Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Please help get an old guy off of flats. I played in bands in the 60's and early 70's on the Jersey shore, stopped playing for 28 years, then 5 years ago my old drummer gave me a call, you know the rest. I went back to the old flatwound strings, hey it's what I knew. I tried most of them and settled on the Pyramids. WELL I just tried a set of Elixir strings, so far they blow me away. I'd like to try a few more sets of roundwounds. I like a warm sound, so I think I should stick to nickel. What are you guy's using? I've heard the D'Addario XL nickel's are good but what are the number on the set (ex. EXL165 or EXL170's). I also heard the Fender 7150's are good. Please drop me a few names so I can pick up a few sets and try them out. Also how are Pressurewounds or halfrounds. I play classic rock, I like a sound that's warm with good lows and punchy. I've tried a few sets of rounds before and they were too bright for me, they were stainless steel, but so far these Elixir's are really nice, deep sounding and not too bright. They lack the punch of flats but I love the growl on my 4003. Thanks for your help.

You have no idea what you just started. I'll just say this, I use DR High-Beams and Sun-Beams. Now I am going to get out of the way before the dam bursts................

I ripped off the Rotos and went to Rickenbacker rounds and just love them on my 4003. They are a bit light for some, I guess, but I am sold.

I know Ted, I've been reading the flat's verses rounds thread . Everyone likes one type or the other, but they never mention the brand they use. There are SOOOO many brands out there, I'd just like to try a few that most of you like.

SIT, DR's!

Pyramid flats of course, followed by TI flats, then Fender med. light flats.
Fender Nickle rounds aren't bad but they don't hold a candle to a good set of Pyramid flats although they do have the most bottom of any Round wound I've tried, stock Ric nickles aren't bad for rounds either, they have a nice sweet tone.
I too started out on flats in 1967 and was seduced by the allure of round wounds. (hey, now you can compete with the guitars on their own ground!) I finally went back home several years ago and found people love the sound of flats because they have a nice solid bottom you're never going to get out of RW's which is really what it's all about isn't it?

Try D'Addario Chromes and you will love flats again!

Yeah a lot of people here like them, they're brighter than most other flats. We'll help an old guy to the proper flats, we would never steer you down the road of twang and bleeding ears. We have a saying here: Friends don't let friends play round wounds, haha! courtesy of Dave Westheimer.

Jeffrey, I don't want to give you a big head, (:^) but I think I might take your advice and try those. My DRr Lo-Beams are a bit too bright for my taste. They realy picked up the sound in my Hohner Pro-V and Hohner Jazz fretless. I know they are both Korean but they came out of the good factory. They just needed a nice setup and they are good to go! Altho, I haven't picked up either one in the month or so I've had the Ric!

"We have a saying here: Friends don't let friends play round wounds, haha! courtesy of Dave Westheimer."


That's great. I like Chromes,they are great sounding flats. The problem is there are too many types of strings today. Way back when, you went into a store and bought what was on the shelf. Now with the net, and web boards you can go nuts with all the info. I thought I was set on the Pyramids, I have Chromes on my Gretsch Broadkaster. But these Elixir arent too bad sounding. This weekend I'll try them out with the band. I'll bring one Rick with Pyrimids and the other with the Elixir's.

I didn't like the Elixir's. They felt "greasy"!

Wow, from the sound of this thread, you would think the whole world played flats! It depends on what sound you are going after, I guess. If you're working on "Lovely Rita", then maybe flats are for you. "Heart of the Sunrise" or "Freewill", might wanna go with rounds. Just go with whatever makes the sound that you like. Life's too short to play a ****** sounding bass!
Personally, I love the D'Addarios on all of my basses.

THUD THUD THUD THUD ...

TO ME ALL THEM THUDS SOUND ALIKE ...

I prefer flats, Chromes LaBella's, but I must say I really like the sound and feel of the DR High Beams that are on my 4002.

Jeff - I used to play flats and nylons back in the day(72) so it would seem to me they may have gotten better over the years. I haven't played flats since so I'm not sure I would go back but I want to give em a shot. I don't think you could get that "Inside Looking Out" sound with rounds. Of course, I wouldn't want a steady diet of THAT particular tone, but it was cool on that tune!