Flatwound Strings or Rounds - Your Preference?

[Murph]

I know this is a really dumb question but is the difference between the two that noticeable?

smoothed out my playing, gave me a great, surfy 'thwack' that sounds great with all that 'verb, and of course cuts out a lot of string noise.

I know Dick Dale and plenty of other surf players use rounds, and they sound awesome, but when I've tried to switch back to them on my own guitars I just can't live with the sound; it sounds like one of those saloon pianos from the old cowboy movies.

All of the above. They sound very different to me. More three-dimensional and more full, and they are amazing with big reverb. The smooth feel just works better for me too.

[JMFan]

I know this is a really dumb question but is the difference between the two that noticeable?

It's not a dumb question. You just are not familiar with these types of strings. I'd answer the question but others have done a great job of explaining the difference.

If you get a chance to get flats try them out. I'd go with Thomastiks. They are very expensive, never used to be but now they are very expensive but it's worth the price. Also they last for months even if you play a lot. I don't know how much Pyramids are now but I prefer Thomastiks even though Pyramids are supposed to be the top in terms of flatwound brands.

By the way The Ventures used them on their earliest stuff like "Walk, Don't Run". You can hear it there but later went to rounds with the Mosrites and even on the Fender Jazzmasters. I think "Apache" was on a Jazzmaster but with rounds not flatwounds.

Flats and rounds are good on Fender guitars. Try the flats and see how you like them.

[HP Hovercraft]

I just put the Fender 11-50 flats on my JM Jag. I love them so far, both the feel and the sound. I had never used flats prior to this.

[ravcon]

Flats. Rounds just feel awkward anymore.

[WickedMe]

Flats ahoy!!

Never tried pyramids, but love TI and chromes aren't so bad that you can't use'em. IMO, (I am not humble ) in addition to being more mellow and less slide-noise making, they have this "thump" quality soundwise wich I really like. Great for low E and A slow melodies, with heavy reverb.

[DrOctagon]

Never tried flats but you guys are making me want to.

What would be a good brand to try without spending a lot (relatively speaking)?

[captainvideo]

When I played surf guitar and I mean the fast double picked stuff through a reverb tank I used a Jaguar with TI flats. I think 12s. That got me the closest to the old Eddie and the Showmen tone. I found that very limiting though and the guitar was great at the surf stuff but I couldn't use it for much more. I now have a Jazzmaster strung with rounds.

Rounds just sound so good. But on the other hand in the right situation flats sound good too. Either way I'd prefer each to be pure nickel and aged about a month till they both sound thuddy and dead.

[jamrine]

I like flats. From my experience, the pros (to me) are:

*longer life (I think with the windings being more "closed", they don't hold grime)
*smoother playing
*"thicker" sound, more plunk, less ring-y - comes from the tighter, closed windings. More friction/less flexibility.

Rounds just feel weird and floppy to me now. I think the above image illustrates why they feel/behave the way they do.

[sjperry54]

For me, it depends on the guitar and what I'm playing on it. I tried flatwound 11s on my Jazzmaster. I loved the tone and feel of them but because I do a lot of string bending, I just couldn't get along with the wound G string. I went back to roundwound 10s on it which is what I use on all my other 25.5 scale guitars. I'm getting ready to pickup a Jag of some kind pretty soon and I'm pretty sure I'll use flatwound 11s or 12s on it for Surf music.

[Telliot]

For me, it depends on the guitar and what I'm playing on it. I tried flatwound 11s on my Jazzmaster. I loved the tone and feel of them but because I do a lot of string bending, I just couldn't get along with the wound G string.

This was my experience. My main guitar is a Tele, and I love playing to the Tele's strengths: twangy country bends, pedal steel effects, etc. I found the flats absolutely lovely but limiting. That said, I feel like I gave up on them too quickly and would like to get them again, knowing it'll just be different. I can keep my Tele like it is and string my JM for a different type of playing. One thing I can say, all those rattles and buzzes went away with flats, almost as if the JM was designed for them.

[The Dead Ranch Hands]

Labella Flats for me. I like to have one guitar set up with rounds, but for most things I prefer flats (keeping in mind that I'm playing early-mid 60s instro stuff)

[lastlol]

Try them, see for yourself. I tried Fender flatwounds once and absolutely hated them.

[Leaves]

Since my guitars have mastery bridges on them, I'm guessing I won't be able to get proper intonation with flats that have a wound G. Have you guys run into that problem?

[JMFan]

Since my guitars have mastery bridges on them, I'm guessing I won't be able to get proper intonation with flats that have a wound G. Have you guys run into that problem?

I am not familiar with the Mastery other than by name. I hear a big buzz about this bridge but I am not familar with the interworkings of it and why a wound G or flatwounds won't get proper intonation with it. Leaves, please explain why you believe the Mastery won't allow for proper intonation of a wound G or flatwounds. I'm curious about this bridge that's the big buzz now. Thanks.

[JMFan]

I like flats. From my experience, the pros (to me) are:

*longer life (I think with the windings being more "closed", they don't hold grime)
*smoother playing
*"thicker" sound, more plunk, less ring-y - comes from the tighter, closed windings. More friction/less flexibility.

Rounds just feel weird and floppy to me now. I think the above image illustrates why they feel/behave the way they do.

Thanks for those pictures of the different string profiles and construction. Very cool. I have used ground wounds before also with mixed results. They are not bad but not great. I'll stick to either rounds or flats but not grounds. Grounds came across like really used up old round wounds. Okay but not great. This weekend I'm putting my Thomastik flats on. I think I have .11 gauge, gotta check the set.