Flatwound strings anyone?

[Thurisarz]

Haven't played guitar now in 7 months, been playing bass which from now on is my main instrument. Anyway, i play with flatwound strings on my bass and i wonder, does any famous guitarplayer nowadays play with flats? Anyone here at the forum? I can get D'addario chromes at the local store but there pretty expensive for being guitar strings.

Is everybody playing rounds nowadays, please don't tell me it's so :yell:

BTW, i've read that Hendrix played with fender rock 'n roll strings, are those rounds or flats?

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I am about to drop my Ric twelve string off to a guy for a setup. He is going to put flatwounds on it; he says that the classic twelve string sound makes flats mandatory. I am really looking forward to hearing what it sounds like after he's done.

 

[sooperunkn]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I just got a Jazzmaster a few weeks ago and I got it setup with flatwounds on it. I've read that the Jazzmasters came stock with flatwounds back in the day and I thought I'd give it a try. They are pretty cool! A little weird at first, but coming from bass you should love them. I use 10s and they seem thicker then round 10s. Bending feels really weird too.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

i put flat wounds on my acoustic...it reduces and really cleans up the "sliding" sound on the strings!

 

[Thurisarz]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I couldn't hold myself so i went and bought a pack, the "Jazz light" gauge 11-50. Amazing! It made my aggresive SG sound more mellow and soft...semi-hollow-ish if you wanted to, but i still get that aggresive tone if i want, but i don't

 

[psy]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I used Thomastik-Infeld Swing Series on an Archtop long time for - guess what - playing Swing in a BigBand. Great sound, great quality, and - they are made in Austria!!!

 

[SpeedDemon]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

i am using 12 gauge chromes for everything from blues to black sabbath, IMO they make everything sound alot clearer and define notes better, but they are alot easier to break so get a farily high gauge.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I just got a Jazzmaster a few weeks ago and I got it setup with flatwounds on it. I've read that the Jazzmasters came stock with flatwounds back in the day and I thought I'd give it a try. They are pretty cool! A little weird at first, but coming from bass you should love them. I use 10s and they seem thicker then round 10s. Bending feels really weird too.

+1. I have them on my jag

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

do they sell flatwounds in smaller gauges? Are they all nickel?

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

Flats are always thicker, and I think there aren't any nickel ones because flats are already warm and would probably sound muddy if they were nickel... but who knows?

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

they're quite pricey-is there any site that sells them in bulk for a good price, or what brand is the cheapest?

 

[nuntius]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I used Thomastik-Infeld Swing Series on an Archtop long time for - guess what - playing Swing in a BigBand. Great sound, great quality, and - they are made in Austria!!!

I really lioke Thomastik acoustic strings, but they've gone way up in price over here and are only a quid or so cheaper than elixir :/ I don't buy either, they cost too much.

I've played flatwounds on a bass and I've got to say, I still prefer roundwounds but they were kinda cool

Never tried them on electric

Glad you like them on your SG :smoker:

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

Haven't played guitar now in 7 months, been playing bass which from now on is my main instrument. Anyway, i play with flatwound strings on my bass and i wonder, does any famous guitarplayer nowadays play with flats? Anyone here at the forum? I can get D'addario chromes at the local store but there pretty expensive for being guitar strings.

Is everybody playing rounds nowadays, please don't tell me it's so :yell:

BTW, i've read that Hendrix played with fender rock 'n roll strings, are those rounds or flats?

everyone plays rounds as far as i know. I used to have flats for quite a long time, they seem to last forever and feel great, but were incredibly difficult to bend. They now have thinner gauges, but i wonder if they feel stiff too.

 

[drp555]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I have flatwounds on my hollowbody...I don't remember what brand, might have been D'addario's or maybe Thomastik George Benson strings, ( has his face on the pack :laugh2: )

When I was doing some jazz guitar my 1st year of college, I was told those Thomastik flatwounds were THE strings to have.... I haven't changed strings on that guitar in like 4 yrs but they still seem new....I always found when I changed flatwound strings there was almost no difference between old and new....

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I have flatwounds on my hollowbody...I don't remember what brand, might have been D'addario's or maybe Thomastik George Benson strings, ( has his face on the pack :laugh2: )

When I was doing some jazz guitar my 1st year of college, I was told those Thomastik flatwounds were THE strings to have.... I haven't changed strings on that guitar in like 4 yrs but they still seem new....I always found when I changed flatwound strings there was almost no difference between old and new....

haven't changed mine... in a year

slade

 

[AmirH]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

I've never tried em on guitar but they're wonderful on bass. I much prefer them to normal bass strings.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

EQ wise, how do flatwounds sound? Less harsh on the treble, round and chimey?

I also remember from my buzzy GAX70 Ibanez (first guitar) that when i had strung it up with flatwounds the strings buzzed alot less. I guess flatwounds have a smaller vibration radius or something, but it let me drop my action immensely and the setup was impeccable.

 

[Infinite Dreams]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

what exactly are flatwound strings?? i've never heard of em.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

you know how wound strings (EAD) have a wire wrapped around the hexagonal core of the string?Flatwounds have a ribbon of steel that goes around the core instead of thin wire, so you end up with a smoother feeling, smoother playing string w/ bell like tones.

 

[Pandemonium]

Re: Flatwound strings anyone?

They always sounded dead to me.