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I have been a great fan of Ken Smith Bass Burners for some time. See
separate review. I didn't think that I could find the richness and depth
of those strings in any other strings. I hadn't, until now. I tried these
just for a change, and I'm glad that I did.
Power Flats are, as you may have guessed, flatwound strings. SIT claims
that they are, actually, semi-flat, They feel like true flats to me. The
wrap is pure nickel, smooth, but not glassy. Tension is medium. And the
sound is powerful and warm. They are not at all dull, as many flats are.
The bottom is full, round, rich and deep. The high mids are subdued, but
quite present. The highs are muted, with a nonmetallic and non-twangy
nature. A pick can bring that out, however. I am not into slap and the
ultra sharp modern sound. I like the sounds found in Motown, blues, smooth
jazz, and upright bass. These strings do these sounds quite well and still
have enough mids and highs to carry other styles, as well. The warm,
round, richness of the notes is what first impressed me. A virtual match
to the Bass Burners. The near absence of metallic overtones to the mids
and highs sold me on them. Quite upright sounding. Organic. And the feel
is very smooth. Since they are flats, there is no string noise and very
little fret noise. Probably, the pure nickel wrap has a lot to do with
that, too. It will definitely increase fret life. Obviously, these strings
are not for everybody, but if you have considered trying flats, give these
a shot.
My bass is a darkburst Peavey T-40 with rosewood fingerboard. It is a very
bright bass, without being clanky. It, also, has a naturally deep sound.
See separate review. My amp is a Hughes & Kettner BassBase 250, also in a
separate review. My cabinet is a home made Theile cabinet with one 12"
speaker.
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