# How do you install flatwounds?



## Barclaye (Mar 24, 2012)

After searching around the forums a bit, I've found several threads where people mention that you have to take special precautions when installing flatwounds vs roundwounds.

Some say that only the silk part must wrap around the tuning post. Others emphasize that you must put a 90 degree bend into a string before threading it around the post, or it will lose integrity. Some say you should never cut a flatwound string, or it might unravel.

Then, on the other hand, Fender says on its website that you should cut each string so that it's about 10.2 cm longer than what it needs to reach the tuning post, so that there isn't too much string wrapped around each post.

Now I'm a bit confused, and I got two sets of Fender 9050L flatwounds arriving in the mail any day now, that I'm gonna put on my basses (jazz basses), so I'd like to hear you guys' way of installing flats, so I will get it right.


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## Tyghor (Mar 24, 2012)

I've never did anything special to instal my flatwounds, and never had any problems with it. But if you want to check some info, you should see the string section on talk bass, it's realyy resourceful for info like these


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## LordCashew (Mar 24, 2012)

You should be fine cutting the silked part of the string. The exposed winds may unravel when broken - which is probably a risk if you wind the unsilked portion around the posts. These are very real issues with upright bass strings, probably less so with electric basses.

Installing a typical set of flats on a normal bass should be no problem. Stringing up my P-bass with flats was identical to doing it with rounds.


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## noUser01 (Mar 24, 2012)

Most of the time you should be fine to install them normally. So far I haven't had any issues putting them on my bass player's Jazz Basses, same with his half-rounds.


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## AxeHappy (Apr 1, 2012)

Barclaye said:


> Others emphasize that you must put a 90 degree bend into a string before threading it around the post, or it will lose integrity.




I believe this actually has more to do with round core vs. hex core and even then only with some brands. DR certainly emphasises it on their round core strings.


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