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Thread: Flatwound String Questions

  1. #26
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    I like it Brian. I might give them a try someday, for both my mandolin and guitar. As much as I love flatwounds for mandolin, I only tried them once for guitar. But the set I bought ended up being a set for electric guitar. They were too loose and flabby. I would love to have a flatwound set for guitar that works.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  2. #27
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    I would love to have a flatwound set for guitar that works.
    Mandobassman, I should clarify that only some of the wound strings from the Plectrum series guitar sets are flat wound. The rest are round wound. For instance, in the 12-15-24-33-44-59, only the third string (G) is flat wound. The 4th, 5th, and 6th are round wound. I believe the lighter gauge 11-14-19-27-36-50 has flat wounds on 3rd, 4th, 5th. Round wound on 6th. Thomastik seems to like using a flat wound construction to transition between plain steels and round wounds.

    I simply love the construction of this series of string. They have the right combination of warmth and brightness (as well as longevity). While they don't exist in every gauge imaginable, you can usually get pretty close. With four 6-string sets and two 12-string sets in the Plectrum series, most gauges are covered. JustStrings.com makes it easy to buy them individually so that you can construct custom sets (no affiliation).

    TI wound singles here:
    http://www.juststrings.com/acoustict...lestrings.html

    TI plain steels here:
    http://www.juststrings.com/plainstee...lestrings.html

    I have created custom sets for my F-5 mandolin, A-2 mandolin, open-back banjo, tenor banjo, and mountain dulcimer. I did spend a considerable amount of time calculating what the tensions would be when using them on different instruments (different scale, different frequencies). A spreadsheet has come in handy. Nevertheless, I'm hooked. As I alluded to, the tricky part is removing the ball end, though some of the instruments have tailpieces that will accommodate the ball end.

    Good luck
    Brian Muller

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  4. #28
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    Thanks for the additional info Brian.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  5. #29
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    Thanks for the heads up. I love those Thomastik bronze flatwound strings too and thought I had found the answer to my needs with this thread until I saw that there is a flat-rate charge of $50 for international shipping... I'm going to contact them to see if this can be reduced for just a few single strings.

  6. #30

    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    I like flatwounds, too. A couple observations:
    1. They are not as "twangy", which a lot of people consider dead sounding.
    2. 50-100 years ago, you could only buy flatwounds. Of course, there are more varieties and formulations, now. A lot of what you hear on old recordings are flatwounds.
    3. They feel great on the fingers, very smooth.
    4. Thomastiks are worth the money.
    5. Flatwounds last forever. (so they really are cheaper in the long run)
    6. A lot of electric guitar music of the 50's and early 60's used flatwounds, including the Beatles. Also, a wound 3rd string was normal in the 50's on electric guitar. Also, your guitar will sound more "in tune" with a wound 3rd.
    7. The Beatles played mostly nickel flatwounds, which are currently available by both Thomastik and Pyramid. Great if you want a truly vintage sound. A lot of the domestic brands are stainless steel, not nickel. (mostly important for electric music in how the pickup reacts)
    8. Roundwounds wear your frets faster, kind of like a file would. When I worked at a vintage guitar shop and someone would sell us an old guitar with the original flatwounds on it, the frets would show almost no wear.
    9. It is my experience that you can set the action lower with flatwounds and not experience buzzing vs. roundwounds. Not sure why.
    10. Instruments with fretwear buzz less with flatwounds. (goes with #9)

  7. #31
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    As much as I understand all the reasons you folk mention for using flatwounds, I just don't like flatwound strings on anything that isn't bowed! I've played string bass and violin, and flatwounds are lovely on the receiving end of a bow and rosin, but to my ear, less so on a plucked instrument.

    That includes mandolin, guitar - and I play jazz guitar, where they LOVE flawounds - to electric bass, where flatwounds were the standard string until the 60's when Rotosound developed the roundwound bass string.

    Bless all of you that love flatwounds, and may you get all the flatwound strings you want cheap.

  8. #32
    Registered User Cheryl Watson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    I never have liked flatwounds. They lack punch to my ear, but some players swear by them. I really like the GHS Silk & Bronze medium gauge for a mellower tone that blends in rather than cutting through. You might try those, they are under $6, street.

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  10. #33
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    2. 50-100 years ago, you could only buy flatwounds. Of course, there are more varieties and formulations, now. A lot of what you hear on old recordings are flatwounds.
    3. They feel great on the fingers, very smooth.
    Many good reasons.

    #3 is very true.

    # 2 is perhaps not.

    http://www.mandolin.be/mp3/

    "All recordings are played on traditional round wound strings which give the original bright sound of the mandolin."

    Almost all the antique instruments, guitar, mandolins, bouzoukis, etc. I've seen have had some sort of roundwound strings. I do not claim to have seen everything, but, to my understanding, flatwound strings for plucked instruments are not the "original" strings available.

    http://www.nrinstruments.demon.co.uk/About.html

    I could go on with other articles, but catlines (twisted) and then simple roundwound strings seem to predate flatwounds.

  11. #34
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
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    Default Re: Flatwound String Questions

    Well ...... I recommend getting the pickup installed and trying out several different types and metals and gauges of strings to hear what it is that you like. Flat wound string may be the answer. Enjoy the search...... R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

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