---
product_id: 1363652
title: "XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings ECB81-5, 45-132, 5-String | XL Chromes flatwound bass strings deliver smooth feel, warm tone, reduced finger noise and exceptional durability."
brand: "d'addario"
price: "₱6503"
currency: PHP
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "D'addario"
url: https://www.desertcart.ph/products/1363652-xl-chromes-flatwound-bass-strings-ecb81-5-45-132-5
store_origin: PH
region: Philippines
---

# Flatwound for smooth, mellow tone Hex-Core for perfect intonation & durability Made in USA with precision engineering XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings ECB81-5, 45-132, 5-String | XL Chromes flatwound bass strings deliver smooth feel, warm tone, reduced finger noise and exceptional durability.

**Brand:** d'addario
**Price:** ₱6503
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎶 Elevate your groove with the smoothest, warmest flatwound bass strings—because your sound deserves the spotlight.

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings ECB81-5, 45-132, 5-String | XL Chromes flatwound bass strings deliver smooth feel, warm tone, reduced finger noise and exceptional durability. by d'addario
- **How much does it cost?** ₱6503 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ph](https://www.desertcart.ph/products/1363652-xl-chromes-flatwound-bass-strings-ecb81-5-45-132-5)

## Best For

- d'addario enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted d'addario brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Extended 5-String Range:** Add deep, powerful low B notes (45-132 gauge) to expand your musical horizons.
- • **Eco-Friendly & Rewarding:** Earn Players Circle points with every purchase, all wrapped in recyclable packaging.
- • **Warm, Dark Tonal Palette:** Craft your signature sound with rich, mellow lows and a smooth midrange that blends effortlessly.
- • **Ultra-Smooth Flatwound Feel:** Experience buttery finger glide with zero fret noise—perfect for long jam sessions.
- • **Precision Hex-Core Technology:** Stay in tune and maintain consistent playability with D’Addario’s proprietary core design.

## Overview

D'Addario XL Chromes ECB81-5 are premium 5-string flatwound bass strings (45-132 gauge) crafted in the USA. Featuring a polished stainless steel flattened ribbon wrap and a high-carbon Hex-Core, they deliver a smooth, mellow tone with exceptional intonation and durability. Ideal for jazz, R&B, and pop bassists seeking a dark, warm sound with minimal finger noise, these strings also offer eco-conscious packaging and a rewards program for players.

## Description

Product Description XL Chromes are among the warmest, mellowest bass strings we have to offer. These flat wound strings provide an ultra-smooth feel and a dark, yet warm tone, while allowing movement across the fretboard with no finger noise. Made with a high carbon steel core, Chromes stainless steel flattened ribbon wrap wire is expertly wound onto a series of interlocking under-windings, then precisely polished for unparalleled smoothness and a tonal presence which blends beautifully into the mix. Made for 5-string basses, 45-132 Regular Light gauge strings take our most popular bass gauge and add a low B-string. From the Manufacturer ECB81-5, the 5-string version of D'Addario's best-selling Flatwound bass strings, are known for their warm, mellow tone and smooth polished feel. With the addition of a .132 low B, Chromes deliver a deep, rich low bottom end which makes them the flat wound choice of Jazz, R&B and Pop musicians. Fits long scale basses with a string scale length of up to 36 1/4 inches. D'Addario Chromes Bass strings are wound with flattened stainless steel ribbon wire which is polished to an incredibly smooth surface. Delivering a distinctive damped, but tone-rich sound that only flatwounds can produce, D'Addario Chromes are the world's most popular flatwound strings.D'Addario, the world's largest manufacturer of musical instrument strings, is known as The Players Choice with a reputation for unsurpassed quality and consistency. D'Addario's innovative packaging reduces waste and provides protection from corrosion. All D'Addario strings are manufactured in the U.S.A. using proprietary, digitally controlled, state-of-the-art machinery for unmatched performance, set after set.

Review: Really liking these. Great E string tonal quality. - I have a through-body Mustang bass. Since I bought it, I always used LaBella Mustang Flats because of the perfect fit... I'm surprised more strings don't market specifically "for Mustang". But these strings, in the medium-scale set, are PERFECT for a through-body Mustang. Also, the sound is excellent. The E string has (at least on a brand-new set) just about the liveliest sound I've ever heard on an E string. Ya know how sometimes playing a note on the A string vs the E strings, even on a brand-new set, sounds way, way different in tonal quality? That problem is really minimized with these strings -- again, at least on a brand-new set. I'll be keeping any eye out for how the E string deadens with time, but as I get a better ear with time, I find that I need to replace my strings about every 3 months anyway, otherwise everything starts sounding dead to me. Too bad Thomastik-Infeld doesn't make their Jazz Flats in a scale for through-body Mustangs, those suckers sound good forever! (hint hint, T.I.!) Anyway, these strings seem to have noticeably better sound than the LaBellas, especially on the E. I really like the gauge too, they just feel right. May have to become a lifelong d'Addario fan! ADDENDUM AFTER GOING THROUGH SEVERAL SETS: Still loving them! I usually get 3 to 4 months on a set, and then the dullness starts to kick in too much. Although even after 4 months, you might really like the sound, they still sound good, they still play well, and they still stay in tune -- they just don't have that lively bright quality like a newer set. They also age very, very nicely, in that each string ages equally, even the E string, which is really surprising since I've found that the E string (with other brands) tends to go duller faster than other strings, and gets to be way-too-dead very quickly. Not these babies!!! The E string, even after four months, sounds comparable in tonal quality to the other strings and still has good sustain... again, just losing that brightness to age at the same rate as the other strings. UPDATE: after many, many sets of these strings, they are still my favorite for a Mustang Bass instrument with through-body strings. They sound good for a long time, getting "deader" very gracefully, including even-balanced aging and tone on the low E. They sound so good aged, that it shocks me when I throw on a new set and hear how bright they are!! I'm like, whoa, sure, they weren't bright after all that time, but man they still sounded sweet!
Review: Really nice strings that add new options to my sound - Been playing bass in a cover band that plays a wide range of mostly danceable music: Pop, Top40, R&B, Funk, anything groovy. I play two Fender Jazz Basses. One is a standard MIM and the other is a Japanese Aerodyne with P/J pickups. I have been playing Rotosound Swing Bass Roundwounds on both. But.... I have been noticing that with this kind of music I was always turning down the tone and bridge pickups to get a deeper sound like on most of these original tunes. Also found myself playing the Aerodyne almost all the time because of the P Bass pickup and it's tone. Went online and researched various options for getting that genuine tone from the 60's and 70's and learned that Flat Wounds are where it's at. Caught some great videos on YouTube about these strings and decided to give them a try. I'm glad I did! They are a huge step in the direction I was trying to go. Put them on the Aerodyne, gonna keep that one as my groovy axe and the MIM Jazz will keep the roundwounds for when I need to rock out and want that great lively tone they produce. The flatwounds feel smooth slick and amazing to play. They are a bit stiffer with more thud than rounds and also have less ring. Which is good for certain kinds of music. I noticed with them I don't have to mute open strings as much and they naturally produce more of a deeper thumpier sound. They have great sustain, so they're not deader, just have less of the higher overtones of rounds. I also noticed that my tone knob is way more responsive with these strings than with rounds. Using the tone knob and blending in the bridge single coil pickup give me a much wider range of tones now than I ever had before. Go figure. I can also crank up the tone and the bridge pickup and get very close to a roundwound sound for certain tunes and not have to change basses. Overall, I am very pleased with these strings and the way they have added more options to my sound. I would recommend them to anyone looking to broaden their pallet of sound or discover for themselves the deep soulful funky tones these strings produce and why they are such a big part of some of the greatest music ever recorded. MORE BASS!!

## Features

- MELLOW TONE - XL Chromes are a flat wound electric bass string, which provide a mellower tone than round wound strings.
- SMOOTH, DARK TONES - Chromes stainless steel flattened ribbon wrap wire is precisely polished for unparalleled smoothness and a dark, yet warm tone.
- HEX-CORE - Like all D’Addario bass strings, XL Chromes are made with our proprietary Hex-Core, ensuring perfect intonation, consistent feel, and reliable durability.
- EARN REWARD POINTS - Chromes sets have a code on the recyclable VCI bag, which you can register to earn Players Circle points.
- MADE IN THE USA – D’Addario bass guitar strings are made in the USA—drawn to our exacting specifications at our New York production facility.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B0009FZWLS |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,009 in Musical Instruments ( See Top 100 in Musical Instruments ) #5 in Bass Guitar Strings |
| Body Material Type | Stainless Steel, High Carbon Steel |
| Brand | D'Addario |
| Brand Name | D'Addario |
| Coating Description | Uncoated |
| Color | Silver |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,751 Reviews |
| Finish Type | Polished |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00019954925710, 00019954945046 |
| Included Components | Strings only |
| Instrument | Bass Guitar |
| Item Type Name | Electric Guitar Strings |
| Item Weight | 5.9 ounces |
| Manufacturer | D'Addario &Co. Inc |
| Manufacturer Part Number | ECB81-5 |
| Material Type | Stainless Steel |
| Model Name | ECB81-5 |
| Model Number | ECB81-5 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Bass Guitar |
| Set Name | ECB81-5 |
| Sound Profile | Warm, Mellow |
| String Gauge | Medium |
| String Material Type | Chrome |
| UPC | 199549257102 019954925710 019954945046 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Warranty Description | D'addario strives to be a customer-centric company dedicated to producing the highest quality musical instrument accessories in the world. If you have purchased a d'addario product that you believe to be defective, we invite you to submit a contact us form, selecting defect/warranty as inquiry type. We are committed to providing a fair resolution and hope that you will want to continue supporting … |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** D'Addario
- **Color:** Silver
- **Instrument:** Bass Guitar
- **String Gauge:** Medium
- **String Material Type:** Chrome

## Images

![XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings ECB81-5, 45-132, 5-String | XL Chromes flatwound bass strings deliver smooth feel, warm tone, reduced finger noise and exceptional durability. - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81DghT4lRTL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Size, Style** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Will these fit Ibanez Mikro, 30" from string end to nut.  32-35" to turning peg?**
A: I believe thy will fit.  From the bridge end of the strings to the tuner end Blue windings, they are about 32.3 inches.  So if your "end of string to nut" is 32 inches, they should be about right.  They sound nice and have virtually no finger zip noise.

**Q: I've been using D'Addario Nickel Round Wound 45-105 bass strings.  Will these strings require a setup for my bass, these are higher tension strings.**
A: Cdub53, switching from the D'Addario 45-105's to ECB81's will have a minuscule, perhaps not even noticeable effect on your bass. In the event that there is a change, a tech in your area may be able to perform a slight adjustment for less than the cost of a full set up. If you're interested in pursuing the flat-wound sound, a small investment (around $20.00) may be worth it.

**Q: Which set of the xl chromes would be best for a harley benton stingray?**
A: That's a 34" scale bass. The medium scale set (ECB81M) would not work. You'd have silk wrapping below the nut. D'Addario's ECB81 series comes in a number of lengths, short, medium, long, and super-long scales and several gauges. (But unfortunately for me, no medium scale/medium gauge.) The set for your bass is probably the ECB81 (long scale). You probably don't need the "SL" super long, because it's a regular bridge, not string-through-body.

After that, it's a matter of personal preference for sound and feel. The ECB80s are softer feeling.  The ECB82s are firmer. The ECB84s supposedly sound more roundwound, but are still flats. (I haven't used them.) The ECB92 series are tapewound for a thumpy, standup bass sort of sound.

**Q: Will these work on an acoustic bass? I know they are designed for electric bass, but I have heard of people using flatwound on their acoustic basses.**
A: The tension required for these strings may be too much for an acoustic bass.Tapewound strings may work, but it is best to contact the manufacturer of you acousyic bass to find out if the D'Addario flatwounds are safe for your acoustic bass. Depending on which AB you have, the bridge may not be strong enough for these strings, and could severely damage your bass.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really liking these. Great E string tonal quality.
*by R***N on June 19, 2019*

I have a through-body Mustang bass. Since I bought it, I always used LaBella Mustang Flats because of the perfect fit... I'm surprised more strings don't market specifically "for Mustang". But these strings, in the medium-scale set, are PERFECT for a through-body Mustang. Also, the sound is excellent. The E string has (at least on a brand-new set) just about the liveliest sound I've ever heard on an E string. Ya know how sometimes playing a note on the A string vs the E strings, even on a brand-new set, sounds way, way different in tonal quality? That problem is really minimized with these strings -- again, at least on a brand-new set. I'll be keeping any eye out for how the E string deadens with time, but as I get a better ear with time, I find that I need to replace my strings about every 3 months anyway, otherwise everything starts sounding dead to me. Too bad Thomastik-Infeld doesn't make their Jazz Flats in a scale for through-body Mustangs, those suckers sound good forever! (hint hint, T.I.!) Anyway, these strings seem to have noticeably better sound than the LaBellas, especially on the E. I really like the gauge too, they just feel right. May have to become a lifelong d'Addario fan! ADDENDUM AFTER GOING THROUGH SEVERAL SETS: Still loving them! I usually get 3 to 4 months on a set, and then the dullness starts to kick in too much. Although even after 4 months, you might really like the sound, they still sound good, they still play well, and they still stay in tune -- they just don't have that lively bright quality like a newer set. They also age very, very nicely, in that each string ages equally, even the E string, which is really surprising since I've found that the E string (with other brands) tends to go duller faster than other strings, and gets to be way-too-dead very quickly. Not these babies!!! The E string, even after four months, sounds comparable in tonal quality to the other strings and still has good sustain... again, just losing that brightness to age at the same rate as the other strings. UPDATE: after many, many sets of these strings, they are still my favorite for a Mustang Bass instrument with through-body strings. They sound good for a long time, getting "deader" very gracefully, including even-balanced aging and tone on the low E. They sound so good aged, that it shocks me when I throw on a new set and hear how bright they are!! I'm like, whoa, sure, they weren't bright after all that time, but man they still sounded sweet!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really nice strings that add new options to my sound
*by C***A on July 24, 2013*

Been playing bass in a cover band that plays a wide range of mostly danceable music: Pop, Top40, R&B, Funk, anything groovy. I play two Fender Jazz Basses. One is a standard MIM and the other is a Japanese Aerodyne with P/J pickups. I have been playing Rotosound Swing Bass Roundwounds on both. But.... I have been noticing that with this kind of music I was always turning down the tone and bridge pickups to get a deeper sound like on most of these original tunes. Also found myself playing the Aerodyne almost all the time because of the P Bass pickup and it's tone. Went online and researched various options for getting that genuine tone from the 60's and 70's and learned that Flat Wounds are where it's at. Caught some great videos on YouTube about these strings and decided to give them a try. I'm glad I did! They are a huge step in the direction I was trying to go. Put them on the Aerodyne, gonna keep that one as my groovy axe and the MIM Jazz will keep the roundwounds for when I need to rock out and want that great lively tone they produce. The flatwounds feel smooth slick and amazing to play. They are a bit stiffer with more thud than rounds and also have less ring. Which is good for certain kinds of music. I noticed with them I don't have to mute open strings as much and they naturally produce more of a deeper thumpier sound. They have great sustain, so they're not deader, just have less of the higher overtones of rounds. I also noticed that my tone knob is way more responsive with these strings than with rounds. Using the tone knob and blending in the bridge single coil pickup give me a much wider range of tones now than I ever had before. Go figure. I can also crank up the tone and the bridge pickup and get very close to a roundwound sound for certain tunes and not have to change basses. Overall, I am very pleased with these strings and the way they have added more options to my sound. I would recommend them to anyone looking to broaden their pallet of sound or discover for themselves the deep soulful funky tones these strings produce and why they are such a big part of some of the greatest music ever recorded. MORE BASS!!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Bass strings
*by M***N on March 20, 2026*

I have an acoustic bass guitar and I tried D'Addario semi round strings for a 5 string bass. The B string broke just trying to tune it the first time. The E string was DOA. So I bought these strings and will pick up a single B string later. These strings play really nice. Nice and mellow yet louder than the original round wound strings. Would definitely buy again. No loud zipping sound when you run your fingers up the strings. They are probably not for an acoustic bass but I made them work.

## Frequently Bought Together

- D'Addario XL Chromes Flat Wound Bass Guitar Strings - ECB81-5 - 5 String - Long Scale - Regular Light, 45-132
- D'Addario Single Bass Chromes 032 Long (CB032)

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*Product available on Desertcart Philippines*
*Store origin: PH*
*Last updated: 2026-08-24*