Flatwound Strings on Fender Stratocaster

**Wattage** · 04-05-2010, 09:55 PM

Hey everyone,

New guy here, and I have some questions on flatwounds. I started using .011 D'Addario Chromes on My Strat last year and I love the tone and feel of flatwound strings. However, I'm starting to think the Chromes aren't working for me for the following reasons:

1. On fresh sets, the wound strings have this horrible abrasive feel that only goes away after a few weeks of playing.
2. the strings vary widely in tension. On some days, they are incredibly stiff. On others, they flop around like rubber bands.

Well, I'm looking for a set of flats that are highly polished and smooth with high tension. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, on a side note, I played an Ibanez Pat Metheny guitar that was strung with really great set of flats. However, all I know about the strings is that they had blue silk at the ends. Does anyone know of a company that uses blue silk to wrap their flats?

Thanks,
Wattage

**bkdavidson** · 04-06-2010, 01:22 AM

I've never heard of either of those things happening. Interesting. A bunch (and I mean a bunch) of people on here will tell you to go with Thomastik-Infelds. I will go ahead and get the devil's advocacy out of the way. I used them for a while, but went back to Chromes b/c I thought the tension in the wound strings was too low, and the wound strings were a lot quieter than the plain (they use pure nickel for the wrap wire). I would say maybe try GHS or LaBella. I have no personal exp. with those strings, but I know they're very popular. I have tried D'Aquisto flats and didn't like the feel, and have played Fender flats but the 3rd string was ROUNDwound!!

As far as the strings on the Pat Metheney model, I always thought Ibanez shipped their guitars with D'Addarios on them, which would incidentally make them Chromes. However, the only company I know of that puts blue silk at the ends is Thomastik-Infeld. So there you go. It's either the brand you don't like or the brand I don't like.

**derek** · 04-06-2010, 12:32 PM

I got away from DA Chromes for various quality control issues. I have had ball ends pop, and inconsistencies in them. They are readily available, and will stand behind them if you contact them. Sent them the bad set and they will replace it, no questions asked. I always say I am an avid TI flats user, but like BK suggests, probably should invest in a new set each month or so, and see what you like.

Keep in mind, that like car tires and batteries, there are only a handful of string makers out there, who are making strings for several brands. They will spec them out to the brand's request, but all are using wire from the same source. Probably much less difference between them all than we think. Happy hunting.

**larry graves** · 04-06-2010, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Wattage

Hey everyone,

New guy here, and I have some questions on flatwounds. I started using .011 D'Addario Chromes on My Strat last year and I love the tone and feel of flatwound strings. However, I'm starting to think the Chromes aren't working for me for the following reasons:

1. On fresh sets, the wound strings have this horrible abrasive feel that only goes away after a few weeks of playing.
2. the strings vary widely in tension. On some days, they are incredibly stiff. On others, they flop around like rubber bands.

Well, I'm looking for a set of flats that are highly polished and smooth with high tension. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, on a side note, I played an Ibanez Pat Metheny guitar that was strung with really great set of flats. However, all I know about the strings is that they had blue silk at the ends. Does anyone know of a company that uses blue silk to wrap their flats?

Thanks,
Wattage

Pat Metheny plays .O11 D'Addario chomes. If your not happy with them [I'm not] try Ti's or Pyramid flatwounds..LG..

**Wattage** · 04-06-2010, 05:17 PM

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitley look into the TIs.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that scale length might be an issue here. My school has an Epiphone Dot strung with .012 D'Addario Chromes and it's great most of the time. The Pat Metheny guitar was probably also a 24.75" scale guitar.

If any of you guys own guitars with the 24.75" scale and 25.5" scale, how do you match up the string tensions?

**Peter C** · 04-06-2010, 06:51 PM

I can't relate to what you say in your first post - Chromes have an abrasive feel? They are the smoothest feeling string I've come across

If you're perceiving a variation in tension in the same set, it's you, the player, not the strings. It's often relative to how often you play.

Regarding scale length, if you put 12-52s on a 25.5", put 13-56s on the shorter scale, for example, if you want to match tensions as closely as possible, and as long as you're using the same type of strings. If you put different types/brands on each guitar, bear in mind that tensions for any given gauge (diameter) can vary. Check out the D'Addario String Tension Chart (it's a PDF, used to be on their website) and compare, for example, the tension of a .026 nickel wound to that of a half round of the same gauge.

**mongrel** · 04-06-2010, 07:42 PM

The last set of flats I had on my Strat before I dismantled it for mods were .013 Chromes that lasted over a year and were still good when I broke her down. I left it out on a stand all the time and sometimes during the humid seasons (80% of the time here in the Mid Atlantic) I would notice some rough spots that were likely a little corrosion. A wipe down with lemon fret oil would do the trick or even my greasy hands after eating a rare burger or olive oil drenched pasta worked as well or better. Chromes have intrinsically higher tension than TI's but never bothered me since I scalloped the board and fretting notes was easy as pie. I tried GHS and Fender flats. The GHS set sounded "off" from the start and never got better and the Fenders were total junk--the first and second strings broke at the nut (graphite) after only a couple of hours of playing. I've had .013 Chromes on my tele for about two years and they are still mellow.

**Wattage** · 04-06-2010, 07:57 PM

I think I may stick with Chromes and move up to .012 -.052 then. mongrel, how does your tele sound and how is the setup considering the high tension of .013s?

PeterC, the abrasiveness I'm referring to is this strange scratchiness on new flatwounds that seems to go away after a week or two. Or, it may just be me.

**mongrel** · 04-07-2010, 08:26 AM

My tele is actually a Peavey Reactor AX I modified to be my "Frisell" guitar. Its string tension feels a good bit less than my Strat although scale length is the same. I have its action set high and it is a much better player than the more expensive Strat and its neck stability is much better. I can let it sit out for days without touching it and all it needs is a touch on the first and second string keys. The Strat will go way out of wack overnight. I may end up with an aftermarket neck for the Strat--maybe a Carvin with flat ebony board.

**Wattage** · 04-07-2010, 04:02 PM

Hmm... what kind of Strat was yours? I have an '06 American Deluxe Strat but I'm not sure if it'll handle the .012s.

**mongrel** · 04-07-2010, 04:32 PM

1998 American Standard with maple board. I scalloped all the frets deeper than the factory does its Malmsteen and Blackmore models and it handles .013's with ease and just a little truss rod adjustment. I just don't like the 9.5" radius and maple fretboards.

**derek** · 04-07-2010, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by mongrel

The last set of flats I had on my Strat before I dismantled it for mods were .013 Chromes that lasted over a year and were still good when I broke her down. I left it out on a stand all the time and sometimes during the humid seasons (80% of the time here in the Mid Atlantic) I would notice some rough spots that were likely a little corrosion. A wipe down with lemon fret oil would do the trick or even my greasy hands after eating a rare burger or olive oil drenched pasta worked as well or better. Chromes have intrinsically higher tension than TI's but never bothered me since I scalloped the board and fretting notes was easy as pie. I tried GHS and Fender flats. The GHS set sounded "off" from the start and never got better and the Fenders were total junk--the first and second strings broke at the nut (graphite) after only a couple of hours of playing. I've had .013 Chromes on my tele for about two years and they are still mellow.

You might be onto something here. Burger grease and olive oil string treatments. Toss in some bacon and I'm in!

**mongrel** · 04-07-2010, 05:14 PM

I've heard that Wes used to do something similar after eating a pastrami sandwich. Neal Schon goes further and purposely wipes the pastrami grease all over his necks.

Archie · 04-08-2010, 01:28 AM

Ew!

**bkdavidson** · 04-08-2010, 01:38 AM

I've heard that Jaco would always eat fried chicken right before he played.

**SamBooka** · 04-08-2010, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by derek

You might be onto something here. Burger grease and olive oil string treatments. Toss in some bacon and I'm in!

I love the smell of bacon in the morning.. it smells like.. breakfast.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 04-08-2010, 09:30 AM

Now I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that Ed Bickert relied on a Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich!

**Drifter** · 04-09-2010, 12:49 AM

There's no better way to keep others from playing your guitars. Just make sure you don't meet Neal Schon.

Wattage, please keep us posted. I'm thinking of restringing my Strat with flatwounds, too. Never tried it and never intended to but it should be an intersting experiment.

**tonedeaf** · 07-22-2010, 12:51 AM

Since there seems to be a lot of TI discussion here, I have two questions:

I purchased a set of JS112 and JS113 strings to use on an Eastman 805CE (archtop, hollow-body with Gotoh tuners).

1. On the JS 113 strings the low E string (6) is too large at the silk winding to fit through the tuner hole. Is this a string problem or is this string simply too large for this guitar?

2. The JS 112 low E (6) string seems to be too long. I.e., if I keep the string windings on the tuner entirely in the silk wrap part of the string, there are way too many windings on the tuner. When I tried winding the string below the silk wrap the string almost immediately "delaminated". Do these strings have to be wound only in the silk wrap area?

**oldane** · 07-22-2010, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by Wattage

1. On fresh sets, the wound strings have this horrible abrasive feel that only goes away after a few weeks of playing.
2. the strings vary widely in tension. On some days, they are incredibly stiff. On others, they flop around like rubber bands.

I use Chromes 11-50 on a strat and on a Wormoth assembly with mahogany neck and body and a custom made pickup from Pete Biltoft. Both guitars sound good with the chromes. I have also used 13-58 Chromes on both guitars, which also sounded good, but for now I go with the lighter guage as I like to be able to do some bending too.

I never persived any roughness of the Chromes - but I also play four-to-the-bar rhythm on an acoustic archtop with heavy roundwound strings and a high action - and have got used to it - so any electric guitar set up with flatwounds may feel smooth and easy for me.

I think the varying tension feel of the strings is purely a reflection of your muscular "fitness" that particular day - it varies just like the Tour de France riders can have "bad legs" on one day and "good legs" on another. From a scientific point of view, there is one and only one tension of a given string that will deliver a given note. So when the string is tuned up correctly, it will have a specific tension. One can see sometimes, though, that acoustic guitars are sensitive to the humidity and temperature of the air, causing the action to vary a little. But that's hardly a problem with a strat.

P.S. In fact, I do like the Strat for jazz, provided it's set up with not too light strings - flatwounds are fine here. The single coil neck pick up is placed excactly at the half way point between the 12'th fret and the bridge (right under the node), which gives a sweet, full and round tone. Any "ice pick" sharpness of the narrow Strat pickup are easily mellowed by the tone control on the guitar. And a single coil pickup gives much clearer low notes than a humbucker which tends to become muddy in the bass. The strat is indeed a very versatile instrument.

**0zoro** · 10-29-2012, 02:20 PM

Does anyone play with flat wounds on a strat? How does it change the tone range? Is is horrid, uninteresting, or can it be a good thing? prehaps changing the tone picture somewhat. I ask as I know no one who has tried, and must get to the bottom as to why. I only play flats, particularly during the winter as the skin on my first finger cracks is I play on the cheap round wounds I had been buying a few years ago. Any feed back would be welcome Best regards 0zoro

**jazzkatten** · 10-29-2012, 02:32 PM

I tried flatwounds on a strat some years ago, and I liked it very much

**Androo** · 10-29-2012, 02:33 PM

I use flats on all my guitars, archtop, Tele, Strat. To me, it is the absolute best! It does change the tone quite a bit, takes away the sting, zing and bite ...and adds great midrange thump, like a piano to my ears. I can't stand roundwound anymore, although when I get the chance to play something with rounds, I recall how much easier they are to bend.