Roundwound Vs. Flatwound Strings - Can you Really Hear the Difference?

[@andertons]

Looks like we forgot to put this video live back in 2019. Enjoy an old episode of All About The Bass with Nathan & lee! The Elite Series has since been discontinued from when this video was filmed, the Fender equivalent would now be the Ultra series. Links can be found in the description. 🤘

[@greatvanzini]

I do like flats for recording sometimes. Especially more melodic stuff. No string scratch.

[@Nektopoulo]

Yeah, the Elite series has been superseded by the Ultra series, I wonder why they dumped the string through body.

[@bobilly]

Miss the dynamic duo 😪

[@zr2700]

Hey Andertons, which flatwound set are used in this video? I’m guessing based on the red silk tips... Are they La bella or Thomastik? Thanks.

[@kenhartman29115]

Judging by the comments, the fans prefer Lee over round wounds or flats.

[@jonhmusic423]

I tried flats for the first time a few years back, and since playing them in a band setup, I've played flats (and tapes) exclusively. I'd still use rounds on at least one bass if I was chasing a super modern tone, but given that I mainly play rock, blues, jazz and old school soul I don't miss them at all

[@Chudhole]

Lee is so good with Nathan and vice versa he should at least come around for a guest appearance!

[@gregpantelides1355]

Do it!!!!!

[@valendis]

Clearly , the flawounds are a must have on the PBass!

[@ziggylayneable]

I really like the discoloration in the fingerboard on the darker Bass around the first 2-4 frets below the E & A strings.it lends a lot of character and you could never have your Bass stolen without being able to know instantly it was yours.

[@jeg1972]

I only play flatwounds. They just give a wonderful 60s vibe

[@ruiseartalcorn]

I prefer flats, especially with a pick. I think they sit better in a mix due to not competing so much with the rhythm guitar tracks. Just personal opinion of course :)

[@jkf9167]

Flats and a pick is so good. It's very percussive but it sits right in the mix, and the clicks stick right out. Round wounds with a pick don't sound right to me anymore. Too messy.

[@ruiseartalcorn]

@@jkf9167 I agree 100%

[@EdwardBilodeau]

Reminds me of how much I enjoyed the videos with Nathan and Lee together. Hasn't been the same since Lee left.

[@JEG69]

I play flatwounds on all my Basses. Sounds heavy af with fuzz and distortion.

[@timothybedwards5440]

I've played bass since 1966 my 1970 pbass came with flat wounds changed to round wounds since 2018 went back to flats as I am not a slap player love the flats

[@mdwayne741]

I love these guys.....these 2 do such an amazing job demonstrating gear.

[@anderstromborgbrstrup4413]

Flats have more attack than rounds, but less sustain. Love my La Bellas on the P Bass😎

[@ShadamAran]

I've got a set of fender flat wounds that I bought about 4 years ago and I've never thrown them away, even though I've taken them off my bass to put rounds back on I kept that set. To this day they are my personal favorite feeling sounding and playing strings. If you have never tried some fender flat you are missing out

[@gabrielalbo6911]

Apart from Bright vs Warm, I also hear a sort of metallic vs rubbery type of sound. I love both, to be honest - I keep my p bass with flats and my jazz with rounds, which I think further accentuates both of the instruments' characters... but on my next vacations I'll try the opposite setup to see what I can get :)

[@skybluemarshall]

At one time, everyone played flats. Rotosound sold the first roundwounds in 1962. They were mostly used by a few British Invasion bands. In 1966 John Entwistle contacted Rotosound to help them develop a better string, because the E and the A string didn't vibrate properly. John brought his bass to Rotosound's founder, James Howe and together, they realized that the string vibrated in big circles and that the problem was caused by a thin core. Rotosound worked on using a thicker core and producing thicker gauge strings. The results were the 66 Swing Bass roundwound strings. Initially, Rotosound used John Entwistle name to help market their new improved roundwounds and they caught on with many British Invasion bands. By the early 70s, everyone was playing roundwounds and flatwounds began to fall out of favor with Rock musicians. If you want an early 60s or previous sound or a 1960s American sound (especially Soul and Pop) then flatwounds are your best bet. If you want a mid to late 60s British Invasion band sound or a 70s and later sound, then roundwounds are for you.

[@badm0t0rf1nger]

All the best to Lee in whatever he's up to these days- you're missed, fella! :) Finding someone who can play as well as Lee could be a lost cause, but hopefully *someone* can be found with suitable energy, & who is comfortable in front of camera, for Nathan to bounce off on the regular. The guitar, bass, & drums jam vids were *epic* & I was hoping for more. LOL

[@davidrobertson4301]

I read his doing a tv show about 4 wheel drives

[@sullyb23511]

​@davidrobertson4301 🤔

[@RaxFx]

flatwound all the way!!!!!

[@hamishsummers8585]

Lee was such a good pairing with Nathan, there was such a nice vibe between them. Would quite like to see a video with Nathan and Matt, think that would work well

[@Thisisswanbon]

Lee is a huge miss! Him and Nathan really work well together.

[@darkybass]

Lee - the best!

[@spookysocks5914]

That little light spot on the second and third frets of Lee’s bass looks so cool!

[@basswanderer2765]

On most of my basses I use round wounds, on this one certain bass I have a set of round wounds that haven’t been changed in about twenty five years, love that old tone.

[@ziggylayneable]

I could tell these Bass strings apart RIGHT away....The playing from both was SOOOOOOO in the pocket.They sounded really good together. I would really like try that Pino Palladino signature W/Flatwounds......

[@BARTFUNKBASS]

I did *BASS BACKING TRACKS* on my channel. Check it out!

[@tomtaylor9731]

First bass I bought had flats on it. Got an absolute bargain as they were pretty much brand new. I've bought 3 more since and put flats on each.

[@romeozulu57]

Lee...get him back!

[@andertons]

Unfortunately, this is an old video & Lee no longer films with us, but we hope you enjoy an old classic of All About The Bass! 🤘

[@richardgreenway8826]

@@andertons why is Lee no longer?

[@gregpantelides1355]

Let’s get a chant going...we want Lee, we want Lee, we want Lee. #WeWantLee

[@plasticpaddy5278]

@@richardgreenway8826 cos he s k'd off back to norf lahndahn, innit

[@samstinkeringaround8961]

So I have a Mexican P-bass 2019 , I put roto-sounds flats 105-45 , the main difference I noticed. Slightly tigher string tension , no slide buzz. Meaning the string noise ribbed vs flat. pretty nice. I have a Jackson JS2 with Ernie Ball Slinky's when I want round-wound's I dig the flats

[@henryb50]

this should have 661k views...I've watched this multiple times and I'm a guitar player...Nathan and Lee talent + chemistry = I'm watching again....LEE where did you disappear to ???

[@johnwelch557]

Both are a must if you play more than one song.......Thanks fellas!

[@sergutiov]

I have and idea for a video, get Pete, Rebea and The Cap10, and the shoot out some classic guitar amp combos, so you get a PRS with a Mesa Boogie (Dual Rec) a Gibson Les Paul with a Marshall (Plexi or JCM), a Fender Strat with a Fender (Reverb Deluxe or Bassman) and a Gretsch with a Vox (AC30) and shoot them out to see which one you guys preffer

[@dr.vonfunkulusthecrimsonho6794]

You guys just had a great time making this aye

[@mycofairbanks3321]

I was sold on the flats the moment I tried them. these are especially liked by those who don't have great technique since the kling and klank kinda goes away. Great comparison guys. Thx for the invaluable info for those who need just a little more demo info, if you know what I mean. Now I have tried may brands of flats... Hint. they are not all the same

[@robinmorris5416]

Rounds for me. I love the harmonic content, and I feel if I sacrifice my fingertips, and frets then spend days after a gig with sore fingers from high action, and roundwounds, I like for my instrument to make me fight for it. Then at least I have suffered for my art.

[@saturatedneowax]

I just put flatwounds on my bass for the first time and it feels like I’m going to get a burn when I do slides, there’s so much more surface area for friction

[@stormbringer67]

Nice review of the strings. I am thinking about getting flats for my jazz bass now. They sound great.

[@BARTFUNKBASS]

*I COULD WATCH THEM DAILY LIKE AN EVENING NEWS*

[@user-vt9fo3rq3m]

Just bought the Steve Harris rotosounds. Best I’ve tried so far.

[@AnathemaBB]

Thank you for making us relapse with this fix of Lee in those troubling times. -Yeah Man.

[@grizelda4526]

Love you two together. This video was a treat. Ty!

[@dylanzrim1011]

Got a bass with flatwounds it’s had since the 80’s. Super comfortable, has one roundwound on it as a replacement and that one string just pisses me off. Genuinely looking to go flat wind on electric guitar to avoid the rough strings too

[@TheProgGuy]

I really want a shootout between Rounds, Flats and Half Rounds/Groundwounds. I have Flats on my main bass and I love the way they feel, but I feel like I need a bit more brightness when I add a bit of gain (Darkglass B7K Ultra), as flatwounds don't like that. I've heard halfs are a great in between, as you can get the warmth, depth and lack of noise with slides but there's a bit of brightness that will shine through with a bit of grit added.

[@richardturner5463]

Miss Lee he is so good with Nathan. The Jaco vid was awesome!

[@dadtimejamtime]

At about 0:46 as lee jams his way back down the neck I thought spark effects flew out of his hands but it was just a reflection on the top horn 🤩

[@charliem.931]

I'm new to these videos and they're so damn enjoyable to watch.

[@stefanherbst9980]

We want Lee back

[@andertons]

Unfortunately this is an old video & Lee no longer films with us, but we hope you enjoy an old classic of All About The Bass! 🤘

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Flatwound Strings work equally well on Fretted Bass because they won't scratch the Frets.

[@ClintHalliday]

That lil ditty at 9:52 thats It Im getting some roundwounds!!

[@maxenceluage]

OMG I was wrong the whole time... I will get my flatwound strings right away. Thanks.

[@LuckyJack99]

Great seeing these mates jamming on the bass again !!!

[@abhijithsivanandan3710]

Nathan and Lee♥️ Please bring him back #WewantLee

[@daniellavanderos]

miss you Lee, the best improvisations with Nathan

[@TheJimboe11]

Try flats on recording. Don’t know why but they just sit right in the mix. I’ve recorded the same songs with P basses with flats and rounds and mostly the flats sounds perfect in the mix.

[@ruiseartalcorn]

TheJimboe11 - In my experience, flats sit better in a mix because they have their own sonic space. Rounds tend to compete with the guitars, whereas flats don't.

[@TheJimboe11]

Ruiseart Alcorn yeah that makes sense to me. All that extra harmonic content on rounds is right in electric guitar territory. Thanks very much👏

[@TheJimboe11]

Toxic Potato yeah very true. They won’t suit every mix. Must admit I was really surprised though 👍

[@blib3786]

Flats have more of the fundamental, while rounds have more overtones.

[@FRUGALZZZ1]

These guys are genius - just love the energy and expertise - more of the same please!!

[@mclarensmps]

Ahh mannnnnnnnnn, I've been binge watching the Andertons videos during covid, and I just found out Lee's gone. That sucks man, you two were a phenomenal pair!

[@rhodridavies9426]

I would, but as a 5 string player, a set of flatrwounds cost me over £70 last time! :-P

[@timothymckane6362]

The bigger difference of Roundwound vs. Flatwound is if you hear them on a fretless bass. Roundwounds have a bright tone while a Flatwound has a warm, mellow tone. Also, I'll miss Nathan and Lee being the bass duo on Andertons. I wish Lee the best.

[@MrBubbaknight]

Amazing video! Entertaining and informative.

[@jorgepenah]

The people want more Lee and Nathan videos!

[@marklloyd3762]

These two lads are so entertaining

[@jean-pierrethouin2404]

Sounds like you are having FUN...

[@keithjackson4990]

I know this video is old but I’ll have to say that La Bella probably had some of the first flatwound bass strings; ie: James Jamerson etc… 1950’s

[@mlmccollum100]

to me, the flats were a bit meatier on the low end...but both sounded good

[@Ben_Mdws]

Whatever Lee is doing now, he should post a KZbin video so we can all tell him how we much miss him on the Anderton’s channel.

[@samstinkeringaround8961]

Love you guys , I really like the bass off"s

[@bertbregdenz2756]

my choice: "labella low tension flats"

[@christophercortes9152]

Flatwounds forever

[@TheCommander2112]

I love this video thank you

[@EpictheEpicest]

With flatwounds you tend to get more mid and high frequencies, and they choke out the low end a bit. Roundwound gives you more low frequencies and definition. Not a huge difference, but the best comparison examples I can think of is when someone tries to play Motown songs or even Iron Maiden with roundwound strings, it just doesn't sound right.

[@ernestochang1744]

Rob chapman can tell if your guitar is black or red just by being blindfolded so this test is invalind because both bass guitars are painted differently

[@SteveSchuffert]

GHS does a string that feels like a flat, sounds like a wound. Very, very cool string. Try that one.

[@yeoldefoxeh254]

Obviously there is a huge difference. In tone, in playability and in the way they wear the hell out (or not) of frets and fingerboards.

[@josepharmenta7889]

I play a j bass , flats all the way, but I like the low warmth tone

[@Mark-ry3ij]

Good demo guys, but i want to know if you used the same gauges for both?

[@twenty1thirteen]

Can someone please fill me in on what happened with Lee? Thanks!

[@EddieHitler7]

don't think they will ever tell us what actually happened!

[@BARTFUNKBASS]

:(

[@brymills]

He left a year ago tomorrow, works for Stompbox according to Facebook

[@Sad_._Panda]

He's teaching at Stompbox London

[@BARTFUNKBASS]

@@Sad_._Panda I'm not from UK. What's Stompbox London?

[@OlettaLiano]

Personally, I like the roundwounds. I tried flats, and they just didn't feel right to me.

[@mylo4060]

Same here. I like them as an option but not all the time

[@BeesWaxMinder]

Oletta Liano (lovely name BTW) do you play R0CK or even Overdriven styles? I kinda do & suspect that FlatWounds might not suit..?

[@RiXFortuna]

Wow first time I hear it. Fantastic. Play more haha

[@lf170]

Great playing, as always. What strings are the flats being used?

[@lf170]

Never mind, missed it at the end.

[@3cardmonty602]

Lee is the Captain’s illegitimate son

[@sgtmac62]

Yep! Try a set of roto-sound round wounds. Bark!

[@johna5747]

Need to do some more videos like the one with Ole...How to do technics.

[@baratastudio1982]

Love it !!!

[@MerLew]

What instrument cables are those?

[@romeou4965]

Cobalt or chrome flats?

[@danielroos5426]

KZbin needs a WOW button

[@eliseoborrerobass]

After all, when was the last time you didn't like a song because the bass player was using the wrong string? To me flats sound like old rounds, but this maybe is a good thing for some people!

[@sullyb23511]

Apparently, Phil Lynott used Rotosound Jazz Flats on his P. I never would have guessed, TBH. Can anyone confirm this?

[@pauljoseph8707]

What is the guage of that flatwound string?

[@SerjBassist]

The "yeah" count has decreased substantially ever since Lee left.

[@shinerstef]

Awe that's nice to see a couple of bass players enjoying their instruments. 👀🙈😂😂

[@thomas_the_cat]

good ol days... hope they can find someone new with the same level of chemistry with nathan

[@Longy_b]

I find the complete opposite is true regarding ease of movement around the neck/sliding. Due to the ‘jagged’ finish on a round wound you’ve actually got less surface area on the surface of the string to provide friction against your fingers; whereas the smooth finish on a flat wound provides more ‘string-finger’ contact area which in my experience made moving around/sliding on the strings more difficult. One other thing that I think is worth mentioning is that, at the same gauge, string tension is higher on flat wounds; which can impact the feel of the string. I definitely dig the sound of flat wounds on my p bass for certain styles but feel much more at home on round wounds.

[@sageofsong]

Fat vs roundwound. My favorite comparison

[@mikeuk4130]

That's a bit fatist/roundist, but it's my favourite too!

[@marklewis7484]

Awesome as always! Drums need to be lower in the mix..

[@TraneFrancks]

"All that jiggery-pokery" - If you have active basses in passive mode with the tone all the way up, is that passive-aggressive? Edited to add: I have always used roundwound on my '62 RI fretless Jazz and the '77 maple blank-plank P Bass. Alas, the rounds have ruined the fingerboard on the P and it needs some serious refin work. Next time I string up the bad boys, I'll be giving flats a shot.

[@JEG69]

Try daddario chrome flatwounds next

[@garethnaicker4225]

It's a lee

[@Chudhole]

The roundwounds are fuller and brighter to me. I think I’m just not a flat wound guy.

[@isaacfredes1181]

I think the same, but if I could I would have a bass specifically for flat wounds since they have a distinct sound

[@jonhmusic423]

I always felt the same and decided to try some flatwounds for fun. On their own they sounded as I expected - vintage-like, thumpy etc. Played them with a band and I was genuinel blown away. I've never had a bass sit so well in a mix as when I use flats - the narrower frequency response actually lets it find a nice little pocket and it sounds killer.

[@Chudhole]

Jon H Music oh no doubt I can hear they sit in a different “zone”. To my ears they sound broken. I have a hartke cab that’s the same way. Killer middle punch and no top end. I could see where in a band dynamic it would sound good. I guess I always thought if I wanted no top end I would just roll the tone back! 😉😁😁😁

[@Chudhole]

isaac fredes I have the cheap jaco fretless with flatwounds. (Great bargain fretless) and I found myself going back to my music man hh because the muted tone made my brain crazy 😜

[@davidrobertson4301]

I was hoping he was coming back

[@edwardmcwilliams8371]

for someone who plays more rock based genres with a pick. roundwounds are the only way to go.

[@vladimirvalentine4065]

On a related note, what do you guys think of these new STRINGJOY strings for the guitar?

[@nolanr7679]

I'm sorry I died laughing at a bass jam😂😂😂