Flatwounds on a Bass VI

No video

Flatwounds on a Bass VI - EP302

Рет қаралды 17,007

2 жыл бұрын

In this episode I swaped the strings on my Bass VI fro some Labella Flatwounds, and compared both tones.
Here's some Affiliated links to the Gear I use all the time for the episodes. If you buy from this links Amazon will give me a small commission.
Walrus Audio Deep Six Compressor: amzn.to/2KvUsie
TC Electronic Polytune mini: amzn.to/3nRWNSZ
Walrus Audio Lilian: amzn.to/3pjrrF0
Walrus Audio EB-10: amzn.to/3hivK0y
Line6 M9: amzn.to/2KUItKL
Fender Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde: amzn.to/2KUgTgS
Gretsch Electromatic G5422T Orange: amzn.to/3rykcey
GHS Coated Boomers Strings: amzn.to/3pmYFDu
Evidence Audio Monorail Solderless pedalboard Kit: amzn.to/3wsmj4W
My Guitar Mic - Beyerdynamic m160 ribbon mic: amzn.to/37NIeu4
My Stereo Pair Room Mic: Beyerdynamic m130 ribbon mic: amzn.to/2M9NdwN
Dunlop Delrin 500 0,96 mm pick: amzn.to/34NjOit
Dunlop Delrin 500 1,14 mm pick: amzn.to/37O6nAv
GHS Fast Fret: amzn.to/3aHmrpB
My Interface for recording - Universal Audio Apollo Twin: amzn.to/3podFRB
Universal Audio Apollo 8p: amzn.to/37Q7nUP
Become a Patron and help me to keep on making this show for you: / buddaguedes
Support with PayPal: PayPal.me/buddaguedes
T-shirts, CD's an Pen drives: buddaguedes.com/store/
visit my website: www.buddaguedes.com
My Reverb.com store: reverb.com/pt/shop/doctor-guitar
You can listen to my music here:
/ buddapowerblues
/ donacarioca
/ triopagu
www.buddaguedes.com
www.doctorguitar.net
buddaguedes
buddaguedes
#flatwound #strings #bassvi #fender #squier

Пікірлер: 115

@davidg.785 4 ай бұрын

I use flats on all my basses, but the biggest reason I use them on the VI is that they are the best for filling the traditional bass role. When I need to use the VI as a straight up bass, I will run it through a bass amp, I will turn off the bass cut, and use the neck and middle pickups together, plucking closer to the neck. I don’t always use the VI for the strict bass function, but flats best allow for that. They also sound great through a guitar amp. I use a Vox ac15 guitar amp, so the treble and mid of that amp sound great juxtaposed with the round sound of flatwound strings.

@bubblepipemedia3414 Жыл бұрын

Sonically I can't hear a huge difference, but the biggest change imho is less fret noise movement. Huge improvement.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

There’s less sustain and less zing too. And the feel is also super different

@davidecheverrial5742 Жыл бұрын

I'm just crazy, but I like fret noise 😂

@elliotvernon7971 2 жыл бұрын

Have to say I preferred the round wounds - but thank you for your amazing efforts in this video, it will definitely allow Bass VI players to be able to choose what they will prefer in advance. When players are often swayed by the loudest (but not necessary correct) voices on internet discussion boards like The Gear Page, having a video is worth so much.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot

@garnaalkak 2 жыл бұрын

That overdriven flatwound sound is quite unique and amazing! Like the sound of this bass with any strings...

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Me too. Thanks

@michaelpaul2CMTB Жыл бұрын

I'm a Flatwound user mostly anymore and preferred the tone in this comparison.

@ue4058 Жыл бұрын

I don't know which strings I preferred, but that was a really informative video. Thanks for sharing!

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot

@rapeter3382 Жыл бұрын

I own the very same bass. when I bought it had round wounds one it and I struggled somewhat to get it to play w/o much buzz. eventualy i pulled the trigger and bought the very expensive flats but never looked back. as you pointed out, the feel is splendid and also i prefer the overdriven sound with flats. one thing to mention, I put the staytrem bridge on and lost the trem arm which also added to the playability. like your first riff big time!

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@jurgengosch3915 Жыл бұрын

Flatwounds for sure if you're playing it as a bass. If you're using it like a deeper-voiced guitar, roundwounds might be better.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

I love it as a strange bass more than a guitar

@roughcutguitars 9 ай бұрын

EXACTLY what I thought by the end.

@shanevanc 4 ай бұрын

Just use unwound 1st and 2nd. And don't try to sound like other people unless you're in a tribute band.

@yeoldefoxeh254 19 күн бұрын

Flats are just awesome. I've ordered the limited Silver of this with the same La Bella flat set (I've been using La Bella flats on all my basses). Can't wait to get it, 4 week wait list.....

@BuddaGuedes 14 күн бұрын

👌let me know when you get it

@yeoldefoxeh254 13 күн бұрын

@@BuddaGuedes Sure! About to get to the seller in mid-august.

@tjhums5443 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the demo. The flatwounds sound good but I’ll take the flexibility of the roundwounds on this particular instrument.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

🤘🏻🤘🏻

@jonathanhorne6503 Жыл бұрын

I use flats on all but one of my basses. Older, deader the better

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

That’s right

@iceboxbass 4 ай бұрын

with the comparison, it seems to come down to preference. What a musician prefers one string over another. You can dial in the same tone with either string, it’s a matter of taking the time of making the adjustments. For me, my preference is flatwound strings for many years. Once in a while I’ll try some new style of rounds that come out but I always end up going back to flats. I prefer the smooth feel and noise free of flats. Plus GHS flats has that smooth silky chocolate tone to them❤🥰 Fender used to make a 5 string flatwound set that was the BEST. They were very nicely flexible and had an amazing tone of their own. But for some years now they quit offering them in a 5 string set. They still offer the 4 string flat set though. But I’m a fiver only player. Thanks for your video! I’ve been giving thought to the Bass VI of buying one. Very unique instrument! Cheers!

@BuddaGuedes 4 ай бұрын

The goats have a very distinct attack and sustain that I love

@oldasrocks9121 Жыл бұрын

You lose sustain and jangle with the flats but gain that sonic woof when you drive the flats. Get 2!!

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Eh! Eh! I’ll keep the flats

@RockStarOscarStern634 Жыл бұрын

Fender now makes 24-100 Gauge Strings for Bass VI.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Great

@allrequiredfields 5 ай бұрын

But not flatwound. There a a bunch of companies who make rounds for the VI.

@RockStarOscarStern634 5 ай бұрын

@@allrequiredfields The Round Wounds have a lower tension & are gentler on the fretting hand

@yeoldefoxeh254 19 күн бұрын

@@RockStarOscarStern634 but have string noise, ruin frets and fingertips more.

@RockStarOscarStern634 19 күн бұрын

@@yeoldefoxeh254 Actually these are made in a way to avoid that problem

@homewithj1 Жыл бұрын

I've done the exact same comparison with the same strings . Leballa strings are def deeper warm more bass like . I prefer them over the fender strings . You will have to set up the bass because of the added tension . I also install a jaguar mute on mine as well. Really fun instrument to experiment with.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

The Jaguar mute is a great addition. Where did you get it

@homewithj1 Жыл бұрын

@@BuddaGuedes I found it on ebay. Fender still makes them. You will have to drill a hole below the bridge to install it.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot

@patrickpuzzo416 6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@BuddaGuedes 5 ай бұрын

You’re welcome

@silentgd 9 ай бұрын

I switched to flats soon after I got mine and I've never regretted it (but then I prefer flats on all my basses)

@BuddaGuedes 8 ай бұрын

I love it on this one too

@timelwell7002 11 ай бұрын

I perfer the sound with the flat-wound strings. Thanks for an informative video..!

@BuddaGuedes 10 ай бұрын

Thanks. Me too

@nathanmielke1977 2 жыл бұрын

I preferred the round wound strings, but I think that was just because you were playing better with the rounds. I imagine your fingers were getting used to the different feel so you weren't as clean in your playing. Nice comparison though.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

🙏🙏🙏

@BaritoneOneFive Жыл бұрын

I dig the flats. Less klak klak and string noise.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

The playability is super great

@rickharper3940 Жыл бұрын

the flats will sound even better after they're a little 'broke in'... about a month for me...

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

That’s right. It’s getting better all the time

@tauruschorus Жыл бұрын

I have had LaBella flats on my bass VI for 10 years and I just happened to purchase new rounds the other day online from a company called Stringjoy - interested to see how they feel. They are also $45 less 😮

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

That’s true

@jasonsterlace1369 11 ай бұрын

Hey, followup? How do they feel? Are are the LaBella's the least expensive flats you know of for a VI?

@GregGarner 2 ай бұрын

I much prefer the sound of the round wounds. If the purpose is to fulfill the role of a bass, get a bass! The VI’s twanginess and edge is what I love about it. I was thinking of trying flats to help with some fret buzz, but I’m glad I found this video. Staying with the rounds for sure!

@BuddaGuedes 2 ай бұрын

Great that it helped

@derekspring8462 2 жыл бұрын

Good demo. Interesting to hear such a clear comparison. I prefer the round-wounds. The flat-wounds lose too much of the dynamics, like the sound is going through a limiter - the attack is feeble and the character of the notes stays the same for so long, to me it's uninteresting. I guess it depends on how much space there is in the mix and the style of music.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot for sharing

@riogrande163 2 жыл бұрын

The flats make it sound like an actual bass though, and not an ugly piano.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

I love the feel of the flats and I’m keeping it. But I don’t think they are worth the money

@hadscmb Жыл бұрын

Budda, acho que preferia as cordas que tinhas antes. Já agora, quais eram? Não dei conta dessa informação.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Eram as originais

@steverolfeca 11 ай бұрын

My main concern with the Bass VI in the first place, is the narrow string spacing. Sure enough, the chords sounded sloppy with the flats, presumably because you were having trouble with fingering because of the thicker gauges.

@BuddaGuedes 11 ай бұрын

Maybe that’s the thing but it’s a very inspiring tool

@midnight-special 14 күн бұрын

I had both original mid-60’s Bass VI and Danelectro 6-String basses. They were really cool but honestly there are a ton of baritone’s out there that cover most of that territory, particularly when tuned down a whole step. Shockingly, the Hooky Bass 6 Pro made by Eastwood is an incredibly high quality instrument and solves the string spacing issue. The humbucker can be split for two very usable sounds, and there’s a handwound Mojotone pickup that really takes that thing into the stratosphere. I bought one to try and after about 5 minutes was completely sold. I have no problems using it as the only bass in a trio, actually replaced my Jazz Bass because plugging into a good bass amp provides gobs of tight low end and the extended range lets me play in the baritone range as well. Plug one into an SVT and nobody’s gonna argue the low end or tone are missing. I’m definitely going with flats because I use them on most of my instruments anyway. No Bass VI is going to be the main instrument of someone whose life has been dedicated to playing 4 string bass. It’s a different instrument altogether. But for multi-instrumentalist’s, you do have the choice of everything from the Danelectro & Schecter (or whatever Robert Smith plays) for kind of a lower-tuned baritone all the way up to the Hooky as an actual alternative to standard bass. Grez also makes a gorgeous Bass VI that is likely the ultimate and buries the Fender, Dan-O, et al - If you can afford it, his bass makes the others feel and sound like toys.

@phlattgetit 2 жыл бұрын

This really highlights the similarity of tone between new flatwounds and old used roundwounds. In a mix with other instruments the difference would be so minimal. So you are left with how they feel under the fingers.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

They feel great and that’s why I’m keeping the Flatwound strings

@phlattgetit 2 жыл бұрын

@@BuddaGuedes I agree, I started with flats 40 years ago and they always seemed bass like to me. Rounds are very much a guitar sound and feel.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot for your comment

@darwinsaye Жыл бұрын

When I got my most recent bass, I was weighing whether to put flats on it or try artificially aging the roundwounds it came with. I decided to try rubbing some hemp hand cream on the rounds, and was really surprised how effective that was. Instant aging.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

That’s really a cool trick

@guitarraeacontraband 2 ай бұрын

Budda Master, consegues usar a afinação de uma barítono nesse Bass VI, por exemplo em Si? E conseguir a mesma sonoridade e estabilidade de uma barítono, por exemplo de uma Danelectro? Abr e keep on rockin´

@BuddaGuedes 2 ай бұрын

Boas Julho que sim mas deveras ter que fazer setup e talvez mudar o nut

@guitarraeacontraband 2 ай бұрын

Pois faz sentido, suponho que o Bass VI está mais orientado para fazer o trabalho de um baixo do que propriamente ser capaz de ambos. Ou seja, só há uma solução saudável, ter um de cada 😂😂😂

@stevestonesongwriter Жыл бұрын

Be interested to hear flats on higher register

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Sounds marvelous

@gwEmbassy 4 ай бұрын

both sets sound very close, I slightly prefer the flat wound sound

@whodunitpros8555 Жыл бұрын

I liked these ... but ended up with Stringjoy Bass VI set.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

I’ll look it up but I’m loving these strings

@JesseJuup Жыл бұрын

Flatwounds for me.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Me Too

@joycerichardson1810 Жыл бұрын

Love the flats! I have to get a Bass VI!

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

It’s a great tool

@markjohnson9485 4 ай бұрын

I like the flatwounds better.

@BuddaGuedes 4 ай бұрын

Me too

@surfohio 9 ай бұрын

Nice! If I'm the only bassist in the band I'd use the flats. If I'm a bridge playing between the bass and rhythm guitars then I'm liking the stock Fenders.

@BuddaGuedes 8 ай бұрын

That’s a good approach

@trees3d 8 ай бұрын

back in the 60s a bass vi would come with flats from the factory

@BuddaGuedes 8 ай бұрын

That was my thought

@uhoh007 2 ай бұрын

Don't these strings break in? That's what I read anyway.

@BuddaGuedes 2 ай бұрын

They break in and get better with time

@mortusdominus 2 жыл бұрын

Fender round 24-100 set. $15. You won't be disappointed.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot

@shanevanc 4 ай бұрын

Round wound string noise is totally destructive

@BuddaGuedes 4 ай бұрын

I don’t agree but I love the flat feel

@shanevanc 4 ай бұрын

@@BuddaGuedes the ledzep sung is dominated by string noise. It's louder than the bass line on my tablet while the flat wound line has no noise only notes.

@rickharper3940 Жыл бұрын

but that flatwound click/pick cuts thru in a mix...

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Yes it does

@rickharper3940 Жыл бұрын

@@BuddaGuedes I paid $52 for the labella 'deep talkin' bass' things. they sound great but are too firm...the luthier [a friend of mine, but not cheap] i had to hire for 2hours says there's an irreparable bow on the low side of the neck. wish i could post photos/videos. he's lowered the action and tried to fix the bow. nope. going back to amazon; sure wish i'd got it from sweetwater. out of the box and tuned up those are the worst round wound strings i ever played...it was about 1" high off the 12th fret. it's going back. but i gotta get the strings off, old ones back on. just luck. i'd hang it on the wall cos it's shiny, but ugly, imo. i wanted it for the sound. heavier than my U.S. '05 jazz bass. i recommend getting the FENDER 1962 bass VI pdf from the fender site. there is no real manual for Squire i've found. lots of differences. as one might imagine i'm kinda uptight about it.. no mo' cheapie fenders for me. thanx for info about jag bridge cover. wish me luck w/ return! regards.

@PhilZeGerman 2 жыл бұрын

The flatwounds sound ... I wanted to say crisper?! But then after the second and third comparison they just sound a little... I don't really know?! I feel like they sound a little more attacky when struck lightly and a little more bass-y when struck more heavily. Hard to say man I think it depends on what you want to play with them. The palm muted stuff showed no real difference to my ears. I mean, there was SOME, but yeah, that's like the difference between new and older strings. Then again, as always, I am no guitarist ^^D

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot my friend. Miss you

@ZARATUSTRA8511 9 ай бұрын

I don't like flat wounds, with it sound the VI just like a Bass and that kills the magic and special sound of the Instrument.

@BuddaGuedes 9 ай бұрын

I love it

@davidprice9689 Жыл бұрын

The flat-wounds sound better if palm-muting but the round-wounds sound marginally better otherwise. I wonder if the string tension is the same - the better test would have been between LaBella round and flat-wound. I have had 2 of these guitars and I had a pack of Rotosound 'Jet Bass' round-wound strings (the reference was to Jet Harris who did several great-sounding recordings using one of these in 1962). Incidentally despite looking great, the Bass VI doesn't sound as good as a much more basic Danelectro (and the latter doesn't have that dreadful floating tremelo system or, as in the case of the original VIs, a horrible rubber pad mute!).

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

O actually love it! The flat have more tension but I love the feel

@boppin_bennie Жыл бұрын

The comparison is flawed ! You should loop the flatwounds also so the two loops can be compared !

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Really?!?

@stephanematis 2 жыл бұрын

Round wounds felt better in sound.

@BuddaGuedes 2 жыл бұрын

🙏🙏

@dorianford6227 Жыл бұрын

The Flatwounds technically sound “better”and “proper” especially with Overdrive and if you plan to play it solely like a bass. However the flatwounds kills it’s vibe and character. The buzz, and top end is part of its sound especially when you play chords. You can hear what I am talking about better if you play spaghetti western licks.

@BuddaGuedes Жыл бұрын

Great

@roughcutguitars 9 ай бұрын

SPOT ON assessment - and worth replying as much because I always wonder if it's just me. The hybrid character this is known for, at least as far as later Beatles recordings are concerned, depends on roundwounds. Flatwounds take it squarely to 'traditional' bass territory for guitarists who want the low-barrier entry (at the same time acknowledging Entwhistle turning RotoSound into a household name).