[zmf]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

The Beatles definitely used flatwounds on their electric instruments in the early days (most likely the Pyramid brand fitted as OEM on German-made Hofner instruments to this day), as did all the other first-wave British Invasion acts - the sound is unmistakable, and if you've been looking to cop that vibe with roundwounds it's not going to happen, period. Speaking as both a Gretsch and Rick owner (the former since 1964) who has been using flats since back in the day, don't sell them short on P-90 electrics - the boys used Epi Casinos from mid-1965, and not only can I get those Help/Rubber Soul era tones from my Godin CW II, but a very convincing approximation of George Harrison's Cavern Club single-cut Duo-Jet from my P-90 LP Studio; needless to say, if you own one of the Beatle guitars and an EL84 amp you owe it to yourself to try a set of flats - one of the iconic tones of rock, and greatly underappreciated in an era when tube amps are too often thought of in terms of massive amounts of gain and distortion...

Wow. Now that's passion.