What are flat wound strings

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 6:06 pm

Ok ... this is hard to believe ... one of the bands I play with was doing some recording ... we were also messing with that old song .. all right now ... I was commenting how the bass player used flat wound strings on the recording ... get this ... none of the guys in the band knew what flat wound strings were ...

I told them there was a time when that was all I could get ... I think they thought I was making this stuff up about flat wound strings ...

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 6:27 pm

Well, 95% of the guitarists and bassists under the age of 40 in my country don't have a clue of what flatwounds are, not to mention nylon tapewounds!

Shops don't sell them, so players don't know them. And vice-versa. Same thing with RIC instruments here, just slightly better. All your options are what the instrument importers are aware of. If they don't know a particular brand, good luck to you getting one. The only shop that sells Tomastik Infeld strings only sell the regular roundwounds. Maybe my country's small scale population, hence less potential and demanding musical instruments market, is to blame.

Thank God I have access to the internet!

wmcaneaney · Post by **wmcaneaney** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 12:40 pm

Can any of you tell me wether or not the "pyramid gold" are all they're cracked upto be in emulating that 60's sound, or is it just hype....i'm seriously considering purchasing a set, but at 50 pounds (approx $75) i need a bit more convincing...i can't seem to find a shop in uk that stocks them...(order only), which makes it quite difficult to get a demo (not that any shop is going to open up a set and tie them onto a ric just for me anyway!!)
any advice much appreciated
cheers

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 12:44 pm

im my experience, flatwounds aint worth the effort. If you just play in your room, or i dunno,,,,,play smooth jazz with your bass, the sounds just dissapears into the mix. In my band (which only has one guitar) i need a big fat sound so flats are no good. plus they are usually stiff.

They too often sound like dead roundwounds, they aint particulatly dark sounding.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 1:32 pm

How about Eur 38- at Thomann? They deliver to the U.K.

www.Thomann.de

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 1:44 pm

http://www.pittsburghguitars.com

49 bucks a set for Pyramid bass strings...they ship (ww? dunno)

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 1:46 pm

I haven't tried Pyramid flats yet, but I have flatwounds on most of my Rics, to me they actually cut through better than round wounds, they are in a space all their own unlike roundwounds which have a lot of overtones which are in the same frequency range as a guitar (one octave up from low E on a bass is low E on a guitar and so on). You can get that nice old sound if you like, deep with a click, especially with a pick.

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:54 pm

Hey, Bob, can't you just take a wound string and flatten it on an anvil with a hammer and have a flat wound string? It would have a tone all its own, I would think.

Couldn't possible be any worse than those flatwound nylon Rotosounds I once tried.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 5:16 pm

Yeah probably, but I think it would cut the hell out of your finger unless you used a pick.

fireglo · Post by **fireglo** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:28 pm

I've had Pyramid flats on my 4003 for a year this month, and I love them! I'll never use rounds again.

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:43 pm

Bill Wyman got a great sound on "Paint It Black" buy using roundwounds. I'd like to see somebody try to get that sound using flatwounds.

Actually, I would like a compromise string, say a compressed roundwound bass string.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:57 pm

for a while I played nylon strings on my 4005. smooth, deep pumpin sound, great for recording. But no crunch

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:43 pm

Wayne McAneaney-- Yes, the Pyramid Gold flatwound bass strings really are all they're cracked up to be. BUT......... that is strictly my opinion. I play nothing but flatwounds on my basses, and I currently have a set of the Pyramids on one of my Rics, so I speak from experience. If you really don't think you'll like flatwound strings, then save your money and don't get them. They're not for everyone. I normally think of the thuddy tone McCartney gets on "Yer Blues" on The White Album as far as Pyramid Gold flatwounds on a Ric. But they can just as easily produce a pleasantly higher sheen in the upper register. A quality set of flatwounds WON'T drastically limit your tonal selection.

With the trebly output Ric basses are noted for, I don't feel you're losing that much on your high end by using flatwounds. Mine cut through the mix very well. However, you will need to take the kinds of music you play into consideration. If you're into metal/thrash/etc., then flatwounds aren't for you. Otherwise, they very well could work fine for your particular playing situation. The Pyramids are an exceptionally high quality string with an incredibly smooth feel.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 7:36 am

Yeah the sound he had on "Yer Blues" is a great tone, I gotta get some of those now that I'm back home. Phil are you sure Bill Wyman used round wounds on "Paint it Black"? I didn't even know they were in existence at that time. I thought Rotos were the first round wound string, made first during the late sixties in England.

wmcaneaney · Post by **wmcaneaney** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 12:57 pm

advice and opinions much appreciated,...they are of great help....the mccartney sound is to die for and i'm certainly not looking for a thrash/metal sound though i am partial to the rics trebly clanking sound.. maybe i'll just have to buy another ric and tie roundwounds to it as a back up!
cheers