Do all flatwound strings feel sticky?

[praesentire]

Do all flatwound strings feel sticky on the pick/finger/nail?

I'm still new to the guitar instrument itself, so maybe this is an obvious thing.

I just replaced the factory D'Addario nickel 10's (roundwound) with a set of D'Addario Chromes 10's. While I like the low string noises and the warmer tones, the pick seems to grab onto the strings. I'm using Dunlop Jazz Tone 204.

I'm waiting on my Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing 10's and 11's and was wondering if I should expect the same thing for them also.

I suppose it makes sense physics wise. They're stickier due to increased contact surface.

Thanks in advance,

[billkath]

To me, they feel lovely-not sticky at all. I'm using 12's Chromes, tho.

[GuyB]

Same as billkath, I use 12 chromes and never found them sticky.

[Gramps]

I use Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing .012 and did notice the pick felt different on the strings but after trying a few different picks I just got used to it. The difference was subtle.

[praesentire]

Thanks for your responses! I'm sure I'll grow used to it. In fact, I find that my picking has become more reliable since the pick doesn't glide over to unintended strings accidentally.

Looking forward to trying out the TI set.

[bass2man]

I tried both TI and the Chromes...I settled on the Chrome 12 or 13's..seemed punchier for some reason..never felt sticky though for either set.

I do sometimes put a tiny dab of vasoline on tips of my fretting fingers and sort of run them along my strings if I am going to play a lot...did that a lot while playing bass for many years, especially on fretless...saved the fingers many a night...

[Sailor]

Seems like after using .11s my neck is a little off. Should this be expected with heavier gauge Jazz strings?

Sailor

[billkath]

Yep. A quarter turn of the truss will fix it, or their abouts. Always do a full setup when changing guages.

[Mel Ott]

Seems like after using .11s my neck is a little off. Should this be expected with heavier gauge Jazz strings?

Sailor

If you increased the gauge of the strings on your guitar, you increased the tension on the neck. At some point, increased tension will begin to affect the neck - if you put heavier strings on it, it's possible that the neck is now bowed slightly forward. The way to fix the bow - if it exists - is to tighten the truss rod in the neck. Exactly how you do that will depend on what kind of guitar you have. A solidbody electric guitar, for example, may have an easily accessible truss rod adjustment nut in the headstock, or it may be inside the neck (and require you to take the neck off to adjust it).

Although adjusting the truss rod isn't difficult, it can be nerve-wracking, and I'd recommend Googling it at least and reading about what experienced folks do. Basically, you'll need to adjust the nut clockwise to tighten it and straighten out your neck, but there are a surprising number of subtleties to the adjustment and you'll likely want to know a bit more about how it works with your specific guitar before you start moving it about. The most important thing is to go slow - adjust it no more than a quarter turn at a time and give it a day or so (at least) to settle in (the neck will sometimes take a while to adjust itself after you've adjusted the truss rod). Good luck!

Alternatively, you could just take your guitar into a guitar shop and have them set it up properly; it's nice to know how to do these things yourself but depending on your time and inclination it may be worth it to have a professional do the job.

[bbcoz]

Yep. 13 chromes for me. No stickiness

[praesentire]

I put on a set of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing set. Wow. Just wow. To my ears, Chromes set was, "yeah, that's jazzier". The Jazz Swing set makes me wish I knew hundreds of tunes that I can keep playing all day long. Oh and they're smooth. I wonder if there was something wrong with that Chromes set ...

Here's another newbie question. Do guitar strings have shelf life?

I suspect they do especially if the strings are not vacuum sealed or innate gas packed. I ask because there are enough people loving the Chromes that my experience with them just seems off.

[RoyaleT]

I started using Chrome 12's, had been using DR Flatwound 13' s prior to that. Both felt just fine.

[franco6719]

Not at all. On the contrary! My left-hand fingers "stick" on the round-wounds. It's a little like playing on sand-paper compared to the flats. I dropped the flats because the tone is just too dead for me, though. I like sustain, especially for ballads, so I don't end up playing 50,000 notes. There's a Mike Stern video where he gets just the kind of sound I'm looking for, but he's using some pedals or something.

[TommyD]

(clip)

Do all flatwound strings feel sticky on the pick/finger/nail?
I'm still new to the guitar instrument itself, so maybe this is an obvious thing.
I suppose it makes sense physics wise. They're stickier due to increased contact surface.
Thanks in advance,

Do they feel "sticky" to your left hand as well? I hate to ask, and certainly no offense intended, but do you wash your hands with warm water and soap before playing? It is an absolute must, as is wiping down the neck, fret board, and strings with a soft cotton cloth at the end.
tommy/

[praesentire]

(clip)

Do they feel "sticky" to your left hand as well? I hate to ask, and certainly no offense intended, but do you wash your hands with warm water and soap before playing? It is an absolute must, as is wiping down the neck, fret board, and strings with a soft cotton cloth at the end.
tommy/

The strings are not sticky on my left hand. It's against the pick that I felt more friction. And, no offense taken - when I re-read the OP, it sure sounds like the strings are sticky with oily residuals or something.

I should have used the phrase "higher frictional resistance when using a plectrum" instead of sticky. More specifically, only on the wound strings. When I use the same pick on the phosphor bronze round wound strings on my acoustic, the pick glides faster across the strings.

[franco6719]

"higher frictional resistance when using a plectrum" instead of sticky. More specifically, only on the wound strings. When I use the same pick on the phosphor bronze round wound strings on my acoustic, the pick glides faster across the strings."

Use your thumb, then.

[cosmic gumbo]

I used to go jam with Tubby Reynolds whenever the carnival would come through town. He ran the cotton candy machine, and his guitar strings were always sticky.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Anybody use Fret Fast? Cleaning is one thing, but I don't know about the hype about making your neck faster. Didn't Roy use Lemon Pledge?

[praesentire]

I may have found the source of my problem. The Chromes may have been a counterfeit set. This is where I admit to my newbie mistake - I bought that first set on eBay.

http://www.daddario.com/upload/DABR_...wRes_12587.pdf

I bought the Thomastik-Infeld set from Strings and Beyond, which I gather is a reputable source for many on this forum. May be I should get a new Chromes set from them to really compare the two brands.

I'm so mortified by this revelation.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Holy Cow! Counterfeit strings! Now I've seen everything.

[praesentire]

"higher frictional resistance when using a plectrum" instead of sticky. More specifically, only on the wound strings. When I use the same pick on the phosphor bronze round wound strings on my acoustic, the pick glides faster across the strings."

Use your thumb, then.

Like rpguitar? Quite the thumb control