Should YOU use Flatwound or Roundwound Strings?

[@stringbender57]

I could barely tell the difference in the two Jamie. I played 10-46 'Ernie Ball' round wounds on all my guitars, jazz, rock and country for decades. Recently I put a set of 10-48 flat wounds on one of my thin line archtop jazz guitars upon strong suggestion from a pro jazz guitarist friend of mine. Not thinking I'd really like them; I FELL in love with them. I now have 10-48 'Daddario' flat wounds on all four of my jazz guitars, both 'Eastman's' and 'Conti's'. They literally gave me the sound I had been longing for and made the guitars so much easier to play. So, if you play jazz and have not tried flat wounds please do so. You might be pleasantly surprised just like I was. I still use 10-46 'Ernie Ball' nickel wounds on my Teles, Strats and Gretsch.

[@jazzguitarneophyte-christo7988]

I have played an archtop with 10 gauge flats and folks did not noticed. I seemed to get away with it unnoticed because I used a thick pick and manipulate the EQs!

[@guitarman4899]

I have used 10s on every electric I have owned for since the early 70s. They are a balanced set which helps the guitar stay in tune. In Nashville studios, tuning is everything . Great video! Thanks Jamie!

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Thanks for sharing!

[@stringbender57]

@guitarman4899 - Exactly the same here, since the early 70's.

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

Use flats 11's for 30 years and never looked back. Even for my Les Paul and Fenders to play rock and blues. They feel nicer to play and help to balance the mid/highs with bass. Yes, it can be harder to do bends, but after so many years your fingers get used too.

[@flipmans]

Great video, Jamie. Lots of sensible points!

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Thanks!

[@GaryHavens-q7w]

Looking to play telecaster set up for jazz if you ĺeft the neck as normal set used 10s in strings must have tone adjusted by amp settings .others say to adjust the neck that would make it difficult to play other types music and heavier strings 11s _ 12s flats .? . Or leave guitar set as is use 10s like regular set up .get tone with amp settings ? New to this thanks

[@1400cbc]

Another good one, Jamie. Thanks!

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Thanks!

[@jaguarsunburst1570]

Really Great Job Man.🎸🎶🎸

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Thank you!

[@KennethSerrano-g6r]

Thank you I appreciate the information.

[@jamieholroydguitar]

No problem

[@tunaficiency]

I’ve just gone down to 11’s ( thomastik ) on my John Pisano Eastman sounds the same but feels way better but 50 % of the time I play a silent Yamaha 1/3 of the price and people always ask about and comment on the Yamaha at gigs so that’s an alternative and cheap option for jazz

[@paulgerards6494]

String size 011 or 012, depends on the guitar, the action, the scale lenght, the frets!

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

I've tried it all - flat, round, gold (do these still exist?), settled for Kaman Performers until they went out of business and then returned to d'Addario size 010. I found that guitar synths were triggered better and subtler with Kaman Performers. For my bass guitars it's flatwounds - ghs brite flats for the jazz bass and La Bella flats for the headless. Double ball flats for bass are difficult to find. Thomastik Infelds were a disappointment - they proved brittle and I wasn't overjoyed with the sound.

[@russcottee]

All down to personal preference I appreciate, but I've settled for '10 Hybrids' (Rotosound Blues) - fat bottoms, thin tops! 😄

[@paulgerards6494]

Depends on a lot of things: which guitar, what amp ... Flats don't have that much dynamics ;-( Sound a bit "flat" ;-) and very often sound a bit dull too ;-p

[@kieran1229]

What was the piece you were playing at 5:08?

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Moonlight in Vermont

[@jazzup13]

It’s beautiful! Sounds great 👍

[@mikec6733]

Scale length affects string tension and , therefore, string guage preferences.....right ?

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Yes

[@charleshuguley9323]

I dislike the squeaking of round-wound strings in jazz. It's not so noticeable in rock and blues, maybe because it's lost in the noise

[@marshallplexi]

That Guild with the flats sounded as smooth as a stick of butter floating down a milk chocolate river into a far-away land of golden sunrises and cotton candy. Let me know if you ever want to sell it.

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Ha thanks for your comment! It’s a a great guitar.

[@pickinstone]

There's still a myth about flatwounds as the "jazz guitar" sound. Peter Bernstein uses round wounds. Howard Alden used rounds when I saw him play years ago. Jimmy Bruno uses rounds, from what I remember. There's certainly benefits to playing flats--but I think it's all about the sound that you are chasing. You can get a brighter sound that can be easier to dial in with a larger combo with round wounds--and more acoustic projection. Flats sound way more even across the fretboard and have no string noise, but they are often a darker sound. A lot of people in the 40s and 50s used rounds and filed them down, like Johnny Smith. There's a certain shimmer and complexity to rounds that you don't get with flats--but it's all about what sound you are chasing... and how you set your guitar tone pot (full up) and amp. I think Pat Metheny ruined guitar EQ for most jazz guitarists. Funny that he usually touts guitarists such as Joe Cohn and Pasquale Grasso--they do NOT sound as dark as him. Then again, Jim Hall didn't sound as dark either and Wes's pop happened because he guitar DIDN'T sound as dark as a bass--his sound was brighter than many realize. But that's a another can of internet guitar worms ;)

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Some great points! Thanks

[@MrPDTaylor]

How dare you question Pat Metheny in any way whatsoever!

[@pickinstone]

@@MrPDTaylor I think that even Pat Metheny spoke about the frustration of everyone sounding like him. Look at the guitarists he's given accolades to--Joe Cohn and Pasquale Grasso--they sound nothing like Pat. If we all liked the same sounds and played the same sounds, jazz would be quite boring--no?

[@simondavid3546]

Passqual grazzo told me he’s a round wounder.., dadarrio la Bella

[@polkzoo6681]

To my ear flat wounds lack some midrange mid bass

[@stringbender57]

That is exactly what many players want for the traditional jazz sound. A great jazz sound can be achieved with either round or flat wounds. I like them both.

[@Lincoln12933]

Tim Lerch plays rounds with plain 3rd, 12 to 52. And Tim is basically a god of jazz and blues so..

[@cburgess2805]

The only 10s in jazz go on a Selmac! Anything else is anemic pinging.

[@Trombonology]

With all respect for those among my guitar idols who got great results with flats, I've never cared for the feel or sound I get with them. They just sound lifeless to me. I mainly play acoustic archtop, which benefits from heavier strings -- in my case, 13-56, with the 13 and 17 swapped out for 14 and 18 -- so I'm used to that feel. Accordingly, on my electric archtops and even my Rickenbacker, I run a standard 13-56; lighter strings just feel noodly for me. Though I'm actually enjoying the ease of playing single-note lines on my brand new Tele, which has yet to be set up, I find the 10s quite awkward for chords on the upper strings ... and I hate an unwound G.