Any experience with these 5 sets compared to TI Bebops & Swings?

[iim7V7IM7]

Hi,

I have been happy playing 3 types of strings over the last decade on my archtop to play jazz.

Thomastik-Infeld - Bebop BB113 .013-.053 (round wounds)
Sadowsky - Jimmy Bruno Signature SGPR-JB13 .013-.053 (half wounds)
Thomastik-Infeld – Jazz Swings BB113 .013-.053 (flat wounds)

I switch between these every once in a while depending how much I am playing acoustically or plugged in. I had tried some D’Addario and GHS alternatives some years back and preferred what I am playing currently. I know that the Bebops and Swings are Nickel flat wounds and plain steel in the B and E strings. I believe that La Bella manufactures strings for Roger Sadowsky and they don't have a set of their own like the JBs (kind of in between the Bebops and Swings in one and feel...GHS half rounds are similar but I prefer the Sadowsky's). All of the strings that I am considering to try appear to be nickel plated except the La Bella 20PM which are stainless steel.

There are three sets of round wounds I was thinking of comparing to Bebops:

John Pearse - Nickel Wound Jazz 2920 .013-.056 (nickel round wounds)
La Bella - Nickel Plated Round Wound EL-JM .013-.056 (nickel plated round wounds)
Newtone - Archtop Nickel AM-M.013-.056 (double wrapped nickel round wounds)

There are two sets of round wounds I was thinking of comparing to Swings:

La Bella - Flat Wounds 20PM .013-.053 (stainless steel flat wounds)
Pyramid - Gold Pure Nickel Flat Wound GF613 .013-.052 (nickel plated flat wounds and silver plated plain strings)

Could over some comment in terms of their tone, string noise, relative tension and longevity?


Thanks,

Bob

[jorgemg1984]

Not exactly what you asked but I had TI Swing on my archtop and now I have John Pearse Rounds. I LOVE the John Pearse strings... and they are very cheap! I doubt the Thomastik Bebop are 3x as good (and they cost 3x more). They are good enough for Peter Bernstein so... I also have La Bella EL-JM on my 335 and find them very superior to DAs (and they bring an extra 1 and 2 stirngs). Too bad I never tried TI Bebop to give you a better comparison.

I can't really talk about most of the items you asked because I don't have that expertise on strings but both EL-JM and JP have great feel and great tone to my taste / ears. They seem to last just fine but these days I just buy 10 extra 1 and 2 strings and leave the others for a very long time. TI Swing strings never lasted that much longer than other strings with me and I never bounded with their light feel and thin sound.

[oldane]

I tried the Pyramid nicklel Flat wounds recently but didn't like them. The sound as such was OK, but they were very unbalanced volume wise - more than I could be compensated by adjusting the PU. So they were only on the guitar a few days. It reminded me why I like TI Swing and D'A Chromes. As I remeber from many years ago La Bella Black Nylon sounded good and was well balanced, but If I should use them on my present guitars, I would have to recut the nuts because they are so thick. I have no experience with the others you mention.

[PTChristopher]

From your list, I would skip the Pyramids. I really do not like their uneven response. I also did not like the nickel dust on the surface, presumably from finishing the surface of the wound strings, but I do not know the source of the dust for certain.

[skiboyny]

Newtones compared to Bebops

Not quite as bright, less tension, about the same finger noise. Long lasting not quite as long as Bebops but almost. I was really hoping that the double wrap would be less in the finger noise department if so they would have been the perfect string for me. Worth a try if your in to wound rounds though.

Hi,

I have been happy playing 3 types of strings over the last decade on my archtop to play jazz.

Thomastik-Infeld - Bebop BB113 .013-.053 (round wounds)
Sadowsky - Jimmy Bruno Signature SGPR-JB13 .013-.053 (half wounds)
Thomastik-Infeld – Jazz Swings BB113 .013-.053 (flat wounds)

I switch between these every once in a while depending how much I am playing acoustically or plugged in. I had tried some D’Addario and GHS alternatives some years back and preferred what I am playing currently. I know that the Bebops and Swings are Nickel flat wounds and plain steel in the B and E strings. I believe that La Bella manufactures strings for Roger Sadowsky and they don't have a set of their own like the JBs (kind of in between the Bebops and Swings in one and feel...GHS half rounds are similar but I prefer the Sadowsky's). All of the strings that I am considering to try appear to be nickel plated except the La Bella 20PM which are stainless steel.

There are three sets of round wounds I was thinking of comparing to Bebops:

John Pearse - Nickel Wound Jazz 2920 .013-.056 (nickel round wounds)
La Bella - Nickel Plated Round Wound EL-JM .013-.056 (nickel plated round wounds)
Newtone - Archtop Nickel AM-M.013-.056 (double wrapped nickel round wounds)

There are two sets of round wounds I was thinking of comparing to Swings:

La Bella - Flat Wounds 20PM .013-.053 (stainless steel flat wounds)
Pyramid - Gold Pure Nickel Flat Wound GF613 .013-.052 (nickel plated flat wounds and silver plated plain strings)

Could over some comment in terms of their tone, string noise, relative tension and longevity?


Thanks,

Bob

[Bill C]

The Newtones are not dissimilar to the Brunos but imo a fair bit more string noise (round wound) and a slightly less "dark smoky" sound. I was a long term D'Addario half round user for many years but the Brunos are now my favourite strings.