There are 2 general types of electric guitar strings being sold today. Most guitar players use the round wound strongs and the flat wound strings.
Flat Wound Strings
These differences in string construction make an even bigger difference in sound than they do in the way they feel. Flat wound strings are typically thought of as jazz strings, because they have a lower harmonic content, emphasizing the fundamental note. The effect of this is a very warm sound, which fits jazz very well. flat wound strings are much more versatile however, and have personally used them for rock/alternative styles, and even metal.
They do not have the harsh bite that some round wound strings have, and tend towards a more smooth distortion tone. While some varieties of flat wound strings are more expensive, such as Thomastik-Infeld’s George Benson Signature series stringsFlat Wound Strings These differences in string construction make an even bigger difference in sound than they do in the way they feel. Flat wound strings are typically thought of as jazz strings, because they have a lower harmonic content, emphasizing the fundamental note. The effect of this is a very warm sound, which fits jazz very well
Round Wound Strings
It is likely that if you play guitar, you use round wound strings. These tend to be much lower in price, because they are easier and cheaper to manufacture, and are manufactured in larger quantities since most players use them. The immensely popular Ernie Ball Slinky’s are typically less than five dollars per set. Roundwound strings have some disadvantages, despite being so popular.Because of the grooves between the windings, they are more susceptible to dirt and oil building up, and hampering natural vibration of the string. This is often noticed as a loss of brightness. This is less of a problem with flatwound strings because they have a smoother surface, and there is no gap between the winding since the wrap wire is flat.Round wound strings are also more likely to cause unwanted noise when sliding your fingers from one chord to another, often referred to as “string squeak.”
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