Circle K Flats?

[T28]

Does Circle K make flats are strictly rounds?

I sent them an email on Monday with no response so wasn't sure....although I did not see them listed.

[woodyng]

I think they only make RW strings,but they are very smoothly polished and flexible. They claim to use a special alloy of steel and nickle in their construction. But they do also tend to sound more like rounds,too,unless you roll off the treble,and they can be quite smooth sounding like good flatwounds.

[johnhall]

They claim to use a special alloy of steel and nickle in their construction.

I don't have any experience with these strings so have no opinion one way or another about them.

But I have to say, every time I see "special alloy" with regard to guitar strings, I really have to wonder. For goodness sake, even smaller than the number of companies that actually make guitar strings are the firms that produce "music wire" and their offerings are pretty limited. In other words, pretty much it's all the same shtuff.

Actually, perhaps other than Mapes here in the USA, this wire is produced primarily for spring making.

[woodyng]

Well,then,You should try them,John,they're really great strings! (I've tried about every brand you can think of over the years,too) . they have all manner of different gauges and tensions,almost to the point that ordering a set from their website is a bit daunting.
Edit...and if it is all made of the same stuff,they must be putting it together better...

[cassius987]

They have said they do not plan on making flats for the foreseeable future. Flats are still a bit of a niche market.

Snake oil or no, Circle K Strings have proven themselves to me as some of the best rounds out there. I once got a set delivered by motorcycle (they used to be based here) and made an exchange for different gauges also by motorcycle (hi Skip!). I have never read anything about special alloy, but I do know they say the outer wrap is a nickel-steel hybrid so maybe that's what that means. It does have a nice sound either way.

For me, if I'm going to play rounds, it's either these or D'Addario Nickel XLs which are a fairly different animal. I have ruled out pretty much everything else (not that I don't like anything else, but these two rounds do everything I need best of all).

[woodyng]

Since you mentioned,it,i do recall they used the term hybrid rather than alloy,but,uhhhhhhh,isn't that the same thing in this context?
(Queue up for metallurgical/scientific discussion breakdown from our technically knowledgable members to follow.....)

[jps]

(Queue up for metallurgical/scientific discussion breakdown from our technically knowledgable members to follow.....)

Paging Gary and CJ!

[cassius987]

Since you mentioned,it,i do recall they used the term hybrid rather than alloy,but,uhhhhhhh,isn't that the same thing in this context?
(Queue up for metallurgical/scientific discussion breakdown from our technically knowledgable members to follow.....)

Yeah Woody, it's all the same to me! (And it would be accurate to call me a scientist by profession, believe it or not.) I just like how they sound, that's all I know...

[FretlessOnly]

By its very nature, the definition of the term hydrid precludes its use in the context of combined like substances such as alloys. For example, the element of nickel (not nickle) and the substance of steel, which is predominantly iron with various additives, such as chromium (not chrome), molybdenum, and/or carbon, which are added to acheive certain performance characteristics (beyond bass strings, as in buliding bridges, etc.) are too similar to form a hybrid material. These combinations would be alloys. In other words, if Circle K is claiming that their string is somehow a hybrid, then there must be some other non-elemental substance (i.e., a compound) being used or else they are using the term incorrectly (or colloquially, which is equally as annoying to me as a scientist).

Then again, the media use of scientific terminology these days is about as accurate as a Len Barker fastball.

Now carry on, I was never here, right?

[cassius987]

Interesting John. I'm sure if anyone was really curious if this was a true hybrid versus alloy situation Skip Fantry would probably be forthcoming about it. The Circle K people aren't all that secretive when I talk to them.

I think it's equally if not a whole lot more likely it's just a colloquial use of the term hybrid than anything really special is going on, though.

[cjj]

By its very nature, the definition of the term hydrid precludes its use in the context of combined like substances such as alloys. For example, the element of nickel (not nickle) and the substance of steel, which is predominantly iron with various additives, such as chromium (not chrome), molybdenum, and/or carbon, which are added to acheive certain performance characteristics (beyond bass strings, as in buliding bridges, etc.) are too similar to form a hybrid material. These combinations would be alloys. In other words, if Circle K is claiming that their string is somehow a hybrid, then there must be some other non-elemental substance (i.e., a compound) being used or else they are using the term incorrectly (or colloquially, which is equally as annoying to me as a scientist).

Then again, the media use of scientific terminology these days is about as accurate as a Len Barker fastball.

Now carry on, I was never here, right?

Uh-oh, another Techno-Nerd comes out of the closet...

[iiipopes]

By its very nature, the definition of the term hydrid precludes its use in the context of combined like substances such as alloys. For example, the element of nickel (not nickle) and the substance of steel, which is predominantly iron with various additives, such as chromium (not chrome), molybdenum, and/or carbon, which are added to acheive certain performance characteristics (beyond bass strings, as in buliding bridges, etc.) are too similar to form a hybrid material. These combinations would be alloys. In other words, if Circle K is claiming that their string is somehow a hybrid, then there must be some other non-elemental substance (i.e., a compound) being used or else they are using the term incorrectly (or colloquially, which is equally as annoying to me as a scientist).

Then again, the media use of scientific terminology these days is about as accurate as a Len Barker fastball.

Now carry on, I was never here, right?

Uh-oh, another Techno-Nerd comes out of the closet...

Yeah, what's sad is that I understood what he meant. For example, some orchestral double bass strings have threads of damping material in the mix to limit sustain for better control over both arco and pizz. He forgot cobalt, as in the new line of Ernie Ball strings. And he got the priority wrong. Steel is not steel without carbon added to iron first. Everything else is "if" and then "and/or" to change the characteristics of the steel.

Finally, what CircleK means by hybrid is that unlike most conventional strings that the core and wrap are both the same or similar steel, whether plain steel, nickel plated steel, stainless steel, or a more chromium bassed (pun intended) flat wrap wire, CirkleK has dissimilar core and wrap alloys with different amounts of nickel in the mix. I can't use them: they turn my fingertips black. So do T-I nickel flats, and most other "pure nickel" strings. But that's just me. And don't get me started on the various alnico alloys for pickup magnets.

And I'm not sure I'd like molybdenum in my string alloy, although, just like the lube used on camshafts in engine building, it would make the slickest, fastest surface to a flatwound string you could imagine!

[johnhall]

All I'm saying is that string makers, except perhaps for Mapes, simply don't have the clout to have special alloys made. Spring makers do and drive what materials are available to all string makers.

[basmansam]

I found this thread on another forum, thought it was informative..

XL12010-31-2008, 06:11 AM
This is Jim D'Addario here. . . .I find these threads very interesting. Unfortunatley there is a lot of myth and fantasy in some of them.

I can share with you that D'Addario is the largest manufacturer of strings in the world right here on Long Island. We have 800 employees in NY making strings and Evans drumheads. We produce 550,000 strings per day and devote ourselves to maintaining high quality standards. We have never purchased a string from anyone.

Yes there are only a handful of major string manufacturers and many of them including D'Addario make strings for other brands that you may play and love.

Many brands that out-source their strings from other manufactuers do have their own specifications so all strings are NOT THE SAME. It is true that prior to marketing D'Addario as a brand our family business was known as Darco Music Strings. We sold the company to Martin Guitars in 1969.

All D'Addario strings are made in the USA. Some major brands import strings. You should check your country of origin when buying.

D'Addario is also the only company that makes its own wire. We have two wire mills, one in Conn. and one in Mass. that make super high quality, specialized wires just for string making. One makes our core and plain steel wire and the other coated EXP wire.

FYI.

JD

From the gearpage:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archiv ... 56584.html

[cassius987]

All I'm saying is that string makers, except perhaps for Mapes, simply don't have the clout to have special alloys made. Spring makers do and drive what materials are available to all string makers.

I guess the glass industry played a role as well? Alloy 52 supposedly is used primarily to seal glass.