Where to buy TI singles 12 and 16

[Len R]

I mostly use Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing 12-50. I have very acidic hands and destroy the 12 and 16 (high E and B) within 2 to 3 weeks. Wiping down after playing helps a little but is not a solution, they always corrode. However the flatwound strings last several months. I've looked to buy the 12s and 16s separately but can't find them. Does anyone know a string retailer that sells the 12s and 16s separate from the sets?

Thanks,

Len

[nyc chaz]

Stringsbymail used to sell Thomastik singles.For myself i just buy any stainless steel string to replace the b and e for a little more than a dollar.Soundwise i don't notice any difference.

[wintermoon]

as mentioned on the forum before any plain steels will work, save your $

[Len R]

Stringsbymail used to sell Thomastik singles.For myself i just buy any stainless steel string to replace the b and e for a little more than a dollar.Soundwise i don't notice any difference.

Thanks Chaz, yes they still do.

[Len R]

as mentioned on the forum before any plain steels will work, save your $

Thanks for the tip, Winter.

[sgosnell]

FWIW, TI strings are slightly smaller in diameter than other strings of the same nominal gauge. TI makes strings sized in metric, not imperial units, and rounds up to the nearest thousandth of an inch. This is one reason TI strings seem slightly softer than other brands - none of the strings in a .012 set are actually as thick as advertised. The difference is small, but always present. What TI sells as .012" is actually .0118". In practice, the difference is not really noticeable.

[JazzNote]

I've been playing TI's for decades and noticed that the plain strings have a very short lifespan. So i started replacing the high E and B as soon as they loose sound, with other brands such as Elixir, which have a much longer lifespan. By now i replace them even in new sets, but this is also because i got to prefer thicker gauge for these two strings than the set contains.

[Len R]

I've been playing TI's for decades and noticed that the plain strings have a very short lifespan. So i started replacing the high E and B as soon as they loose sound, with other brands such as Elixir, which have a much longer lifespan. By now i replace them even in new sets, but this is also because i got to prefer thicker gauge for these two strings than the set contains.

I noticed that as well. Although I ruin any brand of strings in short order, none corrode under my acid fingers faster than TI plains. They seem to have a coating of some kind that gives them a gold color, unlike regular plains that are silver. I just bought a large quantity of TI 12s and 16s, but when those go I will try a different brand.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Stringsbymail used to sell Thomastik singles.For myself i just buy any stainless steel string to replace the b and e for a little more than a dollar.Soundwise i don't notice any difference.

Just Strings sells bulk singles that seem fine to me. I just got packs of 11s, 13s and 17s for $3.17 / dozen from them. They have larger bulk packs (25, I think) for even less per string, but it’d take me about 3 years to use 25 Es and 25 Bs on all of my gigging guitars.

I try to keep no more new but unsealed strings on hand than I can use in 18 to 24 months. I save whatever drying packs I get in medication bottles and product packaging, and I put one or two in ziplock bags with them to minimize oxidation.

[sgosnell]

The TI plain strings have a brass plating, with the standard tin plating underneath it. The brass tends to wear off, but the tin under it usually remains.

I keep opened strings in a Tupperware type container, with several silica gel packs, and that minimizes corrosion. I tend to buy single strings from Guitar Center, cheaper for the strings and for the shipping. GC's Rogue branded plain strings are dirt cheap, and seem as good as any others to me.

[nyc chaz]

The TI plain strings have a brass plating, with the standard tin plating underneath it. The brass tends to wear off, but the tin under it usually remains.

I keep opened strings in a Tupperware type container, with several silica gel packs, and that minimizes corrosion. I tend to buy single strings from Guitar Center, cheaper for the strings and for the shipping. GC's Rogue branded plain strings are dirt cheap, and seem as good as any others to me.

Just a head's up,the Rogue strings are 25 percent off this week at Musicians Friend.