Flatwound or Roundwound bass strings for Opeth type sound

[Splat88]

I've got a Fender P bass tuned to drop C with roundwound string gauges 130, 90, 75, 55. It has one Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickup. It sounds great with distorted guitars, but on parts where bass is played by itself, the pick attack and be a bit spikey, shrill and very uneven. I can't play for crap using my fingers so I must use a pick.

I've always loved how deep, rich, and clean Opeth's bass sound is especially on Blackwater Park and was wondering if anyone knew if flatwound strings would help me achieve that type of tone.

 

[egan.]

I've got a Fender P bass tuned to drop C with roundwound string gauges 130, 90, 75, 55. It has one Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickup. It sounds great with distorted guitars, but on parts where bass is played by itself, the pick attack and be a bit spikey, shrill and very uneven. I can't play for crap using my fingers so I must use a pick.

I've always loved how deep, rich, and clean Opeth's bass sound is especially on Blackwater Park and was wondering if anyone knew if flatwound strings would help me achieve that type of tone.

First answer: that's the sound of finger style. There is no substitute for some meat on the string if that's what you're after.

Second answer: give some half wounds a try and see if it does the trick. Play with the pickup position and also with where you are doing your picking. Trying a felt pick might work for what you want too.

Good luck!

 

[Morgan138]

Yeah, I haven't scrutinized Opeth's bass tone but I do play flatwounds, and they actually sound pretty strange when played with a pick. I'm guessing you're probably hearing different EQ and/or fingerstyle playing, as Egan suggested. I wouldn't recommend flatwounds until you're comfortable playing fingerstyle.

 

[Splat88]

I'm pretty sure you guys are right about the fingerstyle playing the biggest role. I tried messing around with it today and it does sound drastically different. I think I need to just sit down and practice not using a pick.

 

[Morgan138]

Don't get me wrong, I love flatwounds but they work better when they aren't trying to cut through a super-dense metal mix. I mean, I think Steve Harris is the famous metal flatwounds guy but Maiden had pretty thin-sounding guitars and his bass was almost unpleasantly boing-y at times.