Question regarding flat wound strings

The original shortscale guitars; Mustangs, Duo-Sonics, Musicmasters, Jaguars, Broncos, Jag-stang, Jagmaster, Super-Sonic, Cyclone, and Toronados.

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kim
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Post by kim »

Indeed, it's never just install, set up and forget about it when switching gauges (or even just brands) and you keep an eye on it for a few days and adjust when needed.
I'm using a velcro tie (no capo..lol) and a business card to feel it out with the 17th fret pressed.

I swapped the 12 - 50's on the jazzmaster over to the kurdtz jag and put the 11 -47's on the jazzmaster. Feels good. 47 is a tad bit more slinky than i like but that's being nitpicky.

Both guitars have a 1mm shim and around 1.5mm action at 12th fret.

It's true these don't need that much time/stretching tuning up when fresh.
I like their dynamics in sound and how they feel under my fingers. They're not slippery, there is some friction.
Balanced output between strings too.

Might sound like i'm sponsored (i wish ...lol).
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Post by kingkiller »

Between this thread and the flatwound discussion in the Jaguar thread, I’ve decided to buy a set of flatwounds to try out
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Post by Hurb »

Please only buy thomastik-infeld.

Thats right folks I am a flatwound snob after 1 day
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Post by kim »

Yes, big difference in construction and material.

Hex core vs round core
Steel w chrome vs nickel


Thomastik jazz swing are round core nickel wound.
Why they feel more slinky than say d'addario chromes which is chrome plated steel with a hex core (which might make them last longer?).
Personal of course what you prefer, I wanted to check out 'vintage spec' flatwounds.

In US there are brands that make round core nickel flatwounds if you're looking for a better deal in price vs European import (Kurt mangan?)
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Post by dezb1 »

Hurb wrote:Please only buy thomastik-infeld.

Thats right folks I am a flatwound snob after 1 day
You put a set on the Squier? Do an video.
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Post by Hurb »

dezb1 wrote:
Hurb wrote:Please only buy thomastik-infeld.

Thats right folks I am a flatwound snob after 1 day
You put a set on the Squier? Do an video.
Put them on my old jag
I had planned a video at first but am feeling a little washed out with YouTube/life in general so I couldn't face it.
I will be getting a set on squier for sure though.
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Post by kingkiller »

The only flats my friendly neighborhood guitar store had were D’Addario Chromes, so unfortunately I can’t join in your snobbishness, Hurb, but I will report how this set of 12’s feels when I get them on my Mustang in a couple days :lol:
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Post by Hurb »

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Post by GreenKnee »

I've been using flatwounds on all 3 of my Jags since starting this thread. I have the Thomastik on an American Original, and Chromes on a 1962 and a CIJ.

Interestingly, I prefer the Chromes. They feel smoother under my fingers, and sound better with my setup (to my ears of course). With the Thomastik there's still some resistance under the fingers and some squeak when sliding over them. This isn't a big issue, and is a lot less than standard round wounds.

The Thomastik are still great, and I love the red silk wrapped around the windings at the ball end, classy and just something a little extra. I fitted the Thomastik just after fitting a Mastery to the AO, so I'm not sure which is having the greater effect, but the sustain is really long: not just for a Jag but actually for any guitar, it's quite surprising. Not that I need a bent clean note to ever hold for 20 seconds, that's what fuzz is for right?

The Chromes seem to make the Jag sound more like a Jag, they round off the top end just right so that there's no shrill treble coming through, but without killing presence altogether. They feel oh so smooth, no squeak, a real pleasure to play. I've been cleaning my strings with Dunlop Ultraglide, probably once a week, and the strings are still as close to new as you can hope, no corrosion on the strings to make things rusty and grippy, although Stainless Steel wouldn't rust anyway, but it gets rid of finger grime etc. Eventually a High E snapped, so I just replaced the unwound strings with spare D'Addario singles, leaving the flatwounds to power on.
Oh yes, forgot to mention I replaced the wound G with unwound as I play lead and prefer it that way for bends and runs and general ease of playing. + The Mastery won't intonate perfectly with a wound G.

Flatwounds were a real game changer for me, and I can't see me ever going back to round wounds. I've just ordered another set of Chromes (gauge 12 this time) to fit to my White Falcon :)
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Post by Hurb »

Really interesting review/breakdown. I probably should try chromes i just don't really like changing since I have found something I like.

I like there is still a bit of grip the thomastik-infeld. But I guess that's different strokes init!

I am currently uploading a little video just for ShortScale of some Toanez!
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Post by Hurb »

quick tonez run through of the flat wounds just for shortscale

[youtube][/youtube]
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Post by kim »

Hahaha!
Hand is like 'yea OK..'

Spanky with the strangle switch. That's a big palette of sounds with so little going on.

//thomastiksnobsclub



Interesting about the feel of chromes vs jazz swings, having tried both (but the chromes a long time ago) I know I prefer a bit of friction on strings surface over totally smooth.
I don't use crazy blues bends but I can bend these (including wound g) fairly easily if I want to.
Was playing some blues stuff yesterday evening to see.
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Post by GreenKnee »

Sounds are all nice nice nice! That Jag is so sublime looking too, did Aen use to have it, or has it always been yours? I'm sure it's been on my radar for years and years.

Totally agree with the different strokes statement, I bought the Thomastik expecting to prefer them, but was surprised that the Chromes were more me. Some of my playing is bordering on shred, or at least rather fast and 'intricate', and so the smoothness of the Chromes helps me with this.

Since using Chromes with my band, our bass player felt they had to change to flats too. They suddenly noticed how much string noise was coming through from their roundwounds now that I'm not making any, and it drove them crazy. I think it's cleaned up our sound quite a lot. It's surprising how much such a small change can make to playing style, sound, and band dynamics.

Perhaps I'll try and beat the Tier 3 Blues by recording a lil shortscale gear demo this week
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Post by BearBoy »

I've been using Chromes forever but just ordered some Thomastik-Infelds to try out **happy**
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Post by Hurb »

GreenKnee wrote:Sounds are all nice nice nice! That Jag is so sublime looking too, did Aen use to have it, or has it always been yours? I'm sure it's been on my radar for years and years.
Yep used to be Aens. Had it over 10 years now.
BearBoy wrote:I've been using Chromes forever but just ordered some Thomastik-Infelds to try out **happy**
Be interested in what you think.
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Post by kingkiller »

So I finally got off my ass and put the chromes on my mustang. It feels...weird going to flatwounds after using only roundwounds for the 8 or so years I’ve been playing. They’re smooth but I feel like I can’t slide up the string as easily as with roundwounds, but that may just be me still getting adjusted. I like the way they sound though, not that I can really discern the subtle differences. They definitely sound warmer. I’ll keep them on for a while and see how I get on with them, but I’m not 100% sold just yet.
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Post by Doog »

Apart from the feel, do they really sound any different to just backing your tone pot down a bit?
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Post by Hurb »

kingkiller wrote:So I finally got off my ass and put the chromes on my mustang. It feels...weird going to flatwounds after using only roundwounds for the 8 or so years I’ve been playing. They’re smooth but I feel like I can’t slide up the string as easily as with roundwounds, but that may just be me still getting adjusted. I like the way they sound though, not that I can really discern the subtle differences. They definitely sound warmer. I’ll keep them on for a while and see how I get on with them, but I’m not 100% sold just yet.
After putting the La Bella flatwounds on my bass vi I know what you mean about the rubbing that kinda slows your slides on the strings. The thomastik-infeld don't do that they feel much nicer. I think it must be the nickle vs stainless steel if the la bellas.
I love the thomastik-infeld and am not sold on the la bellas which is a shame as they cost 70 fucking quid! They do sound good their tension is crazy though.

Doog wrote:Apart from the feel, do they really sound any different to just backing your tone pot down a bit?
I don't personally like the sound of a tone pot turned down so probably so?
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Post by Doog »

Just curious to know what all the fuss is about really; listening to comparisons, I can still can only hear it as that:

[youtube][/youtube]
1:57 onwards here

I totally get that it's a haptic/feel thing too, though; I'm not poo-pooing the experience.
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Post by dezb1 »

Hurb wrote: they cost 70 fucking quid!.

Whit? Fuck that!
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