Thomastik Infeld or Pyramid Strings?

**Gramps** · 10-10-2011, 10:43 AM

The only way to know for sure is to try them yourself. The two least expensive ways to experiment with your sound is strings and picks but if you're in a position where throwing away an extra $20 (The price of an average meal out for 2 or a set of TIs) bothers you than you should wait and try them later.

My own experiece with TIs is I liked them. On my instrument they gave me a strong fundimental tone but few overtones and little sustain. On the other hand I just got a new archtop that is quite a step up in quality from my last one and it is strung with round wounds and I really like them and am not sure if I want to go the flatwound route again.

Everything is variable and subjective.

**ESCC** · 10-10-2011, 11:46 AM

Very recently I was on the same quest. I like to play jazz, blues and rock (I'm featured four nights a week in the 3rd Floor Spare Room, standing room only! If my wife and I threw out some stuff, a couple people could join me).

I tried flatwounds, half-round wounds and round wounds on a hollowbody, semi-hollowbody and a solid body. I found something I liked and disliked in every set I tried, (TIs, D'Addarios, GHS). The conclusion I came to is that I definitely prefer TI flat wounds over D"Addarios, I felt the tone was more full, I preferred the tension/playability (using 13s) -they are on my ES175. On the other guitars I prefer D'Addario round wounds - EXL115s (11s). The TI Swing round wounds sounded lifeless to me closer to a half round wound and did not age well. With respect to the D'Addario half round wound strings I did have them on the 175 for a while and liked them, however, not as much as flatwounds, especially for playing chord melody. As others before me have stated, this is just my opinion you need to spend the time and $ to find out for yourself.

**jkstigma** · 06-13-2015, 02:29 AM

Does anybody here has any experience with pyramid strings ???

Pyramid Stand Jazz - Thomann Greece

Their price is very low 5.9e....what about quality ?

I am using Thomastik bebob 12 but their price in greece is about 15e

**Llacrobat** · 06-13-2015, 03:19 AM

I only use Pyramid these days. Excellent quality and feel and the tone I get from their nickel roundwounds is perfect for me. They last long too.

**jkstigma** · 06-13-2015, 05:15 AM

really ??? thats great !!!
From the first time i use thomastik... i love them! But its too expensive
I hope Pyramid will sound and playing as well as TI

**Phil in London** · 06-13-2015, 07:06 AM

while it might be counter-intuitive (PRS + archtop = ?), I have very good experience with these strings:

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strin...ound-3rd-p2883

Not expensive, durable, and produce a really cool bop sound especially on my 175s. More suitable than Thomastic rounds, imho.

**jzucker** · 06-13-2015, 07:28 AM

the thing about thomastik is the low tension. does pyramid have a similar feel?

**vinlander** · 06-13-2015, 07:38 AM

A couple reasons why I switched to TI Swing lately (despite the Chromes QC issue on G string):
They have less tension than Chromes or even Labella being a player of heavy gauge, my left elbow is thanking me.
I like the fact the E string is not 56 but 53 on a 13 set which feels more balanced size wise.
Being Pure nickel means they will put less wear on the frets on the long run than stainless steel.
They sound much rounder and warm than the Chromes or even the Labella I used before.
I could find a source for Swing sets at only 18.49$can, so even if they last less longer it is not so bad.
Add to that they look kinda nice with the red silk wrapping on both ends, they go well with the red tortoise pick guard and HCC pickup on my Regent ...
They might not be for everyone but they are worth a try

**jzucker** · 06-13-2015, 07:45 AM

i don't think the chromes are stainless steel. I didn't realize the TI strings are pure nickel.

**vinlander** · 06-13-2015, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

i don't think the chromes are stainless steel. I didn't realize the TI strings are pure nickel.

They are
D'Addario Strings : XL Chromes Flat Wound : ECG26 Chromes Flat Wound, Medium, 13-56

**jzucker** · 06-13-2015, 07:59 AM

at any rate, flatwounds have minimal impact on frets so there will not be significant wear.

I just received 2 replacement sets from d'addario and the G strings are ok.

**jzucker** · 06-13-2015, 08:08 AM

i do like the tension better on the TIs but the chromes sound fine once you get about 12 hours on them and your hands get used to the extra tension pretty quickly IMO.

**DanielleOM** · 06-13-2015, 10:04 AM

I am thinking I should order some Nickel flatwounds. I was happy with the GHS stainless steel set until the hot summer days arrived. I find the GHS set just feels terrible under my fingers on hot humid days. For some reason my right hand (picking hand) tends to feel extra tension with the GHS set.

I have noted D'addario plain strings, although plain steel, seem to have a bright silver finish or coating that seems to make them last longer or protect them.

Not sure how the Pyramid plain strings are. (coated, silver like or dull neutral steel grey?)

Last time I bought chromes I bought the 11 set and swapped out the top two strings to 12 and 16.

Danielle

**Cunamara** · 06-13-2015, 10:51 AM

I use Pyramid pure nickle rounwound 12s on my Tele And like them a lot. I just put them on my Ibanez GB10 and thus far like them a lot there. The .012 set comes with both plain and wound G strings. Ia have come to the conclusion tha I prefer nickel strings and round cores for jazz.

**DanielleOM** · 06-13-2015, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

I use Pyramid pure nickle rounwound 12s on my Tele And like them a lot. I just put them on my Ibanez GB10 and thus far like them a lot there. The .012 set comes with both plain and wound G strings. Ia have come to the conclusion tha I prefer nickel strings and round cores for jazz.

How was the color of the plain strings? Same color as D'addarios?

**Cunamara** · 06-13-2015, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by DanielleOM

How was the color of the plain strings? Same color as D'addarios?

The TIs have gold colored trebles. The Pyramids are silver. I have also used and liked Pyramid Gold flatwounds; IIRC the trebles are silver despite the name.

**Phil in London** · 06-13-2015, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

the thing about thomastik is the low tension. does pyramid have a similar feel?

Thomastik .012: 22.8 lbs; .053 wound: 25.4 lbs

Elixir .012: 23 lbs; 0.52 wound: 22 lbs

**DUBYA R M** · 06-13-2015, 07:24 PM

They cost too much, but, I have been playing T I's for .... many years (can't remember exactly when I discovered them) and I just love the things. Recently tried TI round-wounds for my "non-Jazz" guitars (Tele, Strat, etc.) and settled on Power-Brights.
So, now all my guitars have TI's on them and they cost too much.

I love the things, but, ... Did I mention the cost?

**Herbie** · 06-13-2015, 10:04 PM

Many years I played with D'addario Chromes and thought: hey, these are flatwounds, how could these dead sounding pieces of metal be different from any other brand?

Then for some reason that I don't remember I bought a set of TI George Benson .012 strings. After the first chords I was in tonal nirvana – so much warmer and still with more three dimensional presence! Easier to play! They made me better sounding guitarist in 15 minutes!

Since then I have not had any doubts buying them. I even have difficulties to test any other strings, because I love so much the first chords of the fresh set of GB's!

Of course if You prefer any other style than "classic post-60's mainstream humbucker powered jazz" the GB's could be a wrong direction.

**Phil in London** · 06-14-2015, 03:06 AM

Agreed, same experience here... so why is it that the TI GB are so much better than the TI swing/BP? They are also much more exp, if I remember correctly...

**Jabberwocky** · 06-14-2015, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by Phil in London

Agreed, same experience here... so why is it that the TI GB are so much better than the TI swing/BP? They are also much more exp, if I remember correctly...

The TI GBs are double the price of the TI BBs.
TI GBs GR112.12/16/20W/30/38/53.
TI BB112........12/16/20/28W/36/50.
TI BB113........13/17/21W/30/38/53.

**Nabil B** · 06-14-2015, 04:30 AM

I didn't like the bright sound of Chromes when I tried them. Thomastik strings sound softer and this is what I like about them. I've also had no quality issues with them... this is just my experience of course. So try the TI and see if they work for you. They are expensive but I rarely change the strings on my guitar, so this is not an issue for me

**hans halmackenreuter** · 06-14-2015, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by Llacrobat

I only use Pyramid these days. Excellent quality and feel and the tone I get from their nickel roundwounds is perfect for me. They last long too.

Me too. I use the the Jazz-Standard 12-52 nickels for my semi and my headless and 11 gauge for my strat. On my archtop I have the flatwounds 12-52 and they are really amazing. I used to play chromes and than switched to rounds exclusively, but this year I tried the fltas from Pyramid and they are worth a try.

**Para** · 06-14-2015, 06:34 AM

I use TI Swing flats 12-52 (used to use 13's )they are nickel wound on a round core, if you don't like the colour of the 1st and 2nd they do the sets with tin coated 1st and 2nd strings. I also use TI Bebops.

**DanielleOM** · 06-14-2015, 06:39 AM

I just realized that the Pyramid Gold flatwound strings can be ordered with a hex core or a round core.

I recall trying DR acoustic round core strings once on a flattop and found them to be stiff compared to their other acoustic strings. Not sure if this is true for all round core strings or not.

Danielle