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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 2:04 pm 
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Koa
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Talking guitars with a friend recently, He told me about a new arch top that he had just picked up.
He put flatwound strings on it and said he was getting a buzz that wasn't there before.
My question is do flatwound vibrate different than strings with round windings.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:55 pm 
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Well, they don't have the high harmonics.
Good question, Dave - I never really thought about it before.
String experts - sing out!

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:08 pm 
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I would think it would depend on the string diameter and tension but will be interested to here the input from the setup experts out there.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 6:43 pm 
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It's not necessarily flat wounds that can have variances in tension and even lash, any different set of strings can do this under the right, or should I say wrong circumstances.

A simple difference in tension can dramatically change relief and even induce back bow and there's your rattle/buzz as the fret plane changes.

I suspect that your friends archie had pretty low action and may have been fine tuned for what it came with. Make a change that equates to less tension and perhaps even less mass and it can be enough of a change that things now need adjustment. If all the strings were changed at the same time and the bridge is traditional and not fixed it could have moved too.

Change brands of strings within the same gauge and the intonation setting may be vastly different.... Change gauges and the intonation is different as well. Likewise neck bow, relief change too.

If you want to get into the nits even how the strings bend out of the face of the nut slots can change with different gauges or brands of strings.

I once lost an argument thinking that larger strings lash out further. Not true, lighter gauge strings have less inertia to overcome making them more unrestrained to lash out.

EDIT: I wanted to add that I frequently spend an extra minute or two.... with my customers making darn sure that what ever strings we are setting up their ax for are strings that they are most likely going to stay with. Why? Because again even the brand of strings can have different settings for intonation, etc.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:02 pm 
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THANKS Hesh,
"This is not rocket science; it's harder"
The more I learn I realize the less I know.

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These users thanked the author Dave Rickard for the post: Hesh (Tue Aug 09, 2016 4:19 am)
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 6:52 pm 
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Just to second Hesh, flat wounds tend to be on the very highest end of tension. I don't know the sets in question, but he could have easily gone from a 145lbs set of nickel to a 190lbs set of flat wounds. That would have a big impact on the geometries of the neck, fret, soundboard, etc.


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