Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Cool Jeff, I understand...also see you are a bit older than me. I don't look at the flats vs rounds as a mod/retro thing, however. It's just a matter of finding what one like in terms of sound and feel.

Actually, if one wanted to call me a "minimalist", gladly agree. But retro? Don't really think so. I like the new equipment I've acquired. I also like my 66 Fender Mustang, which is almost as old as me.

And I also listen to Soundgarden

I don't accept the argument of flats and rounds making an "old-school" or "modern" sound. The strings, being flats or rounds, are just part of the tool to make the overall sound. Both types make different sounds. Chromes do not sound dated at all. Neither do nylons or TI's or other flats I've tried. The bass guitar and any amplifier I've ever used has tone controls to alter the sound the instrument is making. You can make flats bright and you can make rounds thump. Put flats on a bass, have the treble up and then tell me that they are flats just by listening---I doubt you could.

If you were listening to a band and a bassist was playing with Chromes and then another song with Ric rounds, for instance, I highly doubt you'd be able to tell the difference.

I prefer flats over rounds, but use both. Currently, 3 out of 5 of my basses are strung with flats. TI's are my string of choice when using flats. For rounds, believe it or not, my favorites are the stock Ric stings; they are the perfect guage for me, and are very close in feel to the TI's.

So, if you want to play flats, play flats. If you want to play rounds, play rounds. Adjust your guitar, amp or bass pods to you liking and play away. If you want thump, thump. If you don't, dont. Play what you want to play, and don't worry what others might think.

And remember, it is like art. You hear every little facet of the tone you are making, just like an artist can pick out everything wrong about his painting, where others cannot.

They'll still think you sound good, no matter if you are using flats or rounds.

View Poll Results: what type of string on your bass, flats or rounds?
only flats (10) 16.67%
only rounds. (9) 15.00%
both but usually flats (12) 20.00%
both but usually round wounds (18) 30.00%
50/50 (10) 16.67%
half rounds/ groundwounds etc. (1) 1.67%
Voters: 60.



Incidently I didn't do this poll to gloat or to PO anyone, just to inject a little reality of what's going on in the bass world at large into this forum. The dudepit has pretty much bass players of all stripes and colors, one of the former editors and writers from bass player magazine posts over there for example. It is the bass world at large. Incidently Rics have been gaining favor over there also bigtime, I've seen a lot of guys start to buy them and use them again over there.

So there you have it Bob.

Buy two Rick basses. One with Rounds, the other with flats.

This flats versus rounds thing is amazingly boring ! Why does one person choose a Ric over a Fender or an Ampeg over a Peavey ? Simple....choice. Thats what makes people interesting, we're different. I just cannot believe how much time is given over to bitching about flats and rounds. It doesn't matter what the thread is, somehow it seems to come back to the same old issue ! Surely it has now run its course ?

They need something to talk about!

If the world couldn't argue over flats vs. rounds, tubes vs. solid state, analog vs. digital, etc, this would be a very boring place.

Craig has the best idea!

I'd post the dudepit poll again, but it's at 69 votes now (it'll probably go over 100 eventually), and it's pretty similar to the last results Bob Young posted. Some analysis beyond the raw numbers:

About 65% use both to some degree or the other

For those with a preference, 46% RW to 40% flats. This number includes the "only" categories, plus the appropriate "both, but usually..." categories.

The dyed-in-the-wool one way or another is 12 to 11 for flats over rounds...

Oh yeah...1 guy plays half-rounds. Brave soul.

I use half rounds on my fretless Zon. Flats on all my other basses.

The difference is Ed that the first poll was in the Ric forum over there and some here contend that Ric players are very "retro", this latest poll is in the general "Al's Nudie bar" section which all the bass players read and is actually a very interesting place. It's kind of like "The Others" is here. It's very interesting to find out what the state of bass playing is today, you couldn't have done a poll like this 5 years ago before the advent of computerized forums unless you were a national magazine like bassPlayer, and the Dudepit despite it's name is probably the preeminent bass forum on the internet.
I also got real tired of all this flat bashing that goes on here. Some of us tried to help out a new guy who had a question about flats and the thread got derailed by the flatbashers and this wasn't the first time it has happened, if you don't believe it re-read this thread from the beginning. So if you are one of the ones who still think flat wounds are relics of the past go check out the poll which has had more than 600 people reading it at this point and more than 70 answers at this point. If you find it boring, read another thread.
I'm very interested to find out what the REAL figures are, and you can't go by music stores either, more and more people buy their strings online along with their basses, I know I do both.

Flats are gaining in popularity these days. I read in Bass Player that both Ernie Ball and LaBella have seen quite an increase in sales of flats. I use them on my Jazz Bass, although I may try some DR Sunbeams on it soon. Even though I don't use flats on my Rics any more, because the DR's I use work better with the band I'm in, I completely respect those who like and use flats on their Rics. Everyone has their own preferences as to what they like and don't like. And no one should be "bashing" anyone for their preference of a particular string type. I happen like the old style crunch sound of the old 60's and 70's records that I grew up with. Which was made up of flats and tube amps. I also like the twangy grinding sound that Squire and Lee got with rounds too. If that makes me wishy-washy, so be it.

Ok if anyone is interested this seems to be pretty much the end of the poll.


View Poll Results: what type of string on your bass, flats or rounds?
only flats 15 18.99%
only rounds. 13 16.46%
both but usually flats 15 18.99%
both but usually round wounds 22 27.85%
50/50 13 16.46%
half rounds/ groundwounds etc. 1 1.27%
Voters: 79.

This is a duplicate of my post at the dudepit:



Personally? I love D'Addarrio Slowounds on my Ricks...I think I bought the last remaining stock from ebay.

I do have some Chromes AND Half wounds on the way....my first foray into the world of flats.

Don't hate me Jeff!

Rounds on most of my basses...nylon tapewound on my fretless. No steel or nickel flats.

This thing is still going over there.

View Poll Results: what type of string on your bass, flats or rounds?
only flats 17 18.89%
only rounds. 15 16.67%
both but usually flats 16 17.78%
both but usually round wounds 26 28.89%
50/50 15 16.67%
half rounds/ groundwounds etc. 1 1.11%