Ventured into Flatwounds.

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SNAKEBITESNAKEBITE Frets: 1075

On Saturday I entered my local guitar emporium and purchased a set of flatwound strings.

Guitar is a Gretsch which I had previously played with Super Slinkies, so moving up to 11's was a big step.

Overall impression is good, the guitar seems to play better, as if it was designed for bigger gauges, although I'm not sure if that is in my head.

Never used flatwounds before and at £18 a set it's a bit steep, but I rarely break strings so they should last a while before I need to change them. 

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Comments

  • Toms_DadToms_Dad Frets: 168
    One of the best things about flatwounds is that they don't have all those little grooves on the bass strings which collect the grease and dirt from fingers, so they last forever.
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14036
    tFB Trader
    Yes they are steep now, regarding price, but they do last longer (assume no breakage) - As the tone is more 'dead', you don't notice any deterioration in highs with use

    For those vintage rock n roll tones then flatwounds is the way to go, although I hear B Setzer plays 10's and regular wound - I think Jimmie Vaughan now uses flatwounds
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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    I put some 11s FWs on my Epi Dot over a year ago. Still feels the same now as then. Smooooooth.
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  • I use a set of custom flatwounds on al my guitars.  Best move I ever made.
    'Vot eva happened to the Transylvanian Tvist?'
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    Back in the day everyone use flat wounds on electric .Even on twangy guitars .I didnt use wires until I went acoustic in 1964 .
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  • Would these go well on Jazzmaster? 
    Calling JM expert @meltedbuzzbox ;
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14036
    tFB Trader
    wesker123 said:
    Would these go well on Jazzmaster? 
    Calling JM expert @meltedbuzzbox ;
    Yes but it is an acquired tone - I dare say if you have loads of saturated gain and more play modern grunge rock styles, then you are more than likely to not like it

    But retro vintage then yes it can be a great option
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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    wesker123 said:
    Would these go well on Jazzmaster? 
    Calling JM expert @meltedbuzzbox ;
    I put 11s FWs on my AVRI Jazzmaster and it was OK for a few weeks but because of the longer neck scale I grew tired of it and wanted more twang so went back to regular 10s.
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  • Yes they are steep now, regarding price, but they do last longer (assume no breakage) - As the tone is more 'dead', you don't notice any deterioration in highs with use

    For those vintage rock n roll tones then flatwounds is the way to go, although I hear B Setzer plays 10's and regular wound - I think Jimmie Vaughan now uses flatwounds
    IIRC flatwounds with a plain third for Jimmie. Which is a set I don't think you can buy in the UK, you need to buy a separate G. Throwing a £3 string away unused is a bit galling. 
    Setzer, again IIRC, doesn't use flatwounds but likes old strings - he's gigging with strings many people would have thrown away. 

    When you think of early rocknroll and Chicago blues those were flatwounds, maybe with a plain G once people twigged to that. I guess pop of The Beatles era, etc. Does seem an obvious thing to do if you are chasing those kind of tones. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    Not surprised they last longer than round wounds, they sound dead straight out of the packet so they can't get any duller.
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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    edited February 2020
    The guy in Khruangbin uses flats and changes them once a tour. Jump to 5:48.




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  • SNAKEBITESNAKEBITE Frets: 1075
    His approach to picks isn't much better!
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  • Pyramid make a lighter 10 set of Flatwounds. I have them on a JM Jaguar and they’re excellent. My JM jaguar came with a set of Fender flatwounds in the case. He uses them for time tot time apparently. (Not the fender ones tho as he told me.)
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Philtre said:
    The guy in Khruangbin uses flats and changes them once a tour. Jump to 5:48.
    He also keeps a cocked wah (so essentially quite an extreme EQ) on at all times.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    As a lover of flats on bass, the thing that always confuses me about them on guitar is that the top three strings are the same as on a roundwound set, aren't they?

    So some notes and most chords will sound different but the "don't need to change them" advantage would only apply to half the strings.
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  • thegummy said:
    As a lover of flats on bass, the thing that always confuses me about them on guitar is that the top three strings are the same as on a roundwound set, aren't they?

    So some notes and most chords will sound different but the "don't need to change them" advantage would only apply to half the strings.
    Just top two innit? 

    I may well be wrong but that's what I'd understood. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    thegummy said:
    Philtre said:
    The guy in Khruangbin uses flats and changes them once a tour. Jump to 5:48.
    He also keeps a cocked wah (so essentially quite an extreme EQ) on at all times.
    Yes, but I don't think it's cocked all the time, unless I'm mistaken.

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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    thegummy said:
    As a lover of flats on bass, the thing that always confuses me about them on guitar is that the top three strings are the same as on a roundwound set, aren't they?

    So some notes and most chords will sound different but the "don't need to change them" advantage would only apply to half the strings.
    Just top two innit? 

    I may well be wrong but that's what I'd understood. 
    Sounds quite likely but then I'd still wonder the same about the top two.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Philtre said:
    thegummy said:
    Philtre said:
    The guy in Khruangbin uses flats and changes them once a tour. Jump to 5:48.
    He also keeps a cocked wah (so essentially quite an extreme EQ) on at all times.
    Yes, but I don't think it's cocked all the time, unless I'm mistaken.

    I may have misremembered but he was saying that with round wounds it would sound far too bright but with his flats it brightens it up.

    Always sounds great though and his playing is just superb. One of my favourite bands of recent years without a doubt.
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