In doing research for correct strings for the early Ventures sound, I am told, and more or less convinced, that flatwounds (tapewound being the UK equivalent?) were the norm in the early 60s. A guitar dealer in the U.S. whose opinion I respect echoes this, thus:
"Flatwound strings were THE strings in the 50s and early 60s. This is what Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacher, Gretsch put on all their guitars. It wasn't until the mid 60s that round wound strings started being used. I was told that roundwounds were available maybe as early as the late 50s, but they were not really popular. It wasn't until Ernie Ball started marketing "Slinky's" that players and manufacturers changed from flatwounds."
As I mentioned in the other section (How to get the Ventures' sound), I will try flatwounds on my Jazzmaster for the Ventures sound. However, if what i quoted above is accurate, wouldn't the Shadows have started out with flatwounds too? Wouldn't Hank's (Cliff's) Strat have been delivered from the U.S. with flatwounds? And probably also the subsequent set of Jenning's-supplied Strats? Or was the siruation different in England?
According to the book "That Sound,'' all the Shadows early hits were played on a Gretsch with tapewound strings! Well, perhaps not on a Gretsch, but with flatwound strings maybe?
Many thanks for any guidance here.
Andy