Three years with flatwound strings - Conclusions 

Jeff from Nashville here and you’ve convinced me! We have very similar roots and tastes. I am a 50+ year player who grew up in DC spoiled by having Gatton and Roy in the local pubs regularly so I won’t be giving up my rounds any time soon but I have enough guitars that I can put flats on a tele, a Duo Jet and perhaps my 62 Jazzmaster. Love your channel and thank you brother!❤

Hi Paul, from Connecticut,, I’m a 40+ year guitar player,, I go from feeling like I can play anything, next day I feel like I’m just getting started, you are such an inspiring player,, wish you lived across the street,,

You're playing has gone totally next-level Paul. Incredible!

beautiful, so much passion

Hi Paul. Just found your channel and it helped me decide to try flatwounds on my Gretsch 6118T Jr. hollowbody with FilterTrons. Loving them so far even with the more "dead" bass strings - lost none of the Gretsch sparkle.

Hi Paul. After following your channel for a couple of years and watching all your videos I finally bought myself a Romany 12. Awesome amp. I couldn’t be happier.

That was nice. I've never heard it played on guitar before, only piano.

I'm building a baritone and thinking about using flats. The fatter strings have more string noise. You've convinced me to try the flats, so thanks! Great playing as always Paul!

Loved hearing the Rachmaninov!! Thanks for that unexpected joy.

sir. you are the absolute king of the minor key. gorgeous stuff.

Lovely playing, great advice and general blether. You wouldn't believe the ad that came on during your vid . Free Video of 'cheat codes' from Unlock Guitar. Couldn't make it up. PS the guys in Newcastle are going to love you now, hahah , great rants.

A lot of your playing is unironically universal-, we all can relate on improv

Ouf! You playing left me silent. Thank you for your wonderful music ...

So cool to hear the range of that jazz master, I finally heard what this guitar can really do, absolutely blown away by your playing, simply excellent.

Flawless! Wonderful as always friend.

Poor man’s Uncle Larry, very nice

I have flats on my semi-hollow Gretsch and on a partscaster tele that I keep tuned down to D standard. I just love them too. Great vid.

I love this…. Been playing flat wound chromes for 5 years or so, just ordered the TI thanks to you. I have gone down the rabbit hole of dadgad and just made up my chords, would like to play like you, but 77 years old and only limited theory, but just can’t leave dadgad. I would like to play Satie but have difficulty transcribing to dadgad. I have transcribed so simple Coltrane moods from standard tunings I got from Jazz Duets. Will try some triad pairs next. FWIW I’ve had two Miata’s, one red with a pop up headlights another, silver , but had to give them up because I live in Minnesota and they are absolutely terrible in the snow and came close to killing myself several times and could only afford to own one car. I used to love driving top down, moon up, at midnight in the summer. One of my favorite cars. Quality cars, reliable, reasonable price. You will love one. The Casper guy is great. Good luck on your journey

Great tones and touch. The Jazzmaster was really fantastic. I have a few offsets with flats. The TIs are great strings. Well done man. You're approaching flats the way I do. I let them change my approach, instead of playing flats the way I play rounds

I'm a reformed speed demon. Now I have a nice direct drive wheel and can only VIRTUALLY damage self/others. I do love taking the mx5 and others around the Nurburgring from the comfort of my own home. Love the tunes as always!

Simply excellent Paul! Such beautiful tone and feel and to say it is recoded via a phone is amazing!! Btw...I have a mint MX5 and if ever you and Mrs.P are up north you can borrow it to view the Highlands! Such great fun and freedom!

Was thinking about you this morning and thinking about flatwound strings...small universe. Wonderful playing as always.

Awesome! Very tasteful improvisations. And sounds like Tobias Hoffmann is one of your inspirations ;)

Great call with the Rachmaninov. Very film noir on the Gretsch.

Absolutely beautiful guitar playing!! Well done.

amazing intro, couldn't make my mind up if I was feeling the gretsch or the Oswald the most - my gut says Gretsch but..... that Oswald has soul too. Ive still never played flat wounds before - but you've firmly planted the seed to try it out (Again)

Great playing and sound man

now you know what i like, but i have to admit i found this vid most entertaining. Your skill levels absolutely shining through , think i liked the sound of the Jazzer best but they both sound brilliant. Good luck on the Atkins

Lovely playing, particularly enjoyed the atmospheric 'Riff on Rachmaninoff' - beautiful. I have a lovely mid '90s Korean made Epiphone Broadway that needs a new jack plug put in and will def be trying flat-wounds when I get around to visiting my guitar guy! Cheers. 😀

I'm pretty sure Justin Hawkins from the Darkness has been playing a white Atkin Mindhorn while on his recent tour. Fantastic looking guitar!

I love your videos Paul! You're really inspirational. You made me so curious about flatwound strings so I ordered exactly the same set you showed in this video. I do have a budget 335 style guitar so I'll put them on it. However, I can't afford buying a nice amp like the ones you have, so I'll have to stick to my plastic boxes for now haha!😄

Great playing. I came here because I’m thinking of sticking some flats on the tele, but will be staying for the tasty playing :) I’m just coming out of a ‘guitar wilderness’ period and I’m looking to polish up, try some new things and spend the next 10 yrs breaking through the intermediate player barrier that I’ve been stuck at since I was 16. I would like to acquire some jazz and country style playing. I will be spending more time here to learn from your playing and steal your licks. But, I will leave you a ‘like’ and subscribe, because I have honour 🇯🇵 :)

Sounds great.

Great playing as always Paul! I'm guessing you've seen it but Tim Lerch did a nice flatwound vs roundwound comparison about a year ago on a tele.

I always think l’m hearing his father’s influence…yet his too…cool.., wish my father played

Damn it captain , good stuff ✌🏻🎸🎶

Hi Paul, Since you started featuring your Dad's Gretsch I'm really keen to get something with Dynasonic pickups. They sound great on a Tele too. They're a great combination of warmth and brilliance.

Good to see you again, Paul. Bloody guitar shops, I'm not fond of those in Newcastle. Which is a shame as it's the closest city to me. I forsee an evening of Casper ahead. No bad thing given the wee taster I just heard. Here comes another rabbit hole. Tangent. We were in picking out a new motobility car for mt stepson the other week and they had a brand new silver MX5 in the showroom with black and red leather interior, and it was bloody gorgeous. Just bear in mind that you can actually be too old for a car like that. You aren't. I am. haha.

Beautiful intro!

that’s a real good guitar ❤️

Pyramid Fusion Flats. Fixes many of the issues non flatwound player’s experience when trying out flats.

Lovely work dude!

I love flatwounds on bass, but haven't tried them on guitar yet. I'll have to give them a go on my Gretsch

Sounds lovely mate.

I use them some too and Curt Mangan makes them with a plain G if you want. I like them because they're not too dark sounding.

I just bought a Preloved Ibanez Archtop and put Thomastik JS112 flats on it. I'm loving it. Curiously they put Less tension on the neck than the D'Addario 10-46s that it came loaded with. 🙄

Maybe try D'Addario half rounds for your Tele or other "round wound guitars. They're kinda in between flats and rounds. Personally, I love them; maybe they'll work for you.

Hi Paul my name is David Bahar I live in Edinburgh I also go out on a weekend with my songs and guitar , just wanted to say love the sweet sounds bro, you need to get up around the mile and play this stuff. On a note with shops, to be honest I found GUITAR GUITAR to be about the best, Alfi is the man in their.

Great stuff! I am absolutely sold on flats and don't see myself going back to rounds. Just personal taste :)

Thank you Paul. I love flatwounds on my Eastman Jazz guitar (John Pisano signature). I didn't think to try flatwounds on my other guitars. Sur, I should try. 🙂 Oh, and I approve : Mazda MX5 are nice litlle roadsters.

What a fantastic video have a wonderful weekend Paul also Monday is my friends birthday also my birthday ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

What a playing...

Thanks for a great video! I wish I had Castedosa and Dumble money, but I don't. So I'm using a Squier 40th anniversary Jazzmaster with a Boss GT-001 that's connected to a JBL PartyBox 110 and I absolutely love it. Much cheaper than a Roland JC-120 amp but it sounds... better! I can connect my phone wirelessly via Bluetooth and connect a bass guitar or microphone to the second input and control all volume levels individually. The JBL can even power the Boss via USB, so I could actually play anywhere. If I need more bass I can boost that two levels and on my phone I use the RE equalizer app to adjust the sound of any tune or backing track I would like to play along with. Going to try those flatwound strings soon!

Hi Paul, have you already been asked to write the music for the new Bond movie? I heard some rumors. All the best. Stefan

I tried out all the string too, off the internet and everywhere. In the end Chromes are as good as any.

Hey-oh matey... Hope all is well

Hi Paul! C'mon, I see you as a motorcycle rider. What do you ride? My wife had an MX5.

Sadly many folk don't know how to use an amp and spend time messing around with them so I suspect shops take the less risk route.

Finesse....and you're guitarded.

ohh that first one was some tasty spaghetti western-ish, the 2nd was the cherry on the desert

Hello Paul, which type/brand/gauge of flats do you use on your Gretsch?......regards, Arnold!

@0:34 That bended note and tone sounds a bit like the opening song in this other RU-vid video (@:04): Cabin Alone in the Alaskan Wilderness - Dick Proenneke

Great sound, I think you need a Gretsch of your own or did you buy your Dad’s?

I've had flatwounds on my archtop (12s) and on my 335 (10s) for years and won't go back...I think flatwounds cut out a ton of squeak sliding up and down the neck. I have a theory that they save frets from unnecessary wear.

Valve amps and valve cars!

I just can't do it. It feels like you're playing alien intestines--long, smooth tubes of weirdness. It freaks my fingers out. On the plus side, they seem to last forever. They dont corrode like round wound.

Great intro or two. Good show. Get the car later. Play those guitars.

Are there any special considerations to make, when restringing flatwounds? I've got a grettsch 6120 with locking tuners. First time I tried to restring with flatwounds, the low E string broke straight of at the tuner. Any thoughts on why that would happen?

Had to chuckle to myself when you were on about trying a guitar and they gave you a crappy amp to play through, I had the exact same thing in gear4music, needless to say I didn't buy a guitar that day, it just sounded so sterile through this little crappy amp.

awesome what brand of strings are you using and are they extra long? I need extra long strings any suggestions would be greatly appreciated cheers

I didnt get tired of listening to the Gretsch. I really got tired of the Jazzmaster quickly. Nothing to do with your excellent playing. The Jazzmaster just didnt sell sonority that helps build to something. I dont know why it happened with the Jazzmaster, but this kind of thing is very important for a performer as an instrument that has a sonority or dynamics that does not capture the audience, works against you.

Hy-le-Son. Is closer to the pronunciation.

'pervs and freaks' Ha ha ...but you know every key on guitar has some strange magic

He has more of an Oliver Tree haircut.

Freaks and players who accompany horns tune to Eb! 😹

What tremolo device are you using so effectively here?