Flatwound strings on a Jazz Bass 

craigdamage yes, I agree. sounds how a jazz bass is supposed to sound. Top end does nothing in the mix. A good Bass tone needs the fat bottom. You don’t “need” treble to be heard in the mix, either. It’s a mix of a lot of frequencies, mainly the low mids.

Thanks a lot! There is no shortage of bright slap videos out there.

YES! 100% this! 1,000,000,000% this! I was about to comment essentially the same thing.

So true!

Flats definately help with that no squeaking and priper low end thump

Thanks for watching!

the fun thing is that JPJ says he never used flats on the Jazz in many interviews... but it clearly sounds like flats on the first two albums (and period live shows)

@@Pierfra007 he uses rounds on it after Led Zep. it sure sounds like flats on the early Zep. The Alembic didn't sound nearly as good for me.

@@Pierfra007 I think his memory is shot. You can clearly see the shiny flatwound strings on his Jazz bass in The Song Remains The Same and RAH concert films.

@@michaelwoods9005 I thought the same, but then discovered that the Acoustic 360 amp he uses on all that tracks and shows sounds like that, with or without flats. Probably he really used rounds, with that amp, the tone often closed. Listen to the soloed tracks

@@Pierfra007 I think all they had was flats back then on at least the first album, so I think that was what was used

Thanks!

You‘re old my man.

We need to return to that time. So many beginners would sound much better without the constant string noise and inadequate muting!

@@ktown0173 wouldnt that make it harder for beginers to actually learn those tho?

Really, I didn't know that.

Up until 1983 from memory, incredibly? 😎

Thanks!

Wow i thought I'm the only one...

I've been buying Ernie Balls slinkies for years but hate them new and only like them after a month of being worn in. I have realised that I'm an idiot and should just get different strings.

Thanks! Flats definitely have their place, you can't really get that fat, warm tone any other way.

Thanks Pat!

Flats with octave pedal works great, it's probably the lack of overtones that helps.

Flats work with the piano rather than against it...2 different sonic signals sounds best.Piano will show a peak in the signal.Flats chop the peak off so they co exist.

Thanks Martin!

Good to hear!

I totally prefer flats on a Jazz, it tames the high end. I like rounds on a P.

@@rrdream2400 same here! I'm actually thinking about putting flats on MM copy. It's passive and yet when I roll in the tone/highs....it gets to be a bit much and a lot of unwanted string noise

@@kevykev388 if you want to hear flats on a Stingray listen to the band Chic as well as Nick Lowe's tune "Breaking Glass", the tone on that recording is out of this world

@@kevykev388 Joe Dart, of Vulfpeck, uses flats on a Stingray. 👌

Flatwounds are the way to go for me. My main practice and gigging bass is a 2010 American Jazz. The flatwounds give you a lot more control tonewise honestly because you don't have to worry so much about the high end and string sound while shaping. The thing I really don't like about Jazzes is the high end if that makes sense which the flatwounds tame really well and sound great on the pickup configuration. On my active basses I prefer roundwounds but for passive, always flatwound.

Wow, thank you!

Thanks!

Thank Robert!

Thanks Hal!

Flats are a Must especially if you plan on playing with a piano in the mix

Yeah because roundwounds didn't even exist for bass back when the P and J were introduced lol. I don't know why everybody on the internet acts like every little thing Leo Fender ever did is gospel, remember he's the same guy who thought covering the Telecaster's bridge with a giant metal plate was a good idea.

@@blib3786actually, flats didn’t exist before 1954, and the first basses were strung with rounds (probably piano strings). in 1954 LaBella started producing flats, and in 1959 Fender started their Mastersound line. however in those years the bass was still a new product and bassist kept using the double bass. in the late 50’s and early 60’s the bass started to be recorded and became a stable instrument.

Thanks Alex!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks Neil!

Thanks!

Thanks, and you're right, one thing does not have to exclude other things.

Thanks!

Thank you!

Darrell Williams LaBella actually makes a “Jamerson” set of strings. They’re the 0760M’s

Be sure to match the new flats to the same guage you are taking off

Thanks Fransisco!

Thanks!

Thanks! I have another video called Rounds vs flats on a Jazz Bass that has some slapping in it.

The slapping on flats reminded me of early Larry Graham recordings

These Fenders sound good, but they're really thick and a bit hard to play. I prefer the LaBella 760fl set.

Thank you!

Thanks!

Thanks, and yes.

Anti-Cimex were great!

@@AndreasBrink i always say this in punk music we have some of the best rock styled bassists in the world with really cool walking basslines to really heavy hitting intros we know how to get our shit done

Thanks!

I prefer LaBellas.

Thanks! The 9050s are VERY stiff, I very much prefer the Labella 760FLs.

Thanks! I don't think I have ever had flats on a guitar.

@@AndreasBrink I highly recommend giving it a try. I for one will never go back to rounds :) If the slightly higher price isn't an issue, I recommend Thomastik.

Second

TI's are way overpriced. They are more boxy mid sounding, than thick and round. They are their own thing. To each their own.

de_dongle yeah I agree. The bridge pickup sound in this video sounds absolutely terrible, because he’s not playing over the actual pickup. Neck pickup you don’t have to do this, but I feel it’s a must when you’re using the bridge pickup to get the proper sound

The Fenders feel good but the tension is really high.

Carpenters, Mamas & Papas etc. Great stuff for sure!

I find them very stiff, too stiff for my taste. My preferred flatwound strings are LaBella 760FL.

@@AndreasBrinkYeah, I don't have much experience with flats and ordered a set of Labella's myself a couple days ago. It was either LaBellas EB Group flats or Fenders. I bought the 760fm's though. Hopefully, I can handle them.

The Thomastil Infeld jazz flats are soft...

Thanks!

It's the stock Fender pickups.

Cool what are you plugged into? Really nice tone...

@@mikesanders80 Thanks, it's recorded through a Keeley Limiter, a Neve RNDI and a Focusrite Scarlett.

Imagine if James Jamerson had been the bass player for Wolfbrigade, that's what it would sound like. A marriage made in heaven.

It now has LaBella 760FL strings which are really great and have lower tension than the strings in this video.

Adjust the trussrod in the neck and the height of the bridge saddles and you should be good.

If you can't slap it's not a problem, it's a solution!

If you are unsure take it in.Have seen a lot of broken and stripped truss rods on basses in the past 40 yrs or so.

Remember the TRAIN order: tune, relief, action, intonation... I can't remember what the n was for though... learned this from Ron Thorn, who works at the fender custom shop

It's the playing that doesn't match the shirt, I should have played more crust punk in the video.

Andreas Brink would suit me just fine. I feel like it’s an appropriate time for a crust revival.

Andreas Brink Troublemakers' - Staden Goteborg would be a nice opening bassline to this video...

@@lookingatyouforever Absolut, "Frölunda å Hisingen å Kortedala torg".

Already done it.

@@AndreasBrink Are you referring to the string comparison video? I meant a whole video on flats

Yes.

How do you compare them to Chromes?

@@McDoinky pretty much the same tension.

Robert Newquest Huh Well, that's not so bad I've been waiting to try these and I was hoping that they wouldn't be unplayable compared to the chromes i use

@@McDoinky they are almost identical in feel, to Chromes. Fenders have a little more mid range and growl.

No, 1978 original issue.

Thanks!

I love Anticimex! We're from the same area in Sweden so growing up I listened to them a lot. I used to play in a band with some of the guys from Wolfpack/Wolfbrigade, if you're familiar with them.

This information is both in the video and the video description, so there's no need to ask. The strings are Fender 9050M.

For authentic Motown, Old School sound and things like that a P bass with flats is the ticket.