Lap Steel String Selection

Brad Smith · Post by **Brad Smith** » 28 Dec 1999 9:34 am

Flat or Round? I'm new to lap steel playing. Wouldn't it be more authentic to use flat wound strings to replicate a 40's,50's and 60's sound? Wouldn't flat wounds give off less bar noise on slides? Excuse my ignorance, I've only tried round wound so far.

Tele · Post by **Tele** » 28 Dec 1999 10:33 am

Hi

actually I've never tried Flatwounds on my steels but I'm experimenting a lot with Flatwounds on my vintage standard guitars. If you would choose them be sure to get pure nickel flatwounds because only the nickel strings sound "vintage". They work best with single coils, not so good with humbuckers and the output is lower. Unfortunately only a few companies offer them, the best nickel flatwounds are Pyramids( Germany)

------------------
Fender Custom Triple 8
Emmons S-10
1954 Super Amp
1958 Telecaster

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 28 Dec 1999 11:43 am

It's my opinion of course, but I'm of the fairly strong feeling that the flats or semi-flats don't have the resonance and sustain that round wounds have.

So the trade-off is that with rounds you get more bar noise, but with the flats you get less tone.

Again, only my opinion, but try them both and see what you think.

Regards, Bob

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 30 Dec 1999 10:06 pm

Jerry Byrd for YEARS....used Spanish Guitar strings and acquired a fantabulous tone no matter what tune he played. Admiring his playing for so many years, as I have, I too have used BLACK DIAMOND spanish guitar strings; for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings, I use a SECOND STRING. I use a spanish guitar 3rd string(plain/not wound)for my 4th string. JB then used flat wounds for his 5th,6th and/or 7th strings. If it's good enough for JB....it's good enough for me. I'm not a pro player either. I was once told by a reasonably experienced professional musician that there is only about 4 string manufacturers in the USA anyway, so I wonder..........? I've heard at least three dozen string names during my first year visiting the forum

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 30 Dec 1999 10:39 pm

I've always used standard electric guitar strings, usually Ernie Balls....you can get any gauge you want, anywhere in the world....
Mike

Chris DeBarge · Post by **Chris DeBarge** » 31 Dec 1999 7:04 am

I've looked the world(wide web) over for flat wound singles in order to make sets for my steels-NOBODY seems to sell the singles. My next step is to approach the manufacturers. I'm leaning towards GHS, reasons:
D'addario- their "chromes" flatwounds sound and feel awful on a regular guitar.
Thomastik- awesome flatwounds for guitar, but too expensive
Pyramid- same
I look forward to some advice/opinions on this subject.

On the same subject, has anyone tried the SIT semi-flats that are already prepackaged in popular non-pedal sets? I'm intrigued and was hoping someone has an opinion on these as well.

If nothing works out soon, you may soon be seeing Chris DeBarge brand flatwound sets at a steel guitar store near you!

John Tipka · Post by **John Tipka** » 31 Dec 1999 12:18 pm

Chris,
I use GHS flatwounds on all of my guitars. I buy them from Scotty's Music. You were just looking in the wrong places on the Internet. Flats-GHSF22 through GHSF60. The compound wounds are GHSC64 through GHSC74. Semiflats are GHSN18 through GHSN60. Last two digits are the string gauge.
http://www.iwc.com/scottys-music/ghssingles.htm

Regards,

John
http://www.iwaynet.net/~steelgtr