fretmeister Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 How does it work? It goes beyond steel rounds = bright; flats = dull. There is a measurable EQ difference in very similar strings made with different materials. TI Flats - quite a lot of mids Dunlop Flats - Far more bass than the Ti Flats, lower mids, quite bright at the top. La Bella Flats - very mellow top end. Round steels - bright zingy Round Nickels - not nearly as zingy. What is the process for designing a string? I'm curious as to actual details, not just "well, steel just is zingier, ain't it!?" - is it something in construction that affects the pickup magnetic field? How does a flatwound cause less treble than a round? Does being a flatwound actually attenuate treble that is still there, or does it not generate that treble in the first place? What are the differences in the EMF that cause the different sound? That sort of thing! ta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Googling around a bit I was able to find a couple of articles that examine the characteristics of strings in slightly more detail than the usual beginner help files. For an in-depth study of the actual properties of each metal used to create a string, though, I think we'd need to brush up on atomic physics! Presumably the structure and types of bonds in each metal's molecule is what gives the metal its characteristics. Would be lovely to see, say, a PhD study of their effects on sound. Anyone? Article about bass strings Article about guitar strings 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share Posted December 23, 2021 My eldest spawn is going to uni next year to study Aerospace Engineering (gawd knows where she gets that talent from!!! It's not me!) so maybe I'll ask her to do a side project when she's got access to all manner of lab kit! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoulderpet Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 A large part of it is how the string vibrates and sustains, the flat wire on flatwounds is generally more tightly wound and the windings are closer together than roundwounds, add to this the fact that flats are generally stiffer, these factors prevent the strings from vibrating and sustaining in the same way that rounds do. You just have to stick a dense piece of foam under your strings to see how a shorter sustain kills off the highs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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