Tape Wound bass guitar strings are manufactured with nylon tape wrapped around the outer wire wrap. The tone produced by tape wound strings is mellow and warm. Tape wound strings are often used on fretless basses since they cause less wear and tear to the fingerboard than a traditional round wound string.
What is the difference between flatwound and Tapewound bass strings?
Tapewound strings are made in much the same way as flatwound strings, but they are made with a length of nylon tape wrapped around the outer wrap rather than a ribbon of steel wrapped around the inner core.
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 does flatwound bass strings mean?
Flatwound. Flatwound strings consist of a steel core string wrapped with a flat wire, which results in a smooth feel and warm, mellow tone (think jazz and Motown). Further, “flats” don’t chew up frets and fingerboards as much as roundwound strings do, which makes them the preferred type for fretless basses.
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.
Did John Paul Jones use flatwounds?
John Paul Jones was using Rotosound flatwounds on his Fender Jazz at this stage, playing the strings hard and hefty with his fingers or a pick depending on the song.
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.
Can you slap bass with flatwound strings?
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!
What bass strings does paul McCartney use on his Hofner?
Black Nylon Tapewound strings are a popular choice for the Hofner Bass too with Sir Paul McCartney known to have played Rotosound Tru Bass strings during the Abbey Road sessions. He can also be seen playing these strings during their performance on the top of the Apple Building in 1969.
How long do flat wound 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.
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.
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.
What are Tapewound bass strings good for?
Tape Wound bass guitar strings are manufactured with nylon tape wrapped around the outer wire wrap. The tone produced by tape wound strings is mellow and warm. Tape wound strings are often used on fretless basses since they cause less wear and tear to the fingerboard than a traditional round wound string.
Do string players prefer sharps or flats?
When performing, do String players prefer pieces with sharps or flats? They are more used to sharps. The strings for violin are G, D, A and E. Viola and cello are C, G, D, and A and double bass is E, A, D and G (all going from lowest to highest strings).
What do flatwound strings feel like?
Flatwound strings have a smoother feel, thanks to the flattened-out wrap wire. Flatwound strings are excellent for fast playing thanks to the smooth feel. That is why many jazz musicians prefer flatwound strings, as they can use the whole fingerboard quickly for complex jazz chords or licks.
Do flatwounds have less tension?
Flats seem to have less tension than rounds when using equivalent gauges, at least as far as I can tell. The net result was I changed all my other guitars to round wound 11-48s ’cause I liked getting a bit more lower mids in my sound and I had adapted to a more robust feel.
What strings did McCartney use?
Most famously used by Sir Paul McCartney on the Beatles’ Abbey Road, Tru Bass strings have been utilised by jazz, fusion, dub, and reggae players.
What kind of strings did Duck Dunn use?
The 0760M set was used on virtually every Motown gold record in the 1960s. Donald “Duck” Dunn used the same strings on countless recordings with Otis Redding and Booker T. & the MG’s. They’re the fullest and deepest sounding bass strings ever made.
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.
What strings are best for jazz bass?
Best Bass Strings for Jazz or R&B
Recommended bass strings for R&B and jazz bass players, in no particular order, are Fender Jazz Bass Highway One 45-105, DR Low Riders 45-105, Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 45-105, Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound 55-110 strings.
Why are flatwound bass strings more 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).