How does Thomastik do it?

[garybaldy]

The only TIs I have are Swings on my L5CES. I got them because they were the nearest stock gauges (but not quite) to Rich Severson's custom set - which are actually Chromes! They do sound nice with a gentle touch.
(I do have Spirocores on my upright)
There were TIs on my Loar 700 when I got it but they were too floppy. That's generally my gripe with their gauges especially if you need to 'dig in'. The Loar has Monel 13s now.
My ES125 - Chromes. I love the sound.
175 - La Bella. They are old but lovely on the guitar.
30s L7 - experimenting with 80/20s but it's having a neck reset just now.
40s L7 - I think they are currently Newtone. Getting used to it but may go up a gauge. They are lovely with the RC 1000.
Aria FA71 - Chromes. A lot better than RWs that it came with.
Other electric archies - either Chromes or Nickel wound D'Ads.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Tempting to recommend the GB signature strings to go with the GB10- but as I check and find them at $62 a set (!) for the flatwounds and $46 for the non-GB Swings, I won't. Those are just ridiculous prices,

I’d try a set of GBs on it if you can get them on sale, Skip. Otherwise it’d be JS.

The GBs seem to me to feel and sound even smoother than the JS flats. I tried a set of GB114s on my AF207, which is a heavy laminated 16 with a fairly low arch and a poly finish thick enough to fossilize fish. I got them before the last price increase and on sale. They really woke it up with an audibly fuller and louder acoustic tone, a bit more CES-style fatness, and a slightly deeper amplified thunk. I made a few 30 second recordings to compare them to the JS113s I’d been using, and I could tell which was which. It could just be that the slight increase in string gauge is enough to better excite the thick shallowly arched top.

So I tried a set of GB112s on my El Rey when they went on sale. Any sonic difference is negligible on its carved 14” nitro finished body, although they definitely feel even smoother than JS112s. I’d have put a set on the Bravo too, but I couldn’t find a sale on them when I got home from picking it up. I still had 3 sets of JS112s from a really great sale over a year ago, so the JS112s went on and sound wonderful. If I ever find GBs on decent sale again, I’ll stock up and try them on the Bravo too.

It may be that a larger top lets any difference between JS and GB be heard better. But it may also be that a good carved top lets JS flats sound their absolute best regardless of size, and that GBs won’t sound any better. I haven’t compared GB to JS on my bigger carved Eastmans yet because the JS113s on them both are still in excellent condition. When it’s time to change them, I’ll try GBs and make before & after recordings to see if there’s any difference in tone.

The price is now outrageous. If another 15% off sale (or better) comes along, I’ll stock up on GB112s and try them as the JS112s need changing. I do think GBs feel a bit smoother, but not “$25 smoother”. I wouldn’t pay the full cost premium over JS just for a barely perceptible difference, when JS flats already feel so good to me.

I’d go to GB114s on all my guitars, but they don’t seem to go on sale at all these days and 112s do. Between that and the need to redo the setup and probably have to open the nut slots by 2 or 3 thou on guitars optimally set up for 11s or 12s, I’m leaving the El Rey and Bravo with 12s.

[jim777]

I have a set on this Unity 18 inch guitar I have here of Big Mikes (got to get it back to him) <snipped>.

I love TIs as much as the rest of the folks here do, and sorry to go off topic but how is Big Mike these days? I have one of his guitars (which I honestly don't play often because 18s are too big for me to play comfortable sitting down) but I think of him often. I hope he's doing as well as he can be and is happy. Please let him know he isn't far from our thoughts when you see him

[Aiq]

I’ve used a few sets of TI and they were fine but I find the Newtone Electric Jazz on round core are in the ballpark at less money.

[John A.]

I don't find the tone differences between Chromes and TI flats to be as dramatic as some of you, but I do prefer them. I have switched back and forth a couple of times, and I definitely don't perceive it as if it's a different guitar.

As far feels goes, the difference comes from round vs hex cores, differences in the actual string gauges in a sets (e.g., TI "12"'s are 12-50, whereas Chromes are 12-52), and differences in how they actually measure (TI's are metric and rounded up to imperial units, meaning their "26" is actually thinner than a true 26).

[nyc chaz]

Tempting to recommend the GB signature strings to go with the GB10- but as I check and find them at $62 a set (!) for the flatwounds and $46 for the non-GB Swings, I won't. Those are just ridiculous prices, YMMV.

For $20-22 the Pyramid Gold flatwounds are a nice string. Nickel-chrome wrapping and a round core, so different than D'Addario Chromes. I haven't used these in years but I remember liking them. I also liked their nickel roundwounds on round cores, too.

Benson 12's are currently $44 on Sweetwater.On Gimmesomestrings,they are $48 and if you buy 4 sets you get a 10 percent discount.

[vinnyv1k]

I love TIs as much as the rest of the folks here do, and sorry to go off topic but how is Big Mike these days? I have one of his guitars (which I honestly don't play often because 18s are too big for me to play comfortable sitting down) but I think of him often. I hope he's doing as well as he can be and is happy. Please let him know he isn't far from our thoughts when you see him

He is in a convalescent home now but is in good spirits. I will tell him Hi from everyone.

[bluenote61]

My only wish would be that the 12s had a wound G but I but singles and replace it.

Yes, I do the same with 12s RW. I will never understand their intention for using a blank g string in a set for jazz guitars.

[skykomishone]

Good thread. However, I don't know why I always cringe when I read 'box', or 'jazz box' as a proper name for an archtop!
Not being critical of those that do use it. I understand language development. But to me, it sounds cheap, and none of my archtops have ever been cheap. Maybe a few looked like they'd been ridden hard and put away wet when I acquired them, but they cleaned up nice, and mostly sport TI rounds. Those aren't cheap either! Please pardon the slight divergence of the thread, and again the sensitivity to references to any of my guitars as boxes! TI's are great.
Cheers!

[58flame]

TI jazz swings sound very nice, but my last set lasted one month. We'll see how long this set lasts.

[lawson-stone]

Good thread. However, I don't know why I always cringe when I read 'box', or 'jazz box' as a proper name for an archtop!
Not being critical of those that do use it. I understand language development. But to me, it sounds cheap, and none of my archtops have ever been cheap. Maybe a few looked like they'd been ridden hard and put away wet when I acquired them, but they cleaned up nice, and mostly sport TI rounds. Those aren't cheap either! Please pardon the slight divergence of the thread, and again the sensitivity to references to any of my guitars as boxes! TI's are great.
Cheers!

Hear! Hear! I'm with you. A guitar especially that costs $3000 and up should not be called a "box" of any kind!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

TI jazz swings sound very nice, but my last set lasted one month. We'll see how long this set lasts.

What problem(s) developed that made you change them?

[wintermoon]

Hear! Hear! I'm with you. A guitar especially that costs $3000 and up should not be called a "box" of any kind!

“I got a standard box. I don’t never want nothing special. Then if I drop my box, I can borrow somebody else’s.”

— Wes Montgomery

[58flame]

What problem(s) developed that made you change them?

Wouldn't stay in tune.

[skiboyny]

Having spent many years with both TI Swing Series and Chromes I can only half agree with the prevailing logic. Out of the box, there is no comparison: Chromes sound brash and clanky while TI's sound warm and inviting. But after putting 10 or 15 hours on the chromes, the comparison changes, a lot. The Chromes lose some of that clank and become substantially warmer. TI's will always feel softer because they are softer. The bass stings are lighter and they play at lower tension but that really just means that it's an apples to oranges comparison. As a set, Chrome 10's are closer in both gauge and tension to Swing Series 11's and in that comparison the feel is much closer.

If you custom order Chromes in the exact (or as close as they make) gauges as the TI the tension is very much the same as TI. I always thought it was because of the core winding but turns out not. I really like the TI but for me they don't last long enough to justify the cost. If I got a year out of them like most here claim, I would use them exclusively, but for me the chromes last way longer at way less money in any gauge I want. That said, Chromes don't work on every guitar according to my ear.

[Bob_Ross]

I think the nickel vs SS difference is real and signficant.

That makes sense: As a bass player primarily, I can confirm that there is a huge difference between nickel wound and stainless steel wound strings, mostly sonically but also in terms of feel.

I've been using D'Addario Chromes on my archtop for the past 20-something years, but I might have to give the Thomastiks a try, based on the OP.

[Bob_Ross]

SS strings eat your frets. Harder metal always wins and frets are a nickel alloy so it makes sense to use nickel strings.

Plot Twist: One of my guitars has SS frets!

[skykomishone]

“I got a standard box. I don’t never want nothing special. Then if I drop my box, I can borrow somebody else’s.”

— Wes Montgomery

I stand corrected!
Thanks WM! Always.
But WM, as in Wes, earned the privilege and probably got them boxes for free from Gibson. At least I hope he did!

[wintermoon]

I stand corrected!
Thanks WM! Always.
But WM, as in Wes, earned the privilege and probably got them boxes for free from Gibson. At least I hope he did!

all good Sky, just funnin'
Wes was truly a no nonsense meat and potatoes guy

[lammie200]

Tempting to recommend the GB signature strings to go with the GB10- but as I check and find them at $62 a set (!) for the flatwounds and $46 for the non-GB Swings, I won't. Those are just ridiculous prices, YMMV.

For $20-22 the Pyramid Gold flatwounds are a nice string. Nickel-chrome wrapping and a round core, so different than D'Addario Chromes. I haven't used these in years but I remember liking them. I also liked their nickel roundwounds on round cores, too.

I switched from TIs to Pyramids about 5, or so, years ago. Nothing wrong with TIs but Pyramids are similar round core strings and cost less. Never like Chromes. I have tried. Now they cost about the same as Pyramids anyway. I prefer round cores.

[garybaldy]

That makes sense: As a bass player primarily, I can confirm that there is a huge difference between nickel wound and stainless steel wound strings, mostly sonically but also in terms of feel.

I've been using D'Addario Chromes on my archtop for the past 20-something years, but I might have to give the Thomastiks a try, based on the OP.

I've used Chromes on archies since the late 90s. Not exclusively but mostly.

[garybaldy]

Hear! Hear! I'm with you. A guitar especially that costs $3000 and up should not be called a "box" of any kind!

What about axe?

[2bornot2bop]

Tempting to recommend the GB signature strings to go with the GB10- but as I check and find them at $62 a set (!) for the flatwounds and $46 for the non-GB Swings, I won't. Those are just ridiculous prices, YMMV.

For $20-22 the Pyramid Gold flatwounds are a nice string. Nickel-chrome wrapping and a round core, so different than D'Addario Chromes. I haven't used these in years but I remember liking them. I also liked their nickel roundwounds on round cores, too.

have no idea where you’re pricing them.

$42 at Sweetwater, and they’re about as expensive as you’ll find.

Same strings are $32.95 on eBay currently. In fact, $26 each for a set of 4.

Access to this page has been denied

[Skip Ellis]

I've heard of fakes on Amazon - could that be the case on Ebay? You wouldn't know until they arrived and by then it would be too late. I've been buying from Strings & Beyond for many years because I'll get the real thing. Benson set is $57.35 and Jazz Swing is $40.71 - a little pricey but if they last a year, might be worth a try. I think they're having a 10% off sale right now.

[Cunamara]

My only wish would be that the 12s had a wound G but I but singles and replace it.

The plain G in the 12s Bebop set is awful. It's just too heavy so it is stiff, too loud through a pickup and the tone gets plunky at about the 10th fret and above. Maybe they do it so they can sell a wound G in addition? That plain G is probably one of the reasons almost everybody who talks about using TI Bebops seems to buy the .013 set, which is much better balanced.