Are Flatwound Strings Best For Jazz

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-22-2010, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by dougal

Last week, I put GHS Pat Martino 15-52 flats with a wound G on my Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno, and they're great. Now I'm getting that sweet dark tone I've been seeking. They are heavier on top and lighter on the bottom than the D'Addario rounds I had on there before, so the high strings are mellower, too. Got them at JustStrings.com.

15s? You dah man. I'd shake your hand but I don't want you to crush them

**Hoopskidoodle** · 01-22-2010, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Z

...I am not worried about string bends, which are essentially not going to happen with flatwounds.

That's not necessarily true. Thomasik-Infeld makes flatwound 10s and GHS makes flatwound 9s (which were the first flatwounds I ever put on a guitar.) I can assure you from personal experience that you can bend the crap out of light gauge flatwounds.

**mangotango** · 01-22-2010, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by brad4d8

I had some of the George Benson TIs (14s) on the X-170 for a while, liked them, went to a lighter string when I got my Artist Award. I'd be interested in what you wind up with on the X-700 as they would probably be good on the AA as well. I went to the lighter strings on the X-170 because I'm planning on adding a Bigsby and setting it up for rockabilly sort of stuff.
Brad

Mrs. Mango bought me a set of those for Xmas, figuring that if they're the most expensive TI strings, they must be the best. They're definitely different from the flatwounds, but there isn't the string noise that I thought would be a problem. I'll keep with them for now, not just to maintain domestic bliss; although there's a more "acoustic" sound to them, that's not a bad thing and the tone is very satisfying.

**Hugh** · 03-27-2010, 02:52 PM

I put D'Addario 10's on my Squier Strat last week. They produce a lovely jazzy sound but I'm not sold on the bottom string sound yet. they tend to be a bit on the dull side I find. I'm still experimenting with a new amp recently aquired(Vox VT 15) so maybe after a bit of tweaking I'll get more response out of them. They have a really good feel I have to say. I definitely would not like to go higher than 10's with flats on this particular guitar.
Hugh.

**RoyaleT** · 03-27-2010, 03:10 PM

I use DR Legend Polished 12's or D'Addario Chrome 12's on my Epi Dot 335 and Aria FA 71 hollowbody. Tried Tomasik and just can't justify the cost, and they just did not sound good on the Aria.

**defender** · 03-27-2010, 08:06 PM

I agree with all Thomastik fans. These strings keep a good condition much longer than others and sound amazing. But now there are no Thomastiks in my local store and I can't find them in online stores in Poland so I have to use Chromes or something like that. Recently I bought a guitar in US and I got the Curt Mangan 11-52 flatwound strings with it. I had never heard about them before. But I think they could be a better substitute for Thomastiks than D'Addario. Unfortunately it is impossible to get them in my country so I gotta use Chromes.

**SamBooka** · 03-27-2010, 08:41 PM

Wait.. let me try...
I put TI GB114s on my ES-165 this aft. Wasnt sure at first.
Now I am. I likem. It is funny that I can get TIs in Montreal (in stores) or online from the US (100 miles south of here JUSTSTRINGS.com ) but TI made in Austria are hard to get in Poland.

**defender** · 03-28-2010, 06:06 AM

There are only TI for violin in Polish stores. The only guitar TI offers are on the ebay. But with shipping costs, duty and 22% tax it isn't worth doing. So I have to rely on Chromes or my local store.

**Big Ron** · 03-28-2010, 12:50 PM

I use .009 LaBella flatwounds (as I understand it the only folks to offer .009 flatwound sets) on my Parker Fly. Everyone else has already pointed out why to use flatwounds. I would say that the only reason NOT to use flatwounds is if you want a very bright "twangy" sound. Acoustic folk guitar, Telecaster chicken picking come to mind. If the tone you're looking for is above just turning the bass and mid down and adding treble, and you want the twang and spank tone, flatwound strings are going to be a dissapointment to you. Other than that - they are more comfortable to play, cut down on the mousy squeeks, give a darker tone, etc etc., I left round wounds on my light gauge guitars for years because I didn't know that anyone offered .009 flatworunds. A tech at juststrings.com told me about the LaBella .009s and I like them fine. I could have made up a set by moding a set of .010s but I just never did. Having tried the LaBella .009s if they quit making them tomorrow, I would buy sets of .011s and toss the E6 string and by .009 e1 singles and make sets up.

Try them you might like them, errr ahh you most likely will love them if you are on this forum.

Big Ron

**woyvel** · 03-28-2010, 04:13 PM

Can anyone think of any well-known guitarists that aren't known for jazz but regularly use flatwounds? It's been 2 months since changing to flats and even playing rock I like them better on my Artcore. I said I'd stick with rounds on the solids, but now I'm considering going to flats on my tele since I hear so much good about them on teles in these forums.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-28-2010, 04:50 PM

most fifties and early 60's rock, methinks.

**SamBooka** · 03-28-2010, 05:35 PM

what mr b. said.
Before the late 60s (or so I have been told) All you had was flatwound pure nickle strings. In the early 60s guys used to take a banjo string for the high e and use the regular high e for a b, the b for the g, etc etc

**jazzbow** · 03-30-2010, 05:32 PM

I couldn't get on with D'Addario chromes, tried but prefer their nickle roundwounds for the solid bodied guitars. TI 13's are my preferred choice. Tried a set of Pyramid 13's which sound like D'Addario's at double the price! All strings played on hollow thinline plywood body with Mighty Mite HB then changed to VV CC Rider. Nah, TI's gets my sterling.

**Big Ron** · 03-30-2010, 06:40 PM

Mr. Beaumont is correct. In the 60's (I was there) just about everyone was using flatwound strings. I taught guitar at McCord Music at Plano, TX. Brother to McCord Music Dallas the largest Fender dealer around. We hung out with those guys all the time. Howard Reed was my mentor (he played lead guitar with Gene Vincent and was in the movie The Girl Can't Help It with Jayne Mansfield) any way - I think most of those guys used flatwounds on their Fender guitars.

At least that's the way I remember it, but I could be mistaken.

Big Ron

**SamBooka** · 03-30-2010, 07:15 PM

Howard Reed had the first custom colour Strat!(black)
I had the Guitar World poster on my wall when I was a kid.

**Hugh** · 03-31-2010, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Ron Vermillion

Mr. Beaumont is correct. In the 60's (I was there) just about everyone was using flatwound strings. I taught guitar at McCord Music at Plano, TX. Brother to McCord Music Dallas the largest Fender dealer around. We hung out with those guys all the time. Howard Reed was my mentor (he played lead guitar with Gene Vincent and was in the movie The Girl Can't Help It with Jayne Mansfield) any way - I think most of those guys used flatwounds on their Fender guitars.

At least that's the way I remember it, but I could be mistaken.

Big Ron

I was there too

banging away on flatwounds(we called them tapewounds in these days) doing Shadows and other bands instrumental stuff. I think it was Rotosound that made them if my old memory serves me right. It was funny starting to use them all over again a few years ago after a lifetime of light and extra light guage strings, thanks to the influence of Mr Hendrix and Mr Clapton etc......
I started off mellow now I'm back to mellow after all the distortion in between.
Hugh.

**Malphie** · 01-13-2017, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Bill C

you'll typically get a more muted tone with flats

I'd say that muting is taking away volume/strength of the sound. I think what you try to say that they sound less sharp, rounder than found wouden strings.