Consider flat wounds. No, seriously. Hear me out.

Kiwi

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Jul 19, 2013
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I have an odd gear recommendation. It may be esoteric, but stay with me. It has to do with strings.

Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds.

Okay, if you're still reading ... :eek:

The T-I strings tame the problem children in my guitar collection, then send them off to finishing school, where they then get admitted to top colleges.

1) The Gretsch Setzer 6120 is a wildly idiosyncratic beast. Very bright highs, woofy lows, very prone to feedback, often thin, sometimes just screechy, very picky about amps (it marries Marshalls and spurns Matchless). It is an acoustic guitar with two pickups dropped in. I've used everything from 11 gauge nickel wounds to 11 flatwound D'Adds to regular nickel 10s and 12s. They all sounded varying shades of okay. The D'Add flatwounds just sucked the life out that sparkling guitar. Thorazine for tone.

Then I put in a set of T-I jazz flatwound 11s. It smoothed everything out, restored balance across the strings, kept the essential hollowbody sound and smartened things right up. The 6120 is now a lively conversationalist.

2) The PRS Modern Eagle Quatro (MEQ) is another problem child, the one vanity piece in my collection. The solid rosewood neck is a very different ride. It offers piano-like clear lows, brilliant highs, and so much sustain that it became problematic: Sustaining notes (especially the low ones) would all smear into each other.

I tried everything: up to 11s, downtuned to D standard, 10s, 9s.... till I finally settled on the lowest 3 strings from a 9 set and the top 3 from a 10 set, all nickel wound, to try to tame it. Screwy, but it worked.

This weekend I put on a set of 10-44 T-I flatwounds on the MEQ and again it just completely smoothed out and livened up the guitar. Way more livable (and playable - the low 9s were just wet noodles in my ham fists). All while retaining the sound that made it unique.

The rap on flatwounds is that they can dull down any guitar, and that was my experience ... until I tried the T-Is. They keep the guitar's juiciness, and they even it all out and make it behave. I'm not even sure that if you didn't know they were flatwounds that you could tell from the tone.

Who'd a thunk a mere set of strings would be a Swiss governess for the problem children?

There is, however ... ahem ... <cough> a certain cost to this solution.

T-I flats are not just eye-wateringly expensive. They are knee-bucklingly expensive.

But it's your children. Want them to behave? Want to make them presentable to top colleges? You'll pay what it takes, and you will thank me later.

=K
 
I have an odd gear recommendation. It may be esoteric, but stay with me. It has to do with strings.

Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds.

Okay, if you're still reading ... :eek:

The T-I strings tame the problem children in my guitar collection, then send them off to finishing school, where they then get admitted to top colleges.

1) The Gretsch Setzer 6120 is a wildly idiosyncratic beast. Very bright highs, woofy lows, very prone to feedback, often thin, sometimes just screechy, very picky about amps (it marries Marshalls and spurns Matchless). It is an acoustic guitar with two pickups dropped in. I've used everything from 11 gauge nickel wounds to 11 flatwound D'Adds to regular nickel 10s and 12s. They all sounded varying shades of okay. The D'Add flatwounds just sucked the life out that sparkling guitar. Thorazine for tone.

Then I put in a set of T-I jazz flatwound 11s. It smoothed everything out, restored balance across the strings, kept the essential hollowbody sound and smartened things right up. The 6120 is now a lively conversationalist.

2) The PRS Modern Eagle Quatro (MEQ) is another problem child, the one vanity piece in my collection. The solid rosewood neck is a very different ride. It offers piano-like clear lows, brilliant highs, and so much sustain that it became problematic: Sustaining notes (especially the low ones) would all smear into each other.

I tried everything: up to 11s, downtuned to D standard, 10s, 9s.... till I finally settled on the lowest 3 strings from a 9 set and the top 3 from a 10 set, all nickel wound, to try to tame it. Screwy, but it worked.

This weekend I put on a set of 10-44 T-I flatwounds on the MEQ and again it just completely smoothed out and livened up the guitar. Way more livable (and playable - the low 9s were just wet noodles in my ham fists). All while retaining the sound that made it unique.

The rap on flatwounds is that they can dull down any guitar, and that was my experience ... until I tried the T-Is. They keep the guitar's juiciness, and they even it all out and make it behave. I'm not even sure that if you didn't know they were flatwounds that you could tell from the tone.

Who'd a thunk a mere set of strings would be a Swiss governess for the problem children?

There is, however ... ahem ... <cough> a certain cost to this solution.

T-I flats are not just eye-wateringly expensive. They are knee-bucklingly expensive.

But it's your children. Want them to behave? Want to make them presentable to top colleges? You'll pay what it takes, and you will thank me later.

=K
I like the idea.

I have flatwounds on a Byrdland, a ES-350td, and have been tempted to put them on other solid body guitars. Great sounds.

Yes, the T-I strings are expensive but they are good.
 
Yep.
My problem child guitar (that I referenced in another thread) was finally brought into compliance with TI flats...along with an ebony bridge and WCR Godwood pups. It's definitely the weirdest guitar I have in terms of it's elements, but it's unique and now sounds great.

I didn't know TI made flats that are 10-44...is the wound G string really quiet compared to the rest?
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I can appreciate a well written suggestion. I approve. I thought they'd be more expensive. I might try a set...I probably need a proper guitar for them though. I better call my guy!
 
i cut all my fingers on ruined flatwounds the heroin addicts put on the archtops they sold back to lightning sound. the worst was a solid beatle bass with a snag like an opened can; couldn’t play for two days.
 
Nice post, a bit puzzling for me though. You don't talk like a New Zealander and yet you have a Kiwi name - literally. I'm guessing you aren't. I'm sure there an interesting story behind it though.
 
I've thought about putting flatwounds on my Swingster but the cheapskate in me won't let me spend the money on a set of strings I may hate.
 
I'd always wanted to try flatwounds, but being um...frugal, I could never bring myself to actually buy a set. My 6119 TR came with a set of Thomastik Infeld flats already on it and now I'm a believer. I love the feel of the flats under my fingers and I also like the way they work for slide as well, the string noise is practically nonexistent and so far, they seem to last forever. I've yet to try them on any of my PRS guitars, but I've been wondering about turning the Mira into a slide guitar like the one Joe Walsh uses and I'll definitely be using flatwounds if I go in that direction.
 
I considered the T-I flatwounds for my acoustic bass, based on other recommendations, but thought again when i saw the price was over$85 a set. I bought a set of nylon tape wrapped flats instead for a third of the cost.
 
OP, thanks for your suggestion. I've located some T-I .10-.46 flat wounds, and will be looking forward to trying them.

It appears that T-I strings range from $24.99 to $30.99, shipping may or may not be included.

(Just for your info, Reverb has the best prices on T-I strings my research discovered. Supplies are limited.)
 
Hmmm.....I've never played flat wounds.

I used to with my former PS Archtops. Had a distinctly warmer sound, smoother response, but I'd not tried T-I flat wounds. Hoping this will be like treating the family to a 7-course meal with a 80% prepaid coupon...the OP has already whetted my appetite...waiting for the main course...
 
My ‘78 Yamaha SA2000 came to me with flatwounds on it, which I replaced with my normal set. Now that I don’t play it as much, returning it to flats might be a great idea. Thanks for sharing... I’d have had no idea what brand to buy.
 
Just received my Thomastik-Infeld .10-.46s today and installed them. Smoother, more balanced tone, cleans up well as lower volumes. Easier to play fast lines with9ut the usual round wound string drag during legato lines.

Will soon test the SE HBII Piezo at point-of-breakup and would like to dial in a volume for both magnetics and piezo where my Gigboard and FRFR108 travels from clean to slightly pushed, then overdriven, with just adjustments of the guitar's volume knobs. IOW, just stepping on the gas pedal a little. The Gigboard screen for 4 rigs tells me the configs are correct.

Will report back either tonight or tomorrow afternoon.
 
P-90's or Dyna style pickups and flatwounds is my sound!

I love T-I Jazz Swings as well. I have the 10-44;s on most of my guitars,.

Also remember that, although th e initial buy-in is expensive ($25+ a set), they outlast roundwounds by forever! A round wound set will last me a month to six weeks on a regularly gigged guitar. T-I's will last me 12-18 months. Yeah, no kidding, a full year and a half, easy.

Plus, I love the way they sound. A touch softer on the attack, but really nice tone, harmonics, everything.


So, yeah, I say T-I's for everything! LOL
 
Interesting.
How does everyone get on with wound 3rds?
How about bends?

I don't even notice a difference, to be honest. The tension is so even on the 10-44 set, they just feel completely comfortable to play. I bend all over the place and have never had a T-I g string break on me, nor do they interfere with my playing in any way. They do get rid of 99% of the string noise, though.

I've had a number of guys try my guitar, and stop short when they suddenly realize they are playing a guitar with flats on it. They will usually comment on the good tone, and how nice they actually feel. Then, they profess that they never imagined I was playing flats. I've never had anyone even casually remark on the fact that the g string is a wound string.
 
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