Has anyone tried flatwound strings on an acoustic?

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

what did you find?

bandmaster188 · April 2018

No, but intrigued.

stephen.wood125 · April 2018

As above, very interested, guess you'd lose some brightness but also a whole lot of finger squeak/squeal. I put Elixir coated on my Takamine cheapo G series to cut down on the squeak noises. Definitely interested in trying flatwound next time though. Good idea.

Strangefan · April 2018

I did, if you want your £1000 acoustic to sound like a £70 argos special go for it.

stephen.wood125 · April 2018

Strangefan said:

I did, if you want your £1000 acoustic to sound like a £70 argos special go for it.

Good enough answer for me, cheers!

Adji · April 2018

It's PROBABLY not going to be the sound you are looking for.
You could try half-round / flat-tops which will help achieve the feel without losing too much brightness.
http://daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=10

Big reduction in finger noise too.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

@Adji interesting. They don't do an 11 set

Jalapeno · April 2018

Put flatwounds on my archtop - they feel brilliant, and amplify well.

I'd say that it would dampen the tone (not the volume) of the wound strings on an acoustic - won't affect the unwound strings at all.

EDIT: I use these http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/family-detail/JAZZ Swing

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

Jalapeno said:

Put flatwounds on my archtop - they feel brilliant, and amplify well.

I'd say that it would dampen the tone (not the volume) of the wound strings on an acoustic - won't affect the unwound strings at all.

That's more like what I want. I'll be using plain 1,2,3 'cos I like 'em, and I don't want 4,5,6 to be too bright or boomy. The guitar I was thinking of putting them on is indeed an archtop: the Epiphone Zenith

DavidRees · April 2018

I use these http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/family-detail/Plectrum
expensive but wonderful and last a very long time - on a very old Yamaha APX 9C btw - plenty of volume and projection, no squeak and a really nice feel to them ...

Kristo · April 2018

Another option would be Newtone Double Wound Masterclass strings. Not flatwound, but the double wrap makes them really smooth and quiet fingerwise. I have the Masterclass on my acoustic and the archtop version on my archtops.

AliGorie · April 2018

they're a nickel flat 'tape' wound type - so for magnetic p/ups - that's what they're made for and used as, ya could use them on an acoustic flat top with a soundhole mag p/up.
Round wounds are designed for 'acoustic' instruments like flat top's, mandolins, Bouzouki and pianos etc.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

The 'acoustic' is an f-hole archtop. It's not intended to sound like a dreadnought or any other roundhole guitar

AliGorie · April 2018

slap 'em on Phil - give them a try, u might want to slap a mag p/u so ya can hear them

Jalapeno · April 2018

Phil_aka_Pip said:

The 'acoustic' is an f-hole archtop. It's not intended to sound like a dreadnought or any other roundhole guitar

Definitely try round & flat-wounds. On my archtop a set last 18mths-2yrs with me playing every week, so the higher price is worth it, I play jazz mind - but I don't care for the really muddy sound either, so when the die, they get changed.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

AliGorie said:

slap 'em on Phil - give them a try, u might want to slap a mag p/u so ya can hear them

I have another jazzbox with pickups on it. This archtop has some kind of bug under the bridge - when I tried it in the shop with the same model of acoustic amplifier that I have at home, it seemed like any other acoustic and didn't give me the impression that it was giving me the "archtop sound".

I collect my guitars on Monday from Mr Tech so after that I'll be able to report back.

Phil_aka_Pip · April 2018

Report on archtop with flatwounds: Acoustically exactly what I was after. Haven't tried the electrickery yet. The bass is nicely controlled and not at all boomy. The treble has all the brilliance I wanted. Not at all like @Strangefan predicted.

Clashman · April 2018

I tried but became a virtuoso so threw em out now back to the old super slinky.

Strangefan · April 2018

@Phil_aka_Pip erm yeah you know flat wounds are pretty much made for archtops ...... Quite different from a flat top.

x-valves4ever · April 2018

I use flats on my Loar Archtop.....Pyramid Golds, great for early 20th Century Big Band rhythm work....loads of punch and percussive drive.

Occasionally I use them on my Gretsch White Falcon for that 50’s sound....

Flats definitely have their place and if you can afford a few guitars then having some equipped will expand your arsenal and palette of sounds in a most useful way.

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Has anyone tried flatwound strings on an acoustic?

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