4004 Flats vs Rounds

[T28]

Just curious what most of you are playing on your 4004.

[jps]

I keep it simple. I have one 4004 for rounds and another for flats.

Isn't that how it should be?

[T28]

In a perfect world it would be so!

[jps]

My world is far from perfect but that is what I, actually, do.

[bottom4]

Jeffery, which one sports the flats?

[jps]

The Snowglo has TI Jazz Flats on it.

[Isaac]

I had flats on mine, but changed to half rounds.

[T28]

I had flats on mine, but changed to half rounds.

Interesting.
What sound were you hoping to achieve and did you get there?

[jps]

I used to use Half Rounds on my first newly purchased 4001 (mid '70s) back in my Top40/Disco daze, and decades later, on two of my Zon basses in the late '90s/early '00s.

[Isaac]

I had flats on mine, but changed to half rounds.

Interesting.
What sound were you hoping to achieve and did you get there?

Personally, I prefer the sound of round wounds, but the leader of the band I was playing in insisted that I play the 4004 for its looks, and he prefers flats. I couldn't get a sound I liked with the flats (I did a thread on that a while back. Turned out that one of the pickups had an open coil, which messed everything up), so the flats were a compromise between what he wanted and what I wanted. It's not an ideal tone, from my perspective, but it suits the band, and that's ultimately more important.

[thisismusicinc]

I have Optima Golds on my 4004CII. It’s the first set I’ve put on it since I bought it, and just had to try them because of the look (gold hardware, gold strings). Sounds pretty good, but haven’t tried flats on it yet.

[marcinkus]

Hi Beams also on my (two) Cii

[byoung]

Rounds on both of mine.

[bluewhale]

I am using the original rounds that came with the bass in 2008. For whatever reason, this one set of strings does not seem to age.

bluewhale

[cassius987]

If you use the HB1s in series wiring, I bet they sound awesome with thumpy flats. Probably the perfect setup for some dub music. Zingy rounds are wasted on those pickups (wired in series, anyway).