minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Apr 17, 2022 20:19:13 GMT
Anyone use these? Are they as good regular strings, and not too expensive? I really do hate the squeak.
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 18, 2022 7:36:00 GMT
As a bass player I have used flatwound strings on and off for decades. Also, many jazz guitarists use them in order the get that very mellow sound. However, if you're considering putting them on an acoustic they will give you a very different sound and probably not in a good way! Of course you may love them but you will probably find that you loose more than you gain and I'd be tempted to turn a blind ear to the squeal. Recently I have been using DR and Newtone phospher bronze acoustic strings and I honestly can't remember the last time I had any squeal at all so it might be worth trying one of these two brands.
You will probably find that flatwounds are considerably more expensive too. To give you an idea I normally pay around £12-£14 for a set of medium gauge roundwound bass strings but La Bella flatwounds cost around £40.
I'd be tempted to check out some roundwound/flatwound comparisons on Utube. I couldn't find any for acoustics but this is one comparing flats to rounds on a semi-acoustic|:
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Apr 18, 2022 11:00:47 GMT
Think I'll be sticking to regular strings lol
|
|
|
Post by delb0y on Apr 18, 2022 12:36:54 GMT
I heard an alarming squeal whilst driving the other day. A tad worrying. I listened to the car closely waiting for it to repeat. I tried braking. Nope, wasn't the brakes. Steering nope. Suspension... Turned out to be John Fahey on the CD with some very loud sliding finger on string noise. If it's okay for John, it's okay for me...
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Apr 19, 2022 23:33:48 GMT
As a bass player I have used flatwound strings on and off for decades. Also, many jazz guitarists use them in order the get that very mellow sound. However, if you're considering putting them on an acoustic they will give you a very different sound and probably not in a good way! Of course you may love them but you will probably find that you loose more than you gain and I'd be tempted to turn a blind ear to the squeal. Recently I have been using DR and Newtone phospher bronze acoustic strings and I honestly can't remember the last time I had any squeal at all so it might be worth trying one of these two brands. You will probably find that flatwounds are considerably more expensive too. To give you an idea I normally pay around £12-£14 for a set of medium gauge roundwound bass strings but La Bella flatwounds cost around £40. I'd be tempted to check out some roundwound/flatwound comparisons on Utube. I couldn't find any for acoustics but this is one comparing flats to rounds on a semi-acoustic|: To be honest, I couldn't hear much of a difference apart from the absence of squeak. But then again he was playing jazz stuff through an amp. What I'd like to hear is flats on an acoustic. And none of that modern jazz stuff
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 20, 2022 6:55:52 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/
|
|
Phil Taylor
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,415
Mini-Profile Name Color: 680908
Mini-Profile Text Color: 121311
|
Post by Phil Taylor on Apr 20, 2022 8:23:56 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/I tried some Martin Retro strings because of Laurence Juber and didn't like them at all so I will be interested to see how you get on Guy.
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Apr 20, 2022 10:49:58 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/Well I'm currently using Martin Monels and they still squeak, though I do like their tone and feel on the Fender Dread (they don't work so well on the Tanglewood super folk though, lighter guage needed for that one I think)
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 20, 2022 16:44:50 GMT
Yes, agree, it's impossible to get any sort of idea how they would sound on an acoustic being played acoustically! One thought.....I have just swapped some strings and ended up with a couple of packs of Monel strings. To be honest I had seen them listed on the Newtone strings site but knew nothing about them. One of the two packs was the Newtone Masterclass Monels (the other was Martin Retro Acoustics) but I haven't yet tried either set yet. However, I did a bit of a search online to get a bit more info on Monels and two people suggested they didn't get any squeal from them. Also, virtually everyone who had tried them loved them and said they'd never go back to 'standard' acoustic strings. I will let you know once I get a set on the guitar. This is a link to the Newtone Monels: newtonestrings.com/shop/master-class-monel-6-string-acoustic-guitar-strings/Well I'm currently using Martin Monels and they still squeak, though I do like their tone and feel on the Fender Dread (they don't work so well on the Tanglewood super folk though, lighter guage needed for that one I think) That's good to know. As I said, I haven't tried the Monels yet but look forward to doing so. I mentioned that I have not had any squealing from either the Newtone Masterclass or the DR Sunbeams I use and since I first read your post I have thought about it every time I play and definitely no squealing whatsoever on either set. So, it may be worth trying a set? I have used Fast Fret for many years and although I can't imagine that it has the ability to suppress string noise it also may be worth a try?
|
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 34,107
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Apr 20, 2022 21:23:58 GMT
surfguy13 . Guy, I have found that Fast Fret can reduce string squeaks somewhat if you apply it beofre playing. It is basically a perfumed light mineral oil so that's hardly surprising I suppose. I rarely use it before playing though - more likely after a session in the hope of removing at least some sweat and skin debris. Occasionally if the strings are really dead I'll maybe use FF before playing as it does seem to brighten them up a little for a a short while. Keith
|
|
minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
Posts: 2,992
My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd98"}
|
Post by minorkey on Apr 20, 2022 21:27:17 GMT
surfguy13 . Guy, I have found that Fast Fret can reduce string squeaks somewhat if you apply it beofre playing. It is basically a perfumed light mineral oil so that's hardly surprising I suppose. Keith That sounds like the baby oil I have that I use to clean the fingerboard at re-string time
|
|
|
Post by surfguy13 on Apr 21, 2022 7:42:25 GMT
surfguy13 . Guy, I have found that Fast Fret can reduce string squeaks somewhat if you apply it beofre playing. It is basically a perfumed light mineral oil so that's hardly surprising I suppose. I rarely use it before playing though - more likely after a session in the hope of removing at least some sweat and skin debris. Occasionally if the strings are really dead I'll maybe use FF before playing as it does seem to brighten them up a little for a a short while. Keith Keith, Yes, like you, I always use FF after playing and not before. Never been that keen on the slippy feel just after it's been applied. However it really does remove loads of crud from the strings and if you use the white cloth to go over the strings after you've applied it it's incredible how black it is. It's interesting that you have found it reduces squeal a little; I suspected it might do but as I seem to be alone in having zero squeal I have never been able to put it to the test! Guy
|
|
|
Post by Gregg Hermetech on Apr 27, 2022 19:41:29 GMT
Try it and see. I've had D'Addario Chromes flats on my Faith and Lowden acoustics. Sounded great on the Faith, sounded rubbish on the Lowden. The wound strings last forever (I have used them on my electric for over a decade), usually only change them once a year, the unwound strings a bit more frequently.
|
|
Akquarius
Cheerfully Optimistic
Posts: 2,510
My main instrument is: Towet Fingerpicker, Dreizehnter SJ15 "Akquarius"
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"020202"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: f9a507
Mini-Profile Text Color: f9a507
|
Post by Akquarius on Apr 28, 2022 7:05:43 GMT
I use flatwounds on my archtop to get a fat mellow jazzy sound. I tried them once on a Lakewood OM I used to own. I did like the mellow sound, but the flatwounds killed the clear trebbles I like so much when playing a steelstring.
To be honest, if I were in your position I would just get a pack of flatwounds and try them. They are not very expensive (you don't have to get Thomastiks) and personal experience is always the best way to figure things out.
As for the squeaking: if it really bothers you, you can stop it more or less completely. it's just a matter of playing technique. And practising. A lot of practicing.
|
|
|
Post by andy3sheds on Apr 29, 2022 20:05:35 GMT
Akquarius you heretic!! “You don’t have to get Thomastiks “
|
|