any one else think ti string gauges are a little funny?

[feet]

looking up strings to buy and i've had good luck with them in the past, so i peruse the thomastik section. 11-47, 12-50 and 13-53? i generally like 12s, but i need something heavier than 50. something in the 52-56 range. but i don't want to go up to 13s, which would still give me thinner bass strings than i'd like. i tune down, so i want to retain some tension, hence the love of fat strings. and buying singles would be too expensive, i'd think.

am i alone here?

[Franz 1997]

I like the TI gauges, 'cos they produce a more balanced response with pickup level across strings from treble to bass, and the amp set flat. Other sets seem unbalanced to me with the same amp settings, and I'd guess 'balance' is what TI is going for.

That said, I use D'Addario chrome 11s with a 12 and 16 on top ( or 12s with a 13 etc) - significantly cheaper, and still reasonably balanced

[Jim Soloway]

Because of different materials and string construction, gauges are not always an accurate indicator of rigidity and tension. I played TI Swing Series for many years and the string to string balance was very good.

[Sphere]

They are supposed to be this way, it's their 'thing'. Frequently players will take, say, a set of 12's and replace the top two strings with heavier gauges (see Martino), this is similar. If you want more traditional gauges, check out the George Benson sets.

[maggles55]

They are supposed to be this way, it's their 'thing'. Frequently players will take, say, a set of 12's and replace the top two strings with heavier gauges (see Martino), this is similar. If you want more traditional gauges, check out the George Benson sets.

Yes, I always do this. I use a standard 12 set but replace the top two strings with those from a 13 set (E = 13, B = 17). TI is the only manufacturer that sells this type of set now. (Sadowsky's discontinued J Bruno set also had these gauges).

Andy

[docbop]

I just started using TI's on the main guitar I play started with Bebop 12's and tension was just too light, but otherwise like them. I used those for a few months then replaced them with Bebop 13's and very happy with those right tension and nice sound. The gauges in the sets didn't bother me seemed fine, tension is only thing I'm picky about.

[Sphere]

Yes, I always do this. I use a standard 12 set but replace the top two strings with those from a 13 set (E = 13, B = 17). TI is the only manufacturer that sells this type of set now. (Sadowsky's discontinued J Bruno set also had these gauges).

Andy

LaBella also does.. I'd like to try them, I wonder if they are as smooth as Chromes. The package includes an extra e and b string.

[feet]

Because of different materials and string construction, gauges are not always an accurate indicator of rigidity and tension. I played TI Swing Series for many years and the string to string balance was very good.

i never once considered this, but is suppose you are right. i do remember and incident wherein i bought some acoustic strings of the wrong material and although they were the right gauge, they were pure ass. but i am accustomed to fairly heavy strings. partially to compensate for lower tuning and partially for the extra rarr from the guitars. even the electric ones. the physical width/girth of the strings is part of it. they feel different.

They are supposed to be this way, it's their 'thing'. Frequently players will take, say, a set of 12's and replace the top two strings with heavier gauges...

can't they do this for me? were they cheapies it wouldn't be a big deal, but for $20 a pack... i used to do something similar where i'd take three of their flats and use three round wounds. loved the sound but they didn't make it as a set, so i had to do it myself. lets just say it got expensive quick. and i ended up with a bunch of mismatched strings i didn't want. so that was the end of that.

i suppose the bensons work, but those only come in flats.

[Sphere]

can't they do this for me? were they cheapies it wouldn't be a big deal, but for $20 a pack... i used to do something similar where i'd take three of their flats and use three round wounds. loved the sound but they didn't make it as a set, so i had to do it myself. lets just say it got expensive quick. and i ended up with a bunch of mismatched strings i didn't want. so that was the end of that.

i suppose the bensons work, but those only come in flats.

They already do this for you... I think you misunderstood - I meant it's common to take a 'regular' set of strings, like chromes, and replace the the top two with thicker ones. And they end up with a set more like TI.
Benson sets used to be available with roundwounds, they're still listed on their website, I'm not sure who carries them.
You can also try GHS compund nickel strings, they are the same construction as TI:

Electric Compound Nickel Rockers? - GHS Strings

[Eddie Lang]

i suppose the bensons work, but those only come in flats.

Is it for an acoustic guitar? Why not give TI Plectrum a try? The set of .012 go to .059 and the .013 to .061.

[Jim Soloway]

i never once considered this, but is suppose you are right. i do remember and incident wherein i bought some acoustic strings of the wrong material and although they were the right gauge, they were pure ass. but i am accustomed to fairly heavy strings. partially to compensate for lower tuning and partially for the extra rarr from the guitars. even the electric ones. the physical width/girth of the strings is part of it. they feel different.

If you're looking for strings for lower tunings, I highly recommend GHS Nickel Compounds, especially for the bottom strings. I got into using them for the low A when I was playing 7-string and I could hold pitch and tension with much lighter strings than anything I had ever tried. these days I'm playing 6-string tuned to C# and I'm able to maintain pitch with clarity using a Compound Nickel .054 for my bottom string.

[fumblefingers]

Not sure what the problem is. The Benson TIs are right about where you want them to be. 12-53. I've used them for years. love 'em.

[ESCC]

Is it for an acoustic guitar? Why not give TI Plectrum a try? The set of .012 go to .059 and the .013 to .061.

I'm a big fan of TI Plectrums for acoustic.

[Sphere]

He wants heavier bottoms but lighter tops, if I understand the OP's original post. A 12-50 set has bottoms which are not heavy enough for him. A 13-53 set has tops too heavy for him. He wants a heavy bottom string of between 52-56 and a top string of 12.

Hence my suggestion of a George Benson TI 14-55, replacing the TI plain steel 14 and 18 strings with ones from GHS 12 and 16. I suppose all plain steel strings are close enough not to make a difference brand to brand. But I may well be wrong.

Edit: Yeah, the George Benson Medium Light Flats set seems to be the ticket, 12, 16, 20w, 28, 39, 53.

Um... he said he'd like the Benson gauges, but doesn't like flats.

[Eddie Lang]

TI Benson also come in rounds.

Thomastik-Infeld Electric Guitar Round Wound Medium Light George Benson Jazz Series, .012 - .053, GR112

[Soco]

This is the reason I put on a set of TI 12-50 rounds on my Collings Eastside.
Normally I use Curt Mangan 11-48's on my other guitars and feel the switch is easier to make.

[David B]

I like the TI gauges, 'cos they produce a more balanced response with pickup level across strings from treble to bass, and the amp set flat. Other sets seem unbalanced to me with the same amp settings, and I'd guess 'balance' is what TI is going for.

Same here. To my ears and fingers, they are well-balanced low-high, both in terms of tension/feel and volume/tone.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Grr. I tried to put TI Swings (the 13s) on a T-style guitar and I couldn't get it to fit through either the tuner hole or the hardtail bridge. The silk got in the way.

[Woody Sound]

[QUOTE=feet;344830i suppose the bensons work, but those only come in flats.[/QUOTE]

No, they come in rounds too.

Thomastik Infeld GR112 Round Wound 12 53 George Benson Jazz Guitar Strings 012 | eBay

[Peter C]

If you can find them:

[ah.clem]

For general reader interest (I know the OP is looking for rounds) I often tune Benson 12 flats to DGDGBD on a 24.7" scale and have no problems with tension or sound. IMO, they de-tune nicely.

[ecj]

I love the TI Benson 0.14 flat set. I can't play anything else anymore. They just feel better to me for some reason. I feel like, in general, the TI sets I've used have felt more "consistent" from top to bottom. The G, in particularly, always felt really weird to me with almost every other string I've used (D'Addario, Pyramid, etc.).

I've heard that the material makes them a little bouncier than something like the D'Addario Chromes. Whenever I play a guitar with Chromes I just feel wonky now.

Don't get me started on all the archtops hanging in stores with roundwound 0.09s on them...

[lpdeluxe]

I just acquired a Carvin SH550 that the owner had strung with TI flats. I noticed that, to my eyes, the gauges looked mismatched, but they sound very good and seem even from note to note. I'll probably replace them with my usual D'Addarios (.015 with a wound 3rd) but there's no hurry.

[kawa]

I like these set of a tastes.

Flat Wires Stainless Steel Flatwound Flat Wires combine the silky smooth feel of our highly polished flatwound wrapping with the long lasting performance of stainless steel. The sound is focused, not dull, and has the perfect balance of tone and magnetic response for jazz playing with total clarity and definition. Style Model No. Gauge E-1st B-2nd G-3rd D-4th A-5th E-6th Flat Wires SEG-1040ML Medium Light .011 .015 .021w .028w .037w .051w SEG-1040M Medium .012 .016 .023w .031w .042w .054w

[feet]

i placed a small order of strings before this thread took off from strings and beyond (love that store). in my zeal to hit the $35 mark to unlock free shipping, i may have bought a few more sets that i really needed at the moment. so i have enough dean markley jazz sets to last me a while. i'll keep poking around and try to find a few of the suggestions. trying to find the right set for the right guitar. i have a lot of things i want to try.

the newtones i like were sold out, so i rolled the dice on a set of burns, which they claim to make. all these have four wound strings, which i don't hate, but does kinda paint you into a corner, stylistically. i don't expect that'll be a problem for most of you.

jim, i didn't see the compound nickels there. did you mean "Low Tune Pure Nickel Rollerwound" or "Burnished Nickel Roundwound Pure Nickel" perhaps? i'll see your ghs's and raise you some everly x-rockers. i like the 12-60 on the gretsch 6118, but they have larger and smaller. they play (and bend) really easily, but sound bestial.

like the ti's but they are so pricey that i'll save them for last. once i know what i want from each guitar, i'll see if the ti's can beat whatever i'm liking the best.