When buying strings it can be confusing figuring out what type of strings are right for your bass.

ROUNDWOUND STRINGS

Nowadays when we see a majority of strings at guitar shops and online they are predominantly roundwound. The term roundwound refers to the round winding wire made from nickel or steel that creates the string. They look basically like spaghetti with ridges making them more of a rougher textured string.

The first roundwound electric bass strings were first developed in the 1960s by Rotosound when they created the Swing Bass 66 set.

These strings produce a bright, vibrant sound and is used in many popular genres of music including pop, rock and blues to name a few.

FLATWOUND STRINGS

Flatwound strings are not as commonly used now as much as roundwound strings are but they were a popular choice back in the 1950s. With the formation of the bass guitar, flatwound strings were first used for electric bass continuing their popularity into the end of the ‘60s. This was when roundwound strings were invented and became popular.

They are described as smooth fettuccine due to their fatter look and smoother texture. These strings give off more of a dull sound. Jazz is the perfect genre where these strings would work and are used.

Flatwound strings do offer an advantage in that you can have them on your bass for years without changing them. They do cost a little bit more but the investment depending on the sound you are going for can definitely be worth it.

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