Flatwound strings?

[Frank McNerney]

I'd love to hear some opinions on flat wounds
I just put on some Chrome 10's and I'm finding them a bit weird.
Thank
Frank

 

[elvis]

I loved them on a jazz box I owned a while back. Not a fan in general.

 

[Rusty Chops]

Some guitars work well with flat wounds. Some don’t.
I’ve had trouble balancing the treble sound with the wound strings. Depends on tone pot, etc.

 

[László]

The only opinion that matters is yours. They’re kinda nice on a big old jazz box with a spruce top and an old-school suspended pickup.

 

[BWV548]

Flatwound 13s on a telecaster, into a metal zone and 1980s peavey solid state amp might be the greatest sound in the universe.
Or....

 

[Kiwi]

It's normally a very traditional clean sound for hollowbody guitars. Here are flatwounds (11-50) on a Gretsch 6122. My re-arrangement of "St James Infirmary," done in one take into two amps in stereo.

https://soundcloud.com/user-704424983/st-james-infirmary-full-band-version

But I would also send anyone interested in the mainstream rock / pop uses of flatwounds to Joe Gore's terrific video, "My Flatwound Addiction" - he explains just why and how they can be very useful in a modern context including playing with some crunch.

=K

 

[László]

It's normally a very traditional clean sound for hollowbody guitars. Here are flatwounds (11-50) on a Gretsch 6122. My re-arrangement of "St James Infirmary," done in one take into two amps in stereo.

https://soundcloud.com/user-704424983/st-james-infirmary-full-band-version

But I would also send anyone interested in the mainstream rock / pop uses of flatwounds to Joe Gore's terrific video, "My Flatwound Addiction" - he explains just why and how they can be very useful in a modern context including playing with some crunch.

=K

I’m a big fan of the guitar faces in this video.

 

[Casi1]

I'd love to hear some opinions on flat wounds
I just put on some Chrome 10's and I'm finding them a bit weird.
Thank
Frank

I put some on a SE semi-hollow once. They sounded good on that particular guitar.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I like Thomastik-Infeld.

 

[Axis39]

I like Thomastik-Infeld.

Me too.

Never cared for Chromes. They sounded weird to me too (on a Strat years ago).

I run T-I Jazz Swings on the majority of my electrics, including several humbucker equipped guitars. Tried some GHS Burnished Rockers on my new (to me) SE Santana. Wanted to see if I'd like the guitar before committing to $25 a set strings. Think I'll go with T-I's next string change.

 

[elvis]

+1 for Thomastik

 

[ieso]

In my youth I got it in my head that I needed flat wound 13s on my Strat. My hands disagreed.

 

[DickBanks]

I only play flatwounds--can't stand that "moving across frets" sound. Three problems with flats:

(1) Tougher vibrato--you have to build "friction calluses" on your fingertips to "grab" the wound strings
(2) Can't do the pick-run (like in Nugent's "Stranglehold")
(3) [My opinion] Wound third (any gauge) sounds terrible--gotta go with a plain third

 

[Rusty Chops]

I’ll admit I am more a fan of TI Swings than D’Addario Chromes.

There have been times I really enjoyed gliding around on flats, especially on ebony. Dang, that’s just slicker’n snot on marble!
Generally though, it isn’t long before I start to want a livelier sound on the wound strings.
I have some Swings on my L-5 presently. It makes sense since I have other guitars, but I’m getting ear fatigue from them lately, and will soon change to something with more zip.

On some guitars with flatwounds installed, when I get a nice fluffy jazz sound on the trebles, the bass strings are mud city. On something like a Gretsch, it’s set for bright and works OK then.

 

[shinksma]

My PRS JA-15 has flatwounds on it (came that way from the previous owner). Since that is a jazz-style guitar, hollowbody with spruce top, etc, it works very well.

 

[Stedkey]

I have played lots of bass in recent years and have flatwounds on both basses. In fact, I have put flatwounds on every base I have owned in the last decade.

So, I decided to try flats on my new (used) PRS 24 SE and the results were disappointing. I did not use high-end flats and maybe I should have gone with T-Is for a better experience. While I love flats on basses, after just a couple days I am going back to rounds on the PRS.

 

[Zoot Allures]

Love flats on my SE Hollowbody…..

 

[Abe]

Love flats on my SE Hollowbody…..

Are they flatwound 11's you use on that? I started my serious electric playing with D'addario flatwound 11's 30 years ago and I might be interested in trying them again on my SE HB II. I imagine maybe the hollowbody is more so suited to them than my solidbody Les Paul was.

 

[Zoot Allures]

Are they flatwound 11's you use on that? I started my serious electric playing with D'addario flatwound 11's 30 years ago and I might be interested in trying them again on my SE HB II. I imagine maybe the hollowbody is more so suited to them than my solidbody Les Paul was.

I put Thomastik-Infeld .010 to .044 Jazz Swing (JS110) flats on it. A bit pricey but they do sound great and last forever. I haven’t tried the D’addario flats yet. I agree that the HB is much better suited for flats than a solidbody….good luck on your journey!

 

[Oscar]

I also play jazz and have flats on my jazzbox. Why flats? Because of no finger noises and the dry and woody tone (you’re hearing the guitar, not merely the strings). Currently I also have flats on my old SE Soapbar because I wanted some of that tone Julian Lage gets from his Nachocaster. Sounds great! All my other guitars have rounds; I’m not swayed by flats for other styles than jazz.