Ernie Ball Releases Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Bass Strings: “They Have a Real Kind of Thump”

by Kevin Johnson Friday, May 9th, 2025

Ernie Ball Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Bass Strings

Earlier this year, we shared the news that Ernie Ball was working on a set of signature strings for Pino Palladino. Now, the company has officially launched the Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats with a demo video featuring the session ace himself.

The flatwound strings were developed with the bassist for an “ultra-smooth reel and rich, warm tone.” Ernie Ball crafts them from a precision-polished cobalt alloy ribbon for low tension and a vintage-inspired sound.

“The flats have a certain feel to them, just physically,” Palladino says. “They feel so good. You don’t get any string noise. They have a real kind of thump to them and lots of low end, too. It’s a very different approach playing flatwound strings compared to roundwound strings on a fretless.”

Palladino goes on to say that the gauges were hugely important to him. The set comes in Extra Light (.038, .054, .068, .098) and Medium (.043, .061, .076, .108) gauges.

Available for purchase HERE

Hear Palladino speaking about them and playing them in this video:

The Ernie Ball Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Bass Strings are available now for $79.99.

Ernie Ball Pino Palladino Smoothie Flats Bass Strings Features:

Premium flatwound strings developed with Pino Palladino
Precision polished for an ultra-smooth feel
Wound with cobalt alloy ribbon for a rich, deep sound
Smooth, vintage tone and flexible, low-tension feel
Available in 2 gauge combinations: Extra Light (38, 54, 68, 98), Medium (43, 61,76, 108)

In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.