i just put on flatwounds for the first time

[repoman]

Maybe try halfrounds? Daddario sells them, they are rounds that have a bit of the tops ground off so they are kind of in between rounds and flats.

[Jero]

I threw some 11-50 flats on my telecaster and I'm amazed I never thought of doing this before. So smooth, less high harmonics. Love it!

This is how I roll too. Been using the same set for...4+ years

[Gone Fission]

anyone got a rec for a set of roundwounds that are not too noisy to pick-slide on? I like the sound of rounds and the opportunity to make a little scrapey scrape, but the set I have now is way too noisy for some things.

GHS Nickle Rockers have slightly flattened winding wire. A bit mellower than normal round wounds and a bit less string noise, but not all the way to flats. The Burnished Nickle Rockers are the same but polished--They seem to have more round-wound-ish texture than ground wounds.

[Jero]

anyone got a rec for a set of roundwounds that are not too noisy to pick-slide on? I like the sound of rounds and the opportunity to make a little scrapey scrape, but the set I have now is way too noisy for some things.

GHS Nickle Rockers have slightly flattened winding wire. A bit mellower than normal round wounds and a bit less string noise, but not all the way to flats. The Burnished Nickle Rockers are the same but polished--They seem to have more round-wound-ish texture than ground wounds.

I had a set of these at one point and remember liking them

[Gone Fission]

The "Low Tuning" Nickle Rockers, 11-58, used to be my standard set. This was the SRV set he played down a half step, though often with a 13 for the high E flat. I tuned to standard on a fat-necked Strat. Loved the sound, but I doubt my hands could keep up with that anymore--too much other stuff keeping me from playing all day.

[Dapper Bandit]

Took the flats off for a while (Chromes have a very weird tension in the middle strings) and went back to rounds. Didn't care for them and threw on a set of Thomastik Infelds which are a real revelation! They seem a bit livelier in the highs and not so flubby in the bass register.

Ended up with a set of 13s tuned to standard, so not a lot of bending to be had but not missing that at all.

[coldbrightsunlight]

That sounds fun. I'd like to have a guitar with flats on permanently but it can't be my two main ones because I like bending too much

[Dapper Bandit]

You can bend on flats, I could bend on the 11s I had, the 13s can bend but I'm not a maniac so I don't try to go wild on them. If you wanted to try flats I would suggest dropping down one gauge compared to your preferred rounds and you should get close.

Also, D'Addario Chromes sound lush but the A, D and G strings are way too high a gauge for the sets they're in, they may be a little pricier where you are but the Thomastik Swings are actually a balanced tension set, which is a delight for me.

[coldbrightsunlight]

Sorry probably didn't explain myself well. I've used flats a bunch and I know you can bend with flats. I have them on basses and I had a set on one of my guitars for months. But when I had them on my guitar I couldn't bend nearly as much as I like to when playing some types of music. That's why I want them on a separate guitar.

[qersty]

I put D'addario chrome flats on my Walmoth bass cause I found all the treble unusable in a trio. Sounds so fat and middy

[dubkitty]

i'm a true believer in flats on bass, at least for some applications. rounds are great when you want that bite, but flats give you a HUGE sound that you really can't get with roundwounds no matter how much you dick with your EQ. in an ideal world i'd have both (i'm working on it). what would REALLY kill is a Jazz Bass with nylon-tape flats, which are the bomb for faux-standup lines.

[qersty]

i'm a true believer in flats on bass, at least for some applications. rounds are great when you want that bite, but flats give you a HUGE sound that you really can't get with roundwounds no matter how much you dick with your EQ. in an ideal world i'd have both (i'm working on it). what would REALLY kill is a Jazz Bass with nylon-tape flats, which are the bomb for faux-standup lines.

Yeah the low-mid you get with flats really is something different. Idk if its cause they are new but I feel I still get the agression and bite i need

[dubkitty]

some brands of bass flats are mighty bright. i had to take a set of Ernie Ball flats off the JB because they were just too toppy for me. i forget what's on there now, Fender or LaBella i think.