Flatwound Strings - why everyone should use them! Coffee chat

PATREON : / theguitarshow for Ramon's Guitar Course
WEB: www.ramongoose.co.uk for Ramon's music
Check out my appearance on my friend's Henry Kaiser's podcast:
• Henry Kaiser : Weekly ...

[@tree267]

I think Khruangbin is the band you are blanking on.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Yes that is the band - Thanks!!!!

[@moonchild4806]

As a bass player I actually have flats on a lot of my basses. Flats on a Precision is the sound. The guitar player in my band uses flats on a HH Mustang, and it allows him to get jazzy chord sounds to overdriven and bright lead tones. They're a bit of a secret weapon if you ask me. Also it's great not having to change strings and knowing they just get better with age

[@TheGuitarShow]

A great comment thanks!

[@lucianoponzano]

The groove this guy has is unbelievable. What a great player!! Thanks for this video!

[@MrMikepresley]

I discovered flatwound strings when I needed to supply new strings to my luthier to go with my newly purchased 1940 Gibson ES150, I now love flatwound strings, they last forever, and sound even better as they get old.

[@TheGuitarShow]

I agree - you never need replace them!

[@mytelecasterworld3336]

i love worn round strings...i change strings in my guitars every six months, just when they start to sound like "rubber"....and i hate to change to brand new, it takes a month to sound well...specially in my 72 thinline tele, which sounds horrible the first three weeks with brand new strings...i like to use 10's gauge....should i change to 11's flats at least in my 72 thinline???....

[@noahbenson585]

“Clank” is the perfect word for what you’re describing. After playing my buddy’s 76 sf twin clank was the only word I could find that made any sense to describe the wicked good tone that it had lol

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Noah - nice about the '76 sf!

[@clove-splintered-shards]

Sounds beautiful with flat wounds on there!, very very sweet tone, I love it!!! Keep up the good work brother everything you do is awesome!!!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks so much Paul 🙏

[@ToddTheJoker]

hi Ramon...I am a big fan.I am from Nova Scotia..discovered your channel during this terrible year and it helped pass some time so Thank you

[@TheGuitarShow]

Hi Todd thanks so much for your beautiful message bro! Means a lot!

[@ToddTheJoker]

@@TheGuitarShow and if you ever need any drums on a demo or anything give me a shout..might be fun!

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@ToddTheJoker That sounds like an awesome idea bro!

[@WW-bl2zw]

Amazing tone cheers!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you!

[@Slovy_]

I was writing that Jimmy Vaughn uses flat wounds when u mentioned it. I’ve got a strat I built with Jimmy’s Tex Mex pickups and flat wounds on it. I really like it a lot

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thats so cool I love Jimmie Vaughan

[@robinfawcett7973]

I put flatwounds on my Heritage 175 on a whim last Christmas and I LOVE THEM. Never thought about trying a bit of slide...

[@TheGuitarShow]

Nice those Heritage guitars are so cool - thanks Robin

[@littlepacificstudios]

Very nice! I use flat wound on my P bass and most definitely like them. I never thought about using them on my electric 6 string... Thank you!

[@TheGuitarShow]

I love the sound of flat wounds on an electric bass guitar. Thank for watching.

[@jerrymorganjr]

Great playing. I love that tele.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Jerry - yes those thinline Teles - nothing like them!

[@glenkepic3208]

Cool topic and video. In '72 I was 15 and bought my first electric guitar, an Audition 'jazz alike' with Gold Foils from my best friend for $12.00. When looking for strings, a local mall's music store had a bin of these strings on close out with a marked down price. They were LaBella flat wounds. I can't recall the price or gauge but I believe they were like $2.00 less than say what else they had and were pretty heavy. Since I was just getting started (had an acoustic but never got anywhere), I figured these flats were good for me. I was right. They were all I used for about a year until I bought a Harmony Rocket II from another friend. He'd been using Fender Rock and Rolls so that was it. Sold the Audition back for the same price. Harmony to the brother of a girl I was seeing in '75 (I had a '64 SG Std). I miss both guitars.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Wow I bet the audition guitar sounded so cool with those LaBella flats! Thanks Glen!

[@glenkepic3208]

@@TheGuitarShow Thanks for the reply. Being pretty poor at the time, I never got to run the Audition thru a proper amp. I used to run my guitar thru my stereo which needed a pre amp for the turn tables mag cartridge. I'd run the tt one side, guitar the other thru headphones for ABB, Mountain and Sabbath. Mostly power chords and trying to learn leads. Gotta start somewhere ;) Keep up the good work !!

[@druwk]

50’s Tone. That says pretty much all I need to hear. Much more to it, just as versatile as Rounds, for different reasons. I’m frugile (cheap?), so I need to work my way through a new set of rounds I just put on a guitar...but these may be my next set? Love that you just keep them on, and the Tone gets better! Really digging what they do for the Tone in these posts. You made a good one! Thanks 😊

[@tim.timothy.brennan]

Love your playing!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Tim!

[@promerops]

Joe Brown tells the story of how Eddie Cochran was using a plain, unwound G string. Joe took the tip and found he was getting more work because of a better sound and ability to bend that string.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thats so cool - I like Joe Brown!

[@MisterNiles]

Back in the 80s I referred to Kaiser as the Mister Rogers of experimental guitar. II doubt he's quite as Mister Rogers as Mister Rogers was, but you can tell Kaiser is a good guy. Speaking of "grannies", there is a guitar instruction video that Kaiser did way back when. In the video he says something about the importance of finding your voice as a guitar player, and says: "Your grandmother should be able to hear a recording and recognize you're playing." I've always liked that, and I used it. I added to it though. I decided that I would make guitar music that my grandmother would recognize as me, but that would pull off the trick of thrilling fans of weird guitar playing, while not alienating grannies everywhere. 30 years and I'm still working on it, but I think I'm getting somewhere.

[@cgavin1]

That same sound is all over Cooder's soundtrack for Last Man Standing. Absolutely nailing it here Ramon! I like flat wounds mainly because they last forever .. :)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks and yes I agree they do last forever - although saying that I managed to break one today on my Goosecaster!!!

[@Daddysboys75]

God bless mate, Allan here...gonna get flatwounds for ma brass slide strat take care bro, Amazing player Sir 😊👍🏼👍🏼🎸🎸🎸👑

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks so much Allan, let me know how the flats work out bro

[@gr328]

Great chat. I put flats op my Epi Century. They work very well with a P90 in the neck imo on that guitar. Quite a bit more tension though owing to the extra surface area - I've not tried plain G, having ponied up for the flat ;-)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks G R yes its quite a difference if you go with a plain G - let me know if you do change it and tell me what differences you notice?

[@aipsong]

Thanks for this video! I just tried flatwounds (D'Addario Chromes) for the first time. They are on my Epiphone Granada (circa 1967), and I am really enjoying the sound and the feel - they make a more fitting ambiance for some of my music. Well worth trying, as a source of new ideas.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this glad you tried them out

[@aipsong]

@@TheGuitarShow I like them enough that I will put a set on my PRS SE Korina now.

[@joeltunnah]

Your playing is really interesting and inspiring. Loved the Paris, Texas theme! I had .012 flatwounds on all my Les Pauls before I became a Strat guy.

[@Snakefinger1000]

My first electric guitar had flat wounds on it. It was a $70 Rickenbacker copy and boy did I love it.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Cool

[@jonnybeck6723]

Love the 'African groove you've hipped me to... Do you still like Reggae? cheers

[@TheGuitarShow]

I love Dennis Brown and 60s/70s/80s reggae, not really into the modern stuff but thats me!

[@tonygairomusic911]

I've been wrestling with this very issue of late. I have flats on my 175 and a Gibson 137. I love them. The tone is so Kenny Burrell, but can be as Kirk Fletcher as I want them to also. (I too LOVE Kirk!) I can Gary Clark Jr on them too. My main axe is a 335 and I want to put the flats on it too, but I haven't had the courage to. I don't want to be "that guy." But thanks, man. I think I may just give it a go. Loved this. You have a new subscriber...

[@TheGuitarShow]

Wow Tony thanks for the amazing comment. Yes I'm sure you will love the flats on your 335 bro. 🙏

[@chrisowens3817]

Sounding great

[@donciseau]

Love the video!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Don!

[@donciseau]

@@TheGuitarShow you're welcome!

[@5150show]

Hey bro . Awesome vid. Awesome channel

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks bro!

[@GWGuitarStudio]

That’s a cool sound!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks

[@tanukibrahma]

Good idea. I’ll try flats on my G&L ASAT for contrast.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Fantastic!

[@ranyeskinazi5749]

I’ve an ASAT Classic Alnico equipped with Hipshot B-Bender and I’m really thinking about string it with flatwounds for that 60’s Clarence White Era Byrds. My Rickenbacker 330 is another contender

[@brianoneill3027]

I think Paul Barrere late of Little Feat used flat strings on his Strats

[@TheGuitarShow]

Interesting thanks for this info Brian!

[@tjnugent62]

Kenny Vaughan who has played on countless #1 songs plays flatwounds on his tele

[@RavenMadd9]

brother I will give it a try thank you

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks brother - let me know how they work out!

[@petermartin6939]

Every time I chance upon your channel I get inspired. I’ve finally remembered to subscribe!! I note that this video was posted over two years ago. Curious to know wether your views on flat wounds have changed in any way? Regardless, I have a Mojo gold foil on my Cooderstang (Mustang)and I can’t wait for the flat wounds I’ve just ordered to arrive. The percussive thing is what I’m definitely after. I’m still waiting hopefully for a video on your fantastic popping and “clanking” picking!!

[@silviopimentel7247]

I just switched into a 335 & a les Paul & kinda solved my treble problem witch I hate on a guitar. It makes bending harder but I totally found a jazz melow tone that I can incorporate into heavy rock but not punished the audience

[@pickinstone]

You do have a very sweet sound on that guitar, no doubt. That said, lots of people wrongfully associate flats with the "classic jazz guitar sound." Were they popular, yes. But Johnny Smith--Mr. Jazz Guitar Tone--used rounds that he "took the edge off" (were those the first half wounds? :) ) Howard Alden plays rounds, and so does Peter Bernstein. Many more. Would you associate those guys with a more fusion sound than classic clean sound? I use the brightest, heaviest, steels for my G B (and a gauge higher--14--for my high E). The rest are a more subdued John Pearse set. Why? Balance and I love getting the full spectrum of each note I play my arch top. Jam sessions in danky bars with weird walls and ceilings can create acoustic mud--especially when you are on a bandstand with cymbal frequencies, brass frequencies, bass frequencies, and the like. If you watch Peter Bernstein play live, he can cut through the mix of any band in any setting and still retain his trademark sound--that's skill. Anyway, I do love the sound of players who use flats--it just ain't the only clean jazz tone in town is all.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this info - I agree rounds are great for Jazz and a very valid tone!

[@StickMan...77]

What brand where you using on the first tele ?Why did you opt for the 11s vs 12s?

[@mailvilla]

Can I put D'Addario ECG23 flat-wound strings on an acoustic guitar? I would guess it would be a little less bright and a little lower volume with no finger string squeaks (Yea!). So, will it still sound like a good acoustic?

[@TheGuitarShow]

hmmm good question - it could be an expensive experiment I think it would be a fair be lower in volume though.

[@lefthandluke8923]

Thanks for the video, bro. I tried them a few times on bass and do understand the appeal but they're generally not for me. That aside, you do a great job of demonstrating the sound on a six-string. Still, they're not for me -- for the music that I play -- but I'm sure this will inspire many players to give them a try, especially blues players. Well done.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks bro - I think on bass they are awesome - well you never know you may come back to flat on guitar at a later date - keep me posted!

[@michaelodonovan6989]

Nice one Goose, gonna go buy some flats tomorrow for a laugh.

[@robrtsparkman9362]

Spent some time yesterday searching for info on flats. Was wondering if Harrison used them on the country gent. Someone said half wound type string was popular then. Anything you could add to that.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Good point Rob I need also to research this - but I would imagine they started off with flats and then later went the banjo string way (after Clapton discovered it in the '65 using Essex banjo strings for the high E - probably a 008)

[@TeleCaster66]

I have 1 Telecaster and I go back and forth between flats and roundwound. It's almost time for flats!

[@Atttuner]

Ramon cant tell you how great it is to have a real musician and music lover talk and play actual music vs flogging sh!tty gear no one needs....great tone and feel is a bonus. Can I make one humble request.....would you consider grabbing a used Zoom H4N Handheld Recorder for $100US and throwing a couple of rugs up on those walls to deaden the echo. If you add a little compression in logic you could balance out the volume wrist workout I get watching your wonderful show. No complaints though if you're wedded to the phone DIY thing pls disregard. Big love

[@TheGuitarShow]

So kind Dan - some amazing ideas - I love the idea about the rugs - thats something I will look into - normally I use a mic on the amp and vocal and record through protools - this time I was a little lazy and went straight into the Panasonic camera I use - its because I redecorated my apartment and I need to setup the studio again! thanks Dan!

[@mytelecasterworld3336]

i love to play with worn strings wich is the closest thing to flats...hate to change to brand new strings

[@frantisca]

Hey Ramon: tried to source Flatwounds '10s with a plain G, but could not find sets.Any suggestion ?

[@TheGuitarShow]

I normally get D'addarios 11s and swap out the plain G for a normal one - Im sure they will do a set of 10s. Let me know if that works for you.

[@StickMan...77]

Great sound ,what pickups do you have on the first tele?

[@owenmayes2128]

What is that neck pickup on your Navigator (Tele-type guitar) please?

[@TheGuitarShow]

Hi Owen it's a '65 Guyatone Gold Foil from a Guyatone SG-12 guitar - theres a few companies making copies but the originals are the best!

[@napkinshoplifta5163]

you are insanely good

[@Tonetwisters]

No. Been playing 62+ years and tried all of it. Flats are fine for 1950's rock and roll or jazz. But all the rest deserve Stringjoy roundwounds!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Ill take your word for it!

[@outerbanks854]

Flatwounds are easier on my old finger joints.... playing 4 to 6 gigs a week was beginning to hurt my knuckles to the point where I had to change something... Just that small difference in friction made a huge difference for me.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thats great news and good to know that it works for you

[@edspageusa1yesloveyes937]

Great Show Thank 💜 You LOVE WoW...West..Ama...+The K Man... Amazing !!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Glad you enjoyed it Thanks Ed

[@LucasHaneman]

Great tones man! Are those pyramid strings?

[@sirvidia]

Mambo Sinuendo is an awesome album

[@TheGuitarShow]

I agree

[@alfalders3020]

Is that a MIM 72 thinline reissue?

[@MurrayWilliams]

I don't want to come off mean or troll-like but see if you can white balance your camera. It will help with the orange-y color of the video. You can do a search on white balancing and see what it is. It'll make your videos look more like you want them too. Thanks for the fun videos!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Murray and I did feel a little guilty putting this video up as my standard of production is normally a little better - Im going to invest in some new lights! Thanks for the advice bro!!

[@darrenbaird989]

Hi Ramon I know Henry kisser used dumble amps at one time in his career.i know he had sss#1 and sss#4 and his blue ods silver face.Do you know what number his ods is or was and does he still have a friendship with Alex Oh another thing does he still play through Dumble amps ie sleeper style amplifier or another brand altogether.any info would be greatly appreciated.Darren# guitar show!and another this really liking the BURST videos it's like a sort of an archeology of burst exciting stuff 👍

[@rheinhardtgrafvonthiesenha4869]

Goose seems like a good dude and is really a fantastic player (with a blind spot for pick guard colors lol). I just noticed his hands are that of a soldier not an artist. Each one of those sausages look like they take up a fret a piece. And, they don’t look particularly large at all in terms of length. So, he has short/fat fingers which is considered as non-ideal as you can get for a guitarist. But I’ve always had a massive issue with what seems like a cult of people in the guitar scene obsessed with hand size. It’s always the same person... the guy that doesn’t practice enough and isn’t the guitarist they want to be, but that’s not really their fault cause they don’t have huge Hendrix hands. I’m sure there’s 10 videos on KZbin of a 7 year old girl playing the same song you can’t play because of your tiny hands, but they all must just be Virtuoso geniuses right..you hear all this BS about SRV’s hand size and it’s a complete myth. Stevie’s hands are cast in stone. The size is documented. Stevie’s hands although strong as hell to bend those fats strings were actually on the smaller side of average for a man. They literally fit his 5’9” height perfectly. SRV had the hands of your average 5’9” guy. Ok well Hendrix had huge hands. True. So he must have had such a massive advantage right? Find me a single chord anywhere in his music that spanned 4 or 5 frets. There isn’t any. Practice practice practice

[@TheGuitarShow]

They are indeed rather chubby!

[@Tonetwisters]

No. If they are right for you, great! But some of us like some "twang" over "thud" ...

[@matthewhunt6185]

Please do a video on Mike Bloomfield

[@TheGuitarShow]

I promise to Matthew!

[@adam_-adam]

i was supper stoked about the idea of flat wounds for things like easy of sliding and noise, but after playing on it for a few weeks i realized it didnt feel normal so that was a biggie and and top of that it didnt have that traditional blues sound i like and they get dull quick, srv never played flatwounds i dont beleive, maybe tried them i dont know.

[@TheGuitarShow]

They do talk a while to get used to... Maybe give them another go Adam

[@adam_-adam]

@@TheGuitarShow maybe they would be cool on accoustic for fret buz when sliding?

[@jonnybeck6723]

Heyo Ramon... Kirk seems to be stuck in PRS land... It's prolly just me playin' but Flat wounds always sound dead and Flat to me... I sure luv the noises you make with 'em tho'

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Jonny - yes I think Kirk is a big PRS fan, flats don't work for everyone and sometimes I hate them lol but overal I love to have a 2 or 3 guitars with them on

[@edspageusa1yesloveyes937]

And What Is That Little Amp On Top... Again... Thank 💜 You LOVE

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks thats a reverberammo from Victoria amps... Its a reverb and vibrato unit

[@edspageusa1yesloveyes937]

@@TheGuitarShow Thank 💜 You LOVE... Great Vibe

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@edspageusa1yesloveyes937 🙏

[@dejavoodoo7204]

,...a stiff shot of melody with a tone chaser .Another great vid with plenty of tips, well done teach:). +tell oct30 goose that Kirk Fletcher will give him a shoutout tomorrow:)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Cool bro 🙏🙏🙏🙏thanks

[@jameskrys5286]

I have heard that the Beatles used flat wound string early in their career.

[@TheGuitarShow]

That makes a lot of sense James!

[@ericwalters3295]

Correct pyramid brand

[@axelricardo7275]

Which tuning are you using.

[@TheGuitarShow]

DADF#AD

[@elmanitasdeplomo]

Are these thomastik flats?

[@jeffreyprice773]

I've heard they put more strain on the neck ?

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thats a good point - it makes sense as they are more rigid.

[@JerseyMiller]

Just go to a lighter gauge. Why you working so hard?

[@elmanitasdeplomo]

Not necessarily, the core of the string makes a lot of difference in tension. Even though they might be stiffer to the touch they might actually be lower tension.

[@Tasmanaut]

I personally don't like the dull tone at all.

[@TheGuitarShow]

I agree, it;s an acquired taste.

[@bungalowfeuhler1541]

I had an apprentice luthier epoxy the frets out of my old yard-sale bass. He was nice enough to introduce me to flatwounds, despite my confirmed dabbler-status. I’ve spent a fortune switching all my stuff to flatwounds. They add punch to my precision and yet round out the edges when I’m faking it. Between flatwounds and open tuning, even a musical-illiterate like me can impress round the campfire.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@UC6elWtg_UVNuCZiFrYxG5Yg The fun thing about Flatwound Strings is that they're not going to scratch the frets.

[@TheGuitarShow]

its true

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@TheGuitarShow They make them for Classical Guitar too. There are also coated strings which have a coating to prevent scratches. Coated Flatwound strings would be cool.

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 nice will have to check them out thanks

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@TheGuitarShow Try those Thomastik Classic S Classical Guitar Flatwounds. Flatwounds are also great for slide playing. Flatwound Strings also work on Acoustic Guitars too.

[@roadkingtales]

Just put some DR flatwounds on my ‘Strat and I’m not impressed at all. They’re not at all what I was expecting. Maybe for acoustic I would use them, but that’s it.

[@TheGuitarShow]

did you keep an unwound G string? You may need to spend some time with them - also play softly with them, they get a great tone through tube amps and fuzzes too - great for old school fuzzed out blues

[@roadkingtales]

@@TheGuitarShow I think I would like them on my acoustic. The tone through my amp wasn’t bad. I just didn’t like the feel of them. It felt like a chore trying to get them to bend the way I wanted.

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@roadkingtales ah - maybe you went too heavy? I put 11s on my tele but 12s on my archtop - you may want to come back to them at some point

[@roadkingtales]

@@TheGuitarShow I think I will try a lighter gauge on my acoustic.

[@jwhite1016aol]

Since it already sounds like what you're saying anyways.. consider a name change to The Mongoose? "The Mongoose here..."

[@TheGuitarShow]

Lol I get that a lot... Just Goose is cool!

[@whatshappening177]

That is all well and good but I want to hear them in a band setting. With another guitar player who is round wound. You seem to loose something there.

[@guyincognito320]

They never put a plain third in a flat set. Thomastik-Infeld makes as slim as 10-44 but the g is still a wound 18. You can't bend that a full tone. So you can actually get a rock gauge set in flats but if you don't play bloopy jazz and like to bend you can replace that 18w with an 18p.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this valuable info Guy

[@TonyBurke100]

If flat wounds make you play that badly I might give 'em a miss. I'm serious not just being a smart arse. your timing is weird. Is it me, can someone explain it to me.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Tony!

[@darwinsaye]

No, you're not being a smart arse. Just an arse. He's doing a demo of string tones. Not giving a lesson on guitar playing. No reason why he should be playing to a metronome for a tone demo. Also, you've never heard of "free time" in music? Check out the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post on Live at Filmore East or The Stones' Midnight Rambler, or tons of other examples out there.

[@elmanitasdeplomo]

Why don’t you post some of your playing?