HRWs and flatwounds question

[MartyGrass]

I've tried two HRW equipped guitars with D'Adds Chrome FW 11-50s. The strings sound mediocre- not bad, not good. The same strings sound better with the Floating #3 pup and P90s, so it can't be just the strings. And the HRWs sound wonderful with roundwounds. So it seems to me like the HRWs and these strings are a bad match, at least in the two amps I used.

 

Before I fully abandon FWs altogether, is there a brighter FW to try?

[Genericmusic]

This is what I know, flatwound strings are wound with flat wire rather than round wire like typical strings. This provides some benefits and some drawbacks. The benefits: flatwounds are flat. They feel very smooth to the touch. This considerably cuts down on left hand noise while fingering and sliding. They also tend to last a very long time, usually much longer than the average roundwound string. The deciding factor in choosing whether or not to use flatwounds is their tone. It all depends on what one is trying to achieve. Flatwound strings have a mellow, dark tone that some players (especially jazz players) prefer. Some players (usually rock players) do not like flatwounds at all because of their lack of brightness and harmonics as well as their darker tone. You might not find the brightness you are looking for in flatwounds and have to use round wounds. Before switching try some Thomastik flatwounds. I like the Swing Jazz series but have heard the George Benson series are pretty good. You are still going to get the darker-mellower tone though. Not all my instruments are strung with flatwounds. In fact only my classic eagle is because I'm playing jazz with it right now. If I were to gig using my eagle to play something like old time fiddle tunes I would probably restring it with round wounds. I must admit flatwounds are an acquired taste. It is all about what sound one is trying to achieve. It is very subjective. Good luck.

[Genericmusic]

On second thought, try stainless steel flatwounds. I haven't used them but I think they are supposed to be brighter. I understand D'Angelico maked a pretty good set.

[gary0313]

For what its worth, James Casella at Blue Note Music on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley,CA sells a Thomastic Infeld hybrid flat wound/round wound/plain set that is kind of a best of both worlds sort of deal, I liked them though they're a little expensive at $20./set. If you call him he can tell you all about them and how he came up with the idea. Their Ph# is 510-644-2563

[gary0313]

For what its worth, James Casella at Blue Note Music in Berkeley, CA sells a hybrid flat/round/plain set that he special orders from Thomastik-Infeld. They run about $20 a set but might just be what you need.

[gary0313]

Blue Note's ph # is 510-644-2583

[barrymclark]

Personally don't use flatwounds for any kind of music. Just too dark for me. They sound great in some people's hands... just not the tone I want coming from mine.

[DetroitBlues]

I've tried two HRW equipped guitars with D'Adds Chrome FW 11-50s. The strings sound mediocre- not bad, not good. The same strings sound better with the Floating #3 pup and P90s, so it can't be just the strings. And the HRWs sound wonderful with roundwounds. So it seems to me like the HRWs and these strings are a bad match, at least in the two amps I used.

 

Before I fully abandon FWs altogether, is there a brighter FW to try?

 

My guess is the pups need to be lowered, they could be having an adverse affect on the magentic pull of the guitar...

[MartyGrass]

 

My guess is the pups need to be lowered, they could be having an adverse affect on the magentic pull of the guitar...

 

 

Worth a try.

[Kuz]

If go you down lower on this thread where I posted the " archtop shoot" the #1 clip is of my Golden Eagle with Thomastic flats 12-53 with an HRW pickup. To me it is my holy grail archtop jazz tone. I have used D'addrio chrome flats, and honestly I don't think it is the HRW but your brand of strings!

 

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/index.php/topic/14001-pickup-upgrade-for-a-super-eagle/

[MartyGrass]

Okay. First, I'll lower the pickup. Then I'll try the Thomastics.

 

Thanks.

[eor]

halfwounds, maybe?

 

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/neardowoniel.html

 

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/dharo.html

 

thomastiks are great, too. i like the newtones very much, but they make all the noise of a round wound string, no matter what anyone tells you.

[DetroitBlues]

Any results yet? I'd hate to think the pup's would be the problem.

[MartyGrass]

I lowered the bridge pup and the clarity returned. I then backed the bridge pup down to match volume.

 

The chrome FWs still thump, regardless of the guitar. I'm trying some nickel rounds, a little brighter and a little squeakier but better sustain and crisper attack.

[GRMJazz]

I'm a huge TI fan and use the flats on my Groove Master.... .13-.53 .. after much frustration with Chrome's. My desire to swap the stock Schaller with an HRW was fueled by a desire to set a bit more articulation (perhaps "bite"), but have tweaked my amp/speaker combination instead, now using a Raezer's Edge Nighthawk 10 (which has the Extended Range transducer) and love the tone for the jazz that I play. However, I must also mention that I strung my Roy Clark Custom with T/I's bebop (round-wound) .12-.50 (after using Benson's, then TI bebop .13's, then D'Addario XL .12's....) and the tone is super-sweet!.. With the neck pup, any finger squeak is negligible...and not noticeable at all with my instrumental trio! The tone is so dependable with the Bebops that the Roy is the first guitar I grab for ANY gig but my (comparatively tame) vocal-based trio gigs.

Guess my point kind of comes around to T/I's holding their brightness longer than the D'Addario's, though the D'Addario's have a good "right out of the pack" timbre (it goes away within a couple of gigs for me).

Then again, maybe lowering the pup on the GrooveMaster would make it even better!

 

Ok, this is officially driving me nuts.

[unikh550]

Used to play flatwounds on my H-550, but now use roundwounds. D'Addario also makes half flats, or it might be GHS- not sure. Gave up flats because they were a little pricy, but mainly because the 6th string would sound thuddy- way too dark. Now, I buy the cheapest Musicians Friend sets of roundwounds ($1.99 per set), 10-46, give my friends the 10's, and just slide the rest down to get a .013 on the 1st string, all the way down to a .046 on the 5th. Buy as many .050-.056 strings singly as my local stores have in stock for $1.50 apiece to make my own custom set.

 

Flats don't last a lot longer than roundwounds- at least not enough to justify the cost difference (They usually cost around $9 per set.). There is a point where even the flats get to sound too dull to play in public with- usually after about 50 hours of vigorous jazz playing. Not a big fan of today's jazz guitarists, such as Jimmy Bruno; they sound too rolled off toward the mids and bass ranges for me. Like the fire of Kessel and Farlow. If you want the Wes sound, though, rounds are the way to go!- Charley Bevell, Bloomington, IN

[MartyGrass]

I like a brighter sound than chrome FWs except in my Johnny Smith. I can't explain but it doesn't sound thuddy. I've found the GHS Nickel Compounds to work well with better warmth than steel.

 

http://www.juststrings.com/ghselectricguitarcompoundnickel.html

 

They are warmer than GHS Brite Flats and D'Add's Half Wounds yet don't squeak much. Caution: All of these strings take 20-60 minutes to break in so that my fingers slide smoothly.