Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Just wondering if anybody uses FLATS on their active basses?

Is so, how does it effect the sound?

(I ask because my only active basses are a Stingray 5 and a Dingwall 6 so I am not anxious to buy or change strings if there are negatives).

I think they would sound good if flats are your taste. I've had a love hate relationship with flats for 35 years, I love how they feel, love the setup, but the tone just isnt there for me.

I thank Chris Squire and Geddy Lee for screwing that up....

Put flats on your Stingray. Give them a few gigs so they get nice and thumpy. You won't soon regret it.

Active basses are not about "grind" for everyone...

The Stingray was kind of designed for flats to start with I think....

Eden.

I have flats on my Alembic & my USA Peavey active basses.

I too love the Chris Squire tone, but sometimes I just need a nice THUMP. I'm using TI Jazz Flats. They have a nice vintage Motown thump when played with my fingers yet can still give you a nice treble tone with a pick. To me, they are just super versatile. Expensive when compared to other strings, but they last so much longer. In the long run, they pay for themselves.

I normally use DI Highbeams or Rotosounds on all my other basses.

I've tried and tried to like the D'Adiarro Chromes, but they just aren't for me. I don't know what it is but I've tried them twice and just can't adjust to them.

I do like StingRays. I have a StingRay5. The only con I can think of, is it does not have a passive mode. If you forget to bring a backup 9V battery at a gig or recording session and the one in your StingRay fails, you're not playing your StingRay! As far as using flats is concerned, I think you would get a very nice tone.

rickenbrother wrote:I do like StingRays. I have a StingRay5. The only con I can think of, is it does not have a passive mode. If you forget to bring a backup 9V battery at a gig or recording session and the one in your StingRay fails, you're not playing your StingRay! As far as using flats is concerned, I think you would get a very nice tone.

Ahhhhhh...good point but I have one of the PDN Classic Limited Editions which has BOTH passive and active....




The only reason for me to have rounds is for THE RIC sound......so maybe I will throw a set on the Stingray. Currently has a set of the Ernie Ball Cobalts on it which are cool strings but still roundwounds.

Listen to "Good Times" by Chic. Stingray with flats.

ajish4 wrote:I've tried and tried to like the D'Adiarro Chromes, but they just aren't for me. I don't know what it is but I've tried them twice and just can't adjust to them.

That's because you can't spell the name, correctly.

T28 wrote:The only reason for me to have rounds is for THE RIC sound.....

...which is?

Squire?
McCartney?
Lee?
Scott?
Quaife?
Etc.

Squire

jps wrote:

ajish4 wrote:I've tried and tried to like the D'Adiarro Chromes, but they just aren't for me. I don't know what it is but I've tried them twice and just can't adjust to them.

That's because you can't spell the name, correctly.

Revoke Tony's Italian-American membership card!

T28 wrote:The only reason for me to have rounds is for THE RIC sound....

You must mean the roundwound sound.

jps wrote:

ajish4 wrote:I've tried and tried to like the D'Adiarro Chromes, but they just aren't for me. I don't know what it is but I've tried them twice and just can't adjust to them.

That's because you can't spell the name, correctly.

LOL, What can I say? Thanks to my auto spell check on Firefox! I just type and post. You wouldn't believe what it came up with earlier today when I typed in "CAKE TYPES".

Do tell!

jps wrote:Do tell!

Instigator!