Has anyone tried flat wound acoustic strings on their slide guitars? Seems like it could reduce slide/string noise.
I haven't tried them yet, but noticed that A'ddario has acoustic flat wound. Might be good for slide playing.
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Hi, just a couple of points. I like to use the slide noise on the strings for effect on some songs, so I cant use the semi flat wounds for those tunes.
Also I do no not always play slide with a finger dampening the strings behind the side. I like the fuller sound I get by having the added effect of the strings behind the slide vibrating in the mix. but I will use a finger to control that effect.
I think it's all a matter of whatever works for you, I mix and natch everything, slide action, string types and gauges, string height, thumb pick, flat pick, no pick. As well as slide material, amps, pedals and not forgetting.....Hmmm, shall I play 3,4, or six string today. You gotta have a pallet full of different colours,or the picture could get boring. ha ha.
Cheers Taff
Flat wounds are strictly for jazz in my book , mellow, all middle and bass, little = treble overtones. If your slide technique is good, and you do the damping behind the slide with a trailing finger, you won't get any unwanted slide noise. Flatwounds can sound sound rather thick and muddy, but the plain strings will rattle just the same if you don't up your game in terms of slide technique. I don't know of any professional slide players who use flatwounds - there may be some but I haven't encountered any yet.
I can see the "mellow" aspect of flat wounds. Since the treble strings are still unwound, seems that they would not be overly dampened by being in the same pack as flat wounds.
I guess it's a matter of what you are looking for. If the bright sound of Phosphor Bronze is the sound you want, then they are a good choice. If a warmer/darker/mellow sound is it, then flat wounds might fit the bill.
Technique is important and a finger behind the slide and a soft touch are great, but a slide up the sixth string from 1 to 12 is going to produce some slide noise regardless of technique. A flat wound 6th may help with that.
Installed a set of D'Addario Flat Top strings on my resonator to check out slide noise. Using a glass slide, I found the flat tops to produce much less slide noise than normal Phosphor Bronze strings. The flat tops also produce a warmer/more mellow sound than Phosphor Bronze.
Over all, they are a good change if you want to reduce slide noise.
Taff
Taff
Thanks Taff.
Comparing a humbucker to a piezo is tough.
Do you know the brand of the semi-flat strings you used?
Cheers Taff
You might want to try a set of picks Swamp Witch Strings you can hear them on this Video I done https://youtu.be/Ad2uVixyrfI there made for slide great tone and very little fret noise
They just about remove it completely play very smooth D a'ddario light gauge is what I use
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