Flatwounds vs. Roundwounds on a Rickenbacker 12 String- A Shootout!
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- Опубліковано 19 сер 2024
- A lot of the classic 1960's Rickenbacker sounds were made using flatwound strings. They have a mellower sound than roundwound strings, which are used more in modern music. Some Rickenbacker users say that flatwounds are the only way to get that tone on those records by The Byrds, The Beatles and the Beach Boys. Other players prefer roundwounds for playbility and chime.
On today's shootout I'll be using my 1999 Rickenbacker 360/12v64 with scatterwound toaster pickups into my 1974 Fender Pro Reverb.
Roundwound strings- Curt Mangan 9-46 Light Nickel
Flatwound strings- Pyramid Gold 10-.465 Chrome Nickel
The flatwounds were a little more difficult for me to play because I chose a higher gauge, and the combination of my sausage fingers and narrow string spacing wasn’t ideal. I just ordered a set of Curt Mangan flatwound 9-42’s that should be perfect.
Let me know which sound you prefer!
Thanks and please subscribe :)
#rickenbacker #guitars #sampopkin
1.Bells of Rhymney
2. Outside Chance- The Turtles
3. So Sad About Us- The Who
4. Made this one up
5. You Can't Do That
6. Made this up
7. Handle with Care- Traveling Wilbury's
8. Made this up
Made this up???
Ohhhhh. Got it. Got ya
I like Rickenbacker’s 12-string sets. To me, they really help define the vintage sound. Years ago, I used to put D’Addario string sets on my 330/12, but I finally switched back to Rickenbacker strings, and I’ve stuck with them ever since.
Thanks so much for doing this - it must have taken ages but is hugely helpful!
I also prefer flatwound strings for that classic early Beatles sound. I have a Squier Affinity Stratocaster with a maple fretboard and I just started using flatwound strings not too long ago. I was previously using roundwound strings, but I was getting frustrated with the finger noise from the roundwounds, so I finally decided to switch to the flatwound strings instead. The flatwound strings I’m currently using are DR Strings Legend Flatwounds FL-11.
Wow I can’t believe how great the difference is between the two! I’m tempted to buy flatwounds now - love your demos!
Thanks Liam! I definitely prefer the sound of flats. Unfortunately they were making my intonation and neck tension unplayable so I went back to rounds
Man So Sad About Us sounds SO good with the round
Flatwounds sound best to me...easily.
Goddammit. I finally find out why the early Beatles recordings sound so beautiful and why all the UA-cam demos with the same vintage gear sound so terrible. Wonder if the Country Gentleman '62 would finally sound good with flats.
Two weeks ago i got my 2004 330x12 out of storage after many years! I tuned it a step down to D and I must admit I like it again, its one guitar that needs to be played hard to get anything cohesive out of!
Gonna put some flat on my Rick ! Thank you for the video !
beautiful instrument
Your vids are Amazing to watch Keep up the good work!!!!!!
Thanks man! I threw in ‘So Sad About Us’ by Pete in there :)
Awesome playing
Rounds
Amazingly helpful video, thanks man!
I actually like 'em both.
Flats all day! Great demo, thanks.
Round wins for me. They have more sustain and just ring. The flats sound thin and muffled to me except when they were higher up the neck.
Fantastic stuff! I would suggest everyone to try Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swing flatwounds, utterly amazing strings.
Now Please do a cover of So Sad About Us.
Flats right out of the gate! Cheers
I think it's time to get me some 12 String Flat wound strings on my black beauty next time i change her strings! Thanx for the tip :D
I recommend it! Although with my chunky fingers the pyramid flat 10’s are a little stiff to play
great intro!
Well, McGuinn uses flats. So do I.
Haha!
I think the rounds sound thinner and more hollow, and the flats sound more balanced. Amazing how the strings make such a difference. But this was all acoustic, yes? What about trying the same thing but plugged in and turned up?
No I was plugged into my Silverface Fender amp. Very clean amp
There's no way that could be anything other than the electric sound. It has that classic "middle position" comb filtering/scoop.
Formula for 12 String electric...Flatwounds + JB Nano Janglebox compressor = Great sound.
Dogal R42 Flatwounds would intonate well on this thing because its scale length is the same as a Gibson at 24.75 in.
Cool! I’ll check them out
@@sampopkin They feature a Wound B String pair which acts as a transitional String between the Bass & Trebles to give you a more consistent tone & it's a 16w which Dogal makes very well w/ advanced precision technology.
I was once virtually laughed out of a guitar shop when I said I'd put flats on my Rick 330-12; they said it was unheard of and I was clearly crazy to have done so...
That’s so strange, it’s almost universally accepted that Flats are the way to go with Rickenbackers. However, at the moment I have rounds on mine. Because flats do create tension and my truss rod wasn’t handling it
@@sampopkin I've got Ernie Ball custom gauge 8-22 / 8-40s on at the mo, they sound pretty good
Ohhhh, flatwounds for me by far.
Flats! I got a set of flats Im putting on a Gretsch tonight!
Ooo what string brand?
Rounds-The Who
Flats-Byrds
Roundwounds sound like Tom Petty
Bells of Rhymney
RW 00:19FW 00:37
RW 00:57 FW 01:10
RW 01:24 FW 01:57
RW 02:30 FW 02:43
RW 02:58 FW 03:11
RW 03:25 FW 03:49
RW 04:12 FW 04:35
RW 05:00 FW 05:28
I’d like to think that restringing that is a nightmare?
Yes
@@sampopkin Thats why I’ll just get a Harley
Which strings did you prefer?? They felt pretty different under the fingers
The flatwounds get the nod but really both sets sound amazing on that Jangle monster!
How did they feel different?
@@reginaldperiwinkle flatwounds don’t have the ridges of roundwounds so they feel smoother under the fingers like nylon strings
Good grief - that is a beautiful guitar. It’s not helping at all to dissuade me from adding a 1993 Plus to my guitarsenal.
Flats win!
Flatwonds
Flats are so unbalanced on guitars it makes them not useful to me. The round strings are dull and the plain stings are bright. Who wants that?
On a 6 string I'd agree with you, but I think it makes the lower strings sit under the octave strings really nicely.
Flats
I’m with you. The rounds were punchier but the flats are necessary if you want those 60’s tones!
@@handsomeloverboy8818 guitar players used both roundwound and flatwound strings in the sixties, but flats were the only strings available (for the most part) until around 1965. Beatles switched to rounds, except for bass around this time
Sam Popkin That's not entirely true. Roundwounds were always available for electric guitar, flatwounds for guitar were invented in the late 40s and enjoyed a short lived popularity through the 50s and early 60s. Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch all made roundwound strings throughout the 50s and shipped their guitars with roundwound strings.
Fender shipped their guitars with their "Spanish Guitar no. 10" set which was 13-55 nickel roundwounds until the mid 60s when they switched to 12-52. Gibson's OEM string set was their "E-340 Electric Sonomatic" strings which were 12-56 Monel roundwounds. I don't know the exact set and gauges that Gretsch put on their guitars, but I know they sold Chet Atkins strings which were nickel rounds.
While I'm at it I'll also say that the Beatles used heavy gauge 12-5x strings right up to their last album. Starting with the White Album George started to use light gauge strings however.
When Eric Clapton gave George his Les Paul, Clapton was using Fender "rock n roll no.150" strings which were 10-38 (They were gauged to sound balanced with Fender's pickups with staggered polepieces). Clapton probably tipped George off about those strings around then. George used those strings on the Les Paul, and later put them on his Telecaster for Let it Be, and his Stratocaster on Octopus' Garden.
Both John and Paul continued to use heavy strings on their guitars right up to The End.
@@Potatoskinman thank you for this reply. Where do you find this information, for example what gauge Clapton was using? I agree that Beatles were using some heavy gauge strings early on but in detailed pictures you can see they were even combining flat and roundwound on their guitars. Seems like it was whatever they could find. Ive read that they started using roundwound on their guitars exclusively in 1966
@@sampopkin Looks like youtube won't let me post the link, but this is from a 1970 Guitar Player interview with Clapton:
"How about the strings you used on the Les Paul, on the live side of Wheels Of Fire?"
"Fender Rock and Roll strings."
The rock n roll string set's gauges are as follows: 10 13 (15) 26 (32) (38). The E, B and D strings are the same as in a normal 10-46 set, but the G, A, and E strings are lighter.
Because the A and E strings are so much lighter than a normal set, when you strike them with the pick they have much more give than normal, and they kinda flub out if you hit them too hard.
You can hear that in the intro for Dig a Pony: in the left ear you can hear John with some sort of heavy gauge set, and when he digs with his pick the strings sound like they have very little give to them. They sound very 'straight' or unwavering. In the right ear George is using the rock n roll strings, and you can hear the strings sound way looser and have way more give when he digs in. You can also hear it really clearly in I've Got a Feeling, in the walk up the bottom strings starting on E around 30 seconds in.
Although there isn't absolute proof, I currently have 10-38 strings on my tele and strat, and I am 99% sure George used them too.
If you want to hear a sharp divide between George using heavy and light strings, compare the bending between Everybody's Got Something to Hide, and Yer Blues.
George is using his SG on Everybody, and if you listen to the lead guitar part 30 seconds in he only does semi tone bends, and only on the unwound E and B strings. He also does classical style side to side vibrato instead of normal bending vibrato. If you try and play this part with light strings, it feels awkward and it's difficult to nail the slow bends.
Then compare that to Yer Blues played on the Les Paul: the main lick features a WHOLE tone bend and bending vibrato on the A string(!), both of which are going to be far easier to do with the lighter 32 gauge A in the rock n roll set.
As far as the OEM strings go, Gibson guitars in the 50's and 60s came with a hangtag that says "always use Gibson Sonomatic strings no. E-340".
I don't have a definite source for Fender's original OEM strings in the 50s, but I am fairly certain it is the no. 10 set. If you google image search "Fender string catalog" you can find Fender's 1966 and 1969 catalogs where you can see their string gauges. It lists the no 1500 "smooth round wound" 12-52 set as the set provided stock on their guitars.
But if you compare the no 1500 set to a normal tension balanced 12-52 set, it is really unbalanced with the middle wound strings being weirdly heavy. I think this is because the gauges are a compromise, balanced to sound good with staggered polepieces. The No. 10 set on the other hand is much more balanced, and has almost the same gauges as a modern 13-56 set.
I don't know how much you care about super nerdy string specifics like this, but I love to look into this stuff. Hopefully you and anyone else reading this finds some of it useful.
By the way if you have a vintage style strat, try out a set of 10-38 strings. I found it to be a straight improvement over 10-46 strings, the G A and E strings instantly became much more useful. Less wiry, muddy, and overpowering.