What guitar for flatwound strings?

Tannin · July 2022

It's 1931. A ragged swaggie walks up to a farmhouse and knocks on the door. "Excuse me Mrs, I've got a button here. Could you sew a shirt on it for me?"

Out of curiosity, I recently bought a set of Galli brass flatwound strings. I don't really know what I bought them for, I have no particular idea of what I might find them good for. Just plain curiosity.

The question is ... what guitar should I put them on? I dare say they are designed for and nearly always fitted to archtops. I haven't got an archtop - and no, before you ask, I'm not going to buy one. (Perhaps some other year. Or perhaps not.) But I do have a fair variety of different flatops with most of the usual body shapes and tonewoods represented.

So what sort of guitar does the Fretboard Brains Trust reckon might work well with 80/20 brass flatwounds on it? I want to give them their best chance to sound good.

bertie · July 2022

none - they are the strings for deaf people

merlin · July 2022

Are you sure they're not 4/20 strings?

Caffeine_Vampire · July 2022

bertie said:

none - they are the strings for deaf people

Flats are great if you're looking for the old time thump. They were a big part of the sound achieved on those records from the 50's and earlier and I find they subtley alter how you play too. I have them in all my guitars as standard now.

To answer the original question, in the absence of an archtop I'd use them on a parlour.

TheMarlin · July 2022

Something with single coils. They’re awful with humbuckers.

bertie · July 2022

TheMarlin said:

Something with single coils. They’re awful with humbuckers.

in the acoustic section ?

bertie · July 2022

Caffeine_Vampire said:
Flats are great if you're looking for the old time thump. They were a big part of the sound achieved on those records from the 50's

sounds like the perfect reason not to use them

- tried a set once, completely dull and lifeless, no zing no clarity - made the guitar sound like a bass with a dampner (remember those ?!!) - not for me, not on acoustic most definitely

ICBM · July 2022

If you have an old flattop made from toneplywood, try that.

Failing that, probably the brightest-sounding.

Caffeine_Vampire · July 2022

bertie said:

Caffeine_Vampire said:
Flats are great if you're looking for the old time thump. They were a big part of the sound achieved on those records from the 50's

sounds like the perfect reason not to use them

- tried a set once, completely dull and lifeless, no zing no clarity - made the guitar sound like a bass with a dampner (remember those ?!!) - not for me, not on acoustic most definitely

Happy to respectfully disagree.

TheMarlin · July 2022

bertie said:

TheMarlin said:

Something with single coils. They’re awful with humbuckers.

in the acoustic section ?

Didn’t see that. Sorry

Caffeine_Vampire · July 2022

I should add that in my experience a heavier gauge and a high action is the key to a good tone with flats.

TheMadMick · July 2022

I was plagued with string squeak once upon a time and tried nickle flatwounds to get rid. No joy. Sounded dull and flat.

It's probably not much consolation, I discovered Monel which squeak a lot less.

Tannin · July 2022

merlin said:

Are you sure they're not 4/20 strings?

I don't know what a 4/20 string is. I tried Googling it and got this:

Caffeine_Vampire said:

Flats are great if you're looking for the old time thump. They were a big part of the sound achieved on those records from the 50's and earlier and I find they subtley alter how you play too. I have them in all my guitars as standard now.

To answer the original question, in the absence of an archtop I'd use them on a parlour.

Great answer!

I'm not quite sure what "old time thump" is, but I suspect it is maybe that thuddy sort of sound you hear from people playing swing or western swing rhythm guitar. Am I on the right track?

Oddly enough, I don't have a parlour either. @ICBM suggests whatever I have that is brightest sounding. That would be the Huon Pine Cole Clark Angel, but for once I'm not going to do that. The poor little Angel seems to have taken the brunt of most of my sillier string experiments, and last week I actually got to the point where I was starting to think that I didn't love it anymore. Then I slipped a set of Gall LS onto it - strings I've tried and liked before - and all of a sudden I've remembered what a joy it can be to play.

I think maybe the Maton Messiah - fairly small body, spruce and rosewood, plenty bright (although a deep bass too, as you expect on a rosewood guitar). But @Caffeine_Vampire ;recommends a heavy gauge and high action ... well, these are 12s so they are what they are. My highest action guitar is the new one (which I've had adjusted, but not so low as I usually go, it seems to like being a bit higher). It is nearly due for a string change, so this might be interesting.

Cheers all, helpful answers!

Oh, except for @TheMarlin who nevertheless gave me a good chuckle - theses are brass strings, i.e., non-magnetic. They will make exactly the same sound on a humbucker or a single coil, i.e., none. I don't have any electric guitars.

@TheMadMick ; cheers - I have nickels on my Red Spruce Guild, which can be a bit abrupt and shouty. They work brilliantly on it.

artiebear · July 2022

I have thought about them on a Martin OOOVS 28 I get out occasionally. It is quite a huge sounding guitar in all directions, and would be a prime candidate for a bit of 1930's dustbowl vibe. As it is, I love it with a set of 12's.

Mellish · July 2022

@artiebear ; - if you haven't already, try a set of Martin MA140 (80/20 12s).

Different guitar but they were the only strings my HD-28 really liked

PAL · July 2022

What ever works for you is fine. Ask ten people about anything and they will stand around debating the pros and cons
most sensible people would be actually be playing the guitar !

artiebear · July 2022

PAL said:

What ever works for you is fine. Ask ten people about anything and they will stand around debating the pros and cons
most sensible people would be actually be playing the guitar !

Well wouldn't that render this whole forum, including your participation, pointless ?

danowens · July 2022

Where did you buy the strings from? I was looking recently and found only European distributors and they were very expensive.

Tannin · July 2022

It would have been one of those two outstanding US dealers, @danowens Strings by Mail or Strings and Beyond. I'll look it up: ah yes, $35.91 AUD from Strings and Beyond including postage (split between about six or eight sets, as is my habit). That's about £20 - which is far from cheap.

I like Strings Direct in the UK, they are good to deal with and have a good range, but between their prices and the expensive postage it's seldom worth it. I often end up buying European and even UK manufactured strings from the USA, which makes no sense but there it is.

BTW, if I had to name just one favourite guitar string, well there are three or four, but Galli LS (an orthodox round wound hex core phosphor bronze) might nearly be my choice. Or DR Sunbeams, of course, not to mention GHS Americana and Pyramid Western Folk. And not forgetting SIT Royal Bronze. I have a couple of extra sets of Galli LS on hand. I'll try them on some different guitars and see if I like them as well on rosewood or Blackwood as I do on Huon Pine and Silky Maple. That will be the acid test.

PS: what is the story with buying from the US in the UK? Is it difficult?

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

What guitar for flatwound strings?

Comments