Flat Wound vs Nickel Wound Strings - Experiment Over

[CVS]

About 3 months ago, I put a set of flat wound strings on my PRS HB I guitar that i have owned sinced 2008. I was looking for a darker mellower type of sound that you hear on Jazz recordings. So I decided to take the plunge and see. I put 10 gauge flatwounds on the guitar. All my other electric guitars have plain old nickel wound 10's on them (PRS or D'Addario).

I could definitily hear the difference in the tone with out adjusting amp EQ but I had a lot of trouble just fingering & playing the guitar. Bending the G string was not an easy task. I also realized that I really don't play enough songs that would sound a lot better with flatwounds.

Three days ago the flatwounds came off and I went back to, you guesed it, my "normal" D'Addario 10's. I am now back in love my this guitar.

The experiment is over.

Have any of you done this (or gone the other way)? What was your experience / results?

 

[bodia]

Never tried flat wounds.

 

[markd21]

I had flats on a Charvel Surfcastet ages ago. It was weird because the guitar was HS and I had a Dimarzio Super D in the bridge. I used the guitar for my brother's surf/psycohbilly/garage rock band - spring reverb tank at 10 overdriving a Rivera M60 with a JBL D130.

That band sucked, lol....

 

[CVS]

Forgot to add a comment about the cost - You pay less for a 3 pack of regular nickel wound strings than you do for 1 set of the flatwounds - at least at Sweetwater

 

[CVS]

Never tried flat wounds.

Based on my experience, you are probably better off - and your net worth is higher

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Only done flatwounds on bass on my guitars.

Anytime I play(ed) a guitar with ‘em I’ve been like, why?

 

[Moondog Wily]

My first and only "experiment" with flats was I think about 6 months ago. Although I liked the reduced sound of finger movement on the strings (which is what I was after because I am a lazy sh!tty player who does not lift fingers up enough when moving up and down board), within days of stringin' my McCarty HBII with them, the B string broke. Put on a new set, few days later, the B string broke. I carefully inspected the saddle and found no signs of burs or any other item that would cause string breakage. I put some Slinky's back on and that was the end of the story! The difference in them would not justify their cost anyway IMO!

 

[markd21]

I like flats on certain bass guitars - short scale, especially. My Warwick or the old EBMM basses?? Never. Short scale EBMM? That's a cool sound. Gibson EB? Yeah, flats rule on that turd....

 

[László]

I've played nickel flatwounds - many years ago, and I didn't mind them, actually. They just weren't my thing. Nice not to have the noise, of course.

- BUT -

I've switched from nickel plated strings like the D'Addario and PRS nickel plated strings to pure nickel. I love the pure nickel strings.

I got into guitar before the days of nickel plated steel, a formulation that didn't come out until the early '70s. For me, the nickels last longer than nickel-plated, sound rounder, and are probably easier on the frets.

Lately I've been playing the Sono Tone Vintage Pure Nickel, and they are superb, full-range strings with a bit brighter treble than most pure nickels. Can't tell you why, that's just the way they are. They have a nice feel, too. But I also plan to try a set of Pure Nickel Stringjoy strings, because why not try 'em all (yeah, the Pyramid nickels and D'Addario nickels are nice, too, but different)?

 

[CandidPicker]

Will add that flat wounds present a lot of resistance to bending strings, though in classic jazz, bending is not typical for that genre...the strings have less string noise, though, and IIRC, flat wounds were created for that purpose...yet, justifying the cost of flat wounds over regular round wounds just doesn't fly...so it makes more sense to stick with round wounds and enjoy the benefits of them for what they can do...besides, what guitarist has not desired to do a pick scrape down the low E? Not possible with the flat wounds easily...

 

[dogrocketp]

Try D’Addario half rounds. They’re the best of both worlds on a Hollowbody.

 

[dmatthews]

My dog had flat worms.
It was horrible!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I like flats on certain bass guitars - short scale, especially. My Warwick or the old EBMM basses?? Never. Short scale EBMM? That's a cool sound. Gibson EB? Yeah, flats rule on that turd....

You should rethink that stance. Flat wounds on a MM bass is literally the sound of Bernard Edwards.

 

[jak3af3r]

I have flat wounds on an archtop from the mid-50's and it sounds great. Bending is not an option and isn't stylistically correct for the era/genre as that's most likely what would have been on it.

I had some on an Ibanez hollow body I used in college and it was alright.

My PRS hollow body though has 10s like all my other electrics. It just doesn't do the same jazz thing the big bodied archtops do.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

My Pops uses them on his Jazz box. Not for me, but I get why he uses them to get the tone he wants.

I guess if we all used them, they would be similarly priced to round-wound.

 

[Kiwi]

Flatwounds are a bit of an acquired taste. I'm a fan, but not in all cases for all guitars.

You're signing up for a wound G string, so good luck bending that up a full step or more.

The brand of flatwound strings also really matters. I found D'Addarios to be really dull. T-I's were just the ticket, at a eye-watering price per set.

I recently described T-I flats to a friend as "flatwounds for people who think they don't like flatwounds."

Here's my happy place: https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/consider-flat-wounds-no-seriously-hear-me-out.44577/

=K

 

[RickP]

Had flats on a Yamaha SA2000 (think ES335) for a while. It’s a particular sort of sound, and they‘re good for that sound and style of playing. By style I mean more fluid runs and chording, and less bending and power chording. I wasn’t used to them, and don’t use that sound very much, so off they came.

Jazzy things, Motown type stuff (guitar, but especially JJ style bass), and the like suit flatwounds very much. Other pop/rock/blues stylings favor regular round wound strings, in my opinion.

 

[CVS]

I've played nickel flatwounds - many years ago, and I didn't mind them, actually. They just weren't my thing. Nice not to have the noise, of course.

- BUT -

I've switched from nickel plated strings like the D'Addario and PRS nickel plated strings to pure nickel. I love the pure nickel strings.

I got into guitar before the days of nickel plated steel, a formulation that didn't come out until the early '70s. For me, the nickels last longer than nickel-plated, sound rounder, and are probably easier on the frets.

Lately I've been playing the Sono Tone Vintage Pure Nickel, and they are superb, full-range strings with a bit brighter treble than most pure nickels. Can't tell you why, that's just the way they are. They have a nice feel, too. But I also plan to try a set of Pure Nickel Stringjoy strings, because why not try 'em all (yeah, the Pyramid nickels and D'Addario nickels are nice, too, but different)?

I may just have to try some pure nickel strings....

 

[László]

I may just have to try some pure nickel strings....

The one caveat I have is that pure nickel strings seem to sound even less alike from brand to brand than plated steel. I've found the D'Addario version great, but maybe a touch more mellow than I often want. The Sono-Tones have been just about perfect; I'm going to try a set of Stringjoy because...why not?

 

[Axis39]

Man, PRS and flats, huh?

Yeah, that's me! LOL

I actually switched to flats on almost all of my guitars a little over a decade ago. At the time, I was playing my Gretsches a lot.

I tried D'Addario Chromes first. Hated them from the get-go. Kept reading about these Thomastic-Infleds. Eventually I tried them and haven't gone back yet!

Funny thing is, once I discovered my love of T-I's, I started trying some other round wounds on other guitars. I did eventually settle upon a formula I like, round core, 100% nickel wrap. I like it for all electric strings.

But, I still use flats on most of my guitars, including on my PRS SE Santana. But, it's also got custom woulknd P-90's in it. Maybe that makes a difference? Certain pickups/certain stings?

I play West Coast Blues and Jump, mostly. But, all Blues, the rest of the time. For my sound, and my music, the flats sound and work fantastically. I don't find them as. dull as so many report. In fact, many times when guitar players find out I play flats, they just don't believe me. They are convinced the treble response and cut of my tone are from round wound strings... But, no. Not the case at all!

I don't understand the 'it's tough to bend' bit. I've never had that issue. I use a set of 10's. The g may be something like a 17 or 18. But, the core is so thin at that point, I'm not sure how a solid wire would feel slinkier? Is it a grip thing with y'all?