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Jack, why didn't you post your findings on TGP? The few guys who tried them reported positive things...
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06-02-2022 05:15 PM
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The designer of the strings (link to the TGP thread in a previous post) was emphatic that they are flatwound. However, I was pretty sure I heard some typical roundwound-like squeak in a sample clip and the poster confirmed it was there.
Rougher than D'Addario half-rounds? And stiff, too? Gadz!
My interest is due to a return to flatwounds after a long period playing rounds. It happens.
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good idea though I suspect it'll just turn into a flame-fest about old guys on the porch with a hose...
Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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It's summer. I like a good old backyard Barbee with shooting flames. Originally Posted by jzucker
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Hi Jabberwocky,
Let’s get a few things straight. This new Pyramid string is very unique in it’s design. It is a flat-wound and not a half-round or burnished string either. Interestingly enough, these strings will work on any guitar in every musical genre you could imagine. We have everybody from punk rockers to jazzers using these and absolutely loving them.
These strings are very rich sounding with harmonic overtones that old-style flat-wounds lacked before. Definitely a
new voice on the string scene. They’re not for everybody but it seems two people disliked them (out of hundreds who loved them up to this post). If anyone has any inherent problems with them, the dealers will happily refund your money. And, for all you guys in Europe, Thomann International sells them as does TheseGoTo11.se/. These are selling like crazy so I have nothing to complain about. Lastly, their tension has been adjusted to be more flexible and comfortable to the player’s fingers. They aren’t anything like any other string in the Pyramid line-up, and mostly importantly, nothing like anything else made by anyone else anywhere in the world. That was the whole idea!
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Hey, PinkStrat, welcome to the Jazz Guitar Online forum for what seems to be your first post in 7 years. Your language makes it sounds like you have a financial interest in Pyramid either as a dealer or for the company ("we have," "I have," etc.). Is that correct?
I don't belong to TGP for a variety of reasons; I've never heard of these strings until this thread, as far as I can remember. I have no actual experience with them. Perhaps you can address the very rough strings and damaged G string out of the packaging described by Jack? And, good heavens, the low E string core breaking at the tuning peg is also not good.
I have used Pyramid Gold flatwound, Pyramid hand wound and regular wound nickel strings on round cores. Those all seem to be good strings.Last edited by Cunamara; 06-03-2022 at 11:19 PM.
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I am the sole designer of these Fusion Flats sets that are manufactured by Pyramid in Bavaria. Not an investor, owner or dealer for the Pyramid company. That said, I am definitely a quality control issues guy when it comes to my string designs. It appears as if Jack got some defective strings. That certainly can damper a player’s experience especially with these strings! The Fusion Flats are an brand new thing. They’ve been out since April 1, 2022. Jack can get a refund or replacement by contacting the dealer while I check into any potential issues. Pyramid is a very high quality oriented company and that’s why I like to develop things for them. I like to make sure that everyone can sound as good as they can (better than with any of the other brands that lost their quality long ago). Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Up till now I've only seem claims including vague ones about how they are entirely different but without ever expanding on how or even what the "Fusion" stands for. Zero mention of them on the AGF as far as I can tell, and only a single, amateurish YouTube video of a hesitant guy playing them on some sort of electric guitar.
Pyramid may not be the best at marketing but they're outdoing themselves in that aspect here!
Maybe you can redesign their nylon tape-wounds for them so they all intonate correctly on an (electro)acoustic with a standard compensated saddle (and the low E from the 12s set can actually be used, even on a flattop). They're very willing to make custom strings but only to the extent of changing details like the wrap wire alloy used in an otherwise unmodified design. Originally Posted by PinkStrat
FWIW, ordering directly from them is probably more interesting for us EU residents than ordering from Thomann.
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I believe this is normal for Pyramid strings. They do that to keep the round inner core from moving. I guess it's sort of a problem with a round inner core much less so with hex. I've had problems with strings in the past where the crimp wasn't visible. Aside from the rough feel that turns you off, would you describe the sound of these strings more like a round string? As a Pyramid user I'm going to give them a whirl always looking for the magic sauce lol. Really like the hand polished nickel classics as an alternative to flats. More response which suits my style of playing. Originally Posted by jzucker
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There is some confusion about the use of the term “fusion” in the name of these new string sets. To me, this set represents a fusion of two concepts of design (one being round-wound and the second being flat-wound). You’ll find out very quickly that the tone of these strings can be controlled by finger pressure of both your fretting and picking hands. When playing with a clean amplifier, lighten up your touch just a little and you’ll get a nice big sound (very suited for jazzier things on an arch top guitar for example). I used a really nice ‘69 Super 400 as the platform for their design FWIW. I found out that my design had a dual personality when the lighter gauges came over. I put a set of 10-46 on a Stratocaster and discovered that they also loved higher gain type sounds, too! So, these are really way more versatile than any old-style flat-wound string was (especially any American made flat-wound that is always made from stainless steel). Stainless steel has no soul at all IMHO, so I had to use pure nickel to avoid that major problem. SS is a dirt cheap metal and has an ugly sounding overtone series that isn’t very musical. The Fusion Flats will definitely surprise players who are looking for something unique and different. As is usually the case with jazz cats—use that tone control to find your sweet spot? Experimentation is the key here. You might have to adjust the truss-rod a little to get the feel you’re already accustomed to. You generally need to do that anyway when changing string types (or brand to brand). The 12-52 set plays very easily when the instrument is set-up correctly putting all the variables in sync. I find the standard Pyramid flats much warmer and richer than the strings from Austria (which are much brighter to me). The Fusion Flats certainly help my fretting hand from slipping too much (which was a huge problem for me personally when using standard flat-wounds). Durability on the FF sets is outstanding—people on my beta test team have been using their sets since September of 2021. By the way, John Monteleone is of the opinion that these sets bring out the best from his instruments. Hope this helps.
Last edited by PinkStrat; 06-04-2022 at 11:35 AM.
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Thank you Dean Farley for jumping in with the background info. Gonna try’em.
jk
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I put a set of 11s on my Tele last night and played them for a while. Ordered them from Thomann - I'm in Germany, so shipping, import taxes etc are not an issue.
tl;dr: great right-hand feel, left hand needs getting used to, warm yet clear sound on the neck and middle position, jury's still out on the bridge pup.
The previous set on this guitar was a Pyramid Round Wound Pure Nickel set 11-48, so no change in gauges. Compared to these, the Fusion Flats feel more taut, with what I feel is just the right amount of tension for a responsive, dynamic right-hand touch, and enough flexibility to avoid left-hand strain. They respond very evenly and sound quite balanced. With other makes, I've always found the top E string to be a bit softer than the rest, this isn't the case here. The set has a plain G string, which surprised me, but doesn't bother me much. Soundwise, it doesn't stick out (but then I had a plain G on before).
If you expect TI-like smoothness of surface, you'll be in for a surprise. They are not as rough to the touch as roundwounds, but they definitely don't feel as smooth as TIs. The low E string in particular has a surface that I haven't seen in any other string. I play left hand legatos and slurs quite a lot, I still have to decide whether I like the feel.
I have to say that "the sound of strings" doesn't bother me that much - I can usually get my desired sound out of any new strings after a few minutes. Of course, some strings go into a certain direction, which helps when you are after a certain sound ideal. You can definitely hear that they are nickels. I found it easy to get a good jazz telecaster sound (think Tim Lerch or Bill Frisell). In the middle position, too, I got a nice funky sound out of them. I haven't played the bridge pickup much - at first attempt, the sound was quite biting, which you may or may not like, but it's sure appropriate for Blues.
These are my first impressions. I'll leave them on for a while and see how well they develop.
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