Why are strings wound?

A thinner wire with an overwrap is far more elastic and flexible than a solid wire of approximately the same overall diameter. This means the wound string will have a softer feel (easier to fret and bend), plus its effective vibrational length is closer to its physical length and less compensation is required for correct intonation.

The greater flexibility will also result is longer sustain, as less energy is lost in the flexing at the ends of the string. So again wound wins over solid.

Round wounds have a sharper attack and more harmonic content (bright sound) than flatwounds, which will sound "thumpier" and duller. But thumpier and duller is better for some types of music -- e.g., jazz and surf

Have you seen what bare wire can do to your skin? :shock:

A thinner wire with an overwrap is far more elastic and flexible than a solid wire of approximately the same overall diameter. This means the wound string will have a softer feel (easier to fret and bend), plus its effective vibrational length is closer to its physical length and less compensation is required for correct intonation.

The greater flexibility will also result is longer sustain, as less energy is lost in the flexing at the ends of the string. So again wound wins over solid.

Round wounds have a sharper attack and more harmonic content (bright sound) than flatwounds, which will sound "thumpier" and duller. But thumpier and duller is better for some types of music -- e.g., jazz and surf

Hmmm.... is the fact that the "wire" coills around in a sort of spring shape
attributes to sound? if so, would the amount of windings affect the sound that much?
I understand that much about a wound string being stronger and more
flexible from the posts above, but what about that? or what if the wire was several wires BRAIDED around a core? would the braid kill the sustain?

Thanks gnease.