Grateful Dead Music Forum

Anyone know when Phil switched over from flats to roundwounds?


B

My best guess is that he switched to them (assuming that you're talking about the Ken Smith Slick Rounds, which sound a lot like roundwounds) during that brief time when he used a Ken Smith bass, which is sometime in 1990. From then on his tone has a kind of Snap to the attack that it never had in the 80's.

Actually, at least when I met him, he was using D'Addario Half-rounds. I had been using DRs, but had switched to Half-rounds shortly before. That would have been in the '90s

Slick rounds or half rounds are like a grinded down round wound so they have the brightness and punch of a round wound but a smoother feel more like that of a flat wound (but not quite). Definitely easier on your fingers especially if you're used to flat wounds.

ugly rumor wrote:Actually, at least when I met him, he was using D'Addario Half-rounds. I had been using DRs, but had switched to Half-rounds shortly before. That would have been in the '90s

Firsthand info is the best! Any idea what year?