The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 53
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    I've got D'Addario Chromes 12s and they just won't go dead. Maybe the high tension? Looking for more of a Tal Farlow sound. TI's? LaBellas? Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Thomastik-Infeld strings are like no other I've ever played. You owe it to yourself to try them.

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    Thomastik-Infeld strings are like no other I've ever played. You owe it to yourself to try them.
    Thanks. No doubt worth a roll of the dice. Kinda pricey. Should I go all the way to Bensons?

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    Not the Bensons. Those actually have much less thud than the regulars.

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    The LaBella tapewound strings sound dead. Just be careful about heavier gauges, because the bass E string can be too thick to fit through the hole in the tuner capstan on some guitars. They also need a lot of distance between the tailpiece and the tuners, I can't recall the exact distance. However, I've used them on an ES175 with no issues other than the dead sound, as long as I never detuned them. That allows the tape to loosen, which is not a good thing.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
    Not the Bensons. Those actually have much less thud than the regulars.
    No kidding? I just found this quote from a previous thread:

    Quote Originally Posted by Philco

    The differences between Swing and Benson:

    • Bensons go dull very quickly.
    • Swing are very bright at first and then mellow a little but never go "thud" like the Benson's eventually will. They stay a little lively.
    • Benson's are silky smooth. Swing's are ever so slightly rougher...but still very flat wound.
    • You can just see the wind on the Swing's whereas you can barely see it on Benson's.

    Maybe they respond differently depending on the guitar? "Thud" is appealing to me.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    the individual thom pure nickel round core flats are all exactly the same!...only difference is benson is packaged with different gauges than jazz swings...otherwise identical per string...i.e. for example a .53 in jazzzswing is exact same string as used in benson set

    cheers

    ps- been using thom flats since 90's when i met the good fellows of usa distributors connolly of li, ny at ny guitar shows...classic strings...
    Last edited by neatomic; 11-27-2019 at 09:39 PM.

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    TI Swing series are the warmest strings I know of outside of the tape wound strings (that are more of a "classical guitar" tone than a jazz guitar tone). I find Chromes and all the other American made flats to be a bit bright. I think it is that fact that they are wrapped in Stainless Steel, whereas the TI Swing Flats are wrapped in pure nickel.

    I have only tried the TI Bensons in 14's and so did not like the extra tension that I gave up on them quickly.

    TI Swing series flats cost twice as much as their American made counterparts, but I like them more than twice as much, so I keep using them. YMMV

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by buduranus2
    Thanks. No doubt worth a roll of the dice. Kinda pricey. Should I go all the way to Bensons?

    Some people strongly dislike things others swear by. You'll never know until your try for yourself. Start with the JS112 or JS111 set.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    it's not hyperbole!! its science!!! a stainless steel flatwound string, as just about all usa made flats are..ghs, labella,d'addario chromes etc etc...will have brightness when new and soon diminish accordingly...the old school european manufacturers like thomastik and pyramid...use pure nickel wrap..a much less magnetic wrap than stainless steel...therefore not as bright initially ..however they age well and can be used for years with no tone diminishing...

    thoms are 2 wraps of soft nickel wrap on a round core..extremely old school design..they are pricey because nickel costs more than stainless steel..but worth every penny

    this stuff in not conjecture!!! its science..if you choose to study it!!!

    if you put thoms on, you should usually adjust your trussrod and pickup height as well!!! as they have less tension and less magnetic output

    not for the squeamish i suppose, but facts

    cheers

  12. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    the individual thom pure nickel round core flats are all exactly the same!...only difference is benson is packaged with different gauges than jazz swings...otherwise identical per string...i.e. for example a .53 in jazzzswing is exact same string as used in benson set

    cheers
    So I'm paying ten bucks for GB's picture on the package?

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    TI Swing series are the warmest strings I know of outside of the tape wound strings (that are more of a "classical guitar" tone than a jazz guitar tone). I find Chromes and all the other American made flats to be a bit bright. I think it is that fact that they are wrapped in Stainless Steel, whereas the TI Swing Flats are wrapped in pure nickel.

    I have only tried the TI Bensons in 14's and so did not like the extra tension that I gave up on them quickly.

    TI Swing series flats cost twice as much as their American made counterparts, but I like them more than twice as much, so I keep using them. YMMV
    Interesting. The Chromes I'm using are high tension, which doesn't really bother me. Just the sound is very bright in an unpleasant way, at least for me. Anybody's 14s are going to be too much for me. I've read, though, that TI strings are lower tension relative to other brands.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by buduranus2
    So I'm paying ten bucks for GB's picture on the package?


    no. you are paying for a set of different gauged strings!!! for some that's a premium

    cheers

  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    it's not hyperbole!! its science!!! a stainless steel flatwound string, as just about all usa made flats are..ghs, labella,d'addario chromes etc etc...will have brightness when new and soon diminish accordingly...the old school european manufacturers like thomastik and pyramid...use pure nickel wrap..a much less magnetic wrap than stainless steel...therefore not as bright initially ..however they age well and can be used for years with no tone diminishing...

    thoms are 2 wraps of soft nickel wrap on a round core..extremely old school design..they are pricey because nickel costs more than stainless steel..but worth every penny

    this stuff in not conjecture!!! its science..if you choose to study it!!!

    if you put thoms on, you should usually adjust your trussrod and pickup height as well!!! as they have less tension and less magnetic output

    not for the squeamish i suppose, but facts

    cheers
    Duly noted, although I've been operating under the lingering misconception that we're all entitled to our own facts. I mean, mathematics is just some pointy-headed pencil neck's opinion and if I don't understand it then it's not worth knowing about. That said, the overwhelming consensus is TI. Appreciate you!

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    yeah, well i'm all for ignorant bliss as well..tho less so when it comes to beloved guitars..haha

    luck friend

    cheers

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    I can sell you my year old used TI flats, I was about to take them off and put the new ones anyway. I can repackage them, and voila! Deader then dead. Maybe I should start my own business like that.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
    I can sell you my year old used TI flats, I was about to take them off and put the new ones anyway. I can repackage them, and voila! Deader then dead. Maybe I should start my own business like that.
    Can I please order a set of 1/2 deader than dead TI Flats ? I can pay a bit more. Thanks.
    11s or 12s would be great.

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Stainless steel is not necessarily more magnetic than nickel. There are many non-ferrous metals in stainless steel. It depend on the alloy, and there are many. Some stainless steel isn't even attracted by a magnet. That said, I don't know what alloy D'Addario uses for Chromes, but one would assume there is at least some chromium, which is actually antiferromagnetic. Chromium is also one of the hardest materials extant, so stainless steel is much harder than nickel, or most fret materials. If you use stainless steel strings, stainless steel frets may make a good match. I suspect that the hardness makes chromes brighter, but I've done no investigation of the vibrational properties of chromium, so that's just a guess.

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Greco
    Can I please order a set of 1/2 deader than dead TI Flats ? I can pay a bit more. Thanks.
    11s or 12s would be great.
    Of course my man! Will start shipping soon, with the certificate of authenticity, only Deader Than Dead are dead enough!

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    I just checked the prices - -Pyramid nickel flats @ $25.00 a set vs TI 's @ $30.00, and the Bensons are $40.00 ???........Wow.........But if the OP is used to Chromes and their gauges, the Pyramids are closer than TI's.......The TI's use thinner gauge strings, so yes their 1 & 2 strings as a point of reference are identical gauges, but their usual 3, 4 & 5 strings are thinner than strings in comparable sets from other manufacturers.

    So, if the OP wanted to give a nickel set a try and not have to adjust the TR, bridge and / or P/U, buy the Pyramids.

    MHO and good luck.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    Part of what makes the standard swings so great and thuddy is the tension! The loose feels makes the string go floppy flop. For a given setup nothing compares.

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    On electric guitars I still think the TI Jazz Swings can't be beat.

    The low tension wound strings on a laminate guitar with big bobbin single coils is THE sound for me. It's that classic early bop sound.

    Lately I've been replacing the top two strings with a 12 and 16 (same gauge) with Elixir Brand strings - they don't tarnish anywhere near as quickly as the plain TI strings.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    Rock guitarist = I want my guitar to sing! Sustain for days!

    Jazz guitarist = I want my guitar to emit a dull thud

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    TI Swing series flats cost twice as much as their American made counterparts,......
    They do - in the US. In Europe the price difference is not that big.



    Sendt fra min SM-T810 med Tapatalk

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    There's a lot of interest in this thread, which is good. There is less consistency in opinion.

    The thuddiest strings I found that are not tapes are the heavy Labellas. They are on sale today for less the $20.

    La Bella Flatwound 20PH Electric Guitar Strings Heavy Gauge 15-56

    La Bella Flatwound 20PM Electric Guitar Strings Medium Gauge 13-53

    They thud best with a thicker electric archtop, like the L-5CES or ES-175 using a heftier wood saddle.

    Round core (TIs, some Pyramids) have more high frequency overtones and longer decay times. So my experience is to take that into consideration.

    All of that being said, some get the rapid decay by muting in some way.

    Here's a demo of Labella tapes played acoustically and amplified but with a metal saddle. Even these strings have a fair amount of sustain and are not thuddoramic!


  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    TI benson are smoother and acoustically louder then Swing series.
    They are not the same strings.

    Anyway, I put chromes on L5 (13 or 12) and seems to play better then thomastik here.

    Indeed for 175 I prefer TI swing 113 or GB112 with 14 and 18 swapped on treble.

    Pyramid flatwound is quite similar, but have more tension.
    Rotosound 12-52 monel seems to be fine, very similar to chromes 12.

    Probably the most beautiful flat string are Dogal Jazz Expressive, but very expensive and hard to find outside Eu.


    Indeed if you prefer a semi-flat TI bebop 13 or 14 suit well a big archtop.
    You can save some bucks here buying Newtone strings 13-53 which are exactly the same strings at half of the TI price.



    Roundwound:
    john pearse, newtone nickel plated (very like gibson seg), pyramid stand jazz, labella roundwound.
    Last edited by archtopdream63; 11-28-2019 at 10:17 AM.