Daddario ECB81-5

These were purchased to replace the skin-shredding, finger-burning, serrated-edged standard strings that came with a brand new five string fretless bass, and they certainly help the comfort of playing live ceilidh music at speed. The sound, too, is a more rounded and satisfying one.

I got a pack of these to put on my new fretless. They're more expensive than roundwounds, but they seemingly last for years and more importantly, make it sound like a fretless bass! They give you that 'mwha' which you won't get with roundwounds and they will save your fretboard.

If you like D'addario, you will like these.

I don't play roundwounds but I also dislike the stiffness of most flatwound strings, even in light gauges. D'addario Chromes offer me the best of both worlds - low tension flatwounds. They sound a lot brighter than any other make of flatwounds I've tried so far, and will last years if you keep them clean and look after them. Only thing, they tend to be a little less smooth than higher tension makes, especially the E and low B: that probably helps lower the tension and make the sound brighter, and is not a problem while playing.

For my Warwick Star Bass I was looking for strings which provide a typical Motown sound. The Daddarios are pleasantly smooth and play fast. Unlike many other Flats these strings are higher tension, so that the B string right here sounds good and crisp.

These are my first set of flatwound strings and I love them. The sound is warm and mellow but is still surprisingly bright. They feel so smooth that my fingers seem to glide over them and I actually do find myself playing my bass slightly differently which is great. I've put this set on a US 5 string Jazz and I'm very happy, especially on the neck pickup when muting the strings. Total old school sound. Now I just need to buy a precision bass and go for it properly!

I use these strings all the time, great warm /mellow sound from them for soulful playing. They are a little more expensive than some other flatwound strings but they last for ages and are well worth it.

If you are new to flats try these out, they are not as thumpy as the classic flats like rotosounds or labellas they still provide some clarity. Very easy to play.