LeftyBassist.com

Up until six months ago, my Precision was the practical go-to, and then I started playing my other basses more, and over time, I put flats on all of them except the P. Over time, I'd replaced the rounds on the rest of my basses. I hadn't touched the P in six month, and when I plugged it in, the tall frets threw me off, and the rounds emphasized the metallic and rough tactile nature of the strings and frets. I almost hated it.

I'll keep rounds on the P--gotta have one bass that goes there. When the G&L JB-5 comes in, I'm going to have a big decision to make between rounds and flats.

What strings do you guys have on your 5-string basses?

I've grown to love flats on many basses as well. Ironically, a P is the one bass I wouldn't put anything but flats on, so you might want to reconsider which bass you keep the rounds on.

I think if it weren't for the few times I need a bright, snappy slap sound I'd play flats all the time. Even a fresh set of flats on my P sound great when slapped, but as they settle they warm and dull up, and that's where most people like their flats to be. I have a set of LaBella 760ms on my '73 P that have been on there for 20 years.

Flats on a P, rounds on a J. That would be my choice. Can't really help on your 5 string question, as I don't play 5s.

Not quite there yet... but over the years, the balance of power is gradually shifting toward flats as my playing has evolved. When I was younger I was a much more aggressive player, and rounds fit my grinding, bending, punchy pick-driven style. I hated fat, stiff flats that didn’t allow me to attack the strings the way I wanted to, but I’d already started to evolve toward more finger style playing and occasionally found flats useful enough to have them on at least one bass.

I think the thing that started to flip my thinking was the first time I tried a set of TI flats about 20 years ago. I put them on a brand-new Carvin LB20 I’d just got, and took it along to a studio jam as a back up. After playing my usual bass for the first hour or so I switched over, put down the pick entirely- and the tone and flexibility of those TI flats with that new bass just completely transformed the way I was playing- I was inspired to do all sorts of things I didn’t ordinarily do- it was like I was a totally different bassist (the other guys were like, “what got into you man, you were going off over there”)....

From that point on, I’ve evolved to 90% fingers 10% pick and I’ve also slowly continued to put more and more various types of flats on various basses. I’m probably at about 60% rounds, 40% flat now.

The Precision is my rock bass, so I'll keep rounds on it. I've been thinking about the JB-5. My Fender Jazz is now fretless and has flats--and damn does it sound great. So I'll probably put rounds on the JB. Having flats on the Ric kind of takes it out of the C Squier and Geddy raspiness as well, and the JB-5 will cover that.

I'm not a collector per se: my main music activities are songwriting, arranging, and recording. My 5 basses, like my guitars, are meant to cover any style I write in. The JB-5 won't ever be my number one (the Ric is), but it'll have its place.

/trying so hard not to pull a talkbass here...

BTW, never jerk a string out of a dog's butt--might be wrapped around something important.

As for my JB-5, I'd never jerk a string out of its butt...unless it wanted me to...