Anyone who believes this to be exclusively the sound you’ll get is enormously underestimating the flatwound string! Their development and application has evolved tremendously, flats are available today in many flavours and can be used in virtually every genre of music. Some of them are even suitable for slap bass!
Are flatwound strings better for bass?
Flatwound strings are able to produce a heavier bass sound, as well as harmonics, and hihg-end overtones than their roundwound counterparts.
What are flat wound bass strings used for?
Flatwound strings have reduced high end, giving them more emphasis on mids and lows. Bassists playing rock, punk, and pop styles often choose roundwounds for their enhanced presence in a busy mix. For reggae, R&B, and jazz, the smoother, warmer sound of flatwounds is often more appropriate.
Does slapping damage bass?
Yes, it can do. I’ve seen various fretless basses over the years where you could see grooves worn into the bottom of the fingerboard from overly energetic slapping.
Who uses flatwound bass strings?
Traditionally used for jazz and blues styles of music, they’re now popular in the indie world and bands who are chasing the classic sound of 50’s Rock n’ Roll. Roundwound strings are wound with wire, giving them ridges and grooves, whereas flatwounds are wrapped with tape, meaning that the surface is smooth.
Does Steve Harris use flatwound strings?
well, thats the thing about steve harris flats. You’re using a flatwound string to get an extremely bright tone, so you have to change them really often.
Are flatwound strings easier on fingers?
The easiest winding method on your fingers is flatwound.
You can check out examples of guitar (and bass strings) that are flatwound here at ZZounds. Flatwound strings are wound with a flat wire, rather than a round wire, as the name suggests.
How long do flatwound bass strings last?
So how often should you change flatwound strings? If you are looking to retain some brightness in their tone, somewhere between every 4-6 months depending on how much you play. If you are looking for a warm and smooth tone, a set of flats can last for decades as long as they don`t snap.
Which bass strings are easiest on the fingers?
Another, albeit seldom seen, option are tapewound bass strings, which are made with a layer of nylon wrapped around the metal winding wire (which can be either round or flat). They’re easy on the fingers and they produce a softer, darker sound usually considered the closest thing to upright bass sound and feel.
Do flatwound bass strings have more tension?
Flatwound strings generally have higher tension and can be more difficult to keep in tune than roundwound strings. Most flatwounds will cost more on average than roundwound strings, although they will last much longer.
How high should strings be for slap bass?
“Low Action” is generally defined as 3/32″ on the bass strings and 1/16″ on the treble strings (measured between string and 12th fret while instrument is in playing position). The author prefers even lower action, slightly less than 1/16″ on both bass and treble sides, for his optimum slap tone.
How can I improve my bass slap?
Slap Technique
- Be precise with thumb attacks.
- Only hit the string you want to sound.
- Muting strings is critical.
- Muted thumb attacks should be struck with the same intensity as sounded notes.
- Pull attacks should not be louder or more intense than thumb attacks.
Why do you slap bass?
By slapping the strings, bassists can get a distinct percussive sound they couldn’t have gotten by picking or plucking the strings.
Why do bass players boil their strings?
Over time, bass strings get grime pushed into them. And no matter how often you clean your strings, once grime gets in there, it’s very difficult to get out. What boiling the strings does is simply loosen and release the grime you can’t get to.
Are flatwound strings better?
Flatwound guitar strings usually have a warmer, mellower, and smoother tone compared to roundwound strings. They have less high-end and are more focused sounding than roundwounds. Because of this, they can sometimes sit in mixes better than roundwound strings.
Why are flatwound bass strings so expensive?
Another thing to consider is the amount of processing that must go into the fabrication. This is why Flatwound or nylon tapewound strings will generally cost more than a typical roundwound string especially if they are hand wound (which is rare these days).
Did geezer use Flatwounds?
Geezer Butler used a Fender Precission with flatwound strings, which provide a deep sound (roundwounds were not imposed on the bass until the 1980s), but as we said, that’s not the most important thing.
What strings did Cliff Burton use?
What strings did Cliff Burton use? A couple of sources have stated Cliff using light gauge Rotosound strings (35, 55, 70, 90). Which are extremely easy to bend and explains why he has such a flexible sound. One of the channel viewers kindly shared a photo of Cliffs strings, confirming it to be a light gauge.
Does Steve Harris use compression?
Harris’s playing is often unusually prominent in the mix on Iron Maiden’s recordings; he generally uses a tone with a treble-heavy EQ and compression to accentuate the attack on the strings.
What do flatwounds sound like?
Yes, let’s admit it: Flatwounds sound softer and warmer than roundwounds, at least most of the time. Some may call the sound “dull“, but that’s not the case. Flatwounds have a healthy amount of high frequencies, but this is not the main focus.
Do coated strings feel better?
While the polymer coating is great for keeping your strings clean and protecting them from the elements, coatings often dampen the highs, the way the strings respond, and sometimes even the way they feel. Some players find that coated guitar strings affect their tone, while also having a more slippery feel.