Yes, you can get an agressive attack.

I'll third it.

The Thunderchiefs

flatwounds can be very aggressive...but, they have a different tone than roundwounds.

flatwounds are smoother with a somewhat mellow tone.

roundwounds are rougher with a brasher tone.

I like both types...I have one guitar strung with pyramis flatwound 13s, and my danelectro is strung with rotosound roundwound 13s.

-dp

Dan - I think its commonly believed that most surf guitarists used flatwounds in the 60's.

I emailed both Paul Johnson and Dick Dale about this. Here is what Paul told me:

Paul Johnson
I did use flatwounds in the early '60s, as did a number of players. Couldn't give you a percentage of just how many, and I don't remember whether Ed used them... I think they were a lot more commonly used then than now. The "slinky" sets (thinner strings) were not in common use 'til a little later on...

Here is what Dick told me:

Dick Dale
we had flat wounds and round wounds....... i tried flat wounds
cause they were smooth and didnt hurt my fingers as much because my
string gage was 16p 18p 20p 39w 49w 60w

but the flat wounds totally changes the sound as they were mainly
used for jazz players to get a muted more quieter sound....

i went right back to the round wounds......

As Ivan will be quick to tell you, The Atlantics and Hank Marvin also used roundwounds.

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here's the note i got from dave wronski when i got my new jag

Hi Carol, Let me know if you need any setup info on the Jaguar. It was setup and shipped with fender .010s. I you change to flats...Chromes .011 is my choice, you will need to do some tweeking.
lemme know,
-Dave

i had already changed to 11's when i got this message, so when it comes time to change strings i'm going to try the flat chromes. i'm curious to hear the difference.

www.surfintheeye.com

Material has a lot to do with the aggressiveness - chromes are steel, most roundwoundplayers use nickel, which is more mellow. (not sure what dick dale uses.
I found the chromes to be plenty aggresive, the pyramids (nickel) much less so. obviously also depends on how hot the guitar pups are. proper /b testing and all. try and see if youy like it, that's all there is to do really.

but to get back to the question:
can flatwounds sound aggresive?

the only right answer is:
THE NEBULAS USE FLATWOUNDS!
(turn on smoke machine, insert satanic laughter)

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WR
Material has a lot to do with the aggressiveness - chromes are steel, most roundwoundplayers use nickel, which is more mellow. (not sure what dick dale uses.
I found the chromes to be plenty aggresive, the pyramids (nickel) much less so. obviously also depends on how hot the guitar pups are. proper /b testing and all. try and see if youy like it, that's all there is to do really.

but to get back to the question:
can flatwounds sound aggresive?

the only right answer is:
THE NEBULAS USE FLATWOUNDS!
(turn on smoke machine, insert satanic laughter)

You hit the nail on the head. The stainless sound more aggressive in the terms of what we think of is aggressive today.

I think the nickel strings sound better. Atleast if your going for a more traditional sound. Randy Holden and Eddie Bertrand probably had nickel flats and those guys sounded pretty aggressive. Sometimes the stainless steel aggressive sound can be too bright. A nice dirty thuddy nickel flatwound string can be a thing of pure beauty. IMO

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Last edited: Apr 26, 2006 16:46:48

WR

BillAqua
[I think the nickel strings sound better. Atleast if your going for a more traditional sound. Randy Holden and Eddie Bertrand probably had nickel flats and those guys sounded pretty aggressive. Sometimes the stainless steel aggressive sound can be too bright. A nice dirty thuddy nickel flatwound string can be a thing of pure beauty. IMO

Bill, I absolutly love your sound! and after hearing more and more 1st wave stuff played on jag (and knowing what the guitar is) I 'm overcoming my complaints about the jag, and am starting to love it - in fact, considering to get one - but it must have to do with the nikel flats too

i never thought of it that way, but I think you're spot on; the nickel flats and jag are a combo made in heaven, steel on a jag much less so (as far as i can tell from the few I've heard and know what strings are on. nickel flats on a strat sounds pretty bad. (while either nickel rounds or steel flats sound pretty okay on a strat)

a Jag with 010 steel roundwounds is a bloody f-ing disgrace for the guitar shop that has it hangin on the wall like that, btw. (which is most of them)

WR

Thanks! Some of the tracks on our album are with Pyramid Flats and I believe a majority of them were recorded with Gibson stainless flats. I thought at the time I was getting a fairly traditional Jaguar sound, but I was young and stupid.
And you've hit the nail square on the head again. The Jaguar is such a bright sounding guitar to begin with, and I never really thought of it this way, but the duller nickle strings may dull that down to a certain degree.

As for Stratocasters I would like to know what Jim Messina had on his, and I'm yet to hear a Strat sound that good. But, that may have to do with the post production speeding of the tapes.

Bill

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

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Sniper1
One more item here you want a real surf sound?change your nut to solid brass, do that and you'll end up in the twilight zone.

I changed the nut on my 51' p-bass to brass...nice improvement...lends a somewhat "piano-string-like" tone to the bass...

my Danelectro six-string bass has an aluminum nut...with a similar sounding effect on the tone... Duane Eddy twang-machine.