Flatwound strings

Hey, I'm going to up this post in lieu of a general guitar string discussion topic. . .

Over the past couple of years, I've exclusively played very heavy gauge chrome flatwounds. Usually these with the highest string tossed out. That's what I still have on my Telecaster and I'm very happy with it. I acquired one of the Fender Mexican Duo-Sonic humbucker / single coil reissues some months back and I immediately put those chrome flatwounds on it. It was a very similar tone to my Tele, which kind of defeated the purpose of having a second guitar. So, I put these on it and, hrmph, not that great.

So, I was wondering, what would you kind and gentle folk recommend? I want to keep it on the heavier end of the gauge spectrum, as I always tune to D standard and capo from there. Ideally, I would like to get a brighter / more aggressive tone out of my Duo-Sonic, but I don't know. . . something a bit less harsh (??) than what I have now.

Any thoughts?

Wow, I switched to flatwounds shortly after starting this thread and have never gone back.

Austin, D'Addario reckon these are the closest to flatwounds in terms of mellow. And if you're playing heavy I think probably a set of 13s would be needed for a shortscale.
http://www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=68&productname=EPN22_Pure_Nickel__Jazz_Medium__13_56

OMG I didn't take in that you were playing FIFTEENS on the Tele. That's piano wire! Must sound awesome.

I always heard SRV and Poncho from Crazy Horse were two dudes that played super heavy strings.

Thanks for the word, Matthew. I got impatient and ended up getting a set of these for my Duo-Sonic. I can't say it's exactly the sound I was going for —because I'm not even sure what that is— but it's a considerable improvement over the NYXLs I was fighting with previously.

SRV played a .13 set and Pancho plays .12s with a wound third.

Those look good Austin. I myself play 11s with a wound third on 25.5” scales, and 12s ditto on 24” scales. Took ages to find electric 12s with wound third - D’Addario do 10s and 11s but I had to go to DR Pure Blues for 12s. 10s make my skin crawl.

D'Addario make a set of flat wound 12s with a wound third.

http://www.daddario.com/DADProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=3769&productid=62&productname=ECG25_Chromes_Flat_Wound__Light__12_52

They have a 13-56 set too.

I gotta try flats sometime, suspect I will never go back

If you don't want flats they make a nickel round wound set of 12s with a wound third (12/16/24w/32/42/52); I use them for my slide setup. Look for their jazz strings.

The Half Rounds I put on my Duo-Sonic have a wound third. They're really good strings. I may have found a new favorite.

I'd like to try the Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds, but jeez, that price tag!

i put some flats on my strat plus and it sounds so damn good

I would definitely recommend them for anyone into playing surf music like Dick Dale etc, a lot of techniques like rapid tremolo picking, slides and hammer ons are way easier with flatwounds.

not a flatwound question, but a strings question: do they make nylon guitar strings (or nylon-sounding guitar strings) that are configured for a standard acoustic guitar, not a classical guitar?

yep, I just restrung my Dad's long neglected 70s dreadnaught acoustic with D'addario "gypsy jazz" strings, didn't know they were a thing before I spied them at the music shop, all wound nylon except for the high B and E, not quite as bright and loud as conventional strings but we were both very impressed with the tone and especially the action

problematic branding aside I presume Django would have been delighted

Rotosound flatwound bass strings are the business on a Fender Jazz or P-bass. They are much brighter than most other flatwounds out there, but you put them on the single coil Fender basses alot of that kinda gnarly fret sound moving your hands is just gone.

I got more into playing basses with humbuckers these days, and the Rotosounds are a bit too dark in that arena, but they sound awesome on Fender basses.

I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 50s Precision that the previous owner had put La Bella flats on … mind blown, I hope they last because I will never buy anything else. They feel like chrome railings under my fingers.