Thomastik strings for archtop?

MikeK

Has anyone tried Thomastik strings on their archtop? I've heard that they last a lot longer than other cheaper strings. I've been using D'Addario 11's (roundwound) & have no complaints, but thought I'd give the Thomastiks a shot and see if they live up to the hype. I ordered a set of bebop 11's (roundwound). I'd be interested to know what others think about it.

bbwood_98

i like the flat wounds and used them for a while, but wanted a brighter sound . . they are not cheap! Let us know what you think please.

littlemark

I use their flat wounds on my electrics. They sound great and really do last as long time.

On my archtops I use Martin retros. I like to hear the sound of the guitar even if it has a pickup.

swiessler

I use the flat wounds(Thomastic Infeld (.013-.053) also. I use them on an ES 175 and an old(68 yr old!) L5 with floating pup, and they are wonderful, woody, and I prefer them to others I have tried. I am think of trying on my Strat also.

On my acoustic I use Pearce Nickel wound .012-.052. Plenty of volume and the tone I want for that guitar.

Russell Letson

I've been using BeBop 11-55s on my Eastman 805 for a couple years now. They last well, play well, and drive the guitar well acoustically and via the pickup. Pricey but longer-lived than, say, GHS nickels or DR Zebras. If I were playing only acoustically, I might settle for phosphor bronze round-wounds, but the Eastman is almost always amplified. (Or it will be if playing out ever is possible again.)

Lango-Django

Yeah, I use Tomastics on my D’Angelico (Asian copy)

...and I am happy with everything but the price...

BillDaCostaWilliams

I also used Thomastiks on my Eastman and Ibanez archtops for a number of years but then changed to Newtone which I preferred and were cheaper (in Europe at least).

https://newtonestrings.com/

matthewkanis

Played Thomastik 13 gauge flatwounds on my Epiphone Joe Pass and Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno for years and they are superb. The bebop series is brighter and are also excellent strings. A less expensive and very high quality option for strings are made by Benedetto and are available on their website in 11, 12 and 13. They are round wound and very high quality.

MikeK

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. The Thomastiks I ordered wont be in for a few weeks (not every company is as efficient as Michael!) but I'll let you all know how I like them asap. I've been using the archtop recently on my weekly patio gig, so it wont take long for me to know what I need to know, and to report back to the forum. I also appreciate the suggestions about the alternatives. I'll try them if the Thomastiks leave anything to be desired.