Aha! Flatwounds!

[Ampig]

I purchased my first jazz box last year. I got a good deal on a late 60's Hofner 457 archtop. It needed some work including a refret. When all was said and done she was a nice guitar, but I couldn't really get the tone I wanted and there was quite a bit of fret buzz and ringing from the Trapeze tailpiece. I was using John Pearse roundwounds on some advice from this forum. I finally took the plunge and bought a set of TI flats. What a world of difference! The Hofner now has the classic jazz sound I've been missing. She's warm and mellow and I am able to the lower the action more with no buzzing when chording. Just saying..... I'm converted.

[ccroft]

Funny...I had the same thing a month ago after being a total round-head for over 5 decades. Really digging the TI's on a ply archtop. I'll stick with rounds on some other instruments. It's nice to have a palette to choose from.

[frabarmus]

I've got 3 jazzboxes and I've always been a flatwound-head. I keep flatwounds on 2 and roundwounds on 1, to have that kind of "vibe"/experience aswell. I do enjoy switching, from time to time, from the flat-stringed boxes to the round-stringed one. For roundwounds I like pure nickel (sligtly mellower and softer under the fingers). On my roundwound stringed box I currently have a set of D'Addario EPN and, and two new sets waiting; one is DR Pure Blues, the other one is TI Bebop (haven't tried them yet).

Any experience with DR Pure Blues, anyone?

[st.bede]

If I want mellow/warm strings I typically use DR Blues. I have them on about the 4 or 5 of my guitars. I tend to put them on guitars that are bright on their own. They seem to work well for that. I like them. They bend nice for blues stuff. (Have not been doing that lately though).

I never break strings, also I put off changing strings. The DR Blues must last long enough to not bother me.

Then again, I flip through my guitar collection, so it is difficult to say. Back when I only had a single guitar I knew precisely how long each brand of strings would last.

(The only strings that I ever break are EBs (9s), so I do not use them. Also I have never really used any GHS. One day I will get a set).

[Stringswinger]

My Electric archtops all get TI Flats

My Acoustic archtops all get D'Addario 80/20's

My Gypsy guitars both get Argentines

My Classical guitar gets Savarez Nylons

My solid Body guitars all get DR Blues

I have pretty much figured out what I like in both guitars and strings. Amps too. I feel like I have my gear needs met.

At least until I GAS for something else.

[garybaldy]

There are differences in roundwounds. I had TI 12 rounds on a Loar 700. There was a lot of fret buzz on the lower strings. Putting on a set of Martin Monel 12s and thus having that slight extra tension on the lower strings both eliminated the buzz and added more body to the sound.

[Betz]

The path may wander, however. I just brought home a 2018 Triggs 16” archtop (thanks JazzBob!). Solid carved German spruce top, solid carved eastern maple back, solid maple sides. The single pickup was supposed to be a Seymour Duncan humbucker, but I noticed the row of pole pieces was in the center of the cover. Turns out it is a Fralin hum-cancelling P90. I love P90’s.

Anyway, I have TI Jazz Swing or George Benson flats on my ES-175’s and 275’s, except for George Benson round wounds on the 275 with P-90’s. Since my goal with the Triggs is the stronger solid-top sound, the discovery of the incredible Fralin P-90, and the fact that I was going to have to pull out the nut files anyway, I put the George Benson rounds on her instead of the flats.

Granted, it is still the honeymoon phase but I am loving these rounds on this guitar.

[Ampig]

As I said earlier, I originally strung up the Hofner with John Pearse roundwounds, but they were a buzzy nightmare, at least on this guitar.

[Spook410]

I will never settle on what strings I like best on a given guitar.

I will never figure out what pick I like best

My opinion on amplification varies.

I do have a favorite guitar strap.