flatwounds on a selmac

tejastani · #1 11-21-2009, 07:31 AM

I've had a Gitane DG-250 gypsy jazz guitar on loan from a friend with too many guitars (imagine that) and have been unsure what to do with it. its dynamic range is ridiculously huge, but it has always been hard to control, it's an unruly beast. I don't really play Django-style, but play some country blues, bottleneck, and Western swing. The guitar has always been too much-- booming bass, piercing treble, lots of rattles and growls. Last week I opened a set of D'Addarrio Chromes to put on an hardtail Bullet strat when I discovered that one of the bridge saddles had broken. I thought Oh crap-- these strings will go off since I opened the sealed plastic package. I put them in a ziplock bag where they sat till this morning when I thought of trying them out on the Gitane. The flatwound strings seemed to have tamed the beast! I can still dig in hard with the plectrum and get a great big sound, but the tone is evened out and darker. When the chromes wear down, I want to try some TI flats. Now for a pickup--maybe Shadow Nanomag?

Stackabones · #2 11-21-2009, 01:59 PM

Interesting idea. Any clips?

I think I'm like you in that I play just about everything but gypsy jazz on mine, though I really enjoy the aggressive, wild & unruly sound of my Gitane D500 (it's my main gighorse). Sometimes it is a bit too much when I'm singing and I really have to reign it in, but I like your idea a lot.

What gauge did you use with the Chromes? Most of these selmacs are built for light strings (10s for the petite bouche, 11s for the grande bouce).

tejastani · #3 11-21-2009, 04:03 PM

The chromes are 11s. The tension may be a bit higher than the Gitane loop-end strings that I had before, but there is no deflection in the monster neck, and the soundboard is lightly loaded with the slight break angle at the bridge.
However, the long scale makes the action as stiff as 13s would be on a Gibson scale guitar.

mr. beaumont · #4 11-22-2009, 09:32 AM

i have flats sitting on my grande bouche style guitar right now. Got tired of them after a while--they're probably coming off this afternoon...love the feel, but lost all the fun acoustic sound to my ears.

I'll stick with flats on my electrics, though.

and oh, stackabones, if you believe their packaging, a set of .11's in d'addairos gypsy jazz string line has more tension than a set of .11 gauge chromes. I wonder if that holds true for other GJ string brands?

Stackabones · #5 11-22-2009, 04:11 PM

I use Argentines, but I'm not sure of the tension.

Hoopskidoodle · #6 11-14-2010, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tejastani

The flatwound strings seemed to have tamed the beast! I can still dig in hard with the plectrum and get a great big sound, but the tone is evened out and darker. When the chromes wear down, I want to try some TI flats.

I just ordered a petite-bouche Gypsy Jazz guitar, and I happened to have a set of Thomastik Jazz Swing 10s sitting around (I've moved on to much thicker flatwounds on my archtops.) So, while I'm waiting for the Lenzner Fisoma strings that I ordered, which are on out of stock, I'm going to give the Thomastiks a day in court.

Thanks for the idea.