Anyone else use flatwounds on a flattop?

**L50EF15** · 12-21-2019, 06:00 PM

I use D’Addario Chrome .013s on my Yamaha dreadnought; the same on my L50. I love the sound. Lots of “thunk” and fundamental, with good sustain.

Anybody else doing this? (I should add that I use Chromes on my Tele and my Les Paul as well; definitely my favorite strings).

**neatomic** · 12-21-2019, 06:38 PM

you and john lennon!!! he had flats on his gibson j160-e...tho in fairness with its pickup and laminated top it was more jazz box than true acoustic!! there was even a version with a cutaway early on...but definitely can be done for a certain sound

have you tried thomatik jazz swing flats?? pure nickel double wrap on thin round inner core...the rolls royce of flats

cheers

**L50EF15** · 12-21-2019, 07:31 PM

Didn’t know that about Lennon! Thanks!

I do have a set of TI flats, unopened, that have been sitting in my gig bag for years; bought ‘em at Mandolin Brothers as I recall (the same place I bought my L50). I may experiment and put them on my 000-X.

**JaxJaxon** · 12-21-2019, 08:02 PM

I have tried every different string type D'addario string on a flat top I had (before it was stolen) I wanted to see which I liked best. The Flat Chromes where my second choice my first was their Pure Nickel. I wish they made a pure Nickel Flat wound.

**neatomic** · 12-21-2019, 08:35 PM

pure nickel or monel roundwounds are a good alternative to traditional 80/20 or p-bronze acoustic strings...

but for pure nickel flats...you have to go to european companies like thomastik and pyramid

all usa flatwound stringmakers use stainless steel..which is a much harder and more magnetically alive wrap...but don't sing and last and feel as tension light as pure nickels...particularly thomastik jazz swings and bensons

"try it you'll like it!" haha

cheers

**Gabor** · 12-22-2019, 01:42 AM

Recently I gave a shot for this mini (see the link at the bottom line), just to have a flattop too. I put TI 12 flatwounds on.
It became a wonderful instrument, I am planning a demo video (well, before that I must do my previous promises for demos :-)

Anyway, I often read that flattops with flatwounds are dead. Which is completely true. But wait, they dead for country, I mean they dead if you compare them to bronze roudwound playing House of the Rising Sun...

But my goal was to play my usual jazz stuff. With other words I am comparing the mini with flatwounds to my other archtops, playing chord melody or for example ballad solo lines. It is excellent. Smooth an mellow, and all the nuances came through. Not a tipical jazz sound, instead very uniquue, and literally a singing voice (again as jazz instrument. It would be terrible dead as country or pop instrument)

(Disclamer: Contrary the very high ratings, the instrument is practically useless out of the box. The frets and fretboard are so rough, a few hours work is mandatory to polish them. Also the guitar is soo out of tune that impossible to play open strings. For jazz I do not use opn strings, and some stings are tuned 10 cents below to get prety much correct intonation around the 3th - 12 frets.)

But the bottom line, if you have a fret polisher (1000), a good tuner o ear to find out the tune anomalies for eac strings and do not want to play open string chords, it is a very good instrument.

Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany – Thomann United States

**docsteve** · 12-22-2019, 04:12 AM

I have been using Thomastik Plectrum strings for years. They are more like polished bronze strings, with a quite soft feel and next to no fretboard noise.

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**Marty Grass** · 12-22-2019, 10:21 AM

The Beatles used flatwounds on all of their early albums, on acoustics and electrics, so I'm told.

**L50EF15** · 12-22-2019, 06:20 PM

“Anyway, I often read that flattops with flatwounds are dead. Which is completely true. But wait, they dead for country, I mean they dead if you compare them to bronze roudwound playing House of the Rising Sun...

“But my goal was to play my usual jazz stuff. With other words I am comparing the mini with flatwounds to my other archtops, playing chord melody or for example ballad solo lines. It is excellent. Smooth an mellow, and all the nuances came through. Not a tipical jazz sound, instead very uniquue, and literally a singing voice (again as jazz instrument. It would be terrible dead as country or pop instrument)“

Exactly! It does give a singing quality. The other word that comes to mind is “lush” - chords really have a lush, full sound.

**Dennis D** · 12-22-2019, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by docsteve

I have been using Thomastik Plectrum strings for years. They are more like polished bronze strings, with a quite soft feel and next to no fretboard noise.

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....the 12 ga. set has a low E of .59 ??.....from the A of .44.....

**neatomic** · 12-22-2019, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis D

....the 12 ga. set has a low E of .59 ??.....from the A of .44.....

d, don't let the gauges throw you!!! the thom plectrums are such a unique string..they are brass but with silk inlay over inner steel core...so they have super thin and flexible core...super low tension!!...thats why they need the heavy gauges...plus some strings are flatwound and some roundwound!! a real hodgepodge

the closest thing to them is the old silk and steel strings...they are really for more delicate fingerpicking..and since brass, they aren't that great with pickups anyway...strictly for an acoustic..and when you are looking for tonal nuance, over volume!!

i have them on an old gibby acoustic 12 string...very delicate...

cheers

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2019, 08:34 PM

I have Chrome XL's on two acoustics but with the light strings and low action I don;t get a lot of acoustic tone or thunk, just a VERY easy playing guitar that has some acoustic presence.

**neatomic** · 12-22-2019, 08:39 PM

js- i think the thom plectrums might be of interest to you...with your delicate touch...might have to try a few out to find the gauge that works best ..they are not high volume!!..but as i writ above, give a very uniquely detailed tone esp with fingerpicking or light pick work...closer to classical type tones

cheers

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2019, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

js- i think the thom plectrums might be of interest to you...with your delicate touch...might have to try a few out to find the gauge that works best ..they are not high volume!!..but as i writ above, give a very uniquely detailed tone esp with fingerpicking or light pick work...closer to classical type tones

cheers

Thanks but I think it's been over 25 years since I've used a pick of any kind and almost 40 years since I went pretty much all fingers. I never really was very good or very comfortable using flat pick.

**neatomic** · 12-22-2019, 09:04 PM

yeah i know..i added the or light pick as an afterthought for others that might not be completely fingerpicking!! or thinking of attempting traditional jazz tones with a thick flat pick...look elsewhere

cheers

**zcostilla** · 12-26-2019, 04:52 PM

Not a flattop, but I love the acoustic sound of my 5th Avenue with D’Addario Chromes.

**L50EF15** · 01-05-2020, 11:39 PM

I just put a set of Chromes onto my 000. What a sound. Love it. Recommend it.

**ronjazz** · 01-06-2020, 08:03 PM

I recall Gabor Szabo using flat wounds on his Gibson flat-top mwhen I knew him in Boston, but I don't know if he kept at it with the Martin. His recordings do sound like flatwounds, and I was present forthe live album recording, and his sound was definitely thunky in the club, but he was so unique that "jazz tone" was not a big consideration.