The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Some guy tried these and claimed they're better that TIs. He claims stronger sound, and looser than TIs, and four or five bucks cheaper.
    Anyone try they them yet? They're a pretty recent development.

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  3. #2

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    I had never heard of these until today. The marketing palaver from stringsbymail.com:

    Pyramid Fusion Flats on Round Steel Core How do you go about designing a new type of flat-wound string for the 21st Century? A string that is much more dynamic and far more musically diverse? Ask the master string makers at Pyramid! Their new "Fusion Flats" Series strings are true musical chameleons that have now evolved into something that will change many a player's viewpoint as to the applications the traditional flat-wound design may have not intended. In 2019, American string designer Dean Farley approached Pyramid’s owner, Max Junger, in his quest for the perfect jazz guitar string for his favored 1969 Gibson Super 400. Dean wanted to bring out the biggest and richest sound his instrument was capable of. He had tried every available flat-wound jazz string he could get his hands on in the USA. All of them had failed in producing the sound Dean heard in his head (and from his guitar). It was here where Dean asked Max many questions about how he had made his famous Pyramid Gold Label flat-wound strings. Dean wanted a flat-wound string that was more “broad spectrum” in nature, producing a bigger note than ever before, as well as a string that also had a nice shimmer to it. In other words, a totally new interpretation of what a flat-wound type string could EVER be! More dynamic control with far better touch sensitivity? Yes, these were indeed Dean’s main goals. Newly designed Pyramid “Fusion Flats” series strings will bring you the most unmatched musical expression you have ever experienced (or produced) to date. Here’s to your ultimate creativity and enjoyment.


    It's a bit breathless, but might be interesting. I'm not into the "thunk" so I don't use flatwounds, but these may not be thunky or as thunky. I have tried the Pyramid Gold flatwounds in the past and they were OK, I liked them better than TI or D'Addario flats. I go through phases of preferring round core strings.

    Specific instructions from SBM:

    PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU INSTALL YOUR FUSION FLATS SET: Round Core Flat-wounds must be installed differently than their hex-core round-wound counterparts.
    • Install the string at the tuning key and tune to concert pitch.
    • Let the strings stretch out on their own (without any manual stretching-such as tugging or yanking—as this might severely damage the wound strings). You might be surprised at how fast this natural stretching takes.
    • Never cut the string’s excess length before bending the string in a sharp right angle. Simply be sure to cut the string slightly above where the bend is.
    • That’s it, now enjoy the sound of your guitar(s).


  4. #3

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    If you dont want to wait for the natural stretching then overshoot the tune up a bit (e to f# etc), and then back down. All the stretch needed for TI and pyramids at least

  5. #4

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    Looking into this, being a bit of a string hound. I found a thread at thegearpage, where a member called pinkstrat* seems to have been directly involved in their development. Apparently, the focus has been on lighter gauges, with 12-52 being the heaviest for the moment....

    *That could be "American string designer Dean Farley" mentioned in the stringsbymail.com blurb, which I hadn't read fully, in Cunamara's post. This would explain why they're first being marketed in the US.

    Here's the thread to save you looking: New String Alert - Fusion Flats by Pyramid | The Gear Page
    Last edited by Peter C; 05-06-2022 at 06:56 AM.

  6. #5

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    Not a word about what's different in their design, I presume?

    Fusing the wrap to the core could explain the "don't stretch them manually" damage warning but I don't suppose one should take their name this literally?

  7. #6

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    There's actually a YT clip dating back to Oct 21 (Pyramid Fusion Flatwounds by Dean Farley), which you may not find useful and another recent one with some decent fusion playing, but it's dirty. That, and a short clip in the referenced TGP thread, is about it. Please post any clean clips you know of, especially of the 12-52 set with the wound 3rd

  8. #7

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    +++ ... and of the acoustic sound (on an acoustic guitar evidently )

    In fact, let them be comparison recordings with some known competitor so we can judge the difference in sound!

  9. #8

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    Save yourselves the 100% upcharge and play these Pyramid Pure Nickel Wound Classics HAND POLISHED Round Core Electric Guitar Strings P450 Light 9-42 , Handpolished 12-54 Classic Nickels.

    Dollars to doughnuts, they're going to sound and feel the same except that you get two sets of HP Classic Nickels for the price of 1 set of Fusion Flats. Guys over at TGP just love spending money on new and shiny.

    Pyramid should send Mark Kleinhaut a DF 12-52 set for review.

  10. #9

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    Repackaged Hand Polished Classics?

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    Repackaged Hand Polished Classics?
    Reading the blurb for the Fusion Flats it sounds as if they are aiming for the same tonal palette and feel as the Handpolished Classic Nickels. Flatwound strings do cost considerably more to make but to what purpose?

  12. #11

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    There's a brief archtop demo now on p 4 (I think) of the TGP thread I linked to in my first post. Do you think they sound like the hand polished rounds? Nice playing, anyway.

  13. #12

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    I'm a long time user of the hand polished rounds. To answer your question Yes! Perhaps the tiniest bit more percussive. I would have paid the premium price if this new string eliminated all finger noise, but that's not the case. Still curious though. The hand polished rounds are my favorite string by a large margin.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    There's a brief archtop demo now on p 4 (I think) of the TGP thread I linked to in my first post. Do you think they sound like the hand polished rounds? Nice playing, anyway.

  14. #13

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    Thanks for that skiboyny. I actually tried the hand polished rounds in the past and they didn't work out for me at that time. Curiously, I had to order them from a US vendor because they were not available in Europe. A German site I have ordered from several times in the past and which carries all things Pyramid isn't offering the hand polished or these new fusion flats, although pinkstrat at TGP supplies a contact email addy.

    Maybe this is a US-only marketing thing? Wondering if these strings are actually flatwound or flattened. Anyway, the heaviest gauge on offer right now is a tad too light for my needs and I'm not paying US prices (again) for a string made in an EU country!!

  15. #14

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    If you check the TGP thread, you'll see pinkstrat's posts confirming that they are flatwounds, so (design) not related to the hand polished rounds.

    There was another thread here where someone had just purchased a set, but has disappeared.

    Message to person-who-bought-the-fusion-flats: good or not?

  16. #15

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    So anyone play'em ?

  17. #16

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    i have 2 sets that I bought but haven't put them on anything yet because honestly, i'm enjoying the older set of TIs i put on my 175 (this set doesn't have the dreaded rough G string) and on my GB 10 I have rounds and they sound really great. I have chromes on my barrington and before i got the GB10 I thought about putting the fusions on there but now I almost never play the barrington so I guess I'm waiting for the TI's to go dead on the 175 before I try the fusion strings.

  18. #17

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    Re: TI flats going dead- how can you tell? My experience with them is that they sounded very consistent for months to a year, perhaps even longer.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    Re: TI flats going dead- how can you tell? My experience with them is that they sounded very consistent for months to a year, perhaps even longer.
    same here. I had a set on one 175 for 2 years. I just hate to replace a set of $30 strings when the set is currently fine. And the original plan was putting them on the benson but it sounds so good with rounds that I'm not sure why I would do that? I just put the barrington in storage so i'm not sure what I'll end up doing with these strings...

  20. #19

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    I prefer roundwounds on my GB10, also. It just seems to make the instrument sing a little bit more. I don't play bebop type stuff much at all, though.

    I have gone to SIT 11-50s on most of my guitars (plain G on the solid/semis and wound G on the GB10), except my 17" archtop and my flattop. Those get Martin Retro Monels. I really like the SITs, except for the "Silencers" which feel rougher and are noisier than the roundwounds!

  21. #20

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    I finally got around to putting a set Pyramid Strings fusion flats on my ibanez george benson. Before I even got finished stringing it up, I can tell you right now - i'm super unhappy with them. They are not flatwounds. They are the roughest flatwounds I've ever experienced. They are rougher than the daddario half-rounds. They should be admonished for false advertising.
    I'd like a refund for this set and the unused set.

  22. #21

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    Also, the tension on them seems extremely stiff. Someone claimed that they were extremely loose feel like the thomastics. I can tell you that they are not. They sound decent but these are a no-go for me...

  23. #22

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    Thanks for the heads up Jack, I’ve been dragging trying them, but now to the back of the pile they go.
    jk

  24. #23

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    Another couple of observations. When I installed the G string from the pyramid fusion flatwound set, I noticed it was crimped in a bunch of places. I'm wondering if the fusion process separated when the string was wound into a tight coil for packaging. I didn't notice this on the D A E strings. Additionally, when I took them off just now, the low E string core was broken where the string bent at a right angle into the tuning peg...

  25. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by jzucker
    Also, the tension on them seems extremely stiff. Someone claimed that they were extremely loose feel like the thomastics. I can tell you that they are not. They sound decent but these are a no-go for me...
    That was some shill from TGP that made that statement.Thanks for reporting back. I'm staying with my TI Bebops.

  26. #25

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    Thank you, Jack, for the sacrifice of your money so that we don't have to.

    That's some Snake-Oil Strings...