Going back to rounds

Kerry Brown

Kerry Brown

Ambassador of the Great Northern Bar Jams
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I’ve been using flats for a while now. I love the tone for practicing and recording. For live use they suck, literally. They don’t cut through the mix. I have to turn the bass way down and the high mids and treble way up then crank the volume to be heard in the mix. It sounds terrible, like loud farts. I put some round wounds on for tonight’s practice. I’ll report back tomorrow.
 
Kerry Brown said:
I’ve been using flats for a while now. I love the tone for practicing and recording. For live use they suck, literally. They don’t cut through the mix. I have to turn the bass way down and the high mids and treble way up then crank the volume to be heard in the mix. It sounds terrible, like loud farts. I put some round wounds on for tonight’s practice. I’ll report back tomorrow.
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I look forward to your thoughts on this.
I’m of a similar mindset. I like flats for thud, and rounds for bite…but I have become very fond of the LaBella White Tape Wound strings for the best of both…smooth feel…and a nice grind when you dig in.
 
Kerry Brown said:
Four string bass. We are in the BASSment :)
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Forgive me Kerry, I am a bit not my sharp self again tonight. I fell off a 2nd to last step on the descent and rolled my ankle about 5 hours ago. Laid there hoping I didn't break my ankle.

SO, since we are in the Bassment. Round Wounds on 2 Squire Basses, and one set of Steve Harris Flat wound Rotosounds on my Steve Harris P.
 
It was much better with the rounds. I had way less volume with more bass on the amp and it was easily heard in the mix. I still prefer the tone of the flats for recording but in a live mix rounds are much better. Now I just have to convince the guitar players to tell me when they are tuned down a half step. :)
 
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Kerry Brown said:
It was much better with the rounds. I had way less volume with more bass on the amp and t was easily heard in the mix. I still prefer the tone of the flats for recording but in a live mix rounds are much better. Now I just have convince the guitar players to tell me when they are tuned down a half step. :)
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The best strings ive found for recording and live performances are the Ernie Ball 105's.

Minimal fret wear, easy on fingers and bright, yet no "brassy" in tone.

Be sure to mic your current strings to be sure you don't install something wider than the nut slots. I've seen guys blow the side of the low 'E' right off the nut going too big....
 
Another thing I notice with the rounds is open strings sound way better. The E string in particular was just a floppy thud with flats. It wasn’t usable.
 
Bewsre that some basses have a tendency to be really bright..

One of the studio's where I work has a Fender Bass signed by Geddy Lee.

20211127_171958.jpg

It is the worst, most trebly/jangly bass I've ever heard and no amount of adjustment gets rid of this quality...

They insist on using only Rotosound Nickel Rounds.

My $60 Ibanez kills it on a recording...

20211125_082504.jpg

But some will stick with a brand until the bitter end just because Geddy Lee did it/used it....LOL
 
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Robert Herndon said:
Bewsre that some basses have a tendency to be really bright..

One of the studio's where I work has a Fender Bass signed by Geddy Lee.

View attachment 77046

It is the worst, most trebly/jangly bass I've ever heard and no amount of adjustment gets rid of this quality...

They insist on using only Rotosound Nickel Rounds.

My $60 Ibanez kills it on a recording...

View attachment 77048

But some will stick with a brand until the bitter end just because Geddy Lee did it/used it....LOL
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I had a very similar Ibanez a few years ago. I really liked. A friend who needed a bass for a band liked it so much I gave it to him.
 
Robert Herndon said:
Bewsre that some basses have a tendency to be really bright..

One of the studio's where I work has a Fender Bass signed by Geddy Lee.

View attachment 77046

It is the worst, most trebly/jangly bass I've ever heard and no amount of adjustment gets rid of this quality...

They insist on using only Rotosound Nickel Rounds.

My $60 Ibanez kills it on a recording...

View attachment 77048

But some will stick with a brand until the bitter end just because Geddy Lee did it/used it....LOL
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Ged also was famous for his Rickenbacker Basses. They have a following of their own and a good number of Pro users.

Also, in respect to Ged's Jazz bass, there is a whole back story of his particular Number 1 was a stroke of luck find. Ged says he typically didn't do stuff like this, but if memory if right, he had some down time while on the road, and got it on a trip into a pawn shop.

Geddy Lee's main bass is a black 1972 Fender Jazz Bass he bought from a pawn shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan for $200 (US$910 in 2020 dollars[1]). It was used to record the albums Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Counterparts, Test for Echo, Vapor Trails, Feedback, Snakes and Arrows, and Clockwork Angels. Since 1994, it has been Lee's main bass for live and studio work. Lee modified it with a Leo Quan BadAss II Bridge, and the original neck had to be replaced before the Snakes & Arrows Tour.

MY POINT is yes Fender makes Geddy sig Jazz basses and other Jazz basses, but each instrument will likely sound different than Geddy's. They all will sound different than the one Robert said he prefers his Ibanez instead. It is quite possible my $220 Jazz bass will sound better or worse than the Jazz that Robert says sounds poorly. As many stories Robert has experienced and shared shows, some instruments he's seen have good bones, a few tweaks make them good, others need more, and still some won't improve and should be in the fire pit.
 
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Robert Herndon said:
It is the worst, most trebly/jangly bass I've ever heard and no amount of adjustment gets rid of this quality...
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I bet a few tweaks could sort out these negatives if it were your bass, Robert. Possibly a pickup swap, or even something as cheap and easy a mod, cap value in the controls.

It could also be the nature of that specific Bass. Factors from the strings to wood in the body and/or neck or bridge etc.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
I bet a few tweaks could sort out these negatives if it were your bass, Robert. Possibly a pickup swap, or even something as cheap and easy a mod, cap value in the controls.

It could also be the nature of that specific Bass. Factors from the strings to wood in the body and/or neck or bridge etc.
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Maybe, but I'm just doing warranty work so I'm limited. It's a common gripe about the Geddy Lee basses.

I personally won't fix up any more sub standard guitars.
 
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