Flatwounds on a flat top

[Stackabones]

I'd guess they would sound really, really dead. Or maybe not? What flatwound or flatwoundish strings would do the trick on a flat top? And do you think that different sized bodies would matter? For example, dreads tend to have a deeper bass response whereas a 00 will be a little more punchier in the mids.

Whatcha got? Whatcha done? Whatcha know?

[NiAg]

I like these quite a bit:

Thomastik-Infeld Acoustic Guitar Plectrum Bronze Flat Wound/Bronze Round Wound Light, .011 - .050, AC111

The low E is round to keep it from getting too thud-ish.

They play and sound great on smaller size concert or parlor size guitars as well as Jumbos and Dreads. (But do we really need more dull squash-bottom dreads?) No thud or boom from the low strings.

[Stackabones]

Wow! Very interesting, NiAg!

I, too, prefer small-body flat tops. What guitar do you use/heard these on?

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I would have liked a heavier set, but I see the heaviest are 12s and they only have a flat wound G string. The D, E and E strings are all round wound.

[Stackabones]

I would have liked a heavier set, but I see the heaviest are 12s and they only have a flat wound G string. The D, E and E strings are all round wound.

Yeah, just noticed that, too.

Still, I'm going to give the 11s a shot.

[jazzbow]

Try hunting these down,
Galli Flatwound Bronze
A smooth sounding string. The hexagonal core of the wound strings is wound with flat 80/20 bronze ribbon wire. comes in 11's

[mr. beaumont]

I'd guess they would sound really, really dead. Or maybe not? What flatwound or flatwoundish strings would do the trick on a flat top? And do you think that different sized bodies would matter? For example, dreads tend to have a deeper bass response whereas a 00 will be a little more punchier in the mids.

Whatcha got? Whatcha done? Whatcha know?

I've done regular flats on a flattop. Didn't last long, sounded very...cardboardy.

[Stackabones]

Try hunting these down,
Galli Flatwound Bronze
A smooth sounding string. The hexagonal core of the wound strings is wound with flat 80/20 bronze ribbon wire. comes in 11's

Thanks for the tip. If the T-I strings don't work out, I'll seek out the Galli.

I've done regular flats on a flattop. Didn't last long, sounded very...cardboardy.

I'd figured as much -- but experience really lets you know, ya know? Do you recall if it was on a dread, 000, 00, etc?

[mr. beaumont]

It was a seagull S6+Spruce-- slope shouldered dread with a gibson scale.

[Stackabones]

Those Seagulls are great gits, Mr B. Just an aside, do you have any opinion on how that Seagull measures up to, say, a Gibby J45?

[mr. beaumont]

Oddly enough, the only Gibson flat top I've ever played was a J-45!

The Gibson sounds a lot more like you'd expect a drednaught to sound, IMHO--plenty of bass and top end sparkle, not so much in the mids. It was a beautifully crafted instrument--fit and finish were flawless.

The Seagull is a little more "flat" in it's response--It doesn't have as rich a bass or as sparkly a high, but it also has more mids. I really like my old 'gull, I need to pull her out of the case more often. It's a workman's guitar, nothing flashy, but solidly built, and it's served all the flattop acoustic needs (which admittedly, aren't many) I've had over the last 15 years.

[Stackabones]

Very interesting, Mr. B. As you know, the J45 (the Workhorse) is the slope-shoulder dread that all follow. I like midrangey gits, so I may prefer the Seagull.

[mr. beaumont]

certainly, your wallet would!

[Stackabones]

[NiAg]

>>>small-body flat tops. What guitar do you use/heard these [T-I Plektrum flats] on?

A Parkwood PW320M. A VERY inexpensive (mint used is $300 or under) guitar for what it is and how it sounds.

Yes, a set of .012 to something would possibly be better, but the PW-320and the T-I .011 flats may surprise you. Really articulate sounding - and then you spend a good hour doing up/down the FB stuff that would normally sound like a car chase on Starsky and Hutch, but now just flows.

In my opinion.

[Stackabones]

I've played those Parkwoods, NiAg. Good gits all around. I use 11s on my gyspy jazz box (different beast), 11s on my electric, 12s on my acoustics -- so I think I'll like the T-I 11s.

[Stackabones]

Only the 6th string is wound. The 5th, 4th, and 3rd are flatwounds, and the 2nd & 1st are plain. Light gauge string set. I've had these on for a week before recording. First impressions were that the guitar really opened up: very rich and chimey, almost like a different guitar. I had D'Addario EXPs before and they are decent strings, but they lose their charm rather quickly ime. Though I haven't had these on too long, I really love the feel and responsiveness.

I've put these on my Yamaha FS720S, which is a short scale neck (24.9"). These light gauge strings on a short-scale neck make the guitar feel quite pliable -- tension is definitely looser than previous strings. I really enjoy being able to employ a light touch while playing this guitar with these strings.

The volume has dropped a bit, but I think it's a wonderful thing. I don't like loud guitars (especially when singing), except when I'm at jams -- and then I take my Gitane D500. Mind that there is still plenty of volume, but it is not overbearing at all and has a gentle character to it, not at all brash.

Recorded using my Zoom H4n and I used GarageBand to trim the front and end off and adjust the balance and levels a bit. During the first verse I played over the soundhole, and then (to give you an idea of the responsiveness) I played closer to the bridge in the second verse. The rest is pretty much over the soundhole. Arrangement is me reading out of a fake book. The little tag at the end is my idea.

O Christmas Tree

[Peter C]

Nice playing and tone, Stackabones and not a hint of the typical acoustic guitar squeak.

[Stackabones]

Thanks, Peter. I'm having a blast with these strings, and they've really opened up something new for me on this Yahama. I also starting to wonder about putting low-tension strings, especially flatwounds, on my electrics -- if they exist?

[Flyin' Brian]

FWIW a lot of The Beatles acoustic recordings were done with flat wounds.

Interesting about those Thomastiks with the round wound E.

Gibson used to offer a Johnny Smith set years ago that had round wound G D and A and a flatwound E.

[billkath]

Oddly enough, the only Gibson flat top I've ever played was a J-45!

The Gibson sounds a lot more like you'd expect a drednaught to sound, IMHO--plenty of bass and top end sparkle, not so much in the mids. It was a beautifully crafted instrument--fit and finish were flawless.

The Seagull is a little more "flat" in it's response--It doesn't have as rich a bass or as sparkly a high, but it also has more mids. I really like my old 'gull, I need to pull her out of the case more often. It's a workman's guitar, nothing flashy, but solidly built, and it's served all the flattop acoustic needs (which admittedly, aren't many) I've had over the last 15 years.

I've had my S6- spruce for the same time. Like you, I don't play it half enough. I had it set up professionally a couple of years ago-the works (Graphtech saddle, nut and pins, all properly done)- and it really sings. Much better bass response and better highs. I use Martin's MSP4100's-phospherbronze 12';s

[Stackabones]

FWIW a lot of The Beatles acoustic recordings were done with flat wounds.

Interesting about those Thomastiks with the round wound E.

Gibson used to offer a Johnny Smith set years ago that had round wound G D and A and a flatwound E.

I had no idea. Too cool!

Sounds like Smith's set was opposite of the T-I. Do you think he used that kind of set on his recordings? It would make sense if he did since he had a sig string set.

[NiAg]

Glad the T-I's are working out for you.

The Gibson set makes no sense to me at all. But it must have worked for someone at some time.

I remember the difficulties all in all with Gibson strings. They used to have a great guitarist, the late Mike Elliot, travel to larger dealers and do evening demos. So when he came to where I worked as a luthier/tech, we had to set up every Gibson in the place (a good 15 guitars) to his liking. It was a long day. And since we HAD to use Gibson strings, there were plenty of dead and hard to intonate strings that we tossed.

EDIT: I have no idea who made Gibson strings in the early 80's, nor do I know who makes them now. They may be great now, but they sure were marginal back then.

But back on this thread,...

T-I do other odd things that end up sounding fine.

I use the .012 BeBops, but I throw out the plain .020 G and use a T-I BB021, which is labeled a round wound .021. But it is flat - either flatwound or ground flat like a D'A "half round". I never pulled one apart to see.

But it sounds extremely well balanced with the roundwound D, A ,a nd low E.

[bojan]

... I am still using the Johnny Smith configuration ... on my electric guitar and, ... if my recollection serves me well - there were flat-wounds on John McLaughlin’s flat-top (Gibson Dove?) during the Extrapolation and Lifetime period, but ... there was, also, a De Armond pickup on the guitar.

[Stackabones]

Bojan, did you know about the Johnny Smith config before you started using it or did you find it through experimentation? Tell me more about your experience using it, please.