Thomastik Prices

[nyc chaz]

I'm curious about how others know when a set needs changing. I haven't had issues with rust on the wound strings. Sometimes there is breakage but not often. They shouldn't get dirty with proper care.

Has anyone made high fidelity recordings with spectral analysis to show loss of sustain or brightness?

Curious.

I think people sometimes get lulled into thinking their old strings sound good.Happens to me too but then i change the strings on another guitar and i can hear and feel the difference right away and those old strings don't seem so great anymore.

[AllanAllen]

Inflation is higher than that 2.7 percent number that was put out the other day.If you buy anything electronic or in the audio realm,prices went up on many things between 15 and 30 percent at the end of April and it's stayed there.

I think this “” meant he was being sarcastic.

[jzucker]

JS112 are $26 everywhere I checked, a few bucks more than last time i bought some.

[nyc chaz]

I think this “” meant he was being sarcastic.

Yes i knew that,my response was reinforcing his observation.Turns out my statement yesterday about inflation being higher than reported was correct by the numbers published today.

[jzucker]

I think people sometimes get lulled into thinking their old strings sound good.Happens to me too but then i change the strings on another guitar and i can hear and feel the difference right away and those old strings don't seem so great anymore.

Not me, whenever I change to a new set, I hate the sound of the new flats until they wear in and dull out a bit. It's different on rounds. I love the sound of new rounds but with flats, I like them when they deaden somewhat.

[Cunamara]

Funny how everyone's ears and fingers are different. I've tried TIs several times (Bebops, Swings, Bensons) and just didn't like 'em. But for lots of other people they're the best thing since sliced bread, as per many testimonials right here. Good thing there are options!

[Stringswinger]

Not me, whenever I change to a new set, I hate the sound of the new flats until they wear in and dull out a bit. It's different on rounds. I love the sound of new rounds but with flats, I like them when they deaden somewhat.

+1

[rpjazzguitar]

I buy E and B strings in packs of 5. I change them more often than the others.

I don't find that one manufacturer's strings please me more than others', among those that I've tried. I just don't hear much difference.

But, I'm sensitive to intonation problems. I change strings when they don't intonate properly. For the lower strings it can be many months. For the high E maybe two or three months.

[GuyBoden]

On an acoustic Archtop I'm more fussy about strings than a guitar I use mainly with pickups.

[John A.]

I'm curious about how others know when a set needs changing. I haven't had issues with rust on the wound strings. Sometimes there is breakage but not often. They shouldn't get dirty with proper care.

Has anyone made high fidelity recordings with spectral analysis to show loss of sustain or brightness?

Curious.

For me it's partly feel and intonation and staying in tune and partly sound. At a certain point, plain strings start to feel stiffer (maybe from work hardening? maybe from crud?), stop holding tuning, and don't intonate. At that point, breakage arrives soon. With roundwounds (actually rollerwounds, 3 guitars 10-46), the tone starts to get muddy at about the same point that the plain strings start to lose it physically. When I notice this, I change the whole set. I also change sets that have been on the guitar for a while before blues gigs (where I do more bending) to forestall breakage.

With flats (one guitar, TI JS 13's) , I just reach a point subjectively where the set seems too dead sounding and I change the set. Seems to happen with plain and wound strings at about the same point for me, somewhere around 4-6 months, depending on how much I'm playing the guitar, humidity, schmutz, etc. At $25-30 a set for TI JS's that's still cheap enough for me not to fret about getting the ideal/maximum use.

Nothing scientific or systematic about it really. It's just "hmmm, I think it's time".

[nyc chaz]

Not me, whenever I change to a new set, I hate the sound of the new flats until they wear in and dull out a bit. It's different on rounds. I love the sound of new rounds but with flats, I like them when they deaden somewhat.

Most people that i have known like flats because they already have that deadened quality when new unlike roundwounds which are too bright until played for awhile.I have a friend that has Labella JazzTapes on his guitar for 5 years and he thinks they still sound good but to me and others they sound deader than dead.He claims he loves the thud when he plays them.Everyone has their subjective view of what sounds good.

[jzucker]

Most people that i have known like flats because they already have that deadened quality when new unlike roundwounds which are too bright until played for awhile.I have a friend that has Labella JazzTapes on his guitar for 5 years and he thinks they still sound good but to me and others they sound deader than dead.He claims he loves the thud when he plays them.Everyone has their subjective view of what sounds good.

IMO, Chromes and TI flats are harsh and bright sounding when new. And i don't think rounds are too bright when they are new. The bright attack and sustain sounds great to me.

[John A.]

Most people that i have known like flats because they already have that deadened quality when new unlike roundwounds which are too bright until played for awhile.I have a friend that has Labella JazzTapes on his guitar for 5 years and he thinks they still sound good but to me and others they sound deader than dead.He claims he loves the thud when he plays them.Everyone has their subjective view of what sounds good.

Chromes and TI JS's are pretty bright when brand new. IME, it takes a few hours to lose that (Chromes maybe a bit longer than TI's, but Chromes then degrade beyond that more quickly). I don't have much experience with Labella JT, but agree that they're dead sounding out of the box.

[spencer096]

JS112 are $26 everywhere I checked, a few bucks more than last time i bought some.

I just bought a few sets of their 13’s rounds for $22 on Amazon…flats were same price (I’ve got a few in my string box already tho).

[arnie65]

Restpectfully, I'm missing something here, old guys like Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Jim Hall etc, used GHS flatwounds or whatever flatwounds were available 30-40 yrs ago. They sounded great all the time, and they used their guitar tone knob and the amp's tone controls if they had any issues. Nowadays we need $30 to $50 set of strings to sound good? Wes Montgomery used the old Gibson flatwounds that most guitarist today wouldn't even touch today.





Arnie...

[AllanAllen]

Restpectfully, I'm missing something here, old guys like Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Jim Hall etc, used GHS flatwounds or whatever flatwounds were available 30-40 yrs ago. They sounded great all the time, and they used their guitar tone knob and the amp's tone controls if they had any issues. Nowadays we need $30 to $50 set of strings to sound good? Wes Montgomery used the old Gibson flatwounds that most guitarist today wouldn't even touch today.





Arnie...

I just want the blue jeans that used to be the only choice.

I feel like Ted Talks have fallen out of favor, but this one really changed how I think about things and it’s the same point as your post.

[nyc chaz]

Chromes and TI JS's are pretty bright when brand new. IME, it takes a few hours to lose that (Chromes maybe a bit longer than TI's, but Chromes then degrade beyond that more quickly). I don't have much experience with Labella JT, but agree that they're dead sounding out of the box.

Like i said in my post,it's subjective to the individual.I don't find Thomastik new to be too bright.There's no one answer that fits all.The only flats that i tried that sounded too bright new were GHS.I'm sure that there are GHS users who will disagree with me and that's fine with me.Too many times on these forums guys post like their opinion is the only valid one.

[lammie200]

Pyramid Golds are my favorites over TI Swings, but both are great IMHO. As much as I have wanted to like Chromes I just can't. I don't know about the metals, but I prefer round core over hex core. Chromes are hex from what I know.

[garybaldy]

Restpectfully, I'm missing something here, old guys like Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Jim Hall etc, used GHS flatwounds or whatever flatwounds were available 30-40 yrs ago. They sounded great all the time, and they used their guitar tone knob and the amp's tone controls if they had any issues. Nowadays we need $30 to $50 set of strings to sound good? Wes Montgomery used the old Gibson flatwounds that most guitarist today wouldn't even touch today.





Arnie...

This is a meaty set! GHS Pat Martino Electric Flatwound Guitar Strings Medium 16-56

[nyc chaz]

This is a meaty set! GHS Pat Martino Electric Flatwound Guitar Strings Medium 16-56

If you want that Joe Pass Joy Spring sound,these strings will get you there.No way my hands could handle that gauge anymore.

[AllanAllen]

Why? They’re just chrome mediums with a little heavier b and e string.

[garybaldy]

Why? They’re just chrome mediums with a little heavier b and e string.

Sor - reee!

[garybaldy]

If you want that Joe Pass Joy Spring sound,these strings will get you there.No way my hands could handle that gauge anymore.

Nor mine but seems AllenAllen can handle them! Lucky fellow!!!

[nyc chaz]

Nor mine but seems AllenAllen can handle them! Lucky fellow!!!

After he's playing 56 years like me,he might feel differently.Arthritis and aging tendons need to be pampered or the joy of playing guitar goes away.

[garybaldy]

After he's playing 56 years like me,he might feel differently.Arthritis and aging tendons need to be pampered or the joy of playing guitar goes away.

Yes. It's 59 years for me. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the early 80s and have been on anti inflamatories or auto immune drugs ever since.