Flatwounds....

[cockroach]

Anyone using them on guitar and/or bass at present?

I've got a few sets for guitar and a bass set, which I'm going to fit when the current sets are due for replacement...

[noelford]

Yes, I have flatwound 12s on my Peerless Tonemaster JH Special, an archtop. Lovely for jazzy stuff but also remarkably nice sounding for some Shads' numbers - e.g., It's Been a A Blue Day, Nivram etc.

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi John
Yes I have a set of 12-52's on my Antoria custom made lefty. Sound OK but far to heavy for me. Will change to a set of 10's when I am back to playing.
Jet had round's on the Bass VI for the years he used the VI but I was asked to put flats on the VI for the 2011 Shadowmania. I thought the sound was disappointing to say the least.
Regards Geoff.

[MeBHank]

Jet had round's on the Bass VI for the years he used the VI but I was asked to put flats on the VI for the 2011 Shadowmania. I thought the sound was disappointing to say the least.

It was definitely a flatwound sound, Geoff. It had the proper thud that you'd expect. But that, IMO, made it a more authentic sixties "Jet" sound, even if it was far removed from the sound he'd used latterly. I'm no expert, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jet never used roundwounds in the sixties.

J

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi Justin.
When I say Jet used round wounds on the VI I am refering to the period early 2000's,after the Burns Barracuda, to when he left the stage, god bless him. I think you are correct in saying he used flats during the 60's and never used round's on his VI.
I think Jim N hit the nail on the head when he says you, Justin, get the best version of THAT BASS VI SOUND on your Strat.
Do you use flat's on the Strat to nail That Bass VI Sound?
Regards Geoff.

[MeBHank]

Hi Justin.
When I say Jet used round wounds on the VI I am refering to the period early 2000's,after the Burns Barracuda, to when he left the stage, god bless him. I think you are correct in saying he used flats during the 60's and never used round's on his VI.
I think Jim N hit the nail on the head when he says you, Justin, get the best version of THAT BASS VI SOUND on your Strat.
Do you use flat's on the Strat to nail That Bass VI Sound?
Regards Geoff.

Thank you, Geoff. No, I used roundwounds for Scarlett O'Hara at Shadowmania. There wasn't time in the set for me to change guitars, otherwise I may have chosen to use a more appropriate guitar, complete with flats. I had to find a way of getting as close to the sound as I could with my number one Strat.

If Jet had lived, or had the Shadowers been able to back him as often as he wanted us to, I would have eventually asked him whether he'd have been willing to return to flats on his Bass VI and Precision Bass.

J

[chas]

I use flatwounds on my Bass VI and Precision Bass - I think it's the only way to go if you want that original sound. (Also with a little damping under the bridge cover as per original on the P. Bass).
I'm also about to put a flatwound set on my recently acquired Gretsch.

Chas.

[Iain Purdon]

Jet will not have used roundwounds with the Shadows, nor did Licorice. Flatwounds were the only option in those days ansd produced the characteristic thud Justin mentions. Roundwound bass strings came in during the mid 60s and Jon Entwistle's bass solo in My Generation is probably the earliest British example of rounds. John will have started in the Shads with flatwounds. He loved the 'dead' sound and never changed strings unless he had to so, even though he could have acquired rounds when they became available, I doubt that he did.

For Scarlett O'Hara, you need to bear in mind that Jet is not on the record, it was played by Joe Moretti and I have no idea what guitar or strings he used. Jet was on Diamonds, however, and that was recorded in D on a detuned Gretsch but played on stage in E using a Fender Jaguar.

Yes John, I have a P-bass strung with flatwounds for the early stuff. My other P-bass is strung with roundwounds and sounds better for the later Alan Jones material (even if my playing doesn't!)

I never discussed strings with Jet but I have with Licorice. He dislikes flatwounds and loves the twang he gets with rounds these days.

Hope this helps

Iain

[Graylion]

Funnily enough, flatwounds - or "tapewounds" as we called them in the 60s - were very easy to clean with a bit of best drinking meths and a lint-free cloth. (Paper kitchen towels hadn't been invented then). Because they were shiny chrome, crud was easier to remove

[JimN]

For Scarlett O'Hara, you need to bear in mind that Jet is not on the record, it was played by Joe Moretti and I have no idea what guitar or strings he used.

Jet may well be on bass.

Joe M is very clearly using slightly-dead flatwound strings on that record, with exactly the same sound as he got on Song Of Mexico and on the flown-in guitar solo on Freddy & The Dreamers' I'm Telling You Now.

JN