The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    Has nyone here tried the flatwound strings for special performances or recordings? I have a musical coming up with a lot of nylon parts (amplified) with shifts and glisses, and I thought getting rid of the squeaking my be less distracting to everyone.

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  3. #2

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    You mean like the LaBella 9x0 Elite?

    Yep, tried them. Not my favourites for tone or tension but the feeling under the fingers really justifies the name. New they look like liquid gold.
    They're "groundwound" btw.

    I find glissandi sound better on regular round-wounds though: the friction works as a string "exciter".

  4. #3

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    I did try them. Felt great. Couldn't get past the sound, they just didn't have the tonal range I like in nylons. And lost volume too.

    I think could work for particular occasions...

  5. #4

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    John Williams uses them, so that

  6. #5

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    The polished bass strings work well on amplified nylon string guitars. I like them on my Godin Multiac Duet. I recently used them on a work for classical guitar and chamber choir (Romancero Gitano) where I had to play pretty loudly and the polished strings also helped my guitar from being too boomy.

    I agree that on a good acoustic classical guitar the polished basses sound dull. Technique is important as well, you need to avoid making squeaks but that is a whole other topic.

  7. #6
    I think I'll try to get a set if I can get them quickly from Prime. Our one day off is this Sunday, so if I can get at least the basses changed overnight one night I should be able to get them stretched out for show opening next Fri. At least I'll have a few days during rehearsals the to get them stretched out. If they sound like s** right away, I can go back to regular strings in time for Fri. BTW, the show is "Footloose," a blast to play, did it once before many years ago. Just several difficult lines to shed, the rest pretty easy. Lots a of rock guitar and emotional tender nylon. Full show orch, two KB players. 3rd KB is doing the 2nd guitar part, she's awesome and we're really gelling, splitting and combining our parts and sounds together.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Donnd
    The polished bass strings work well on amplified nylon string guitars. I like them on my Godin Multiac Duet. I recently used them on a work for classical guitar and chamber choir (Romancero Gitano) where I had to play pretty loudly and the polished strings also helped my guitar from being too boomy.

    I agree that on a good acoustic classical guitar the polished basses sound dull. Technique is important as well, you need to avoid making squeaks but that is a whole other topic.
    Thanks, what brand, model, tension?

  9. #8

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    D’addario EJ45LP work fairly well. You can get sets with higher degrees of polishing, but these sound more like normal classical-high tension strings to me.

  10. #9

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    FWIW I use GHS 2100W phosphor-bronze wound strings for part of my basses. I find these have very fine wrap wire and are quite silent. Non-plated also means you can polish them yourself with some very fine grit sandpaper.