Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swings versus d'Addario Chromes

[vinnyv1k]

1. I don't like stainless steel strings. Not good to have a string that is harder then the fret.
2. Not a fan of hex core.
3. Nickel just has a sweeter sound to my ears so I am a big fan of TI's plus I love their gauges.

I don't like the bronze E & B on TI's so I replace them with Elixir corrosion proof plain steels.

[Franz 1997]

Not good to have a string that is harder then the fret.

On the fret wear point, I'm sure you're right, but I find that when frets start to go, wear is most pronounced under the plain steel B string anyway. In my case, it usually starts around F for some reason...Maybe I'm not hitting those bottom strings hard enough!

[vinnyv1k]

I find TI's to feel much more polished and smooth also.

[blackcat]

Thanks Danielle. I suppose I do that in fact, but the last set were pretty fat in terms of the number of silk wraps and even after positioning the string underneath it still resisted passing through the final hole in the bar of the tailpiece when almost 90% tensioned.

If anyone is buying from Europe ( and Thomann are pretty good ) I recommended King Cordes and Cordes.fr in France.

[2bornot2bop]

I don't experience any "lack of convenience" factor, for I keep a back stock of TI Bebop round 14's and GB14's. Buy 'em in bulk, on sale, and you're set.

I could live with either the D'Add's or the TI's, but prefer the feel of the TI's...and they last forever.

"Sound" preference is very subjective...besides Dutch, nobody sounds like you...that's a good thing! Why don't you do a video demo with the TI's? On the Tal' they're great!

[DanielleOM]

Thanks Danielle. I suppose I do that in fact, but the last set were pretty fat in terms of the number of silk wraps and even after positioning the string underneath it still resisted passing through the final hole in the bar of the tailpiece when almost 90% tensioned.

If anyone is buying from Europe ( and Thomann are pretty good ) I recommended King Cordes and Cordes.fr in France.

Are all of the strings a problem or just the low (larger diameter) ones?

[Stringswinger]

TI's for me. I prefer the guage, the feel and the sound (to me they are warmer, even amplified). The only thing I like better about the Chromes are the price.

[Marty Grass]

Philosophically I generally cringe at the idea that everyone or everything is a winner but just different. But with the strings mentioned it's true.

Nonetheless this thread will resurrect again and again over the years, as will its variants about pickups, picks and picking technique. Yet each time I read the threads I find something new.

[vinlander]

I wish TI were more easily available everywhere like d'Addario, they are pretty much in every single shop here in Canada.
Clearly a plus for d'Addario beside their lower price even if they increased lately probably du to our sucking Canadian dollar.
Regarding TI price, I had found a Mom and Pop shop in Nova Scotia selling online called Globalstrings where I could buy TI Swing for 18.49 can$ (13.85 us$) regular price.
I had the time to get a couple sets of JS112 and JS113; I had the feeling the price would not stay like that...
Last month I checked and they were now 25$
Good thing they last a good deal of time!

[Eddie Lang]

I wish TI were more easily available everywhere like d'Addario, they are pretty much in every single shop here in Canada.
Clearly a plus for d'Addario beside their lower price even if they increased lately probably du to our sucking Canadian dollar.
Regarding TI price, I had found a Mom and Pop shop in Nova Scotia selling online called Globalstrings where I could buy TI Swing for 18.49 can$ (13.85 us$) regular price.
I had the time to get a couple sets of JS112 and JS113; I had the feeling the price would not stay like that...
Last month I checked and they were now 25$
Good thing they last a good deal of time!

I found them by chance a few months ago, and I purchased the remaining stock of Jazz Swing 012 and Plectrum 012 they had. That was just after everybody else had raised their prices on TI, but not them yet. They didn't have Jazz Bebop 013 at the time or I would have taken them all too. Besides price, they were really nice to deal with.