What flatwound string do you use/prefer?

[oldane]

Kind of an update:

For the last year or so I had TI Benson flats 14-55 on my Painter but the time came to replace them. So now there's once more LaBella 15-56 flat's on that axe. They can last a very long time. I had LaBella send me a replacement box of them instead of the ones I had from the problematic batch, so I will likely have strings for the rest of my life (yes I'm that old).

Funny like I seem to run out of GAS these days. I have the guitars I want. I have the cameras and lenses I want. I have the fountain pens (yes I'm that old) I want. Heck, I even have ink for the pens for the rest if my life. I fear it may get boring at some point.

[dhd]

I was using D'Addario Chromes when I had my Godin 5th Ave. and eventually was using D'Addario chromes on my flat top acoustics too.
I now have two carbon fiber flat top acoustics and presently using Galli Bronze 80/20 flat wounds.
AJF1047 Extra Lights and AJF1150 Lights.

[smmllr]

D'Addario 11’s ‘cause Gibson stopped making flatwounds. Or I just don’t know where to find them anymore.

[kawa]

Flatwounds too stiff?

[dhd]

Recently started using Dogal Nightclub Flatwounds V25 on my Emerald X20.

They are bronze flatwound on round core.

.011 - .014 - .016w - .022 - .030 - .042

These are super easy to play and bend.

I like them a little better than the Galli flatwound 80/20 bronze flatwound I'd been using.

The Dogal are pricey, so I only indulge when they're on sale.

[jazzbow]

Hello my jazz pals.

Wow! This poll has been going for some time. Hopefully made some people try something else.

Just like to say my La Bella 13 flats on the Epi Emp Reg are over 3 years old and the Squier jazz Tele has Chromes 12's that are just under 3 years old. They're just breaking in and rarely go out of tune. Ha.

La Bella's are still feeling pliable but the Chromes have always been as stiff as rail track! You would think the chromes were 13's and the La Bella's were 12's. But thereyou go.

It's strange but only the Chromes work on the Tele, the picato and Thomastics I had on there the G string would sound dead.

Also for consideration would be D'Addario round wound Pure nickels in 12 and above with a wound G. A little fiddle with an amp tone stack and guitar tone control can sweep from plunk to twanng, or if you're playing loudly then PLUNK and TWANNGH. .....

Ha ha ha.

Ha.

[One_Note]

My two favorites are Thomastiks and GHS. GHS aren't as flexible as Thomastiks but they have a really nice tone, especially once broken in.

[rmpmcdermott]

I was using Chromes for a long time, but finally got some TI Swings (11-47) and they're perfect on my Strats. On the PE-175 I use the TI Bensons (12-53). For me personally, the TIs are miles ahead of the Chromes. Of course, that's just my opinion. But I'm just in love with the TI flats.

[mhch]

Used TI swing 13-57, sounded great but I felt their tension too low, may be I pick too hard ?
I now use Addario and I'm happy with them

[Encinitastubes]

Surprising poll for me. I spent a long time going through flatwounds and ultimately it wasn't even close. I prefer Pyramid 12s, sometimes 11s.

[lebarbier]

Thomastik-Infeld, all the way. I feel they're too bright when I first string up my guitar but after a day or two, the strings lose that brightness and they start to have a great sound. They last a long time. I leave them on longer than I should between changes...but that's just a preference.

[whiskey02]

For a long time I just though TI’s were ridiculously gauged and stupidly expensive. A friend gifted me with a set of Benson .12s and I can admit that I was a fool for many years. Absolutely love the sound and feel of these strings. When I replace them I may step down to a lighter low E string but they’re not what you could honestly call unbalanced. They are in the usa very expensive but given the time they last and the hours I’ll get out of them I can justify the expense.

[339 in june]

D'Addario ECG25, but they became outrageously expensive in Europe
So I switched to TI JS112 instead and don't regret

[jazzuki]

All strings for archtops are now just so expensive. There must be a limit soon with the Brit pound being so low against Euro/Dollar

[Hansur]

I have TI's flatwound swing .011 on the Humbuckers and TI's roundwound bebop .011 on the singlecoils. Soft feeling, great longlasting tone, little fret load.

[dazzaman]

I have been using TI112s for a long time. I have been half thinking of trying to move up to 13s, and I discovered a few days ago that I have three packets of Chrome 12s in a drawer. They have heavier basses than the TI strings, so next time I do a string change I might go back to them, if only to see how I go with the thicker basses. I suspect they will not stay on that long though - once I make a decision on the feel I think I will be getting some more TI strings of the appropriate gauge. I find they feel much nicer under my fingers regardless of thickness.

[dickbanks]

LaBella

[dhd]

I've tried the Dogal Nightclub V25 80/20 Bronze Flat wounds and
they are really great strings, the best so far for me.
I've not tried the V24 with the flatwound B string, or the V77, but I'm very curious.

Does the bridge have to be compensated going from a plain B to a wound B as with
going from a plain G to a wound G ?

On most string sets with a .012 first string, the wound strings are
normally a larger diameter than what is found in the V24.
The Dogal Nightclub V77 have a .014 first string and also very small diameter wound strings
to most sting sets with a .014 first string.

Is there an advantage or disadvantage to the smaller diameter wound strings ?

Here are a few strings sets of bronze flat wound string which shows the size difference
of the wound strings compared to the Dogal Nightclub.

p= plain, fw= flat wound. rw = round wound

Dogal Nightclub
V25 80/20 Bronze Flat wound.............................011p - .014p - .016fw - .022fw - .030fw - .042fw
V24 80/20 Bronze Flat wound.............................012p - .016fw - .020fw - .028fw - .034fw - .046fw
V77 80/20 Bronze Flat wound.............................014p - .017p - .023fw - .030fw - .038fw - .048fw
Galli
AJF1047 Extra Light 80/20 Bronze Flat wound.....010p - .014p - .023fw - .030fw - .039fw - .047fw
AJF1150 Light 80/20 Bronze Flat wound..............011p - .014p - .024fw - .032fw - .040fw - .050fw
AJF1252 Medium 80/20 Bronze Flat wound.........012p - .016p - .024fw - .032fw - .042fw - .052fw
Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum
Extra Light AC110 Bronze Hybrid Arrangement....010p - .013p - .016fw - .022fw - .030fw - .041rw
Light AC111 Bronze Hybrid Arrangement.............011p - .014p - .019fw - .027fw - .036fw - .050rw
Med Light AC112 Bronze Hybrid Arrangement.....012p - .015p - .024fw - .033rw - .044rw - .059rw
Medium AC113 Bronze Hybrid Arrangement........013p - .016p - .025rw - .034rw - .047rw - .061rw

[Patlotch]

Is there an advantage or disadvantage to the smaller diameter wound strings ?

if the sound suits you, the question concerns the left and right hands, for the pick, and fingers

right hand, smaller diameter, it's more room for the passage of fingers, advantage, and probably for the attack to the pick if you use a flexible and small

left hand, this can make some fingerings easier, make others more difficult

in short, these are common sense answers, when you look closely at what's going on

personally, I played only flatwound, sometimes with a B flatwound, 18, if I remember correctly. With a diameter of 16, the risk is that wound string will deteriorate very quickly

[sgosnell]

Smaller diameter means less tension. That can be good or bad depending on the guitar and your preferences. A set of strings is not a major investment for most people, so try them and see if you like them.

[neatomic]

yes the bridge will need some adjusting..like with g...as well might the pickup/polepieces

a wound b string must have an extremely thin inner core...that changes tension and feel, and intonation...despite the final gauge being similar/identical to a plain b string

cheers

[arielcee]

I just strung my Washburn J-6 with DR Legend 13 flats. Pretty darn good. I've used the 11s on several semis before as well. They're more comfortable, loose, and mellow compared to chrome's (pretty much the only other flatwounds available locally); the DR 13s are less stiff and easier to play than chrome 12s jeez.

[Jazzer04]

I’ve gotta say, I think I’ve settled on TI gb12 flats. I’ve kept them on my main L5 for over 6mos. They sound and feel great. Also have them on another L5 and a 335, as well as an ibanez fg100. They feel really balanced, there’s enough tension, but not too much, and with the right technique they sound and play great acoustically and electrically. I’m lucky in that I don’t really kill strings. I have pretty dry hands


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[broturtel]

I'm looking for a good set of high-tension flatwounds.

I tried the La Bella Jazz Flats .015-.056 and they just weren't high enough in tension for me to enjoy. I've been on this search for a while and have found some really great sounding strings (Pyramid gold True Vintage are my current favorite) but none of them have high enough tension for me. This is actually why I don't like playing the TI's. Both the swings and the TIGB's aren't high enough in tension. I will say that .015 for the high E is great. Nice feel. But the La Bellas are low tension strings. I thought that even though they were marketed as such, the 15-56's would still be much higher in tension because they're also labeled as EXTRA HEAVY.

Any got any suggestions? I'll try anything as long as they're flatwound and high tension strings (if those even exist).

Edit: Also, just to reiterate, I'm not looking for any roundwounds. Even if they have reduced finger noise. I get too distracted by it when I'm playing. It bothers me terribly.

Edit #2: I probably should have mentioned as well that I play in Eb rather than E so this may be why some of the higher tension strings don't feel as high tension for me. Has anyone tried the Part Martino GHS strings (16-56)?

[Ray175]

Maybe consider moving your strings one position across the fretboard. Your low E becomes an A etc......
I’m not sure where you could get a flatwound at say 0.060 for the low E but It should be possible.... perhaps a bass guitar string?

PS the Pyramid Gold True Vintage are great strings that last - the current set on my ES-175D have been there nearly 2 years and still deliver the “thunk” I want