Wound third string

A third string made with a wire wrapped around a core, rather than a plain solid string, so the same pitch is produced with less tension and a fuller sound.

The problem it solves is that a plain third string at standard tuning is thin and under high tension, so it sounds noticeably plainer than the strings around it and is stiff to bend. A wound version evens out the balance of a six-string set, giving a mellower top end and a smoother transition between strings. It is standard on acoustic and jazz sets and available for electrics, though many electric players prefer the bendability of a plain string.

Example: a jazz player using flat-wound strings with a wound third gets a set that sounds uniform rather than one string sticking out.

Wound third string

See also