Thanks for watching, guys! Tabs, Backing Tracks, Guitar Pro, & Isolated Bass Stems at: www.patreon.com/NateNavarro My Bass Books: www.natenavarro.net/books

Flat wounds all day long. I do love the roundwound sound sometimes, but the feel of flats is amazing.

Ive played tapewounds in the past, theyre pretty awesome. Especially if youre just getting into playing bass. Roundwounds and shred your fingers until you build callouses. Tapewounds are WAY more gentle so you can actually learn to play before having to worry about taking time off for your bleeding fingertips to heal. As for me, i played them because i genuinely hate fret buzz while im playing. Doesnt bother me when listening to it from others, but it bothers me that my tone isnt more clean due to factors beyond my control. So i decided to control at least one of the factors. One last consideration: Tapewound strings are a bit more gentle on your bass itself. Between the frets, fretboard, nut, bridge, or any other place. Metal on metal contact will eventually wear it down (nickle plated strings arent quite as bad as steelwound strings) But adding the tape into the mix does actually protect your bass a little bit from the strings. So if you do plan to play the same instrument for a lifetime and/or plan to hand it down to the next generation, tapewounds could be part of your method to preserve your instrument. Part. Definitely cant be the only thing you do though.

Roundwound probably most well rounded string, i guess you could mostly just adjust the tone to get it closer to the others, but tapewound.. WOW! so warm and better sounding to my ears than the flatwound strings who actually sounds, well.. flat.

Higher Ground - Roundwound, has that high mid punch Dean Town - Flatwound, has the most even tone Portrait of Tracy - Tapewound, low end stands out beautifully You knew what you were doing when you picked these :D

Knowing the time one have to put into changing the strings and play the same thing 3 times with such clarity in sound i say THANK YOU SIR!👑

The difference become more subtle if you're using effects. Great video!

I really like the way the attack on the tapewound sounds with a pick without losing too much sustain. Seems like it would be great for lofi punk too.

I really appreciate the meticulous editing to clip these melodies back to back -trifold. This extra effort is what is missing from so many of these comparison videos. Love this, respect the effort. thank you for giving me the video I DID know I needed!

This is probably the best bass string comparison video. The Dean Town edits were great 👍

Great job on this demo of the different type of bass strings. This highlights why I have basses with all three types of these strings!

Awesome, as both a bass player and video editor I can really appreciate how much time and effort went into this. I play mostly TI flats on Jazz and P and have rounds on a PJ

Each of them can sound beatiful, far better than the rest dependending on the context and mix. Wonderful demo!

Great playing brother always a pleasure to see a new vid

Nate, you inspire me!! I appreciate you making these videos. Your talent amazes me, I could go on, but I just wanted to say thank you.

I put nylon tapewounds on my P based off of someone's recommendation to give it a shot and I absolutely love them! I usually favor rounds and try to keep at least one strung with flats, but these nylon tapewounds are here to stay based on what I'm groovin'. I just never hear anyone give them any love. Sounds amazing as always, Nate!

As always a great Video. Appreciate that!

My go-to strings have always been Ernie Ball Regular Bass Slinkys (I play EB on both with guitar and bass) and I’m pretty sure that they’re roundwounds but I’ve never actually checked, they still sound super punchy and I absolutely love the attack I get with them (which is also good because I use a pick a lot and I play in a metal band). I still really like how the flat and tapewounds sounded, like that Jaco song will always blow me away because his tone was just insane… Great video as always, man, keep up the awesome work

❤ love the sound on all strings ❤ love your playing

Tapewounds sound phenomenal.. my next purchase. Thanks Nate

Great demo!

Great choice of songs for comparison!

Great video! Super helpful to hear them all back to back. I love D’Adarrio Chrome Flatwounds. I have them on my p bass and jazz bass. Not great for slap but I love how they sound with a pick and a little overdrive. But after watching this video I’m interested in trying tapewounds.

Props to your editing. 👏

Roundwound always seems closer to the original, but I’ve played flats and prefer them, but now I’m damned curious about tapewound!

Nice video. I recently fitted black LaBellas to my 5 string active bass (Ibanez SR1305) and I'm amazed these aren't more popular (apart from the price for the LaBellas here in the UK, Rotos are cheaper but the purple silk matches my guitar! lol). The tone is incredible -sort of between rounds and flats. It's possible to get nice bright tones but they really shine (no pun intended) for stuff like dub or reggae throb as they have massive low end. The tension is way less than rounds and this affects playing to the extent that you have to play softer, which enhances the lows anyway and weirdly, the clarity of sound and I had to adjust the neck relief and action on the guitar but that's no issue. They are far less fatiguing to your hands when playing for long periods too. I love them - apart from the price!

Best bass video ever 🔥💯

I put DR Legends flats on my Ibanez SR 500 about a week ago. I’ve never used flats. At first I was like, hell no, I was ready to put the rounds back on. Give them a chance, I said to myself and guess what, they’ve definitely grown on me. Thanks Nate!

nice video, thank you

Super well done comparison.

Now I want a set of tapewound on my PJ as well. Sounds so good 😮

I think they all sounded great, especially through your fancy rig. I go back and fourth from rounds to tape, and using Fender 9120 Tapewounds with my Jazz bass, they sound a bit brighter than the D'Addario strings in your examples. Honestly most of the time on my rig I can't really tell the difference other than there isn't that metallic clank against the frets sometimes (intentional or otherwise!) and I really love how they feel. Plus they basically last forever which is a nice plus.

I've had same set of half rounds on my EBMM for well over 3 years. They make my bass sound so smooth. Totally changed the tone from bright with very high presence to a more mellow vintage tone. Slapping does sound more rubbery and the higher tension took some getting use to. If I ever end up changing my strings I'm going to keep this set.

I prefer the roundwounds but watching this comparison, Im not so reluctant to play flatwounds anymore. Great video, thanks!

Many here are praising tapes, but I recently switched from the exact same tapewounds to Ernie Ball flatwounds and my sound was immediately a lot more solid and full. Never going back to tapes. They sound great in this video, but to really know what they are like you gotta try ones yourself.

I feel that the tapewounds with that bass for roundabout got pretty close to that rick sound, brought out a lot of that warm rounded sound that Chris squire was known for, and you should try some pressure wounds and half rounds too Nate!

Nate, Great playing as always! I've been thinking of replacing the flats on my fretless with tapes, but could not really hear much of a difference. I've also read where some people have - grounding issues - when using Tapewounds. Have you ever experienced this? Have been using your book for 2 years, and it is still teaching me things every time I open it. I especially love playing Latin Blues!! Wish it was longer. Thank you for all you do instructing this 63 y/o bass player!!

Roundabout with flats sounds like heresy hahah

Ok so this was helpful, I'm getting myself some tapewounds for frankensteined Ibanez.

I made the switch to Tapewound not too long ago, just tried them on a whim (a damn expensive whim) and found they're pretty flexible. They sound great in everything from gospel to prog metal, but the main thing is they're very "predictable" when running complex digital effects (C4 synth, for example). My guess is the warmth of the tone smooths out some of the peakiness of the signal which would normally cause the gates/triggers/etc to actuate on the effect. As well, no finger noise.

portrait of tracy sounds so damn beautiful

Great stuff, Nate. Been following you since the long hair days and you sold me on several SA pedals. All 3 have their niche. Hearing them all contemporaneously, Will probably keep a round set and a tapewound set always ready to go. If I ever decide to be cliché, will get a P with flats, just to keep the bass gatekeepers pleased😅

That #BassFace during Dean Town was perfect.

Very cool. And great playing. I notice that they all sounded rather “modern” I think because of the hi fi amp. Also, Daddario chromes are quite different from some other flat wounds. If someone wants the vintage plunky flat tone without a long break in, La Bella LTF is a good choice.

i’ve never seen such a quick to the point comparison video, i was actually able to hear the differences and the lack of interruptions were help. funnily enough, i originally wanted flats but i think i’ll stick with rounds for now. that round punch was great but also, the warmer punch of the tapes were fascinating.

All round I prefer tapewound. I love the incredibly slick feel (important as I broke my playing hand a number of years ago) and how easy it is to go from the warmth of flats to the bright punch of rounds

Tapewounds are great on acoustic basses! I hate how thin they usually sound with rounds, but Tapewounds actually made my Aria FEB-2 very usable

As a guitarist, give me roundwounds all day. Love that midrange.

i have tapewound flats on my fretless j bass and it's a very interesting instrument to play. i highly recommend trying lots of different types of strings.

i think there is more to flatwounds than just the tone difference to roundwounds. i have flats on my p-bass and i just love the feeling of them on my fingers. roundwounds always feel so harsh. and i'm not talking about tone here, just the feeling of the string on the fingers. also i like the fact when i turn the tone knob down with flats, it sounds almost like an upright bass :)

For flats, the chromes are pretty bright when they're new. When i put them on my PJ, they were brighter than the old rounds that i took off.

Didn't know the tapewounds and now I need them XD I always use worned out roundwounds as I don't like the "fresh sound" of roundwounds... Tapewounds seems the perfect choice then.

I actually have a different bass for each set of strings. Flats on an old 70s Yamaha with some really meat passive pickups that I inherited that have been there since probably before I was born. Roundwounds on my musicman and schecter for maximum versatility and punch. And those amazing D'Addario tapewound strings for my Michael Kelly fretless acoustic. They just make their respective instruments sound more unique.

Something to keep in mind, especially if you play metal or hardcore or, honestly, anything that involves a ton of downtuning is that Flatwounds have more tension and might be exactly what you need if you're feeling like the strings are a 'lil flubby after you set your bass up for whatever downtuning you get to, I know several people in the sludge and doom metal communities who swear by flats specifically for that reason when they're playing at anything around two steps down or so.

do you have your setup in this video available as an impulse response? I really love the tones you're getting, especially the roundwounds.

Round for anything with slap, flats for nearly everything else.

What's your experience playing pressure wounds? That's the halfway point between roundwound and flatwound and I have a set of them on my fretless to have notes sustain better without sacrificing playability

I love Tapes. They fit my style more, I find They maintain their tone throughout the life of the strings as well.

I pretty much use all types across different basses but I usually use flats the most because of their smooth playing yet still having a little brightness...

great comparison. I really only use roundwounds, except on fretless. I like tape wound on fretless since I find it less sticky than flat wound strings.

Ever try the Ernie Ball Slinky cobalt flatwounds which are supposed to have the feel of flats and the tone of rounds? How do they compare to these?

I can’t really tell in the video (might be my speakers) but I love the feel and sound of the tapes!!!! Sounds like a standup bass

In my experience, I've never found a reason to use anything other than a round wound string for my playing. That being said, I also primarily play a Sterling SUB Ray4 stingray specifically for the bright sound that it produces.

rounds are so seperate i mainly payed attention to the tapes and flats, and with how nice the tapewounds sound i dont think ill ever pick up a set of flats

I'm using tapewound. They are best of both worlds in my experience.

Nate! I love your content and your chops! I gotta say, if there was an AI bass content provider, it would be based off of your channel 🙂 Keep on rockin!

Stainless steel rounds are my favorites by a mile

Where do I find a finger ramp like yours or one for a Mexican jazz bass?

Am I weird for liking Roundabout better with flats?😆

I’m a roundwound guy through and through. The flats and tapes sound nice in certain contexts but they’ve never really been my style anyway. I just love the bright, punchy sound of a fresh set of rounds, especially for more aggressive and heavy tones which are my preference. Although I will say that flats feel smoother to play. But I’m more about the sound.

I like tapewound, but the grounding noise doesn't allow me to use them

Are you using piezo pickups in addition to the magnetic pickups for this test?

looks like the tapewound work as a compromise and fit all tunes

Tapewound were my favourite among the special strings

I wonder what strings wound with alternating round and flat wraps would sound like.

To me, the biggest advantage flatwounds has is that they're much nicer to play. I try and do slides on Roundwouds and eventually my fingers get all torn up, no such problem with Flatwounds. That being said, if you want to play more aggressive styles of music/have greater tone versatility then you can't beat Rounds, my choice are light gauge RotoSound strings. Haven't tried tapes so can't attest to them but if I ever get a fretless bass I'd love to try them on that

I thought the differences were noticeable but not all that significant, which doesn’t surprise since they all sounded like new or close to new Daddario strings.

Will playing with a pick destroy tapewounds strings?

i prefer roundwounds becos they have a lot of character and that tends to get amplified by distortion, theyre not tube-sounding like flats and tapes, and if i want to emulate that sound i can just turn down my tone knob

The round wound is super bright compared to the other two. I've often been curious about flat wound strings, but they sound kind of muddier in this video anyhow.

flats are awesome.

Since tapewounds can be $80 bucks Canadian I wanted to share some thoughts after installing some tapewounds on my PJ style bass. The pros: they sound awesome and play very smoothly, they are more versatile than you would expect. The neutral: O had to slightly relieve the neck and adjust the intonation which is no big deal. I expect most people would need a quick set up adjustment upon installing tapewounds. They also don't flex enough to string through a body, so make sure that isn't the only option on your intended bass. The cons: the most significant negative I have found is that because the tape wound strings don't ground, the pickup hum is much worse, and I mean really bad. I've been thinking about how to mitigate the issue. My options are to use a noise gate, or maybe install a metal thumb rest on my bass and wire a ground wire to that 🤔 🤔 Either way if you are someone who can't stand the hum you should consider that before picking up a set of tapewounds.

What's the plate between the pickups for?

On my TV speakers, the flats and tapes are identical, but not exactly audiophile grade sound

I use roundwound, I play Rotosound 66 Swing Bass RS66LD made famous by John Entwistle, Geddy Lee and Chris Squire. To me they have the best all around sound classic rock especially prog. Geddy amd his flamenco style with all the overdrive can be a little much.....

Can you compare dead rounds with flats ?

I need to hear more fretless from you

Flats, Tapes, and Half rounds, and by this order , here.

The smoother strings will save finger skin when doing lots of long slides. More of a sabbath sound. To me its comfort vs tone.🍻

Roundwound sound 80’s and Flatwound more 70’s…both are great-but I prefer the low growl&thump of the 70’s❤🤘🎸🤩💵

In my opnion flats wins for piccicato (finger style) and round for slap and pick. Tape follows between flat and round as second choice.

I use tapewounds for fretless and rounds for fretted.

Allways roundwound for my stuff (punky, alternative etc)...however some of my strings are 5-10 years old, so not new-bright. But... the tape wounds sound ok.

Roundwound

I think I prefer the tapewounds honestly

👍

I would say the Flatwound was the cleanest sound, very sharp in contrast to Roundwound which had a bit more fuzz to it. I couldn't tell the difference between the Tapewound and Flatwound.

Flatwound all day everyday something about that contrast between Flatwound bass and guitar

Oh no the roundwound D seems to be off the bridge... while still playing Jaco Haha!

Bit of advice for anyone that wants a pseudo flatwound tone just to try it out. Get rounds and use them until theyre not bright lol