I have flats on my Epiphone IG ES 335...58 replica with the thick neck...I have a theory that flats not only are slick for moving up and down the neck but also will reduce fret wear. I thought about putting flats on my Fender black guard tele but for now it's still got round wounds....rounds are better for bends...you may need to go to a lighter guage flatwound...10s make you work a bit. I have an Ibanez custom archtop with flatwound twelves that I love for bossa or jazz standards but nobody is bending those strings anytime soon...actually I found I needed a lighter touch on heavier strings.
Always interested in players doing string comparisons. Although I'm a flats guy, I liked the way that the rounds speak - better balance from trebles to basses. A set up would probably fix the rattly high E. If not put a string one thou up on top.
Thanks for checking out the video. I’m with you- I think I prefer the rounds in this guitar. I’m wondering if the scale length makes a difference in string tension. The guitar definitely needs a set up. I’ve used flats on my jazz guitars and they were much easier to play, as I recall. What do you use flats on?
@@starrynightguitars I have an Ibanez GB10 [24 3/4 inch scale] I like flats on the shorter scale guitars like the GB10, 175's etc but Fender scale, 25 1/2 has noticeably more string tension, so I've opted for 10-46 on Teles. I'm partial to a Tele myself and am considering getting another another after watching your video. I've had some really nice ones including one of the first Nocaster Relics. It was nice and light and had a fat neck. But my best Tele wasn't even a Fender but a Yamaha Mike Stern signature model. Picked it up in a store just out of interest, plus I like Mike [specially on his Standards album] Anyway that thing just sang like a bird, was light and had a Seymour Duncan 59 at the neck and a Hot Rails at the bridge. Beautifully made instrument, should never have sold it ....been on the lookout for another and even offered the buyer of mine more $$ to buy it back. An experienced player could get any number of tones for most any style, but for jazz, sounded so warm, but could switch on a dime to funk or screaming. Truly a very versatile guitar. I should say I'm a one guitar guy and try to get all I can out of what I have available. And I never had to change from 10-46 roundwounds! In closing I should say that the flats I use on the GB10 are D'Addario Chromes 10-48 but with the 1st swapped out with a 13 and the 2nd with a 15. Rich Severson put me onto this fat top, skinny bottom hybrid set. [Look up his You Tube video on the subject of strings] Good luck and happy playing.
Thanks Rich. Could just be my ears but the flats did make the sound a little more mellow. Great to hear them tested on a relatively solid-body guitar. I do like the way flats generate a bit less string noise through a louder amp but I’m a round wound guy anyway.
I've always thought the comparisons sound-wise is overblown. Whatever differences exist can always be compensated by working the volume/tone knobs and amp EQ a bit. Within the context of a full mix 99% of people wouldn't be able to pick out flat vs round by ear. Feel wise I personally prefer flat .11s with a lighter gauge unwound G string. As you experienced in that demo a wound G on a standard Fender scale length guitar is just too much tension, bending much more then a half-step is nearly impossible. A mixed set with heavy tops and light bottoms gives you the best of both worlds.
I have flats on my Epiphone IG ES 335...58 replica with the thick neck...I have a theory that flats not only are slick for moving up and down the neck but also will reduce fret wear. I thought about putting flats on my Fender black guard tele but for now it's still got round wounds....rounds are better for bends...you may need to go to a lighter guage flatwound...10s make you work a bit. I have an Ibanez custom archtop with flatwound twelves that I love for bossa or jazz standards but nobody is bending those strings anytime soon...actually I found I needed a lighter touch on heavier strings.
Always interested in players doing string comparisons. Although I'm a flats guy, I liked the way that the rounds speak - better balance from trebles to basses. A set up would probably fix the rattly high E. If not put a string one thou up on top.
Thanks for checking out the video. I’m with you- I think I prefer the rounds in this guitar. I’m wondering if the scale length makes a difference in string tension. The guitar definitely needs a set up.
I’ve used flats on my jazz guitars and they were much easier to play, as I recall.
What do you use flats on?
@@starrynightguitars I have an Ibanez GB10 [24 3/4 inch scale] I like flats on the shorter scale guitars like the GB10, 175's etc but Fender scale, 25 1/2 has noticeably more string tension, so I've opted for 10-46 on Teles. I'm partial to a Tele myself and am considering getting another another after watching your video. I've had some really nice ones including one of the first Nocaster Relics. It was nice and light and had a fat neck. But my best Tele wasn't even a Fender but a Yamaha Mike Stern signature model. Picked it up in a store just out of interest, plus I like Mike [specially on his Standards album] Anyway that thing just sang like a bird, was light and had a Seymour Duncan 59 at the neck and a Hot Rails at the bridge. Beautifully made instrument, should never have sold it ....been on the lookout for another and even offered the buyer of mine more $$ to buy it back. An experienced player could get any number of tones for most any style, but for jazz, sounded so warm, but could switch on a dime to funk or screaming. Truly a very versatile guitar. I should say I'm a one guitar guy and try to get all I can out of what I have available. And I never had to change from 10-46 roundwounds! In closing I should say that the flats I use on the GB10 are D'Addario Chromes 10-48 but with the 1st swapped out with a 13 and the 2nd with a 15. Rich Severson put me onto this fat top, skinny bottom hybrid set. [Look up his You Tube video on the subject of strings] Good luck and happy playing.
Thanks Rich. Could just be my ears but the flats did make the sound a little more mellow. Great to hear them tested on a relatively solid-body guitar. I do like the way flats generate a bit less string noise through a louder amp but I’m a round wound guy anyway.
Yeah, they are a bit more mellow but I find them harder to play. Maybe just need some time to adjust to them.
Rich kettner, you are some of my children's music teachers
That’s awesome! Are you Dallan’s Mom?
I've always thought the comparisons sound-wise is overblown. Whatever differences exist can always be compensated by working the volume/tone knobs and amp EQ a bit. Within the context of a full mix 99% of people wouldn't be able to pick out flat vs round by ear.
Feel wise I personally prefer flat .11s with a lighter gauge unwound G string. As you experienced in that demo a wound G on a standard Fender scale length guitar is just too much tension, bending much more then a half-step is nearly impossible. A mixed set with heavy tops and light bottoms gives you the best of both worlds.