D'Addario Flatwound Guitar Strings

I have wondered off and on if D'Addario flatwound electric guitar strings would be appropriate for acoustic instruments (like mandolins, mandolas, etc.). I just bought some D'Addario single flatwounds to try out on my 16.75" scale mandola. So far, I do like them. Nice mellow tone. They seem to reduce the brightness of the initial contact of the pick on the string. Certainly not for bluegrass, but for classical, old timey, celtic, I think they sound great.

Has anybody else tried them? Any drawbacks to using them? They are not cheap, but they are way cheaper than Thomastiks, are available in multiple gauges, and they are plenty long enough. One drawback - only ball ends. I didn't have any trouble cutting the balls out (ouch, that really sounds bad) but it took a few minutes on each string.

I used .045, .030, and .020 inch for my C, G, D strings and .014 plain steel for my A strings. I think I could go a bit heavier on the next set I try.

I use Daddario Chromes flatwound strings on almost every instrument I own. Mandolins, octave mandolin, Mandocello, electric mandolin, Les Paul guitar. I love them.
And on my mandolins, they play bluegrass just fine.
Best,
Stevo

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HonketyHank

I have wondered off and on if D'Addario flatwound electric guitar strings would be appropriate for acoustic instruments (like mandolins, mandolas, etc.). ...

---

I'm using DA Chromes flatwound strings on my cello banjo (Goldtone CEB-5) and they sound just right for a cello banjo (loud but muted) and they feel great (and yes, I'd prefer nylon for cello banjo in a classic-banjo style, but I wear them out in about a week). Haven't tried DA Chromes flatwound strings on my mandolins yet and I'm not sure I ever will... But I would wonder if they aren't a little too muted for most mandolin players.

I do use DA FlatTops G&D on my mandolins (for my G&C), and DA plain .017 and .015 (for my E&g). Slightly muted tone, nice touch, volume similar to DA P/B round wounds. I like the tone of the FlatTops quite a lot.

They are very appropriate for other string instruments. The EFW74 flatwound mandolin strings were essentially borne out of the D’Addario Chromes line. They were just shortened and combined in a set of gauges that was appropriate for mandolin. Other than that they are exactly the same. I have, a couple of times, bought a pair of Chrome singles in .038 to replace the G string. However I stopped doing that as it didn’t make much difference. I have also bought Chrome sets to use on my octave.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mandobassman

I have also bought Chrome sets to use on my octave.

---

What gauges do you use, mandobassman?

I liked them on my OM, before it became a tenor guitar.

When I bought my first hollowbody electric I loved it. I then put the DA flat-wounds on it and over a few days it got payed less and less. I came to hate the tone and wound up trading that guitar. I didn’t realize the strings affected tone that much. Last year I tried TI flats on my electric and loved them. Had I known better I would have pulled those strings and rounds put standard strings back on. We live we learn.

I have many hours in using the Chromes for mandolin family instruments. Here's a link:
Build your own flatwound

http://jazzmando.com/tips/archives/images/ECG_Snip.JPG

It's interesting, since I've been playing double bass I've also become aware that there is a huge population of double bass players who select, use, buy, sell and even trade new and used individual strings. This is done openly and is very widely accepted.

Once on a double bass they're often referred to as mixed sets, and they may consist of any combination of individual strings from any combination of manufacturers and their string sets.

Since double bass string sets can easily cost $300-$900 depending on who makes them and what they are made of, since strings make a huge difference in double bass sound, and since they can last and sound great literally for decades, this can become a very interesting study and activity for both pro and non-pro double bassists.

A number of double bass suppliers specifically sell new individual strings from existing string sets specifically for this purpose.

There's a whole mashup of science and superstition about how these mixed sets are selected, how they sound and how they feel to play.

... And, now I are one. My double bass wears a mixed set too!

Of course I've used mixed sets for quite some time with my mandolin strings, although they are from the same manufacture... But among mandolinists, this practice is not widely accepted, still being somewhat of a secret, dark science. :mandosmiley:

Thanks to Ted, I have been using D'addario chrome steel guitar flatwounds on my octave. Assembled a set that sounds great, but I still use Thomastik on my mando.

Instead of using a pair of wire cutters to clip the ball ends, I use a set of beading pliers (round nose pliers). I just push one of the round smooth ends in the gap, expand it a bit, then simply pop the ball out. Easier than cutting. Plus, I have to expand the loop a bit anyways in order to get them to fit over my Allen tailpiece hooks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HonketyHank

I have wondered off and on if D'Addario flatwound electric guitar strings would be appropriate for acoustic instruments (like mandolins, mandolas, etc.). I just bought some D'Addario single flatwounds to try out on my 16.75" scale mandola. So far, I do like them. Nice mellow tone. They seem to reduce the brightness of the initial contact of the pick on the string. Certainly not for bluegrass, but for classical, old timey, celtic, I think they sound great.

Has anybody else tried them? Any drawbacks to using them? They are not cheap, but they are way cheaper than Thomastiks, are available in multiple gauges, and they are plenty long enough. One drawback - only ball ends. I didn't have any trouble cutting the balls out (ouch, that really sounds bad) but it took a few minutes on each string.

I used .045, .030, and .020 inch for my C, G, D strings and .014 plain steel for my A strings. I think I could go a bit heavier on the next set I try.

---

To bypass the need to cut off the ball ends, get an allen tailpiece, it has holes that allow you to use both loop and & ball end strings

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HonketyHank

I have wondered off and on if D'Addario flatwound electric guitar strings would be appropriate for acoustic instruments (like mandolins, mandolas, etc.). I just bought some D'Addario single flatwounds to try out on my 16.75" scale mandola. So far, I do like them. Nice mellow tone. They seem to reduce the brightness of the initial contact of the pick on the string. Certainly not for bluegrass, but for classical, old timey, celtic, I think they sound great.

Has anybody else tried them? Any drawbacks to using them? They are not cheap, but they are way cheaper than Thomastiks, are available in multiple gauges, and they are plenty long enough. One drawback - only ball ends. I didn't have any trouble cutting the balls out (ouch, that really sounds bad) but it took a few minutes on each string.

I used .045, .030, and .020 inch for my C, G, D strings and .014 plain steel for my A strings. I think I could go a bit heavier on the next set I try.

---

Hank, for the price, give em a try.
its what you like.

Id suggest monels will be closer, tonewise, cheaper, but, not flat.

I used flats for many years, TIs, on my fern and Brentrup.
I no longer do so due to price and breakage issues. (Never had this on older sets…maybe qc, maybe different bridge. Old sets were immensely stable in retaing tuning. Very long lived, (after all, they're almost dead when new…lol.)
. My main reason for flats, way less tuning, fast, easier especially way up high. . Due to unique gauges in TIs, breakage was a pita, despite distributor replacements.)

I liked the slick, lesser tension. They sounded almost dead compared to pb, but, micd, much less difference. My flats would last 7-9 months of 2-4 daily playing! Is Das have lower tension too, they will not drive the top as much as full tension strings.

I use flats on overly bright electrics. Actually, now, i use tapewounds. Brighter, slightly, zero string noise.
As for pick sound, i think that may be technique or type of pick.

Best of luck. Its worth the $30 dollar or so experiment.

Love my TI going in two years sound the same as new and I wouldn’t call them dead but certainly more fundamental, on my oval A they just rule for Celtic stuff and music I like. Never had a breakage on a set of TI. They are on all my electric guitars and my OldWave Oval A. I have never tried them on my acoustic guitars as I like the sound of the Martin strings on the Martins!

That said if you haven’t tried Dads flatwounds try them. I actually quite disliked them as they really did sound dead to me. We all hear a bit differently they may be just what you’re looking for.

I use Chromes on all my guitars (Yamaha dreadnought, Gibson L50 archtop acoustic, Martin 000X1-AE, Gibson Les Paul, Fender Telecaster). They sound great, feel great, and last a long time. I need to get some flatwounds onto my mandolins and banjos.

I have Tomastik Infeld Jazz Swings on my full hollowbody and the Chromes on my tele and semi-hollow