The history of flatwound guitar strings

[JCat]

Steel guitar strings have been around for more than 100 years, long before the invention of the electric guitar. Steel strings provide louder acoustics, are more consistent and don't break like the old gut strings. But steel strings also got higher tension which propelled the invention of the archtop design and eventually the truss rod to maintain structural integrity of the guitar frame.

Steel strings were originally round wounds, also at the time when the electric guitar was invented. I believe flatwound guitar strings were introduced sometime in the 50s, but it's not until the late 60s and 70s when it became a thing and then associated with electric jazz guitar.
In the early 60s, if you bought a brand new archtop, with or without pickups, it came with round wound strings, having an acoustic sound resembling a flat top acoustic. Not exactly the same of course, but close enough for people to recognize the sound of a common "steel string guitar".

I guess flatwounds was first invented for the electric bass guitar, possibly as half rounds in the first incarnation. When the manufacturing process was in place, soon there were also flatwounds for the electric guitar. In the swing era, when Jazz was still pop-music, guitar players had probably never heard about flatwound strings.

-Who were the first guitar players and endorsers of flatwounds?

[customxke]

Guitar String Composition and Swing Guitar — Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five featuring Hilary Alexander

[Stringswinger]

I seem to remember the old timers telling me that Leo Fender shipped his guitars with 12 gauge flatwounds in the pre-CBS Era. Those 12's were the "light" strings of the day.

[garybaldy]

Guitar String Composition and Swing Guitar — Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five featuring Hilary Alexander

Why are TI flats called swings?

[Stringswinger]

Why are TI flats called swings?

they should be called "hard bops"

[garybaldy]

they should be called "hard bops"

Exactly!

[Litterick]

Dur-A-Glo flatwound strings were advertised in the 1940 Montgomery Ward Catalogue, on page 555. In the 1942 Catalogue (page 716) the catalogue entry includes an endorsement from a band leader: 'Herbie Kay says, "More umph needed? Then use Dur-a-Glo strings. They're actually alive!" New Type Flat Winding with very hard metal on steel core means less polishing, hence more resiliency, more sustained tone and 2 to 3 times longer wear. Easy on frets and fingers.'

I think they had plain B and top E strings, but I am not sure.

[Cunamara]

I think it was Johnny Smith who talked about using Black Diamond strings and lifting them up away from the fingerboard by putting a pencil underneath them, polishing them with the side of a drinking glass to smooth them out.

[JCat]

I think it was Johnny Smith who talked about using Black Diamond strings and lifting them up away from the fingerboard by putting a pencil underneath them, polishing them with the side of a drinking glass to smooth them out.

Black Diamonds were regular round wound strings. We all know the difference when comparing new vs worn-in round wounds. I think Johnny maybe wanted to speed up aging of the strings?

Brand new, sparkling round wounds always give me trouble, too much mid-scoop (deep bass, sizzling highs, hard to dial out). Worn-in, "dull" round wounds on the other hand are fine as long as they intonate. (Tip; wipe the strings, also on the underside, and they ring true and last much longer.)

...which leads to a discussion about the very purpose of flatwounds;

Some guys have issues with finger noise (It doesn't bother me much, but clearly new round wounds are much noisier than when worn-in.

Flatwounds on the other hand got a very smooth feel of touch, affecting fretting as well as plucking and picking. Overall friction is lower, including less string slot friction. But some flats are smoother than others; some feel "oily", some feel sticky. (On a side note; oil was actually used to prevent corrosion on round wound steel strings in the past. But still to this day apparently some people rub their new strings with some soft grease. All that grime building up between the wraps of the round winding affects the weight of the string, thus intonation gets compromised. Flatwounds are more resilient (dirt won't get a grip) and therefore last much longer.

Most importantly, Flatwounds got a different tone, partly due to construction and weight and partly because of the smooth right hand plucking. However, the plain strings are the same as in any round wound set.

Maybe Wes Montgomery is the man that started the flatwound hype? Did he use flats on his 1960 "Incredible Jazz guitar" album? Everyone knows that he played with his thumb, meaning he would get a pretty smooth tone also with brand new round wounds I suppose...

[JCat]

Dur-A-Glo flatwound strings were advertised in the 1940 Montgomery Ward Catalogue, on page 555. In the 1942 Catalogue (page 716) the catalogue entry includes an endorsement from a band leader: 'Herbie Kay says, "More umph needed? Then use Dur-a-Glo strings. They're actually alive!" New Type Flat Winding with very hard metal on steel core means less polishing, hence more resiliency, more sustained tone and 2 to 3 times longer wear. Easy on frets and fingers.'

I think they had plain B and top E strings, but I am not sure.

Thanks, very interesting. Then it appears that some people used some type of Flats already in the '40s.
Herbie Kay was a guitarist, trumpeter and swingband leader, he knew the meaning of umph.

(I note he didn't say "less finger noise needed ?")

I wonder what those Dur-a-Glo's were like?

Here's a 1935 recording, possibly before Dur-a Glo hit the market. He clearly needed more umph :