Flats are aight

@twantheunisz9281

Жыл бұрын

Let's make this random, short comment the top comment lol

@riogrande163

Жыл бұрын

​​@Twan Theunisz I second this, (Edit): We got it pinned, we did it Reddit!

@steves12strings

Жыл бұрын

Best comment on the topic

@phil.7064

Жыл бұрын

Such a British comment

@callejarvholm

Жыл бұрын

@@twantheunisz9281 let’s boost the shit out of this

The early Beatles (and other artists) from the UK were smart using the Vox amps with the flat wound stringed guitars. The combination of the darker guitar sound and bright chimey Vox sound were a match made in rock heaven.

@davidyelland908

Жыл бұрын

There was little else available in the UK at the time as well as no “knowledge” of string types. You bought what was available. This was usually Black Diamond in the early sixties. All the UK bands used Vox as they were the best England had to offer. The Beatles did have a Vox deal.

@bradparker9664

Жыл бұрын

I'm a major Beatles buff, and I don't recall them using any Telecasters prior to George's famous rosewood in 1968-1968. Early mods used consisted of a lot of Rickenbackers, Gretches, the Casinos, and George and John got matching blue Strats in 1965, one of which George painted and is the famous Rocky. Great video on the differences between flat and round strings, though. I've never played flats, and you've sparked an interest so that may need to change. Keep up the great work.

@bradparker9664

Жыл бұрын

Loved Brian Jones' teardrop Vox 6 string.

@inessalazarkopp4579

Жыл бұрын

they used what was available at the time , Back then there weren't that many companies or a lot of options, Like now days.

@salvadordollyparton666

Жыл бұрын

@@davidyelland908 a LOT of unique sounds people often attribute to whichever artist's "genius" ends up just being dumb luck and using what was available to them... not to take anything away from them, cause they did capture that sound, after all. i just think its funny how people are always like oh, how did you ever come up with that? you're a genius! and then, if they're honest, just whatever happened to be in the room.

Been playing flats for over a decade and I LOVE them. That thick ass thump attack, note bloom, and no squeaks. Heavier the better, and the low end is spectacular.

I recently put flat wounds on my semi hollow and tuned it to D standard and I love it. I don't play jazz or anything but it just feels and sounds cool.

@poopoofuhqueue2389

Жыл бұрын

Tbf d standard on most strings feels awesome

@tito.tarantula

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip, I definitely plan on trying it out. Did you happen to increase the string gauge when tuning down to D standard?

@ondrejtregler

3 ай бұрын

@@tito.tarantula Yeah, I think it's kind of a necessity. I'm not sure if I used 11 or 12 now, but they're difinitely much thicker than I usualy play, which would be mostly 9.

I use flatwounds exclusively on all my guitars and basses. It has always been because of the feel, but the fact that my Jackson soloist with a Floyd rose has them on definitely gives it a unique sound you just don't hear elsewhere.

10/10 for having a quick comparison demo at the very start of the video. Way too many people will bury it in the video and this immediately grabbed me and gave me what I was looking for. Subbed immediately 👍

@juliasteinweh-adler5288

2 ай бұрын

same!!! excellent video!

@hoilst265

2 ай бұрын

"You ever been in a guitar shop, and seen the flatwound guitar strings are for? What do they sound like, compared to rounds? Why would you buy those and put them on your Strat, or Tele or...whatever? Well, I bought a set, put them on my guitar, and recorded a comparison just for you- BUT FIRST... "...in 1993, I was just a young boy of six years old. I hadn't even picked up a guitar yet, let alone should any interest in music. But I remember, I was out with my Uncle Gordon. Now, Uncle Gordon was a former R&D engineer at a cheese grater factory in my home of Scrotal Falls, Pennsylvania, which had sadly just shut down as American Allied Cheese Graters wound down domestic production in 1993 and moved it off shore. I still remember him bringing around all the new cheese grater designs for my mom - his sister - to use, and I think she appreciated that, even though everyone in our family was lactose intolerant and never any dairy, because our house only had one toilet. But I remember him bringing back all these models, some half-finished, some with the tool marks still on them, and, dutifully, we'd go out and get a block of gouda - for some reason, gouda upset our tracts least of all - and seeing how it shredded. Or didn't, in many of the cases. We had piles and piles of the stuff, and what we used to down was give most of it away to our neighbour, Old Jim. He wasn't that old, or even called Jim, but that's what we called him. I don't think he minded. "Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with flatwound guitar strings..."

I've been using flat wound strings for years, both guitar and bass. I love the sound and, perhaps even more important to me, the feel.

@southernpride2003

5 ай бұрын

Same here I personally don't like rounds ever since I was 7 when I first started playing I'm 20 now turning 21 soon

Flat wound strings paired with Rickenbacker guitars and played through American voiced amps = heaven.

@francispower1418

Жыл бұрын

I agree. I recently bought my luthier’s twenty two year old jet glow 360 off him, it had been his studio guitar for twenty years, and asked him to put my usual flat wounds on it when it came around to the first time to restring (with flats I usually find a set will last me about three months on each guitar). He described it as ‘transformational’ and was kicking himself that he never tried it. Through my boutique ‘57 Tweed knock off… No pedals required.

@Viper-dz2kw

Жыл бұрын

@@francispower1418 the 22 years old is really strange referring to a ric when that means it’s still just from 2001

@francispower1418

Жыл бұрын

@@Viper-dz2kw We’re all slapping on mate! I think I’m past vintage and bordering on ‘antique’ myself!

@Yourmom-ww1sp

6 ай бұрын

What flats do you recommend. I got a gretsch with p90’s and a PRS conzeca so I’m trying figure which ones to get that are still easy to bend

@bennybigiron8471

2 ай бұрын

That's the Beatles sound dawggg😊

I've used half round strings for a while now. You get the same benefits as flats, but they come in lighter lighter gauges and are easier to bend. I love them because they get rid of the string noise when sliding and they change the sound to something a little warmer.

@cliffgraham5185

Жыл бұрын

Same! I feel like they really last too! Halfround 11s on my jag is proving to be a great combo!

@kennethc2466

Жыл бұрын

I used to play them when I played bass. I think they called them ground wounds, as that's exactly how they make the outer flat. Felt great, and great tone. I'll have to try them on guitar. Might be great on a tele.

@aliasdandavisofficial

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely.

@Rexmorgan687

Жыл бұрын

I've had a set on my electric for about two or three years;I can't remember. Once you get used to em and their warmth, hard to get away from em.

@trainsurfer7593

Жыл бұрын

Yup - I've been using half rounds on my Jazzmaster and Jaguar and especially when you play the bridge pickup you really get the benefit of the extra warmth of the strings, they tame the harshness nicely and still sound bright.

My favorite use of flatwounds is putting them on a 12 string; the flats have less upper harmonic content, which is great on a 12 string, because the octave strings are already providing tons of upper harmonic content. Roundwounds on a 12 make the strings kind of compete with each other, whereas the flats give you a more cohesive sound to my ears.

@chinmeysway

Жыл бұрын

We talkin acoustic or electric

@OldManStoli

Жыл бұрын

Electric

@chinmeysway

Жыл бұрын

@@OldManStoli silly qkestion. cool.. i should probably think harder on having one as well, glad u mentioned it!

@allrequiredfields

Жыл бұрын

​@@chinmeysway I play flats on both my 335/12 and Gibson acoustic 12str

@joeblankenship377

Жыл бұрын

Good call. Take some of the bright edge off.

I love the feel of flats. I had them on a gretsch and it sounded really nice and not just for jazz. I use them on electric bass as well. Sounds fantastic!

@TundraMaster

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I've played with flats, and they do feel better and give you a nice kind of glide as you move up and down the neck. The problem I have is that I just don't like how they sound :(

@dustingmyguitars

Жыл бұрын

@@TundraMaster It's definitely a specific sound. It does work in some contexts but often needs an eq tweak on the amp

@RastaLlama

Жыл бұрын

In my country it’s so hard to find flat wounds for bass. They’re also super expensive when u do find them

@cass2771

Жыл бұрын

Yeh, I have flats on my Tenny (with HiLoTrons) - really happy with the sound and feel.

This is one of the few videos I’ve come across where one can clearly hear the difference. Good job.

i switched to flats on my tele, strat, and danelectro U2 about 2 years ago. dropped from 10's to 9's to make the bends a bit easier. couldn't be happier. your video really tells the story. very well done.

Your videography has gotten so amazing, such great content informative and very pleasing to watch. Keep up the great work!

I'm a bass player that uses flats and most of the guitarists I play with use them too, They're SORELY underrated nowadays, on top of having a great jazz sound they're fantastic for getting clean recordings, and getting drive sounds that boost the treble without also boosting a load of fingernoise. Most people just associate them with 60's thump sounds but there's so much more to them than that, especially nowadays with the much more modern sounding flats you can get. Most guitarists I know use the Thomastik-Infeld flats, they seem to be the best of both worlds in terms of having brightness close to rounds but low fingernoise. Thomasiks Jazz used to be the best option for bright, clear sounding bass flats too and are still up there with the best but nowadays there's also Rotosound Monels and Ernie Ball Cobalt flats (which are the best ones IMO), I use the Cobalts on my bass and they're great in the studio, take drive really well and bring out the sound of a fretless quite well, I'm never going back haha

i like how there’s a clear separation between the low strings and the unwound/high end end strings, very good strings do more finger style playing and smoother 60’s style playing

Great demo / comparison. I've been using flat wounds since the 70's. Love the feel and the sound.

I truly appreciate your contribution to the guitar society. Straight to the point with excellent audio examples.

Must be said, man. All your videos are so informative and entertaining. I love guitars and that great sound we always searching for.

Well thanks Rhett! I started using these on my guitars and bass a few years ago after I had a hunch that it would counteract a particularly bright guitar, and it worked wonderfully. I was chuffed with my little secret. Now everyone will be doing it. THANKS RRHETT!

Why in the world have I never tried these before. Thanks Rhett

@infn8loopmusic

Жыл бұрын

This!!!

Rhett.. your video changed my life. 35+ years of playing guitar... Thousands of dollars spent on guitars, amps, pedals... None of that compared to this. I feel so elated to know this now and equally so intensely upset that I went my whole life missing out on these! $20 on a set of XL chromes 10-48s popped them on my strat and absolutely everything about it is far superior. The feel, the overall tone, and the sound. The warmth, the tight bass, the bright but not harsh treble, and the somehow more accurate tuning to each note. But the biggest value was, my playing sounds so much tighter and cleaner without all the added string noise. My whole life spent looking for that one thing that would make me sound legendary/professional, better than my abilities, and this was it. it was right here. I never would have thought that strings could be completely transformative. I am absolutely shocked, and will be forever in your debt.

@infn8loopmusic

Жыл бұрын

​​@OilmanCTtraight up 100% man. I will never go back to shitty round wounds and that string noise. Absolute garbage. This is the real deal. If you can't hear the difference maybe your ears suck 😲🤣

@BryanClark-gk6ie

11 ай бұрын

@@infn8loopmusic 35 years of playing? And you just figured it out? Lmao. I been using flats since 19 and 43 wasn't that hard to figure out.

Thanks for the video Rhett! I feel like more people need to learn about flat wound strings, they're great if you're after that vintage feel and tone. Pure nickel strings would be worth looking into as well!

Everyone needs a guitar with flatwounds in their arsenal, the sound is essential. I have a 1959 Harmony Meteor and a couple of lap steel/slide guitars with flat wounds and I use them often.

My bass player friend recommended me flats and I thought he was just waffling, but after watching you break it down I really should give them a go!

Always love the flats!!!

That clean ethereal sound is great! I like hearing Rhett play that genre, sounds fresh!

One thing I enjoyed about studying Jazz in High School and College was buying one set of flats that lasted all semester and never had to worry about them breaking or losing tone.

Great video! That guitar sounds great either way and your playing is top notch.

Great video! This opened my eyes... and answers a question I've had about the Beatles sound which I love...am definitely going to be trying these...I dig the sound!

Khruangbin’s guitarist Mark Speer uses flat wound strings exclusively! You are also conjuring some sweet tones with them. I like them on bass, now I gotta try it on one of my guitars some day.

I LOVE flat wounds! I put XL Chromes on everything.

Kenny Vaughan turned me on to flats on Teles, and Madison Cunningham combining them with lowered tunings helped take my tone to another plane..thanks for sharing the good word on flats.

@southernpride2003

5 ай бұрын

For me ever since I was a kid Luther Perkins and has always been my favorite guitarist and I was always trying to get that same tone like you hear when I Walk the Line the Sun records 55 version and I finally was able to get that tone

This is a great companion video to Paul David's recent string test vid! Cool stuff!

I don't know if this is related, but I really like the fact that you play stuff that highlights the things you want to show. I first noticed in videos where you showed the Strymon Volante or the DS-1, but in this video I can hear clearly what properties you're trying to communicate about the strings. Keep doing you, Rhett, you're one of my favorite guitar channels in this site.

It also needs to be mentioned that different brands of flatwound strings sound quite different from eachother. For example D'addario Chromes are rather bright while Labella Jazz Flats are much mellower with more of a low mid thump.

So smooth and fun to play

GOOD COMPARISON!!... THANKS FOR YOUR TEACHINGS!!!.... Greetings from Argentina!

Drop B with flats for blues sound amazing.

I LOVE that guitar and tone!

great video, this is something I never thought about, thank you

That was quite informative. Thanks!

Great info thanks. I put these flats on my Fender MIM Strat which took the country twang out of it, which is what I was really looking for. Also so much of a softer feel and no more string squeak when changing chord positions.

Just put my first set of flats on a kit build I’m working on. Hollowbody with bigsby style trem. I hadn’t really played it much with the cheap rounds that came with it but went with higher gauge flats in hopes that it would pull the trem arm down a bit further. There wasn’t as much punch as I was expecting so I found your video. Everything is making better sense now. Thanks!

Super video as usual ! And very cool watch Rhett btw.

Thanks man , getting me a set of flats tomorrow

mccartney used flats on his basses, and flats on a rickenbacker 4001s is so magical, the pepper tone

@McDoinky

Жыл бұрын

That’s most of the Beatles’ recordings actually. Let It Be is the Höfner with tapewounds

@randallpinkfloyd

Жыл бұрын

@@McDoinky i know that he used flarwounds on most of their recordings, that is why i said BASSES, but i dont believe that during the get back sessions, the hofner had roundwound strings

@McDoinky

Жыл бұрын

@@randallpinkfloyd The Hofner had Rotosound tapes. Black strings with yellow silk ends. And I meant he used the Ricky on most of their recordings.

@randallpinkfloyd

Жыл бұрын

@@McDoinky gotcha, well we know mccartney used both hofners during get back, so im guessing you mean the 63 500/1

If you love the flats, you've GOT TO try Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swings. Flatwound sound and feel but with nice punch and warmth. $30 yes, but worth it.

@sasquatchisnotreal2529

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I use their .009s, they eliminate finger fatigue, have zero friction and last for months.

They are a delight for slide playing

I have flats on all my guitars. I buy a set of 13-56 put away the 6th string and use the rest as 2 to 6th. then i add a 9 as first string and get a set of 9-45 flats without a wounded G string. Sounds amazing and last forever

@RAkers-tu1ey

Жыл бұрын

That sounds like a really good hack. I will try that one on my strat.

@wisemandenny8

Жыл бұрын

That's exactly what Mark Speer from Khruangbin does

@xavierlafolie2856

Жыл бұрын

what kind of 9 high string do you use?

The flat wound strings seem to be more resonant than the traditional round wound guitar strings. I love the tone they produce. It's definitely richer.

Amazing!

Great information Excellent video

As a bass player as well, I always have a bass with flats. But, I never tried flats on a guitar until I got a Godin xtSA. Several users commented the acoustic piezo tones were best with flats, so tried a set. LOVE flats! I only use them on that guitar but just love how it adds a different voice to that specific guitar.

Hey Rett thanks for doing what you do then watching you. I don’t know better part of two years now and I feel like I learned a lot from you. I’m at 68 going on €69 frustrated guitar player but you have a lot of insight on the way things work and glad you’re passing it on to all of us, oh yeah PS my amp just died. If you know anybody who has a low very low budget and they wanna sell let me know John P.

i havent watched one of your videos in a few years and it feels like seeing an old friend. I know its just a random ass video, but it got me kinda in my feels lol

Jazz guitarists swear by it. So bought the famous thomastik for my 5th Avenue. Still need to install them & try them out. 🤩

What a great video. Beatles, using flat rounds is news to me. When I bought a Gretsch 6119 I put flat wounds on it after using round wounds that it came with. That’s when I got the Gretsch sound I was looking for. 👍🏻

This is so cool! I've of course used flatwounds on fretless bass (though Alembic compression-wound will always be my favorite) but never thought of it as an option anywhere else -- but quite an option it is! Will have to try this out on the jazzbox, and hopefully they baritone as well.

Thanks for the video! Flats last longer but sound also better with time. Roundwounds may not last as much but also sound good rather early on, then slowly fade away. The mellowness of flats improves as the rounds' brightness dies. Of course depending on the preference of the player, bright new flats or dead old rounds may be delightful.

Love the variety when I play my guitar that's usually strung with flat-wounds. I have them on a Reverend Manta Ray 390 and it's a richer and darker feel overall. So great for so many styles. I have round-wounds on my Tele so plenty of room for bigger bends and obviously a different sound and feel overall with that one.

Leslie West used La Bella Flat Wound strings on his Les Paul Juniors~on all the Mountain LP's, into West, Bruce & Laing. Thanks for the informative video. *R.i.P. Leslie West.

Rhett's playing is out of this world. really advanced

@tiago2336

Жыл бұрын

😆

Cool. Going to give them a try. Thx.

I have 2 guitars that always have flats on them. I also keep flats on all my basses but one and I’ve found that they just make the perfect sound for me.

Great video. That's actually a fun low cost project of discovery. Cheers.

roundwounds sound so much better. thank god for progress

@riogrande163

Жыл бұрын

If by "better" your mean harsher, tinnier, and more brittle, then sure... to each their own....

@southernpride2003

5 ай бұрын

You have fun with your string noise and fret buzzing

@6oundStudio

5 ай бұрын

thanks!@@southernpride2003

@TheRedCliffsOfficial

2 ай бұрын

I agree, I hate how dark flatwounds are but that sound is still useful for certain preposes

I bought a set of flat wounds a few years ago because that’s all the store had in 12s … I built a guitar exclusively for slide and want heavier gauges. I’ve exclusively used them since for my slide guitars … love them!

Flatwounds were the standard for all the early years of electric guitar. I enjoy using them on brighter guitars, I think it adds a nice richness to them

Great video.

I have a set of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Flats 13-53 on my highly modified Epiphone Broadway jazz box. The guitar is modified for Rockabilly with Seymour Duncan Staple p90's and other mods. The combination of the strings, pickups and my Fender Excelsior Pro with a 15" Eminence Legend 1518 speaker is just amazing. Such clarity between the notes, easy on the fingers and they last a very long time.

This is a great idea, might try this on one of my main instruments that could use a slight roll off in tone

Try flatwounds with heavy fusion/metal distortion, it's a really interesting sound, fast legato on the lower strings is beautiful!

Went to flat wounds on my Casino and Starfire over a year ago. Glad I did. Comfortable and they don’t make that horrible scraping noise while you play.

Rhett, great video. I used Black Diamond flats exclusively until the mid-60’s when I swapped guitars with another lead player and realized I was working too hard. I play D’Addario NYXL .008’s now and don’t have to work at all.

I've had the same flats on my jazzbox for 3 or 4 years now, and the still sound and feel great, but I've never thought of using them for any of my non-jazz playing. Between this video and Julian Lage's recent Rig Rundown video where he talks about playing flats on his tele, I'm convinced I'm gonna have to start playing around with them on my other guitars.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll swap mine out once my current set are out of life.

been using 'em since i got my first telecaster in like 2009. used the stock guages and wound G sets up until a few years ago when i started picking up 9 11 and 17 gauge singles to create a big fat bottom tension and it's been the best of both worlds.

I’ve had flat wounds on Strats now for maybe a year now and I’m never going back

@southernpride2003

5 ай бұрын

I've been playing since I was 7 I remember when I discovered flatwounds I was 8 years old I'm 20 now soon to be 21 I've never gone back to rounds

Great insight Rhett! Thanks for sharing!! Again missing there is no plan 'B' 😉.

flats are great, especially for a vintage sound!!

I run flats on my Ric 660-12, from "Pick of the Ric's". Never tried rounds on it. I also play a acoustic 12 which I run round wound Elixer lights. The ric plays really smooth. Back in the day when I played hour long sets flats were much easier to play as they were easier on the fingers. Amazing difference in the sound for sure. Flats are not just for jazz players anymore.

I've never tried flats, but it makes sense to use them for a consistent sound between the bass and treble strings.

Great video! I learned something.

I've used flatwounds on my Duesenberg for years. I've found they provide a levelling out of bass and treble frequencies and volumes, kind of like a natural compressor.

I love playing jazz, slide, and rhythm guitar with flats. It’s a nice texture to a recording when layering 2-3 different guitars. Flat wounds were made before rounds. So this is truly a vintage sound.

@agriff4795

Жыл бұрын

Actually round wound strings came first in 1659, flat wounds weren't invented until 1874, which replaced the gut strings on bowed instruments.

@Haku_records

Жыл бұрын

@@agriff4795 I’m talking metal. Duh gut strings came first

@agriff4795

Жыл бұрын

@@Haku_records those were made of metal in 1659.

@Haku_records

Жыл бұрын

@@agriff4795 bruh these are not the same thing lol 😂

Rhett, this may be one of your more practical, useful videos - and makes one realize a possibility for different sound and inspiration - and for only the cost of a pack of strings!

I try to keep flats on my semi. Love that low mid sound. And the feel is great.

Flats are my favs...always

D'Addario Chromes Extra Light (10 gauge) flatwounds on my American Standard Tele, won't ever go back. I like the warmer, mellow tone and feel and lack of string noise when sliding.

I have an old Yamaha SA-30T (1967), I've tested several string gauges and types with it. It definitely sounds the best with Thomastik 11-47 flats. Unbelievably good tone.

I play Thomastik Jazz Flats on my Fender Precision. It has an ashtray bridge cover and I put a piece of a kitchen sponge in there. I cut it to size and also cut four slits into it to go over the strings. I plug it into a 1993 or so Ampeg B-1 combo with two NOS 1950s black plate RCA 5751. It gives me that clean, woody, warm, and thumpy sound I want for my Honky Tonk / Western Swing band. I have much more complicated setups for my Rock bands with rack gear and effects and MIDI switching and whatnot and also a digital modelling amp which are all fun to play, but the simple setup above is what I truly love and what sounds the most musical to my ears.

I love flat wounds. I play 11’s on my Tele.

Excellent video and spot on!! Flat wounds are indeed smooth feeling, produce a more pronounced sound and also last forever. A bandmate used them on his baritone Jag to compliment my tele (which had gibson brite wires on it) and the big vintage baritone with snappy tele combo was amazing live. The only downside is that there are no lighter gauge versions... So if you have crappy old arthritic fingers like me, they may not be your best bet.

I'm sold. I need to check these out.

Magma makes super ground wounds (they're called flat strings) which take the ground wound design to a new level in that the wrap wire is flattened the whole way.

Rhett, that's a good point. I put a set of nylon tape wound strings on my fretless bass and won't go back. the sound great and are so sexy to play! I suspect the flat wounds on a guitar also feel great as well as sound great. I'm ordering a set right now! Thanks for the video!

I have a guitar that had a problem with the truss-rod, and needed more tension on the neck. I switched from 10 to 11 roundwounds, and liked it well enough. People worry about not being able to bend heavier strings, but fact is heavier strings require less excursion to cause the same change in pitch (try it: push your G-string over to where your D-string is, then push your B-string over to your G-string. Same amount of bend = greater increase in pitch for the heavier string.) I was working in a guitar shop, and a customer requested a setup with flatwound 12's. Okay, it's your dime, buddy! When I got it done, it was awesome. It was so awesome, I bought a set of flatwound 12's for my guitar and haven't looked back. It was just the increase in tension needed to solve the truss rod problem too.

I love flats. I have them on my tele parts caster and my Highway One Strat.

You have been preety much dissecting Marc Speer's whole setup lately . I dig it 😉