Larryz Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 "Quick bump and addendum:" Speaking of Flatwounds, I'm falling in love with the acoustic Thomastik-Infeld Plectrums even though they cost $23 bucks a set. I'll just have to live with the price and them turning my fingers black. I have no idea why they use one round wound for the 6th string silk inlay in the 11-50 and the 10-41 sets? But I'll just have to live with that too. I use the 11-50's. The wrapped 3rd string is a 19 gauge. They make a lighter set 10-41 with a wrapped 16 gauge 3rd! Now that's the thinnest wrapped 3rd I've ever found...Great Acoustic Sound both plugged and unplugged...Hope they last 3 times as long LOL! After reading the reviews a couple of guys claim they are not flatwounds at all. I disagree. They look and feel like flatwounds (except for the 6th string) and are the only Acoustic Flatwounds advertised by the manufacturer I can find out there...However, I will agree that they are nothing like electric guitar flatwounds which are a little stiff for bending and a little dull. These sound as bright as any other acoustic strings, squeak less and are very low tension and easy to bend...as you go up in gauge 12-59's and 13-61's they have more round wounds in the set, so make sure you research them on Juststrings.com before ordering if ordering the heavier sets. I get the same price with free shipping on Amazon when I order a couple of sets which saves me a few bucks... OK, I'm done for now! I may just throw a set of these acoustics on one of my electrics LOL! Ps. Even though no one has mentioned String Cleaner, I'll throw in a plug for GHS Fast Fret. Really quick and easy to use. Cleans strings, and frets, any other metal, and is safe to use on fingerboards...It's basically just white mineral oil. Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 +1 on electric flatwounds sounding dull and hard to bend. I tried a set of the "new" Fender flatwounds on my cheap-o electric back in '68, and found them to be thus. But, at the time, they were new on the market, and maybe they improved over the years....or not. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Many a great jazz player has brought those dull flatwounds to life over the years along with many of the 1st rock and rollers. 62 Fender Jags and Jazzmasters came loaded with flatwounds and they still do on the reissues. I like the dull sound when doing my little bass runs, the silent sound of no finger squeak and the smooth feel of polished strings. It's just a different tone and sound that some players love while others do not care for it. I remember reading a review on a Nylon stringed Taylor hanging in a guitar store (before I bought two of them). The reviewer said the NS34 would never sell, as he had taken it off the rack to try out and it was too dull sounding. I admit that Nylon stringed guitars sound dull unplugged in the hands of a novice. If you know what you are doing, you can make them sing (much the same as the flatwounds in the hands of a good player). It's not the strings, it's the player IMHO... As long as I'm throwing out my ideas on brands and types of strings, for nylons, I'll give D'Addario Pro Arte Composites EJ46LP lightly polished strings the nod. The lightly polished strings use the same concept as polished flatwounds in controlling finger noise. This pack comes with two 3rd strings to choose from, and I prefer the nylon one over the composite one... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 The only nylon user I know is my old friend who studied classical guitar. I have no idea what brand or anything he used, but that on HIS guitar, restringing with them looked like no easy deal. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 It's not easy the 1st time you try to string a Nylon. I watched a few videos on YouTube and picked the one I like the best. I haven't changed the strings for awhile as I've been playing my other acoustic and electric guitars more these days. Even with my feeble brain, I think I can still remember the way I do it. I like to double twist the 3 plain strings and use the single twist on the 3 wrapped ones at the bridge. It goes pretty smooth once you remember how to do it and use the half hitch at the head stock tuners...It's actually kind of fun, like tying your own fishing lures LOL! ps. You inspired me today Fang just by discussing those flatwounds, and I just threw a set of D'Addario Chromes Flatwounds 10-48's on my Taylor T3 and Wowie! They sound and play freaking great! Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Ummm.... You're welcome! Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Thanks! I dropped down in gauge from 11-50's to 10-48's (and on the 3rd strings from a 22 wrapped to a 20 wrapped). They are much easier to bend now. Also, the 1st and 2nd plain strings are just as easy to bend and are as bright as any other set of strings using the same gauge. The stainless steel D'Addario are brighter sounding than the Thomastik nickel flatwounds. Both brands are great strings for Jazz and Rockabilly IMHO... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 If you use nickel frets stainless will eat them. I had to quit using Boomers on my old 71 Strat. New strings are bright. I buy 24 sets at a time for $2.74 a set and change them often. Hot humid summers kill strings anyway especially if you sound revolves around twang. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 +1 I had problems with Blue Steel stainless steel round wounds causing fret ware on regular frets, when I was using them on my Strats (and quit using stainless). Best to have stainless steel frets if you're going to use stainless steel round wounds. The D'Addario Chromes Flatwounds are Stainless steel but they are called Stainless Steel Ribbon, which uses a special winding and polishing process, that produces a much smoother wrapped string that's much easier on fret ware than the stainless round wounds as far as I can tell...I used Thomastik nickel flatwounds until D'Addario came out with their newer stainless ribbons at half the price... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 "Quick bump and addendum:" Speaking of Flatwounds, I'm falling in love with the acoustic Thomastik-Infeld Plectrums even though they cost $23 bucks a set. I'll just have to live with the price and them turning my fingers black. I have no idea why they use one round wound for the 6th string silk inlay in the 11-50 and the 10-41 sets? But I'll just have to live with that too. I use the 11-50's. The wrapped 3rd string is a 19 gauge. They make a lighter set 10-41 with a wrapped 16 gauge 3rd! Now that's the thinnest wrapped 3rd I've ever found...Great Acoustic Sound both plugged and unplugged...Hope they last 3 times as long LOL! After reading the reviews a couple of guys claim they are not flatwounds at all. I disagree. They look and feel like flatwounds (except for the 6th string) and are the only Acoustic Flatwounds advertised by the manufacturer I can find out there...However, I will agree that they are nothing like electric guitar flatwounds which are a little stiff for bending and a little dull. These sound as bright as any other acoustic strings, squeak less and are very low tension and easy to bend...as you go up in gauge 12-59's and 13-61's they have more round wounds in the set, so make sure you research them on Juststrings.com before ordering if ordering the heavier sets. I get the same price with free shipping on Amazon when I order a couple of sets which saves me a few bucks... WARNING: As of tonight I take back everything I said on the Thomastik Acoustic Plectrums! While practicing tonight, the third string came unwrapped! At $23 bucks a set, that's not acceptable...sadly I have another set on the way and will have to send them back. Their electric flatwounds never had this problem. It's too bad as I thought I had found my perfect strings. They sound great and bend great for acoustic strings, but the third string just won't take it. Do Not Buy These Strings if you're going to be bending strings...that's my humble opinion. Guess I'll try those Elixirs or some other brand now LOL! Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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