Thomastik 12 rounds on my archtop

[stevedenver]

I thought id share my recent experience with these strings

i have an L5c type of guitar with a kent armstrong johnny smith floater-adirondack top, almost 3" thick, 17" bout, 25.5 scale

simply the strings add a very lively punchier accoustic guitar sound to my ear-
probably due to the plain g string, the lighter gauge, and the round wound aspect

how i see it, so far, is that for fingerstyle, i really like the strings-they are responsive and articulate-easy to get 'bloop' as well as cut, based on touch

they seem brighter -especially than my usual 13 flats

but when dialed back -sound good, not too bright and have more presence and cut , especially with other players

they dont sound thick , and they sound , to me, more contemporary-and definitely more 'accoustic' and have a bit slower decay

neither good nor bad-just my impressions
i think style of music as well as playing makes a difference and i can definitely say these woudl be great for those playing a wider style of songs

i think i will try 13s or 14s next as these may be a bit too light and ringy for my purpose and for my particular guitar

these might be particularly well suited though, for a darker sounding guitar or lam top

[jmstritt]

I tried the TI Bebop strings that are roundwound and I like them a lot.

[bigdaddyguitar]

I use the TI George Benson flats ,12's , and they make my Broadway come alive . Love 'em .

[cmajor9]

I've been using the TI Bebops on an archtop (Guild X-170) for about a month and a half, and I've never been happier with the sound of that guitar. It is more lively sounding, both acoustically and plugged in, and feels great to play. The only drawback is having to be a bit more careful about finger squeak.

[rpguitar]

Since TI strings of a given gauge tend to be less tense than other brands, a set of TI 12's is effectively like a set of "normal" 11's. The experiences cited here therefore contradict the standard wisdom that all archtops (with an acoustic component) need heavy strings to make good sound. It's always "You need heavy strings, typically 13-56, to move the top on an acoustic archtop."

This is one of my favorite partial truths about acoustic archtops. Sure, heavier strings probably move the top more with their sheer physical girth. But lighter strings vibrate more freely, and respond more readily to a light touch, which allows the player to elicit a wider dynamic range. Sure, they don't get as absolutely loud as heavier strings, but they get quieter with grace and expressiveness.

Not that there is anything wrong with any kind of string. But there are no rules. Experimentation is key.

[SamBooka]

Originally Posted by rpguitar

Not that there is anything wrong with any kind of string. But there are no rules. Experimentation is key.

Zactly

[David B]

Thomastik bebop roundwounds are my favourite strings. Currently have 12s on a Gibson ES339 and have used 12s and 13s on a number of semihollow guitars and a 17" archtop, all with pleasing results.