Anyway, watch this video for a good comparison between flatwound and roundwound strings: These strings are basically half roundwound, half flatwound. Because of the unique construction that this string has, it is expected that it won't produce squeaking noise while you are playing it. Flatwound strings have reduced high end, giving them more emphasis on mids and lows. The DR Black Beauties are a nickel covered string, which brings about a reasonable tone that remaining parts warm. Ernie Ball Super Slinky Nickel Bass Strings, The Differences Between Bass Guitar and Guitar. John Entwistle using Swing Bass strings . In 1962 they brought out the first roundwound bass strings; they called them the ‘Swing Bass’ set, and the sound of the electric bass changed. They are first manufactured as regular roundwound strings but are then pressed on only one side so as to flatten it, resulting in a flat side, and a roundside. As well as being an accomplished musician, Ball was also an entrepreneur, opening what could be called the premier guitar store in the nation. i have heard good things about the rotosound swing. You’ll need to set your amp and pedals a bit brighter — and possibly turn up the gain a bit, too — to match the relative brightness of roundwound strings, but the resulting overdrive tone may sound much closer to your ideal sound. By the time he was in high school, Ernie Ball was already a seasoned musician who played professionally in LA. They don't punish your fingers too much. Based in Emerson, New Jersey. Instead of a flattened metal wrap wire, however, the wrap wire is composed of a nonmetal material such as nylon. But why is this? Another awesome string arrangement offered by Rotosound that picks up a ton of acclaim is their Jazz Bass 77, which offers a warm and fat tone, ideal for jazz. Well sound, mostly, but also playability: As for the numbers, there are no set in stone standards and the gauge of each string in a set varies from one manufacturer to the other…. Of course, I want to engage with the community as well! It can be easily indicated on the tonal characteristics of the strings. Ernie Ball uses high quality nickel, stainless steel, chrome plated steel, cobalt, and copper for its bass guitar strings. These strings are basically half roundwound, half flatwound. Check out our collection of tapewound bass strings. If you want a string that can produce bright and aggressive tone, you should not pick flatwound strings. The most popular winding technique of all, roundwound strings deliver the brightest sound of all thanks to their knurled surface. We have tried some of the best bass guitar strings available today – from GHS to Ernie Ball – and have assembled our insights into the following article. So, what’s the difference? For more information on bass strings in general, head over to our Bass Guitar String Buying Guide. Said another way, if you often find yourself rolling back your tone control to take that zing out of your roundwound strings, then you may enjoy playing flatwound strings instead. To learn more about our cookie policy, please check our Privacy Policy. It really depends on your instrument and personality.