Strings for a Vintage Sound

soupking · 16th January 2007

Okay, I know it sounds lame, and believe me I know there's more to a vintage sound than strings, but I know strings are going to be part of the signal chain so I thought I might ask...

If I was aiming for an aged, vintage sound, are there any brands out there that would do that better than others?

I've been told that thick is the way to go for guitar, and flat-wound for bass, but beyond that is solely meticulous curiosity.

code green · 16th January 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by soupking

Okay, I know it sounds lame, and believe me I know there's more to a vintage sound than strings, but I know strings are going to be part of the signal chain so I thought I might ask...

If I was aiming for an aged, vintage sound, are there any brands out there that would do that better than others?

I've been told that thick is the way to go for guitar, and flat-wound for bass, but beyond that is solely meticulous curiosity.

not sure if they accomplish the job or not as i've never used them but thought you should be aware that gibson has for some years had a "vintage" line of strings.

FFTT · 16th January 2007

It all depends on what you consider vintage.

Strings, amps, the choice of guitar and pickups and of course the recording technique all
have their part in getting a certain sound.

soupking · 17th January 2007

Well, I'm actually doing 8 different songs from different periods so that's why I'm being kind of vague about the whole vintage part.

Right now I'm aiming at early 60's. The first 2 sounds are Reggae and Link Wray.

Peace,
-soupking

analogtodd · 23rd January 2007

Going back that far, you are probably going to at least TRY flatwounds!!

Pyramids strings always sounded like the real deal to me.

chetatkinsdiet · 23rd January 2007

Flatwounds for bass. I can't remember what year that other materials started to come in to play, but nickel was it for a long time. If you want a vintage sound, start there. Just about every manufacturer has some version of them.

www.ernieball.com There's a good "history of" section here as well as descriptions of all their various strings.

You can also find a few smaller boutique string lines like Ducks that do all nickel. Check them out as well. I just got some resonator strings from them and haven't tried them yet. I'll be sure to let you know what they sound like though.

m

Bob Olhsson · 23rd January 2007

All the crazy stuff with strings began in the early '70s.

Heavy flatwounds on a Precision were always the ticket before that.

initialsBB · 23rd January 2007

Flatwounds for guitar are pretty nice as well and they feel so great to play. You should give them a try.

Naokiman · 28th January 2007

someone already mentioned it but yeah, I think pure nickel strings. I've tried some pure nickel fenders on my tele and honestly didn't like them at all. it just felt like the guitar was "dead". I then tried some on my semi-hollow dearmond (335-like) and it wasn't that bad. they definitely didn't sound modern though! and maybe that's exactly what you need.

Jim Goad · 29th January 2007

Gibson vintage strings suck! They sound really dead but might give you the right feel. Basically, just experiment with some heavy gagues & go for flat / semi-flat wound.

tradarama · 1st February 2007

They are not as bright sounding and many think they are vintage sounding. I like them on my strats for that SRV thing. Thicker helps if you can stand them try 11s or at least 10s. Also try a thicker guage pick. Lastly, honestly, try a different brand of cable...believe it or not they will affect your tone WAY more than you think. A good cable will give you a balanced tone or a bright one if you want.

woomanmoomin · 1st February 2007

Pickup. (Maybe use a guitar that doesn't have bright single-coil pickups, if the vintage tone you mean is warm and midrangey.)
Amp. Ditch any Triple Rectifier or valvestate hiss machines. Think about swapping out any amp valves for warmer (probably lower-gain) alternatives.
And maybe some warm, judicious valve processing later on if possible.
Gibson jazz flatwounds might be worth a look but there's arguably not much point sticking them on a bright-ass Fender or whatever.

16th January 2007	#1
soupking Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,337 Thread Starter	Strings for a Vintage Sound Okay, I know it sounds lame, and believe me I know there's more to a vintage sound than strings, but I know strings are going to be part of the signal chain so I thought I might ask... If I was aiming for an aged, vintage sound, are there any brands out there that would do that better than others? I've been told that thick is the way to go for guitar, and flat-wound for bass, but beyond that is solely meticulous curiosity.

16th January 2007	#3
FFTT Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: A stoned throw from ground zero Posts: 5,577	It all depends on what you consider vintage. Strings, amps, the choice of guitar and pickups and of course the recording technique all have their part in getting a certain sound. __________________ Don't look at me in that tone of voice

23rd January 2007	#7
Bob Olhsson Motown legend Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Songwriter Gulch, Nashville TN Posts: 10,638	All the crazy stuff with strings began in the early '70s. Heavy flatwounds on a Precision were always the ticket before that. __________________ Bob's room 615 562-4346 Georgetown Masters 615 254-3233 Music Industry 2.0 Interview

1st February 2007	#11
tradarama Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 221	Try the pure nickel Ernie Ball strings They are not as bright sounding and many think they are vintage sounding. I like them on my strats for that SRV thing. Thicker helps if you can stand them try 11s or at least 10s. Also try a thicker guage pick. Lastly, honestly, try a different brand of cable...believe it or not they will affect your tone WAY more than you think. A good cable will give you a balanced tone or a bright one if you want.

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17th January 2007	#4
soupking Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,337 Thread Starter	Well, I'm actually doing 8 different songs from different periods so that's why I'm being kind of vague about the whole vintage part. Right now I'm aiming at early 60's. The first 2 sounds are Reggae and Link Wray. Peace, -soupking

23rd January 2007	#5
analogtodd Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Denver Colorado Posts: 1,194	Going back that far, you are probably going to at least TRY flatwounds!! Pyramids strings always sounded like the real deal to me.

23rd January 2007	#6
chetatkinsdiet Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,493	Flatwounds for bass. I can't remember what year that other materials started to come in to play, but nickel was it for a long time. If you want a vintage sound, start there. Just about every manufacturer has some version of them. www.ernieball.com There's a good "history of" section here as well as descriptions of all their various strings. You can also find a few smaller boutique string lines like Ducks that do all nickel. Check them out as well. I just got some resonator strings from them and haven't tried them yet. I'll be sure to let you know what they sound like though. m

23rd January 2007	#8
initialsBB Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: LA Posts: 2,113	Flatwounds for guitar are pretty nice as well and they feel so great to play. You should give them a try.

28th January 2007	#9
Naokiman Gear Head Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 42	someone already mentioned it but yeah, I think pure nickel strings. I've tried some pure nickel fenders on my tele and honestly didn't like them at all. it just felt like the guitar was "dead". I then tried some on my semi-hollow dearmond (335-like) and it wasn't that bad. they definitely didn't sound modern though! and maybe that's exactly what you need.

29th January 2007	#10
Jim Goad Gear interested Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Birmingham, England Posts: 7	Gibson vintage strings suck! They sound really dead but might give you the right feel. Basically, just experiment with some heavy gagues & go for flat / semi-flat wound.

1st February 2007	#12
woomanmoomin Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London, England Posts: 1,021	Pickup. (Maybe use a guitar that doesn't have bright single-coil pickups, if the vintage tone you mean is warm and midrangey.) Amp. Ditch any Triple Rectifier or valvestate hiss machines. Think about swapping out any amp valves for warmer (probably lower-gain) alternatives. And maybe some warm, judicious valve processing later on if possible. Gibson jazz flatwounds might be worth a look but there's arguably not much point sticking them on a bright-ass Fender or whatever.

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