Found Argument: Flat Wound Strings vs. Round Wound Strings

Not long ago, a friend of mine let me borrow his electric guitar for a few days to give it a try. Someone had bought it for him and set it up, adjusted the neck, tweaked the pickups and restrung it. When the guy restrung the guitar, he happened to use a type of string called “flat wound” strings, which previously, I had never used before. Flat wound strings have a round core, like round wound strings, but are different than round wound strings in the fact that they are wound with a rounded, more flattened wire. Round wound strings are use a basic round wire to wrap around the core.

There are many opinions about which string is better. For instance, those who prefer flat wound strings like them because they have a much lower profile. They don’t give off noise when playing, like the round wounds, because there is no friction between your fingers and the strings. Flat wound string players also prefer them over round wound because they have a longer life than typical round wound strings. Whereas a person might need to change their round wounds every couple weeks, dependind on the amount of use, one might only need to do so about once a month with flat wounds. Many people also prefer flatwounds because it causes less wear and tear on the frets, fretboard and nuts. Those who prefer the round wound strings are plenty as well, though. One of the main arguments of round wounds over flat wounds is that round wounds have a much brighter, cleaner sound. In addition, round wound strings are much more common and therefore, higher in demand and much more cheap than flat wounds.

After my personal experience, I have decided I prefer the round wounds over the flat wounds. The drop in brightness isn’t worth it to me for a smoother playing experience and if there isn’t any wear and tear on the guitar, then who is to know that you’ve played it. Plus, I think cheaper for a better sound is a good trade off for more expensive and a flatter sound.