@@Dallen9 mate, were you not paying attention (or watching on your phone? -schoolboy error) my playing wearing myTilley hat & baseball cap is like the difference between Mickey Moody & Joe Bonamassa!
@You Care Too Much They're darker for sure but I kind of like my dead old strings strings before they're too far gone. The wound ones anyway. I always wondered how fun it would be to play flatwould on a fretless.
You have to think of tonewoods in terms of micro adjustment of tone. You need a trained ear to understand the difference. It's how you tell the difference between an amateur and a raging alcoholic.
Michael is a genius; it is the hat! I play chromes on one copy of all my guitar styles: solid, semi and hollow. Play most genres; chromes work everytime. I do switch out the wound "g" for a 17 plain.... Buy 'em, get used to 'em and love 'em....
As a kid growing up many many of the real country pickers used flatwounds on 335 style guitars to get that bottom end thump. It was really an appealing sound. Obviously perfect for jazz, they also worked for that genre exceptionally well.
Flat wounds are really good for the sliding slurs you hear in a lot of blues and jazz playing. Like you were saying, the feel of the strings entices you to play differently. You can easily slide (as you noted) over the strings without any string noise. Not really a big deal playing rock or metal, but playing smooth jazz and such in intimate settings at really low volumes it really makes a difference. Also, the wound third isn't very conducive to big step and a half bends and such unless you have vice grip hands. You also noticed that the chord articulation is better with flat wounds, and that again plays into the more jazzy styles. There seems to be some good reasons why the flat wounds were a lot more popular with the older styles of playing, but not so much any more.
In the 60's I always used flat wound strings on my Gretsch Country Club Special. (1 model down from the White Falcon). I played mostly Rock but some blues and jazz. They sounded Awesome. I could get that Dwayne Eddie twang sound as well. In the 70's I went to regular strings. Ernie Ball 9's and they also sounded great but I had a 71 Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty). I liked the Ernie Ball regular 9's instead of the flat wound 11's I used to use on my Gretsch. A few years ago I switched to Ernie Ball 10's and really like them, but now since I'm so fricken old, I went back to Ernie Ball 9's as they don't tire my hand as much. I tried 8's but they are way to sloppy, IMO.
In the sixties I only used flat wound strings on my Silvertone. I only played rhythm guitar in my band and I liked them because they didn't have the "squeal/shriek" that round wound do. I still have that guitar and it still has flat wound 13s on it. I never knew the difference about strings so that's all I ever used. I think my older brother, who introduced me to guitar, liked flat for that reason and I never questioned it.They sounded great for smooth rhythm playing. Now I like that string sound on round wound--and also lighter strings on my aging fingers. Flat are indeed more slick. They both serve a purpose. I do suggest trying them out as well. Rock On!
I've never played flats on guitar, but I had them on my bubinga Warwick for years and loved them. Warm tone, smooth playing, and ridiculously long life. Backing off the tone on that bass would get almost a fretless sound with flats vs the bite of rounds
They're great for slide playing too. You can also use them for recording. The Wound G String that these Flatwound String sets have acts as a Transitional String between the Wound Bass Strings & Plain Steel Treble Strings.
I tried a set on my American Standard 2 years ago. Well that's what I have on all my guitars (Strat, Les Paul, Epip Wildkat, Epip Dot, and Grestch )now. And they last for ever. I love them. I play Country , Rockabilly, little Blues and Southern Rock.
@@jeffbeck6501 yeah, i switched to 11s in college, and 12s shortly after... if you don't think you can learn to live with a wound G, cop the GHS... because you won't want to switch back to roundwound strings.
I string bend extensively on the top treble strings and know that having my G-string wound would make it less natural for me to bend the f*ck out of my G-string as it is my habit to do. Also, pinch harmonics are a huge element of my own style of metal playing. Makes the choice quite easy for me, but the comparison is still fascinating. 15 years of practice has made me adept at working round-wounds silently. Silencing unwanted string noise is an art, and can be done with determination and patient practice. All in the hands.
I used flats for a few years. They sound great and feel great for the kind of playing you do in jazz, and they hardly make any noise at all when you move your hand across them. However, they’re harder to bend and be expressive with, and I like the brighter tone you get for distorted sounds. Half wounds are a good middle ground, you can bend more and get a little more high end, but they’re still quiet and warm.
I think this video perfectly shows why we love this channel. I was wondering about that topic a few days ago and this video definitely helped me to make the choice and try them out. Thanks for another great video.
Mark Speer plays flat 12s but removes the wound G and shifts all the strings up. Then adds a 10 for the High E. This seems like a cool way to avoid the stiff wound g, but still get that warm sound.
And then there are picks. I was very surprised and impressed at how the different ceramic picks made by Tusq can change the sound from bright to 'dark' and warm. Thanks for this.
I played flat wound on a 6 string years ago. They feel amazing but ultimately I agree with you Phil. Had a similar experience to you. BTW this channel is one of the better channels on YouYube thank you for everything.
When I started playing I had the privilege of learning on my friends dads 1964 Jaguar which had Flatwounds on it. I used shortly after 12 gauge flats on my 1990 Jackson Kelly and although suffering at first, grew to love them. It was only until I started learning about pick slides that I strung guitars differently. Still love flat wounded strings for certain set ups.
If my dad were still alive, I’d still be kicking his ass for selling his 60’s Jag and fender amp 3 or 4 years before I started playing! I did get the 76 D-35 so i wasn’t completely screwed!! Lol I remember it having flat wound strings on it! Wish i knew the year! I remember the smell of that orange lined case, and that it was either white or cream with a tortoise pickguard I believe! That would have been sweet to have today but he let it go because he never played it!
From Leo: I like to buy a set of flat wound 12's throw away the thickest and add a plain 10 to the other side. That leaves me with flats on the low E, A, and D, and plain on the g, b, and high e. Works pretty good for clean tones.
There are plain 3rd flatwound sets in normal light gauges also. So flats can be used for rock, maybe anything but downtuned chugging metal styles. The green day riff sounded far better with the flats imo.
I've had a pack of flat wounds in my drawer for a while now. Reason for buying was, I wanted to have less sizzle with higher gain - but I was worried that it would sound too necky and muddy with chords... Somehow I just never got around to trying them. Hearing you chug on these, oh my god. Exactly what I hoped these would be. Brb installing
Me too (four years after...): thank you for this great demonstration! :-) Me, I have always loved flat-wound strings on bass guitars, so I had grown curious regarding non-bass guitars. However, I didn't feel like replacing strings for the test. So I bought a cheap western guitar and later a cheap strat for use with flat-wound strings (Thomastik JS110, not the cheapest). To my taste [matter of opinion] both guitars sound better with flat-wounds, but for "crying" solos I'd prefer round-wounds. I now have these JS110 also on a 6-string banjo and on a resonator guitar. I can recommend these latter changes: the banjo sounds more "focused", the flats on the dobro have made me dabble in using a slide. (As to the basses: I have promised myself to keep some with round-wound strings alongside those with flats, and one currently features tape-wounds.)
Im using the Chromes too, but changing the g string to a normal one, because it seems to buzz after a short time and the tension is too high for nice bendings. If they are too "mellow", switch your volume pot to a higher one. 250>500 ohm, so you get the high tone back. The sound is tighter, more precise and they are extremly nice to play.
My Ibanez Artcore came with D Addario stainless flat wound strings. These strings lasted a Very Long Time. Switched them up for Half rounds just to give them a try. Half rounds are a good balance of round wound brightness/lightness and Flat wound feel.
Thanx Phil, I wanted to try these 20 years ago but everyone said they sounded flat and awful. That's what I get for listening to metal heads. They sound great and I like to slide barre chords a lot, so there ya go.
Ahh, flatwounds. They have been my go to strings for years and I was a metal head. As for the comment about the wound G string, I've heard many say it's difficult to bend. I've never had that problem. My thing is it's no different than bending stings on an acoustic.
I bought the D’Addario flat wound 12-52’s yesterday. I normally use the the same strings. Just round wound. I bought them just for the hell of it. Slapped them on my B.C. Rich Warbeast. The only real difference I noticed was how they felt on my fingers. The lack of friction on the flat wounds almost make me feel like I’m playing greased strings. I kinda like them. As far as playability. I didn’t notice much of a difference.
yeah even with dis they just sound more bassy and darker. Just shows how trying out the neck for once or not having all knobs on 10 can make a huge difference
Flatwounds sound great on guitar - they are not just for basses. I would swap the flatwound G string for a roundwound string and keep the the flats on the 4, 5 & 6 strings... best of both worlds!
I have actually been building a guitar and have used your videos as sort of a guideline I love what you do been a fan for years I just don't normally comment on TH-cam I seem to miss all your live streams so that's unfortunate TH-cam is not too good with the notifications
Same here. I have a Godin 5th Avenue with a custom Charlie Christian pickup and I use D’Addario Flatwound Chrome 11s. Slide guitar sounds sweet in that thing! On a side note, I placed the pickup the exact same distance form the bridge as the 5th fret is from the nut in order to really capture all the harmonic overtones and it makes the guitar playing really come alive without having to be super bright. Sometimes rolling the tone knob too much takes too many of the overtones out.
Thank you for trying out distortion, I've watched like 20 videos in the topic and you were the only one assuming someone would be interested in that. :D
Just my experience... I played flatwounds through the 60s and 70s and switched to wound rounds in the 80s for pick scrapes that I could not do with flatwounds. A few weeks ago I switched back to flatwounds...specifically GHS Brite Flats. I couldn't be happier. Blues and Classic rock are effortless. The pedals are less gainy so I get more resolution out of the controls. Personally, I couldn't be happier. Strats, Teles, PRS with P90s and my Gretsch guitars are great. I am using 9s 10s and 11s on my guitars. This works for me "right now". Just my 2 cents. I have to say that they are so much more expensive than I have been used to though...
Think of it this way: For strings of the same gauge (that is, the volume of space taken up) a flatwound string actually has MORE MASS than its roundwound counterpart. One is all solid metal, while the other has empty spaces in it. Thus, a flatwound string will naturally make a lower pitch, and require higher tension to get up to the same note.
I’ve been playing round wounds on my guitars for Beatles stuff. I switched to flats not to long ago on my Epiphone Casino, and the tone is really close to The Beatles tone
Only true till about 1965, when they got the Blue Strats. Fender guitars came strung with medium gauge roundwounds (sth like 12-52). The Beatles didn't care ; they were sending Neil Aspinall or Mal Evans to get strings. They got what was available, most likely Black Diamonds or Pyramid strings.George is perhaps the only one showing some interest for "new things". Being friend with guitarists such as Clapton, I guess he at least knew about lighter strings (either getting lighter sets in the late '60s or doing it the "old way", i.e. throwing a banjo string for the high E, switch the other 5 and get rid of the low E). The 325, 360/12 and Gretsch had flats, the Casino also. Can't say for sure what the Gibson Les Paul came strung with. John cared so little it is said by the time of his death, some guitars (either the Casino or the 325, I can't remember) had a mix of flats and rounds on them... McCartney always used flats on his basses. And the Rotosound Tapewounds in 1969.
Thank you for making a string comparison, I was waiting for someone to make a video, but I doubt anyone could have done better; good stuff. Plus, I enjoyed that Green Day riff at 3:49
I switched to flatwounds for about a month. It made my guitar's tone noticeably more dark, and as Phil says at the end of the video, made bending difficult and inarticulate. I wouldn't recommend them, but I think everyone should try them at some point.
I put flatwounds on my Ibanez semi-hollow and I do like them (D'Addario 11s) -- however, while working through an online blues course, the bending licks were just too difficult and eventually I broke the high E string on a full step bend. I left the three thickest strings from the flatwound set, and put on the high E, B, and G strings from a set of Ernie Ball Slinky 9.5s. I'm not knowledgeable about this at all, but right now it's working and it stays in tune, and the intonation is close enough (I'm not very good at guitar, so a pitch-perfect intonation is only going to help me so much!). The lack of string noise on the thickest strings is what I like most about the flatwounds.
Yesterday I was reading about jazz and how the Arch top guitars use Flatwound strings and I wondered how they would sound. Today, you do this video! Very cool, they do warm up the sound a bit, I really liked how they sounded clean. Thank you
Il Neige I have 40 guitars. Acoustic, electric, double neck, Les Paul, SG, 335, Warlock....... About everything you can imagine but I keep a log book. Document string changes, adjustments, parts swaps, everything. I use several types, brands and sizes of strings as well as experimenting often. I also have a spreadsheet with the same info and just check it all at the first of every month and change accordingly. It's really not that hard to keep up with.
charliethegent just change the strings on the guitars you use, and check the ones you don’t for warping and corrosion. If you get a gig and they want you to run the les Paul you’ve had sitting aside for a year you know it’s in serviceable condition, only in need of a dust off and a string change+adjustment
Nah, that's WAY too much work changing 50 guitars/ukuleles/basses in one day per month (not to mention the cost)! When not in use, I keep my instruments in their cases/bags. I keep 2 tags on each case/bag. One is the 'permanent' ID tag which allows me to know at a glance which instrument is in each case without having to open it. The other, larger tag has an easily removed/replaced card that has basic info as string gauge, setup (action height, tuning, and p/u height) and dates of last maintenance & string change. I just change strings if they sound off or if the strings show signs of degradation (corrosion, fraying, etc.) which is not unusual for me, even if kept unused in its case for weeks, due to Hawaii's highly corrosive humid climate. Hmm, I need find something to protect the strings themselves from corrosion/tarnishing as that's actually the number one reason for my string changes.
I always used the flat.strings they don't screech and so much better on fingers ,they are great to start when a new player then step up to regular strings,
Put flatwounds on my G&L S-500 with MFD pickups and it changed everything about the guitar to the positive. It seemed to reign in the MFD’s without giving up too much of the high end. I love flats now.
Recently purchased the Chrome flatwounds for Ibanez Mikro Bass. I really like them. They are quite different. Now, you have me thinking to try them on one of my brighter sounding guitars. Don't like the idea of a wound third though. Maybe just use a regular, unwound instead. I noticed from your video that the flats don't reproduce a lot of the harmonic overtones which is especially noticeable on the gainier, more compressed tones. Not that it's good or bad, just different. The flats sounded more defined with a brighter top end of the fundamentals, without all the overtones.
When I first switched from playing acoustic to electric in a band, I had awful problems with tuning stability. It may have been poor quality instruments or that my rather heavy handed acoustic technique was too much for the transition to electric. Someone suggested I try D'Addario chrome flatwounds...... It was immediately better!... So much better! I certainly believed that the greater string tension helped me and the wound third felt more resistant to my technique. I don't use them eclusively now, but!!!!! I only ever string my electrics with wound third sets from D'Addario
I have the flat chromes on my Fender Telecaster. Got rid of the tele-twang. Also love the feel. I also use only flats on my bass. Great strings. Thanks for the info.
I feel encouraged to string my three thicker strings flat and keep my good old 11 gauge roundwounds on the top end, sounds like a fun thing to do. Anyone tried it yet?
Early surf rock was recorded with flatwound strings. Ventures albums, tracks like Walk don’t run, you can hear that Fender with flats sound on it. Old cats that were around then should confirm.
I prefer flats on bass, and tried them on guitar once. I like the sound, but they felt like they were rolling when I would bend. I may have to give them another try. I do already use a wound G on my guitars anyway.
I think wound 17 or 18 mils G usually sound "better" than plain Gs (ErnieBall, (well... to me anyway)). Never got too far selling that idea to my friends. Used to play rythym with 12 to 52? and whatever I was buying back then had wound Gs. Now, IF the local shop has 17/18 wound Gs loose, I buy a couple. To me..... NOTHING feels better than good flat wounds on a Fender Jazz bass with a BOUND neck.
For the heavy distorted parts, I preferred the flats. They sound so much darker. Only thing I don't like is the wound G string. That's my most bent string, I don't want it too stiff.
Flatwound strings are a good idea if you play side; Ry Cooder swears by them. I'd suggest using them on a cheap Strat copy, so that you can raise the action a little. To get a good slide tone--especially with fingers and thumb--you need to press down into the strings.
I've run medium George Benson's flat-wound/tape-wound on my '08 Electromatic since almost the beginning because I couldn't tolerate that squeak sound (string-whistle I think Jeff Beck called it). Plus I found that they dont have such an aggressive attack or 'Bite' almost like playing a "dead string" in sound. Plus they're more comfortable. I think they even come w/a wound & plain G. For my acoustic I run ground-wound to cut that squeak/whistle.
Hmmm... Interesting. I really expected not to like the sound of the flats but I was pleasantly surprised! I've recently gone back to flats on my bass, and love it, so maybe (as I'm predominantly a Tele player) flats would work for me on guitar. I'll think more about this. Many thanks.
I love playing flats, maybe because I’m a bassist for most of the time. And I strung half of my basses with flats. But I’m also a guitarist and I love to string my strat with flats as well. The problem is that I have only one electric guitar. There was one time not long ago. I got this last minute gig for an Oasis cover band. And I didn’t have time to change my strings. And Noel Gallagher surely loved bending in his solos. It was quite a hassle to change all the bending on g string to slides, Haha.
I’ve been playing either 12’s or 13’s for the last 6/7 years with a wound G always. Obviously I came here because I I was curious about the flat wound strings. I’ve seen a lot of bass players go that route. But not many Guitar players. I know Mark from Khruangbin uses flat wound strings and his setup gives out a very desirable tone. I guess I’ll order myself a set of flat wound 12’s now haha.
@@LassetUnsSpielen I have not tried em out yet. Forgot about it honestly lol. But if you look up Khrungbin’s rig rundown you get a sense of the tone and durability. Mark said he doesn’t have his strings changed or guitar setup at al during a tour. Uses the same pick every day. Kind of a weird guy.
Jimmie Vaughan prefers flatwounds (10.5,13,17,30,40,50) and his blues stuff sounds pretty good:) I'm gonna try some with the hope that my boom chick begins to sound like what I'm hearing in my head. Peace.
Got 11/50's on the 175, nice strings, play anything on them, well made, more tension than regular round 11's, got to watch that, they make them in 10's
I only have 1 electric guitar right now, I had some flat wounds on it for a little bit and I really liked it but I wanted to put regular strings back on it. if i had more than one electric, Id probably have them on there again. I played an ES-335 with some flat wounds at a guitar shop and I loved it.
Chromes sound darker. Try Thomastik flatwounds for a slightly brighter sound. They're lower tension and last for years. I use 11s instead of 10s for a similar feel.
I use flats on both of my currently active electrics (a Hofner semi-hollow and a Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster). I use the .012 set on the Hofner and the .011 set on the Jazzmaster. At their best, they feel way smoother and more luxurious than rounds. I also think flats are a big part of getting a genuine surf type sound on the Jazzmaster. Mind you, I have always used a wound G. I do find, however, that D'Addario chromes stiffen up considerably during the winter. I have a set of Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swing flats on reserve for the semi, but I haven't installed them yet.
Good video. On the distortion - the roundwound had more bite. The flatwound sounded a bit darker. I like the roundwound sound better, but flatwound are pleasing to play ... like you said, very smooth. Just not sure they're for rock / metal :-).
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 78 | คู่เอก "ปกรณ์ vs ฟาบิโอ"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LSOmgl0Th2c/mqdefault.jpg)
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA Finals D1 | Fall | ยิงต้องโหด ให้เหมือนโกรธกันมาก่อน](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OnTdfGySmds/mqdefault.jpg)
But how can we be sure it's not your hat making it sound different?
"hatwood" changes your tone so much, i tried using a polyester hat yesterday and my guitar just started sounding so harsh, but it was very bright!
Try wearing a condom while playing..it colours your tone so much more
Michael Harper hatwound strings...
It only sounds different to the person wearing the hat. otherwise doesn't effect the sound.
@@Dallen9 mate, were you not paying attention (or watching on your phone? -schoolboy error) my playing wearing myTilley hat & baseball cap is like the difference between Mickey Moody & Joe Bonamassa!
I keep thinking that's a clear Strat hanging on the wall... then I realize that the wall is just painted the same color. lol
I 100% see it now lol
Haha, after you said something I saw that too
one thing I like about them is the reduced screeching when you move up and down the neck.
What? Really?? I might need to try them out hahaha
Yeah but they're a little harder to fret like they take a lot more strength to fret
Especially on the fast chord changes. Sounds much cleaner.
@You Care Too Much They're darker for sure but I kind of like my dead old strings strings before they're too far gone. The wound ones anyway. I always wondered how fun it would be to play flatwould on a fretless.
The flatwound produce quieter overtones but noticeably more clarity, especially under distortion. That was an interesting comparison.
weird. I actually preferred the sound of the flatwounds in most of your examples. Great Video sir
Remain Indoors so did I! Guess I gotta try them out!
That’s why I play them! You’ll never go back
@@autistichead8137 i just bought my first pack of these. lets see if youre right haha
@@joejoe5921 That’s funny since I wrote that comment I have switched to stringJoy 9.5-46 lights because I have a stat now 😂
I just love how "in tune" the flatwounds sound with full chords.
Thanks for the video.
The roundwound sounded like it had more overtones. The flats sounded more tight and full.
Well, they seem to make more of a difference than "tonewood" does.
Alcohol really helps you hear the difference in tonewood
I notice the biggest difference between tonewoods with my eyes open.
@@the80386*arms
You have to think of tonewoods in terms of micro adjustment of tone. You need a trained ear to understand the difference. It's how you tell the difference between an amateur and a raging alcoholic.
Michael is a genius; it is the hat! I play chromes on one copy of all my guitar styles: solid, semi and hollow. Play most genres; chromes work everytime. I do switch out the wound "g" for a 17 plain.... Buy 'em, get used to 'em and love 'em....
As a kid growing up many many of the real country pickers used flatwounds on 335 style guitars to get that bottom end thump. It was really an appealing sound. Obviously perfect for jazz, they also worked for that genre exceptionally well.
Flat wounds are really good for the sliding slurs you hear in a lot of blues and jazz playing. Like you were saying, the feel of the strings entices you to play differently. You can easily slide (as you noted) over the strings without any string noise. Not really a big deal playing rock or metal, but playing smooth jazz and such in intimate settings at really low volumes it really makes a difference. Also, the wound third isn't very conducive to big step and a half bends and such unless you have vice grip hands. You also noticed that the chord articulation is better with flat wounds, and that again plays into the more jazzy styles. There seems to be some good reasons why the flat wounds were a lot more popular with the older styles of playing, but not so much any more.
In the 60's I always used flat wound strings on my Gretsch Country Club Special. (1 model down from the White Falcon). I played mostly Rock but some blues and jazz. They sounded Awesome. I could get that Dwayne Eddie twang sound as well. In the 70's I went to regular strings. Ernie Ball 9's and they also sounded great but I had a 71 Les Paul Custom (Black Beauty). I liked the Ernie Ball regular 9's instead of the flat wound 11's I used to use on my Gretsch. A few years ago I switched to Ernie Ball 10's and really like them, but now since I'm so fricken old, I went back to Ernie Ball 9's as they don't tire my hand as much. I tried 8's but they are way to sloppy, IMO.
I have a p90 with flat wounds and I LOVE the sound
In the sixties I only used flat wound strings on my Silvertone. I only played rhythm guitar in my band and I liked them because they didn't have the "squeal/shriek" that round wound do. I still have that guitar and it still has flat wound 13s on it. I never knew the difference about strings so that's all I ever used. I think my older brother, who introduced me to guitar, liked flat for that reason and I never questioned it.They sounded great for smooth rhythm playing. Now I like that string sound on round wound--and also lighter strings on my aging fingers. Flat are indeed more slick. They both serve a purpose. I do suggest trying them out as well. Rock On!
I've never played flats on guitar, but I had them on my bubinga Warwick for years and loved them. Warm tone, smooth playing, and ridiculously long life. Backing off the tone on that bass would get almost a fretless sound with flats vs the bite of rounds
This is the last channel I was expecting to hear a Green Day riff
I knew Phil liked punk rock music, but yeah, I never expected to hear Brain Stew or anything like that in one of his videos. I enjoyed it.
@hans meier green day - brain stew
Immediately unsubbed when I heard it. 👍
@@DIYTFY you sound like a lot of fun
@@____smith
Very true. 👍
knew about flatwound for bass, but that is cool that there is flatwound for guitar
They're great for slide playing too. You can also use them for recording. The Wound G String that these Flatwound String sets have acts as a Transitional String between the Wound Bass Strings & Plain Steel Treble Strings.
I tried a set on my American Standard 2 years ago. Well that's what I have on all my guitars (Strat, Les Paul, Epip Wildkat, Epip Dot, and Grestch )now. And they last for ever. I love them. I play Country , Rockabilly, little Blues and Southern Rock.
The flatwound through distortion are so tight and chunky holy crap
GHS precision flatwound 9-42, the g in plain.
on the one i keep in standard, i use a 12 and drop the 52, and add a 9 on top, i'll check those out.
@@jeffbeck6501 yeah, i switched to 11s in college, and 12s shortly after... if you don't think you can learn to live with a wound G, cop the GHS... because you won't want to switch back to roundwound strings.
I'll try them. thanks.
Wow, didn’t expect that much of a tonal difference. Cool video. I think I prefer the flatwounds for all but clean.
I string bend extensively on the top treble strings and know that having my G-string wound would make it less natural for me to bend the f*ck out of my G-string as it is my habit to do.
Also, pinch harmonics are a huge element of my own style of metal playing. Makes the choice quite easy for me, but the comparison is still fascinating.
15 years of practice has made me adept at working round-wounds silently. Silencing unwanted string noise is an art, and can be done with determination and patient practice. All in the hands.
Been using flatwound for metal for years. Love them.
I used flats for a few years. They sound great and feel great for the kind of playing you do in jazz, and they hardly make any noise at all when you move your hand across them. However, they’re harder to bend and be expressive with, and I like the brighter tone you get for distorted sounds. Half wounds are a good middle ground, you can bend more and get a little more high end, but they’re still quiet and warm.
been using flats on tele for basically every style of music for over a decade. shit's awesome.
at first I didn't like the flatwounds, but I eventually WARMED up to them....
I'll see myself out
People get so WOUND up when I tell them I think they sound a bit FLAT... Badum Tss
I think this video perfectly shows why we love this channel. I was wondering about that topic a few days ago and this video definitely helped me to make the choice and try them out. Thanks for another great video.
Mark Speer plays flat 12s but removes the wound G and shifts all the strings up. Then adds a 10 for the High E.
This seems like a cool way to avoid the stiff wound g, but still get that warm sound.
Mark is a great player. He really got me rethinking my whole approach to playing. Not many players have been able to do that
And then there are picks. I was very surprised and impressed at how the different ceramic picks made by Tusq can change the sound from bright to 'dark' and warm. Thanks for this.
I played flat wound on a 6 string years ago. They feel amazing but ultimately I agree with you Phil. Had a similar experience to you. BTW this channel is one of the better channels on YouYube thank you for everything.
Amazed how it sounds in drop d. Lots of low end. Possibly the slightly thicker gauges.
Hell yeah dude, they help achieve that sludge more easily.
When I started playing I had the privilege of learning on my friends dads 1964 Jaguar which had Flatwounds on it. I used shortly after 12 gauge flats on my 1990 Jackson Kelly and although suffering at first, grew to love them. It was only until I started learning about pick slides that I strung guitars differently. Still love flat wounded strings for certain set ups.
If my dad were still alive, I’d still be kicking his ass for selling his 60’s Jag and fender amp 3 or 4 years before I started playing! I did get the 76 D-35 so i wasn’t completely screwed!! Lol I remember it having flat wound strings on it! Wish i knew the year! I remember the smell of that orange lined case, and that it was either white or cream with a tortoise pickguard I believe! That would have been sweet to have today but he let it go because he never played it!
Ive been using flatwounds for blues/phyc and I gotta say I really love them.
Liked the flat wounds, honestly enough order a set for my Tele . both flats and round wound definitely have their own unique sound
From Leo: I like to buy a set of flat wound 12's throw away the thickest and add a plain 10 to the other side. That leaves me with flats on the low E, A, and D, and plain on the g, b, and high e. Works pretty good for clean tones.
There are plain 3rd flatwound sets in normal light gauges also. So flats can be used for rock, maybe anything but downtuned chugging metal styles. The green day riff sounded far better with the flats imo.
I've had a pack of flat wounds in my drawer for a while now. Reason for buying was, I wanted to have less sizzle with higher gain - but I was worried that it would sound too necky and muddy with chords... Somehow I just never got around to trying them. Hearing you chug on these, oh my god. Exactly what I hoped these would be. Brb installing
Me too (four years after...): thank you for this great demonstration! :-)
Me, I have always loved flat-wound strings on bass guitars, so I had grown curious regarding non-bass guitars. However, I didn't feel like replacing strings for the test.
So I bought a cheap western guitar and later a cheap strat for use with flat-wound strings (Thomastik JS110, not the cheapest).
To my taste [matter of opinion] both guitars sound better with flat-wounds, but for "crying" solos I'd prefer round-wounds. I now have these JS110 also on a 6-string banjo and on a resonator guitar. I can recommend these latter changes: the banjo sounds more "focused", the flats on the dobro have made me dabble in using a slide.
(As to the basses: I have promised myself to keep some with round-wound strings alongside those with flats, and one currently features tape-wounds.)
The metal tone with the flats was naaasty
Im using the Chromes too, but changing the g string to a normal one, because it seems to buzz after a short time and the tension is too high for nice bendings. If they are too "mellow", switch your volume pot to a higher one. 250>500 ohm, so you get the high tone back. The sound is tighter, more precise and they are extremly nice to play.
Flatwound strings are sooooo underrated
My Ibanez Artcore came with D Addario stainless flat wound strings. These strings lasted a Very Long Time. Switched them up for Half rounds just to give them a try. Half rounds are a good balance of round wound brightness/lightness and Flat wound feel.
Thanks Phil, I'll now have to try some flatwounds on my Tele. Long way from Black Diamonds.
Flats on a tele are magic.
I was wondering about putting some in my MiM Tele as well
Thanx Phil, I wanted to try these 20 years ago but everyone said they sounded flat and awful. That's what I get for listening to metal heads. They sound great and I like to slide barre chords a lot, so there ya go.
It makes sense that they're good for jazz. Very clean sounding.
Ahh, flatwounds. They have been my go to strings for years and I was a metal head. As for the comment about the wound G string, I've heard many say it's difficult to bend. I've never had that problem. My thing is it's no different than bending stings on an acoustic.
Wound G is not meant to be bent… It’s definitely harder to bend compared to non wound
Flatwounds sound a touch warmer which is ideal for me. Thanx for the video
I bought the D’Addario flat wound 12-52’s yesterday. I normally use the the same strings. Just round wound. I bought them just for the hell of it. Slapped them on my B.C. Rich Warbeast. The only real difference I noticed was how they felt on my fingers. The lack of friction on the flat wounds almost make me feel like I’m playing greased strings. I kinda like them. As far as playability. I didn’t notice much of a difference.
yeah even with dis they just sound more bassy and darker. Just shows how trying out the neck for once or not having all knobs on 10 can make a huge difference
I thought the flat wound had a deeper/warmer tone as well. Those distorted licks sounded awesome with the flat wound strings.
Hell yeah. As a bass player I have several basses strung with flats. Love them.
Flatwounds sound great on guitar - they are not just for basses. I would swap the flatwound G string for a roundwound string and keep the the flats on the 4, 5 & 6 strings... best of both worlds!
I actually like roundwounds on my Les Paul for sludgey stonery riffs. With a fuzz pedal it does some very nice things.
Love the channel Philip. I actually use flatwound strings on many of my guitars for slide guitar
I have actually been building a guitar and have used your videos as sort of a guideline I love what you do been a fan for years I just don't normally comment on TH-cam I seem to miss all your live streams so that's unfortunate TH-cam is not too good with the notifications
Same here. I have a Godin 5th Avenue with a custom Charlie Christian pickup and I use D’Addario Flatwound Chrome 11s. Slide guitar sounds sweet in that thing!
On a side note, I placed the pickup the exact same distance form the bridge as the 5th fret is from the nut in order to really capture all the harmonic overtones and it makes the guitar playing really come alive without having to be super bright. Sometimes rolling the tone knob too much takes too many of the overtones out.
Thank you for trying out distortion, I've watched like 20 videos in the topic and you were the only one assuming someone would be interested in that. :D
Fab sound and vid. Love flats on all the versions, the fundamental note is punchier.
Just my experience... I played flatwounds through the 60s and 70s and switched to wound rounds in the 80s for pick scrapes that I could not do with flatwounds. A few weeks ago I switched back to flatwounds...specifically GHS Brite Flats. I couldn't be happier. Blues and Classic rock are effortless. The pedals are less gainy so I get more resolution out of the controls. Personally, I couldn't be happier. Strats, Teles, PRS with P90s and my Gretsch guitars are great. I am using 9s 10s and 11s on my guitars. This works for me "right now". Just my 2 cents. I have to say that they are so much more expensive than I have been used to though...
Flatwound strings will have a slightly higher tension when tuned to pitch, as compared to roundwound strings of the same gauge.
That would certainly explain why they're harder to bend when I compare to my guitars with round-wound strings.
Think of it this way: For strings of the same gauge (that is, the volume of space taken up) a flatwound string actually has MORE MASS than its roundwound counterpart. One is all solid metal, while the other has empty spaces in it.
Thus, a flatwound string will naturally make a lower pitch, and require higher tension to get up to the same note.
I love flat wounds. I use stainless steel strings and the tone knob to get some highs back if needed, and no more string noise.
It’s always fun to experiment with different stings. I have never tried flat wounds so maybe it’s worth giving them a shot.
Flat-wounds were used in ALL the Beatles recordings.
Even on the guitars? I knew Paul liked flats/tapewounds on his basses but it would be news to me if John and George used flatwounds too.
I’ve been playing round wounds on my guitars for Beatles stuff. I switched to flats not to long ago on my Epiphone Casino, and the tone is really close to The Beatles tone
T-Bone Burnett was talking about that in the "Broken Record" with Rick Rubin.
Not true. Only used for their earlier albums, they moved over to roundwounds later.
Only true till about 1965, when they got the Blue Strats. Fender guitars came strung with medium gauge roundwounds (sth like 12-52).
The Beatles didn't care ; they were sending Neil Aspinall or Mal Evans to get strings. They got what was available, most likely Black Diamonds or Pyramid strings.George is perhaps the only one showing some interest for "new things".
Being friend with guitarists such as Clapton, I guess he at least knew about lighter strings (either getting lighter sets in the late '60s or doing it the "old way", i.e. throwing a banjo string for the high E, switch the other 5 and get rid of the low E).
The 325, 360/12 and Gretsch had flats, the Casino also. Can't say for sure what the Gibson Les Paul came strung with.
John cared so little it is said by the time of his death, some guitars (either the Casino or the 325, I can't remember) had a mix of flats and rounds on them...
McCartney always used flats on his basses. And the Rotosound Tapewounds in 1969.
I've been using Chromes for years, they're my favorites
Thank you for making a string comparison, I was waiting for someone to make a video, but I doubt anyone could have done better; good stuff. Plus, I enjoyed that Green Day riff at 3:49
Flat wound are warm and smooth sounding.
I switched to flatwounds for about a month. It made my guitar's tone noticeably more dark, and as Phil says at the end of the video, made bending difficult and inarticulate. I wouldn't recommend them, but I think everyone should try them at some point.
I put flatwounds on my Ibanez semi-hollow and I do like them (D'Addario 11s) -- however, while working through an online blues course, the bending licks were just too difficult and eventually I broke the high E string on a full step bend. I left the three thickest strings from the flatwound set, and put on the high E, B, and G strings from a set of Ernie Ball Slinky 9.5s. I'm not knowledgeable about this at all, but right now it's working and it stays in tune, and the intonation is close enough (I'm not very good at guitar, so a pitch-perfect intonation is only going to help me so much!). The lack of string noise on the thickest strings is what I like most about the flatwounds.
Fantastic informational video! Sir, you just flat ROCK!!
Most articulate & kind gear guy♡ Thanks for enlightening us yet again!
Phillip McKnight The Wound G String has a tad bit less tension than a Plain G due to the thinner core wire so that makes it easier to press down.
Yesterday I was reading about jazz and how the Arch top guitars use Flatwound strings and I wondered how they would sound. Today, you do this video! Very cool, they do warm up the sound a bit, I really liked how they sounded clean. Thank you
For clean tone I liked the brightness of the rounds but for distortion I really like the Flats sound.
Same, its way more girthy and raw
Random question: how do you maintain so many guitars? Is there just a “change all the strings” day every month?
Il Neige I have 40 guitars. Acoustic, electric, double neck, Les Paul, SG, 335, Warlock....... About everything you can imagine but I keep a log book. Document string changes, adjustments, parts swaps, everything. I use several types, brands and sizes of strings as well as experimenting often. I also have a spreadsheet with the same info and just check it all at the first of every month and change accordingly. It's really not that hard to keep up with.
@@racerguy500 Well good to know. Thanks!
@@IlNeige Why would you have to change the all the strings once a month?
charliethegent just change the strings on the guitars you use, and check the ones you don’t for warping and corrosion.
If you get a gig and they want you to run the les Paul you’ve had sitting aside for a year you know it’s in serviceable condition, only in need of a dust off and a string change+adjustment
Nah, that's WAY too much work changing 50 guitars/ukuleles/basses in one day per month (not to mention the cost)! When not in use, I keep my instruments in their cases/bags. I keep 2 tags on each case/bag. One is the 'permanent' ID tag which allows me to know at a glance which instrument is in each case without having to open it. The other, larger tag has an easily removed/replaced card that has basic info as string gauge, setup (action height, tuning, and p/u height) and dates of last maintenance & string change. I just change strings if they sound off or if the strings show signs of degradation (corrosion, fraying, etc.) which is not unusual for me, even if kept unused in its case for weeks, due to Hawaii's highly corrosive humid climate. Hmm, I need find something to protect the strings themselves from corrosion/tarnishing as that's actually the number one reason for my string changes.
imo
Damn good vid.
I used flatwound strings on all my guitars.
They felt better to me.
S'all personal preference, I guess.
imo
@@jeffbeck6501 Sounds like the kind of music I've played and listened to for years and years...
How long do they last compared to roundwound strings?
@@mariomichael3353 I never found out because I always changed strings more often than most people.
I always used the flat.strings they don't screech and so much better on fingers ,they are great to start when a new player then step up to regular strings,
Put flatwounds on my G&L S-500 with MFD pickups and it changed everything about the guitar to the positive. It seemed to reign in the MFD’s without giving up too much of the high end. I love flats now.
I like the flatwound much better with distortion
Recently purchased the Chrome flatwounds for Ibanez Mikro Bass. I really like them. They are quite different. Now, you have me thinking to try them on one of my brighter sounding guitars. Don't like the idea of a wound third though. Maybe just use a regular, unwound instead.
I noticed from your video that the flats don't reproduce a lot of the harmonic overtones which is especially noticeable on the gainier, more compressed tones. Not that it's good or bad, just different. The flats sounded more defined with a brighter top end of the fundamentals, without all the overtones.
When I first switched from playing acoustic to electric in a band, I had awful problems with tuning stability. It may have been poor quality instruments or that my rather heavy handed acoustic technique was too much for the transition to electric. Someone suggested I try D'Addario chrome flatwounds...... It was immediately better!... So much better! I certainly believed that the greater string tension helped me and the wound third felt more resistant to my technique. I don't use them eclusively now, but!!!!! I only ever string my electrics with wound third sets from D'Addario
The Drop D flatwounds sounded so, so good! Blew the roundwounds out of the water distorted
I have the flat chromes on my Fender Telecaster. Got rid of the tele-twang. Also love the feel. I also use only flats on my bass. Great strings. Thanks for the info.
I feel encouraged to string my three thicker strings flat and keep my good old 11 gauge roundwounds on the top end, sounds like a fun thing to do. Anyone tried it yet?
Gary clark jr uses a hybrid found and flat set
The flat wounds are less chimney, but warmer and better defined. They have a sound as if there is a little compression in there on all settings.
Early surf rock was recorded with flatwound strings. Ventures albums, tracks like Walk don’t run, you can hear that Fender with flats sound on it. Old cats that were around then should confirm.
I prefer flats on bass, and tried them on guitar once. I like the sound, but they felt like they were rolling when I would bend. I may have to give them another try. I do already use a wound G on my guitars anyway.
I think wound 17 or 18 mils G usually sound "better" than plain Gs (ErnieBall, (well... to me anyway)). Never got too far selling that idea to my friends. Used to play rythym with 12 to 52? and whatever I was buying back then had wound Gs. Now, IF the local shop has 17/18 wound Gs loose, I buy a couple. To me..... NOTHING feels better than good flat wounds on a Fender Jazz bass with a BOUND neck.
For the heavy distorted parts, I preferred the flats. They sound so much darker. Only thing I don't like is the wound G string. That's my most bent string, I don't want it too stiff.
Flatwound strings are a good idea if you play side; Ry Cooder swears by them. I'd suggest using them on a cheap Strat copy, so that you can raise the action a little. To get a good slide tone--especially with fingers and thumb--you need to press down into the strings.
Back in the day , flat wounds were all we could get. Nothing new under the sun
Super helpful video. Thank you!
I've run medium George Benson's flat-wound/tape-wound on my '08 Electromatic since almost the beginning because I couldn't tolerate that squeak sound (string-whistle I think Jeff Beck called it). Plus I found that they dont have such an aggressive attack or 'Bite' almost like playing a "dead string" in sound. Plus they're more comfortable. I think they even come w/a wound & plain G. For my acoustic I run ground-wound to cut that squeak/whistle.
Hmmm... Interesting. I really expected not to like the sound of the flats but I was pleasantly surprised! I've recently gone back to flats on my bass, and love it, so maybe (as I'm predominantly a Tele player) flats would work for me on guitar. I'll think more about this. Many thanks.
I love playing flats, maybe because I’m a bassist for most of the time. And I strung half of my basses with flats. But I’m also a guitarist and I love to string my strat with flats as well. The problem is that I have only one electric guitar. There was one time not long ago. I got this last minute gig for an Oasis cover band. And I didn’t have time to change my strings. And Noel Gallagher surely loved bending in his solos. It was quite a hassle to change all the bending on g string to slides, Haha.
I’ve been playing either 12’s or 13’s for the last 6/7 years with a wound G always.
Obviously I came here because I I was curious about the flat wound strings.
I’ve seen a lot of bass players go that route.
But not many Guitar players. I know Mark from Khruangbin uses flat wound strings and his setup gives out a very desirable tone.
I guess I’ll order myself a set of flat wound 12’s now haha.
have tried them yet? any opinions? what kind of music do you play?
@@LassetUnsSpielen I have not tried em out yet.
Forgot about it honestly lol.
But if you look up Khrungbin’s rig rundown you get a sense of the tone and durability.
Mark said he doesn’t have his strings changed or guitar setup at al during a tour.
Uses the same pick every day.
Kind of a weird guy.
Jimmie Vaughan prefers flatwounds (10.5,13,17,30,40,50) and his blues stuff sounds pretty good:) I'm gonna try some with the hope that my boom chick begins to sound like what I'm hearing in my head. Peace.
Phillip McKnight The great thing about Flatwound Strings is that they won't scratch the Frets.
Got 11/50's on the 175, nice strings, play anything on them, well made, more tension than regular round 11's, got to watch that, they make them in 10's
I only have 1 electric guitar right now, I had some flat wounds on it for a little bit and I really liked it but I wanted to put regular strings back on it. if i had more than one electric, Id probably have them on there again. I played an ES-335 with some flat wounds at a guitar shop and I loved it.
Chromes sound darker. Try Thomastik flatwounds for a slightly brighter sound. They're lower tension and last for years. I use 11s instead of 10s for a similar feel.
I had some on my Epiphone Emperor "Joe Pass", they did sound great on the hollow body.
I use flats on both of my currently active electrics (a Hofner semi-hollow and a Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster). I use the .012 set on the Hofner and the .011 set on the Jazzmaster. At their best, they feel way smoother and more luxurious than rounds. I also think flats are a big part of getting a genuine surf type sound on the Jazzmaster. Mind you, I have always used a wound G.
I do find, however, that D'Addario chromes stiffen up considerably during the winter. I have a set of Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swing flats on reserve for the semi, but I haven't installed them yet.
Good video. On the distortion - the roundwound had more bite. The flatwound sounded a bit darker. I like the roundwound sound better, but flatwound are pleasing to play ... like you said, very smooth. Just not sure they're for rock / metal :-).
cool ...flats are softer and warmer ...but got brighter highs ...great info -Thanks