable to
40-95 round wound steel (62.060 kg), where flatwounds have
40-95 flatwounds chrome (73.990 kg), and
50-105 flatwounds chrome (101.610 kg)
www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=186&productname=ETB92_Tapewound_Bass__Medium__50_105__Long_Scale
www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=139&productname=EPS180_ProSteels_Bass__Extra_Super_Light__35_95__Long_Scale
www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=205&productname=ECB82_Chromes_Bass__Medium__50_105__Long_Scale
I love the flatwounds. - Those lower notes hit me in the soul.
MaCartney wasn't an idiot.
They sound great I just can't choose them over rounds or tapes if I only have 1 bass because they have absolutly no "rasp" to them
@@mimoochodom2684 Neither is Steve Harris , Flats all the way bro :)
@@mimoochodom2684 McCartney played tapewounds on abbey road
@@bronkmonculus7338 For a minute I read it as "tapeworms." LOL . Well they all sound good if Macca's banging them.
Skip to 4:00 because it's one of those days..
Thought it was going to play one of these days by Pink Floyd
+Jake Buckelew Waaaaaa me too!! :c
You are doing god's work. Thank you.
Thanks
Bass Communion ♥️
I'm sure that trick of kinking the end of the string does work to stop the "dead string" issue, but it's more of a band-aid fix. The real issue is that your string becomes twisted from the process of winding it onto the tuner. So you'll stop the movement of the core vs. the winding, but you'll still have a twisted string, which is not ideal.
What I do instead of this trick is: Stick the end of the string down into the tuner, then bend and start winding it onto the post. Once I have a centimeter or so of string on the post (enough to hold it there with my left hand), I slide my right hand all the way down the string to the ball end, making sure it's straight. By the time you get to the ball end you will feel the twist being worked out of the string. Then, once you have the string untwisted, continue winding it onto the tuner like normal. No more twisted strings. I have been doing this for like 15 years and have never had a single "dead string".
Thanks bro
I also stick the end of the string into the tuner and then bend it and pull it around the tuning peg. Never once had an issue with a dead sounding string.
Thanks bro, I'm buying a bass in a few so thia helped me a lot with the bass stringinf process
I've been playing for three years and didn't know this. I'm glad I do now. Thank you so much!
Yeah, I do that procedure every time when I change the strings. My teacher showed me this "trick" about 15 years ago. Thanks for sharing! Very useful info.
9:36 *Strokes back non-existent hair*
0:26 he takes off the hat and is like "well first of all........because I don't ...." *fook*
he just cuts the camera off lol (nothing but love tho
or it was a lil itchy or he thought he may be sweatin
i was watching iron man earlier today and it really confused me when a bald jeff bridges did exactly that
Gotta wipe the dust off
13:50 +
The flatwounds sound Woody almost. It’s like you’re getting both the sound of an upright bass on an electric
Flats on the PJ
Tape on the acoustic
Round on the 5
That's how I roll.
Brian P. That's the way man, I've only used flats and rounds. Never tried tapes.
BOLLOCKS. Never done this, but it makes sense.
I do the exact same bit I have a second electric with tapes, I find tapes really nice for slap and tapping, I might have to try cobalts some time
what would a 5 string pj bassist do then
@@juanignaciopozzi7412 flats for the pj
The thing about flats is , they feel soooo nice on the fingers
It felt awkward at first. They take some getting used to, but then you have this moment where you are like, "holy shit, these are amazing".
Try the best of both worlds. Try groundwound strings. U start off with roundwounds by the end of the life of the strings life u got a new set of flats.
I agree, I’ve been playing for years and wish I’d changed over earlier
It depends what tone you want out of them, I go with Flats because I’m looking for more of a vintage tone.
Scott doesn’t have that issue with the rounds because he uses the glove!
If I was gonna purchase strings based purely on your facial expressions then tape wounds! 👍🏻😂🎸👌🏻
I bought tape wounds.......and was SHOCKED I loved em. Flat wounds are good for like a jazz/fretless
Nickel is the best for any and all types
I know what you said BUT... you look like you enjoyed playing the tape wounds more.
Spoken language vs body language. You're right.
COMPARE
ROUNDWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - WIDE OPEN 11:26
FLATWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - WIDE OPEN 11:47
TAPEWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - WIDE OPEN 12:05
ROUNDWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - OFF 12:26
FLATWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - OFF 12:46
TAPEWOUNDS - TONE CONTROL - OFF 13:05
Thanks!!!!
Thank you
Thanks.
Rounds produce a lot of high harmonics that make it hard for me to hear the basic tone (I'm 63). Also flats invoke that "wrecking crew" sound that Carol Kaye made famous.
for some reason different types of paint are coming to mind... as though roundwounds are gloss, flatwounds are matt and tapewounds are silk... somewhere between the two... if that makes sense??
Oliver Tanner it makes a lot of sense to me.
exactly
Oliver Tanner silk ain't paint but I feel you
Jake Hayes aha... very true... i think 'satin' was the word i was after!
Jake Hayes
Dulux does a silk range... www.dulux.co.uk/en/products/silk
I play flat wounds on a fret-less, and love that upright bass sound, but you are committed to that one sound. I did think the tape wound strings hit a nice straddle between sounds.
Just ordered a Sire 4 string, and I think I will give some real thought to tape wounds after listening to this.
Great video.
You're getting the tone like a jazz player with the flat wounds, but you're playing way too funky. Those flat wounds just can't give that funk-bark you crave and expect.
I would have liked to hear you play at least three different styles with each of the strings: something like Rock, Jazz and Funk to start with. That way we can really hear what those strings excel at.
Also, the Chromes are OK, not the best tone for flat-wounds, but passable for jazz. Those La Bella's were a total surprise! I like how you play with them!
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I LOVE the flats. They're really jazzy. But for a funkier sound, you gotta go with the rounds. You're not gonna get the sound you want trying to play funky on the flats.
ikr it bothered me so much that he didnt know flatwounds arent for his fast funk lines and shit
@@cruz.c It's not that he didn't know that. It's that he wanted to play the same line on all three types for comparison. The real point is what the original poster said -- it would have been cool if he had played a couple or three different styles on each set. But you can still get a feel for the differences even though he played only the one line.
What do you recommend for flats then, if not Chromes?
Josh Starkey GHS Flats, La Bella Flats, etc. just stay away from D’Addario Chromes if you don’t like it.
Got a fretless not to long ago and put the tapes on it. That is a match made in heaven. They sound great and don't eat your fretboard.
That would prob work good. I like the daddario chromes a lot more than the tapes though, more on the high end and a bit of a tighter thump on the low end from the tighter tension(but still pretty loose).
With tapes on my pj I felt limited, like I could only ever make smooth jazz on it or something lol with roundwounds it can do anything now, has the snarl growl back.....chromes have more of that growl too
flatwounds on fretless is da life
I've tried tapewounds in the past on fretless and switched many years ago to flatwounds. I'll never go back.
@@jisakoff i did the same, tapes sound great but not enough tension in the string for me
yoooo i'm a guitarist that recently fell in love with playing bass and i looove your channel man
you can learn so much just sitting in your room nowadays
+1
What is it with guitar players falling in love with playing bass? They're everywhere and I'm one as well. :O
@@EzyoMusic they realize they've been playing a toy bass their whole lives
THAT.
Was very interesting..
I’ve always used rounds - I’m 60 btw. My *impression* has always been that tape wounds were like flats, but without any ‘catchy bits’ where the flat winding butts up against itself - and mainly suitable for jazz and orchestral gigs, where basically the bassman is replacing a plucked upright bass sort of sound.
Your video has really made me think again.. there’s much more top there than I expected - very much more.
I may even be tempted to give them a try - like you, Scott, I have neuro issues with my hands - following a neck accident though. My hands, particularly the *insides* and fingers/fingertips are extremely hypersensitive and can be excruciatingly painful.
Meds help, but I do find rounds feel sort of abrasive - particularly on bass strings, even moreso than on 6/12 strings.
It’s been a massive issue, as you can imagine I’m sure. The occupational therapists were incredible when I was in hospital - they ordered all kinds of stuff in for me to see if it would help, including right-fitting ‘support’ gloves that look similar to those you use.
But of course, I left hospital and that degree of help and support went with it. But, I found a thing called a Pykmax which helped massively with helping me hold onto picks for both guitar and bass.
As for finger style... when I was much younger I used to emulate John Entwistle’s style - he played with both fingers and picks. But following the accident, and not playing a lot of bass until I recently started putting a new one together (a J bass), I could not get back into regular finger picking at all, and I just put it down to the nerve damage in my neck inhibiting and slowing my fingers, as it has for my left hand to a lesser extent.
But I suddenly remember led while setting this bass up that I’d never played right hand with 1st and 2nd - it was always 1st and *3rd*! - a remnant of my hand position playing my old custom built Explorer bass! 1st and 3rd fingers are a pretty similar length, whereas the 2nd is longer! With the hand at a right angle to the strings, I just found it easier, and just using finger 2 when moving up or down a string..
Any way - thanks.. may we’ll try tapes to see if they feel less abrasive to both hands, while still giving me a basic tone that can always be frigged on the amp.
Flats all day long on a P Bass :) I don't think the audio in this vid does any of the strings justice to be honest.
Not enough long notes and "typical" playing styles for the strings.
@the Movie DJ Funny thing about taste, Chris Squire, both his playing and his sound, was the reason I became serious about playing bass so many years ago, his sound is still incredible to me. I've had a few Rickenbackers, always with round wounds and always played 'em with a pick..
Back in the late 90s I started playing different genres and switched to my old Jazz bass, also with rounds, as that sound was more fitting. Jaco was a big influence at that time, not that I was within a light year of his playing, and that became my main bass. I love the focused low end from Jazz basses with rounds, I just can't get that from P basses, they're rather open and round.
I do prefer when the rounds are a little bit dead on the Jazz, it sort of evens out the issues some players describe here. I would say the main reason I don't have issues with string squeaks and too much fret clank with rounds though is developing my technique to clean that out of the sound. Studio environments help a lot to let you know where you are, especially when you playback with your bass track solo'd. Once I realized my playing needed more control and started paying attention to those details, it didn't take long until my solo'd tracks were cleaner than a lot of solos'd bass tracks I heard from major releases. Almost every engineer or producer, whether they say it or not, wants you to/wishes you would play a P bass with flats, so if you're loving a Jazz bass with rounds, you'll need that cleaner technique or will get a lot of flack. That said, I still love to pull out the Rick, grab a pick and dig in on Close to the Edge man. RIP Chris, my sensi!
I use to like the flat wounds when I was playing bass in a church choir because I wanted to emphasize and carry the low notes, also I didn’t play much more than root notes with minimal filler notes. Now I just play for fun at home and I’m playing more funk and blues and I like to add the snappier notes, so I’ve switched back to round wounds.
I love flatwounds more than any other strings on earth
Um. Am I the only one that’s been doing string changes wrong (without crimping) for almost 20 years?
So many “dead strings” that were just me being an idiot...my whole life is a lie
It's in the instructions with DR strings
@@ronc4500 I don't use DRs. And even if i did, i probably wouldn't read the instructions lol
Never had a dead string in 40 years of playing, never used the "hack"...must have been EXTREMELY lucky (read with sarcasm)
Claus Løber same here. Surely the sharp bend at the tuner ‘crimps’ the windings to the core anyway?!
That is really just an issue for round core strings, it is not as much of an issue for hex core strings which most are.
Round core strings are usually stated as round core in their name, like DM NPS round core or GHS round core boomers, but some are tricky such as DR high beams where the old school packaging didn't mention it but they put a little card inside with those instructions.
When the low riders came out they were classified as hex core on the box, which is kind of opposite as most strings are hex core such as slinkys, XL, rotosound, boomers etc.
And the biggest sign of a slipped core is usually a chorusy sound to the string, rather than just deadness, as dead strings are an actual occurrence sometimes
0:23 pull the strings tight and you look like Kenny from South Park ;)
ye
Great video! I'd be curious too to hear a comparison of the strings after the initial break-in period. Thanks again for the video Scott!
i have 5 basses 4 have flatwound a Fender J a fender acoustic electric fretless Harmony H22 and an Ibanez SR the other is an EB2 and its getting some getting some soon i like flats
i want a hoodie like that
I love the flat wounds on my fretless Jbass, but prefer round wound in fretted bass instruments, haven't tried tape wound. my interest is peeked.
Personally, I absolutely hate that horrendous squeaking noise that round wound strings make when you do slides. It's absolutely disgusting. You know that meme in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure where the sound of a fire truck siren causes Mikitaka physical pain because he hates it so much? String squeak is sin. Flat wound strings help mitigate it and honestly when you were playing them in this video it was so good and clean that I immediately let out a deep sigh.
So yeah I think my vote goes to tapes.
I really love flat wound strings, they just have a lovely feel, my fingers don't get worn out as fast on flat wound strings, also I find that you have to change round wound strings more often because dirt builds up in between the ridges on the surface of the string. Also the tone on flat rounds I find has more bass to it than the round wound, with out the bass sounding over done. I have never tried the tape wound I might try them in the future. But for now I love the flat wound strings.
Well, you don’t have to change round wounds because of dirt on the strings, you can auctualy boil your old round wound strings to get all that dirt of then.
@@AverageMiGenjoyer which doesn't work 100% and only gives back about 50% of the original tone. Then about 2 weeks and it's gone again.
Boil the strings for about an hour and dry right away,, bings back the clank.
Products like fast fret by ghs or just running a wipe over your strings after you play, can give you a shit ton of life span for strings
@@estebanjacobs5794 Yeah, if you do that with round wound strings they can last a long time but if you do those thing with flat wound strings they last even longer. I love the sound of Flat wound string Round wound string are way to bright for my taste.
Scott, you may feel most at home on the rounds, but I love, love, love the tone with the tapewound.
I love the direction you're taking your channel Scott - these last few videos have been fantastic! I find that flatwounds get better with age. Play them in for a month and you might grow to like them!
Flats on my P's and '74 Jazz and rounds on the other Hand Basses and my Thumb 5.
Used the tape wound blacks like these on a Fender Precision in the 70s . Loved them
What about groundwounds or halfrounds? That is the one i really wanna know about. There are literally no videos about that one.
Ditto. I used to use pressurewound on my fretless when I played. Would love to hear others in the A/B comparison as well.
1/2 rounds always felt weird to me. The texture of the string is too "grimmy" for lack of better descriptor. They can be a pretty cool in between sound for sure though.
I agree with Gary that halfrounds are a nice in between. I currently run rounds on one bass and flats on another, but if I could only have one bass, I'd use halfrounds on it. These strings can be very universal. They can growl a little and can be warm. You might say that they fill a hybrid role. Just like pretty much everything else, you need to try them to see how they fit into your style.
I just restrung my P bass with D'Addario XL ENR72 medium gauge half rounds and I love the sound! I previously used rounds exclusively, but think I'll stick with the half rounds. The new strings were much brighter than my old rounds, (which were way overdue to be replaced), but the half rounds overall had a mellower/warmer tone, with almost no finger noise.
Thank you all for the answers, yeah i think im gonna get a pair and try them on
Anyone else notice how much thicker, fuller and more...hmm...defined (?) the E string is with the flats? Even with the short staccato play style, those notes on the E really jump out. With rounds and tapes it all sort of blends together, but the flats give it a nice bump...Or maybe it's just that particular E string of that set.
I put tapewounds on my fretless bass. Oo la la!
I've got DR tapewounds on my fretless, and they are the greatest!
GarrisonDigital i think tapewounds + fretless is the ultimate combo
i play fretless but hate flats so i've been playing rounds (coated board) but ive been curious about tapes, do you get more sustain from the tapes than the flats??
Jukebox I do, and they're a bit brighter too.
You should try taped. I have a standing gig in a big jazz band and they help me get almost a upright sound. They are fun to play and very smooth. I have p-bass with metal flats and a jazz bass with rounds for my other contemporary gigs. Each tool does something different. BTW my basses are not expensive pro series. That's why I can afford three bases. It's all in the hands.
I really like the Nylon tape wound, it the best of both worlds. It doesn't have the scratch of the round wounds but is brighter than the flat wounds... plus they're easier on your fingers, neck and frets.
Nylon tape wounds do bring a sweet balance to the table! 🎸🎵 It's awesome how they blend smoothness and brightness while keeping that comfortable feel. 🙌🏻🧡🔥
@@devinebassand they look bitchin' on a maple neck and natural body....
I loooove tape wounds. Been playing them for years! I really feel like you have more tonal control when you use the tone knob. They can sound like rounds and they can sound like flats. You're absolutely right about the tension, makes for some great vibrato.
I like the giddy joy in your discovery of the tapewounds... Great tone!
Flats on a p bass with foam mute are the sweetest thing ever
FunkyHighCat It's like someone covered butter in wd40 innit?
Flats for me! I think the sound is smoother overall than rounds.
You get a sweet James Jamerson sound out of that set up. Love that.
if you play flats, try LaBella's. They seem to jump out more than others. More "colorful" than other flats. As well, try the tone set up brightly with the flats and play with a plectrum. Interesting.
FunkyHighCat amen.
The tension is like WOOOAHAIDISGAJODOOD WOOW L
Ne er had to do this in 40 plus, years 😁😁😁
It does feel super weird! Fun for busy 16th note parts on your fingers
Yes use the lightest gauge
Those tapewounds rock. Really really rock. Has that low growl on the E string the rounds lack, and still clear up high.
Great tone and a great feel - I love playing them.
Well, thank you for sharing this video. I'm not having just one of those days, I"m having kind of one of those weeks, months... Well, it kinda helped me to think about my state.
definitely roundwounds, just by listening the flatwounds sounded too muddy for me... but the tapewounds is something I would like to try 🤔
A lot of people here seem to be really enthusiastic about that bassist-in-the-room-next-door sound coming out of the flats... I like the color of the other two m'self.
Colin DuPée If you're playing in a room by yourself, sure, but if you're playing with a band, rounds always tend to fight with the frequencies of the other instruments (unless they're a particularly old set of strings) - and turning the tone down always just sounds like hamfistedly bludgeoning a large chunk of the high end. What people tend not to realize is that when an instrument isn't competing for frequencies, it's much easier to hear, and can be turned up without fear of overpowering the other instruments.
I think we've almost entirely lost sight of the electric bass's place in a band setting, over the last few decades, and have been seeing it more as a front and center solo instrument, rather than a team player.
I prefer the percussive thump of the flat wound strings. The lack of high end harmonics does not bother me in the least. Tape wounds are my second favorite. I just don't like the jangly rasp of round wounds. That being said, I do use all three, depending on the situation.
I'm a flats fan because I'm mainly an upright player so it's what I'm used to.
Ghost Clown that's exactly why I prefer flats; I love the sound of double bass strings:D
Ghost Clown I feel that's the main reason anyone uses them haha. Use those on my jazz bass, with a mute.
Believe it or not, for me, I prefer the tapewounds, just for that reason, but they are expensive as hell.
Same
That is a real cool sound, a lot of film scores with an urban feel during the 70s had a jazz tinge, and that sound holds it down great. Jameson and Carol Kaye used P bases with flats and mutes, and between them they played on more records than any other electric bassists from that era. I bought a contemporary P bass just to get this sound. Haven't tried the mute yet.
String pros and cons (cons first)
- Roundwounds are really noisy which can be really annoying for recording, but they're a pretty versatile string. Love that bite, great for pick playing and perfect for rock and funk. Every bass player should at least start with rounds so they'll get the calluses on their fingertips. Decent with tone all around from 0-100%. Fundamental bass sound, can't go wrong with em. Sound pretty interesting when they get old; I usually try to beat the crap out of them when I get a new set; it's a desperate attempt to wear them down for that warm and dull tone.
- Flatwounds don't sound that great with the tone rolled down, in my opinion. They definitely sound completely different from rounds; it's easy to see why there's a debate between the 2. Love that thump at the low end, as well as the smooth tones at the higher end. Great for if you like to slide around, want a vintage sound, or if you're a recording artist that doesn't like that "woosh" sound. Also perfect for any jazz musicians out there, even on a fretless.
- Tapewounds are gauged strangely because of the nylon coating so they bend pretty easily. The slippery feel can take sound getting used to. HOWEVER, I think they're the best of both worlds. That bite from the rounds, the thump from the flats, yet not as metallic of a sound. These things are very comfortable to play; great for people who might get sore from playing a lot. They're really underrated, especially on fretless.
Thanks for mentioning me bend. Now I'm sold.
I use flats on all my basses which are all fretless. But in the comparison you did Scott, the tape wounds sounded like I need to try them on one of my brighter basses. They had a nice hybrid thing going on, way warmer than a round and way brighter than a flat, nice middle ground.
I’m choosing tape wound, never used them, always had round wound but I love the tone when he is playing
I spent years playing roundwounds thinking they were the ones for me. Tried Thomastik Jazz Flats and hated them at first, but after a few months grew to love them. Now roundwounds feel strange to me and I flat out love flats most of the time. I must try out tapewounds at some point too. Great video Scott. Loving your woirk.
I have come back again to this video, and I have noticed that you seem to feel freer when you play tapewounds, also you make a lot more bass faces, if this hints to something, I am going to try a set.
It´s all about the music you are playing Scott. Your style is perfect for the Pbass with Roundwounds, but try to play with other Pbass, with 50´s or 60´s pickups, and Flats... some Rock and roll or Rockabillity and you will find the sweet spot for this strings.
I have two Pbass, one with a 50´s configuration with flats and one with a Badass bridge, Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups and Roundwounds... 180º apart...
By the way, my little violin hofner bass always wears flatwounds... everything depends in the music and the kind of instrument you are using. Greetings from mexico!
13:17 that was SWEET!!
Watch out for tapewounds, because they're insulated by the nylon you don't get any grounding effect from touching the strings. They'll only work in hum cancelling and/or noise free environments.
J. Sparrow That's really good to know for my noisy j bass.
A little late with a response but that's really not a problem. Solder alligator clips to each end of a 3' length of 22AWG wire. Clip one end to an adjustment screw at the bridge, run the other end up under your shirt and clip to your nipple. Problem solved!
You joke but I had a noisy bass and I had to ground it to myself when recording all the time LOL
Yes - I think I'm funny... I've suffered with noisy instruments as well and had to solve the problem in a pinch with some creative methods (anti-stat strap on my wrist, lead clipped to the bridge). But a humming bass means something is wrong and needs attention. Creative measures can be risky. The only CORRECT way to eliminate the buzz and keep yourself safe is to ensure your guitar's electronics are properly grounded/shielded and your amp is properly grounded. Yes - even with tapewound strings. Keep in mind that "instrument/amp properly grounded" can involve a whole lot more than just the instrument and the amp. Cables, power cords, power sources, ground loops, RF interference... I could write a book. Many folks much smarter than I am already have - Google. Read. Enjoy the rumble without the extra noise :) Peace be with you.
Good observation. I never thought about that.
Tapes for me..
Easy on the fingers...long lasting...has the motown sound I like
👍👍👍
Personally, I liked the tone of the tape wounds on that bass, amp and cabinet with the style you are playing.
For me, it depends on the bass and the type of music I tend to use the bass for. I have Rotosound rounds on my Rick and Jazz, round wound boomers on the Precision, but flats on my Tacoma Thunderchief. I had tapes on my home made fretless, but went back to Roto's because I found them too muddy.
For me, it's always been a question of how bright a bass is. Flats tend to take
the edge off and give a more James Jamison sound on most standard
basses, but perfect tone wise on the acoustic Tacoma as they take the brittleness off.
Also, there's huge differences between different manufacturers. Not all round wounds sound the same. Same goes for tape and flats. Finding the right string type from the right manufacturer for a specific instrument, can be expensive and time consuming, but it pays off in the end. They all behave differently and have different sounds that require different things to bring out the best that your rig can give you.
As always, your mileage may vary.
The reason tapes sound a bit brighter and have lower tension than most flats is because the tape material is wrapped around an inner core with windings like a round wound string. I've been using the Fender 9120 Nylon Tapewound strings on my Jazz fretless for about 15 years now.
as soon as i first tried flats in my j bass i never went back to rounds.
Now I'm thinking about trying tapes on my fretless to get a hint more grit without taking away the smooth fretless sound. I switched to D'Addario NYXL for my round wounds absolutely love em, but now I definitely want to try tapes.
I am so used to flats that I always wince when I try rounds again. Too bright and agressive to the ears and rough to the fingertips.
Tapes are great too, can be really snappy and sound good with a pick.
Have you tried/compared different kinds of flats?
- I have tried LaBellas, which are fantastic (and their customer service is really good, had a broken string on a "too new" set, and after sending pictures, they sent me a new string).
- I've had the old Fender Flats (previous version, nowadays they are made by D'Addario and have different characteristics), now discontinued, which were good.
- GHS flats are great, I just wait or them to start re-making a 37" length (they make a 38" now and the E wraps around the post, which I don't find reassuring in the long run, but some have stated otherwise).
- Rotosounds are my least favourite. They're well made, but they're very rough (winding isn't as tight, and it's not polished as much as Labella for example). Very bright at first, then "medium-strong", lacking the "thump" I like.
GHS Tapewounds, sadly discontinued, were superb strings also.
I need to try Chromes, still.
Yeah, rounds tear up my fingers too. Flats comfortable. My favorite, tapes, lower tension too than the flats.
ChurchillCigar I'm playing bass in my high schools jazz band next year, and while have a bass with round wounds I'd like to have something with a different sound, would you recommend tapewound or flats? I'm still fairly new to playing and I don't have the most finger dexterity so I'm worried about extra tension on flat wounds tiring out my fingers. Any info would be helpful, thanks
Alex Swanson If string tension matters at all to you, know that tapewounds feel like rubber bands, and flats are much stiffer than all the rest. I love high tension, so flats always feel the best to me.
Now if you're looking for that dry, thumpy, more woody tone, then flats are the way to go. If you like a bit more high end, then tapes are a good choice. Though when new, some flats can almost be as bright as rounds. If you don't change strings often (I never change do) all flats will lose that bright high end over time.
In my experience it basically boils down to:
* Rounds are bright, they bring out top-end at the expensive of some lower mids and sub frequencies. They have more growl, but also bring out more finger noise and they can be abrasive on the fingers. They work well for aggressive styles of music like funk and metal where the finger noise is a part of the style.
* Flats are dark, they bring out sub frequencies and have a strong fundamental, but lack some top end punch. They sound very old school, are dead quiet, have a percussive tone that is great in a mix. However, they aren’t going to get you noticed as much as a soloist. They work well for Classic Rock, Reggae, Pop, and Soul.
* Tapes are the in-betweener, they have a strong fundamental with rich lower mids that really sing. Less sub frequencies than flats and less top-end growl than rounds. They’re quiet and easy to play like flats, but require a little more left hand muting. They work well for a variety of styles, but fit nicely with Jazz and soloist work due to their unique character and really shine on a fretless.
* Honorable mention - Flat wound Cobalt strings are a great all-arounder that encompass the strengths of all of these sets, but don’t lean as much into one direction. They feel like flats, but sound more like rounds. Less finger noise than rounds, but not as quiet as flats. More top-end growl than flats, not as much sub as flats. More upper mid than tapes and less lower mid. A great general option for a variety of styles from soft rock to metal, but I think they really shine for Funk, Indie rock, and Power pop.
Try the tapeworms next! hahaha
Those tapes are gangster!!!
As usual, a fun and interesting video! I began playing in 1967. I used LaBella Blue silk flats, in individual pink packages. That was all we had in the home of Ampeg at one time- Woodside Queens, N.Y.., in the local music shop. E.and O. Mari, who owned the LaBella String Company, were in the next neighborhood over, where I was born... Astoria, Queens, N.Y. City. Since then, and discovering Rotodounds in 1969, I've played everything you can imagine. I used nickel rounds for a very long time, then stainless D'Addario.. and now, at 70 years of age, and 23 basses in my collection, more than half are strung with flats. Mostly Fender 9050ML, some Chromes, and some Rotosound light RS77's. None are black nylon tapewounds. I have not tried them since about 1970. I don't recall liking them all that much. Seems like they might be made better, as most strings seem to be nowadays.
Rounds are just great, for full, ringing sustain, and a nice singing tone in the upper registers.
Flats have that big, unmistakable front end attack, and quicker decay. The fundamentals seem to punch out better in a band setting. Remember- before about 1968 or so, EVERY electric bass you heard on recordings had flat wound strings on it.
To me, there really isn't anything that compares to a hollow body bass with flats- played in what I like to call the "British Invasion" part of the neck.. the big bloom of those shortened strings and quick decay, are so powerful... All the strings you tested, sounded great. It really boils down to preference.
Rounds most versatile, on 90% of my basses. I have flatwound on my 78 P-bass for early Motown stuff and black nylons on my fretless Lightwave
Flatwounds on a p-bass sing-out. Roundwounds on a p-bass twang-out.
I'll take the singing notes every time!
Fuckin A
Flats sound like farts. Rounds are king.
@@michaelbell75 Depends on the brand of flats you buy most of them are shit a few are clearly superior to most roundwounds
Gotta agree i bought a 5 string with 4 flat wounds on it love it but tape wound has Enlightened me i might try them next and go with active electrics
Rounds with a pick, heavy attack and a heap of overdrive. Can't beat it
@vinebass
@UCWTj3vCqkQIsrTGSm4kM34g
The Flat wounds sound almost like an Upright Bass
I have to tell you Scott, I only used round wounds on the '82 Jazz I bought in 1985 until I saw this video. I had used flats on my '65 Jazz that I bought in '66 because pretty much all bass strings were flat wound back then. I moved to Fender's Tape Wound strings in early 70's and that's what was on it when it was stolen in '76. In 1985 I found another Jazz with the same neck profile and it had rounds on it. I had only used rounds on it until you came out with this video in 2017. I had moved from Blue Steel rounds to DR Black Beauty's and had worn off a lot of the coating on top. So it was time to replace them.
After watching your bass string shoot out, I decided to give LaBella Tapewound flats a try. I got them in white instead of black to match my white Jazz bass. They are the BEST strings! They still have a lot of the brightness of the rounds I'd used but had much better balanced sound from string to string. The D and G strings never sound weak or thin. They are also easier on the fingers and I get very little string or fret noise. I REALLY like my tape-wounds, and it's all your fault. Thanks for doing this!
I have roundwound on my Fender jazz, but flatwound on my fretless Warwick. The jazz bass 'needs' that growly roundwound sound for rock, whereas the fretless 'needs' that oily wah-wah sound for blues. I think the choice of strings depends on not only the bass, but also on the style of play intended. I like (love) the fretless sound, so sonic preference must be considered when choosing strings. Since I couldn't decide on just one sound, I set up two basses to cover the widely different types of music I like to play. The various sounds keep me from getting bored with just one thing. Another reason that I put flats on the fretless was to save the fingerboard from getting chewed up by the abrasive rounds that came on it, which I considered a gross oversight by whoever put them on it to start with.
I started playing bass last month... I got round because the sound is recommended for ppl like me. they are very good for teaching my fingers how to be strong. I love them, but you just convinced me to try the tape wound. it sounded amazing. when I get them i will find out if it was the strings or the player that are good
I had tapewounds on a bass for years. There was no difference between them and new tapies, when I at last swapped them out.
When you bend the end of the roundwound string is that the only type of strings you do that too? So do I need to do that with tapewound or flatwound strings?
Yes
I prefer flat wounds, but those tapers were just plain sexy.
That tip about bending the end of the string before you snip it off was definitely the string changing tip of the century. 👍🏻 I think that may be exactly how I ruined my E string with the last change (by not bending it first).
On a P bass you cannot get the clarity and clear highs as with an active bass with a jazz pickup in the bridge position. I've tried on a P bass as has everone else, it's strange how no one goes "out of the box"!
I will never pay a course with this man. His content here in RUclips is too fragmented. Never reach a solid point and he takes ages to reach the matter of his video. I came for see a comparition of strings and after 4 minutes I saw him coming to his studio, his outfit, his coffee and a damm motivational speech from a f*****g bucket head, but not even a bass.
I hope there is a channel dedicated to bass that its made rigorously. I will keep searching. I accept suggestions.
Talkbass
Same. I stopped watching at 4 minutes of talking about random shit.
Well, dang son. If you're going to play it that way you'd best stick to rounds. I noticed that you play quit a bit differently when emulating Rocco or Jamerson etc. with a much rounder cleaner tone. Try doing those licks with the rounds vs flats. I was kind of hoping you would for this comparison.
I'm not trying to make you a flatwound convert, but they are the type of string that I've found differs radically across brand. D'Addarios are very different from Fender in terms of tension, sound, and overall feel. Fender flats are extraordinarily different from Thomasik Infeld flats. It's like changing from bridge cables to licorice whips. So, if you kind of like the sound of flats, but the only thing inhibiting you is the feel, delve a little deeper. Of course, flats may not be your thing, which is cool too.
there are also 'new' EB Cobalt Flats. My (REALLY!) last strings. Punchy, growly, and...bright!
I noticed that you liked the flats the least. I would like to see the same comparison, except with Thomastik-Infeld jazz flats in the running. That’s what Carol Kaye recommended to me, and the difference between them and other flats is amazing. They get better the older they get!
The tape wound sound is unique & impressive
I got flats. And yeah.. I kind of thought they would be my thing.. But they are a bit lame I think.. Maybe for J bass they would better. But roundwounds are tastier with that crisp in them. And you can somehow feel how they resonate... or something magical I can't explain. You just can feel how they behave. Flats are more like railroad tracks.. or raw spaghetti.. damn it.
What about Half Rounds?? The sound is closer to round wounds with the feel of flats; I quite enjoy them.
For me, definitely Flats on a P bass and Rounds on a J bass, and Rounds on a Rickenbacker also
Please don't write off flats because of those D'Addario Chromes! Personally I love Dunlop Super Brights and hate Chromes, but I really love Thomastik Infeld Jazz flats on a P, and LaBella flats on a J. To each his/her own, but there is much difference between flatwound bass strings.
I'd love to know more about the differences between various flats.. would you please write more about it?
Flats every time if it was my record mate. Listening on great studio monitors and I mix for a living. The fundamental comes through best on the lower notes and each note has a dark, punchy articulation.
Never heard a real producer that would just generalize and say one string type is just ‘the best’.
Every professional producer I know recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of each type and know when to use what instead of just “oh xyz is the best cus ‘i mIx FoR a LiViNg’ ”
Flats on a P
Rounds on J
Love these new style videos Scott!
that's exactly my philosophy
Can I get the best of both worlds with flats on a J?
So tape for bass with P and J?
Tapes on a jazz bass sound amazing!
The flatwounds sound almost double bass like...creamy!!
Thanks for the demo. I really like the tapewound sound for that acoustic bass type sound. I'm just beginning to play bass, but I really love the sounds you get and your playing style. I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos.JB
Why the glove on the right hand, is it for stability for the tendons, keep oil off the strings or just sound???? I like the idea....
I use flats on my fretless. I find that they have a sound similar to a stand up bass and they don't chew up the neck like rounds would.
I'm using Tapewounds on all three of my 5ers - Yamaha, Lakland and Ray SUB - mind blowing tones.
I'm using Status, Rotosound and Warwicks and all of them sound amazing. I'd recommend all of them.
Depends on which bass I'm using. Normally I play roundwounds exclusively but I do have an old Gibson EB-0 and a P-bass with flats. Both sound killer with these strings. I noticed my playing style changes a bit while playing flats. I tend to leave more space between the notes and don't try to play as much, or let certain notes ring out. Tapewounds are nice as well but it takes some getting used to.
What type of stuff do you play? Got any vids of you that you could put up? I'd love to hear the Gibson...
Different genres, mostly more of a rock-type-of-guy. It depends on the bass as well, like a P with flats will make me want to play more mellow 60s music. Or my other P bass with (fresh) rounds makes me want to shred some John Wetton King Crimson-era licks. I'm not in a band at the moment so I'm pretty free to do whatever.
I don't have any recordings, except some covers of my previous band. There on RUclips somewhere, but embarrassing (at least for me...). I do want to record and shoot videos of me playing covers, some of my own licks or maybe showcase one of my basses. The Gibson will be the first on the list if I follow through.
Oh man, I bet that EB-O's frequency range is like 50-90 🤣
Da best …. La Bella flatwound …!!!! The sound of Motown …
8:34 when the guitarists noodle while you're tuning
I have always been a round wound guy too but I think the tapes sounded best to me in your video. Great, now this will cost me some $$ to test for myself! If course, as everyone else is commenting, depends on what bass, style of music, how many and what type of other instruments are playing, how tough it is to cut through the.mix in your group etc....
Round wound on a P bass, and the flat wounds on a jazz bass. The flat wounds sound like an acoustic upright on steroids :-D .
I've always used Rotosounds.
4:05 when he get to the subject
Thank you
would you string the nylons the same way..and why do you wear a glove...?
He has a condition where his hand jitters a lot unless touched by something
To skip the ....-....: 4:05
where's the clip about motivation & discipline from? Exactly what I need today
That guy’s a super douche nozzle though.
Scott, I absolutely love La Bella black tapewounds. There was a time when I had them on ALL of my basses. Low tension. Smooth to the touch and you can actually get a lot of tones out of them. It's not just dark and thumpy (but it does a great job at that). Good harmonics too.
when you first play flats, they DO feel WEIRD. I had them on my TRB5-P and got an awesome sound - BUT, I only had one bass and they weren't versatile enough as I was playing a wide range of covers. I went Round. in this video, love ya Scott but too much string noise for me. Buzzing like a randy wasp
Am I the only one who's only reaction to "motivational speakers" is a massive urge to punch them? :D
The Rounds are just too 'twangy' for me and string screech gives me the$hit$.
The Tapewounds have been the sound I have been looking for for years. A nice soft, fat, drive sound that does what bass should do - and that's supply the low end. And there's none of that horrid string screech. YAY!
The Flatwounds are my second preference as they closely resemble the Tapewounds in tone and frequency width and with minimal string screech.
So it's -
1. Tapewounds
2. Flatwounds
3. Roundwounds.