Going for 50's & 60's Cleans with Flat Wounds

[FFTT]

I've only tried this putting flat 11's on my AF105NT and other than being
a hassle to re-set the intonation, it was an eye opener on guitars
getting old school clean tones.

I just wonder if any of you have tried flats on your vintage voiced
guitars?

 

[FFTT]

So nobody has tried flat wounds on any of their guitars?

I was hoping for some insight comments and impressions on tone and feel.

 

[KennyM]

I use flats on a Gretsch Brian Setzer and Epiphone Casino. Totally Beatles approved cleans.

 

[FFTT]

I think many players forget how many of those great old songs were played
on flats.

 

[gravy]

interesting... will have to give it a go

 

[Cado]

At some point I plan on getting a Gretsch, not sure which model, but it must have Dynasonics. That guitar will be strung with flat wounds.

 

[FFTT]

If you are not good at reseting your action and intonation, I would hold off
because if you don't care for the results, you'll have to do it all over again
to go back to stock 10-46's

11's or 12's would have been quite common.

It was already tough enough for my weak fingers bending 11's , but
it is smoother than with round wounds.

It's a must try on a hollow body to get jazzier tones.

 

[dangerine49]

I use nothing but flatwounds on all of my electrics and have since the 60's. I can't stand the feel of rounds and the associated string squeak. I use either D'Addario Chromes or Thomastik Jazz Swing 10's. I even use D'Addario Flat Tops on my acoustics.

It's certainly a pretty easy and inexpensive experiment to see if they work for you. Don't forget to adjust those amp knobs too.

 

[supergenius365]

I picked up a Dano DC59 Modified and really dug the tone. Did a string change to my regular D'addario Pure Nickel strings and was dismayed how different it sounded. It was then I realized there were flat wounds on it originally that made it sound so good.

 

[FFTT]

Early Stones and Early Beatles you can definitely hear the smoother silkier
sound of flats.

One thing for sure, if you work with bending 11 or 12 flats
it will certainly make your fingers stronger once you switch back to 10's
or play another guitar.

 

[cratz2]

Yeah, I have flats on my #1 and #3 strats and will probably put them on two more guitars this year. I bend a little bit with flats, but it's mostly half step bends or less. Not quite sure I could have flats on my only guitar, but over the last six months or so, I'd say well over half of my serious playing has been on flats.

 

[seltaeb]

I keep flats on my Rickenbacker 360/12, but also my Gretsch Tennessean. I used to have them on my Gretsch Country Gentleman, but after a few years, I realized that the guitar sounds a little better with rounds to me. It can cover Beatles and Setzer type sounds that way.

... but my Tennessean and 360/12 will never be strung with anything else.

 

[djg714]

I really like flats on my Heritage 535. D'Addario Chromes 10-48 or GHS .

 

[chervokas]

I've only tried this putting flat 11's on my AF105NT and other than being
a hassle to re-set the intonation, it was an eye opener on guitars
getting old school clean tones.

I just wonder if any of you have tried flats on your vintage voiced
guitars?

Yeah, I use TI Swing .010 -.046s on my Tele ... The tone is both warm AND spanky. The feel is positively seductive...and, though that's a lighter gauge of wound strings than I usually use, they set up perfectly with that guitar in helping to balance a humbucker -- by taking out some of the woofiness -- with a single in the bridge.

I do tend to like bright guitars, bright amps, low cap cable generally, but warm pure nickel and round core strings -- that way I get extended but not shrill highs... and so the TI flats set up perfectly for me.

 

[mhuxtable]

I use flatwound 11s with a wound 3rd on my AVRI Jaguar. Best sound.

 

[sleepingtiger]

I like bright strings, but it's flats on my Jazzmaster!

Tony

 

[thejrace]

Anyone use flats on their 335?

 

[twoheadedboy]

I just wonder if any of you have tried flats on your vintage voiced
guitars?

I used to play in a funk/soul/r&b band. I used an AVRI '62RI Telecaster Custom with flats into a Fender DRRI. It was awesome.

 

[FFTT]

It's great to read so many supporting views.

It really is an effective and very affordable way to give
your guitar a different voice and a different feel.

I found it especially effective in sweetening the tones on my
AF105NT hollow body with stock Ibanez HB's.

 

[El Fug]

Any chance you can recommend an old song or two (or a new one) that really showcases the flatwound sound? I know you said early Stones and Beatles, but a specific song would be awesome. Thanks!