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Thomastik-Infeld vs. Pyramid Gold Flats
Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA 
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Posted on Mar 02 2008 03:27 PM
Ok, I know the string thread inside and out, but I wanted to kick off a comparison specifically between the TI "Jazz Swing" flats and the Pyramid Gold Flats. Has anybody tried both? What are the main differences in feel, tone, etc. Also, to me the TI .12s seem much more "loose" than say Chromes of the same guage. Any experiences w/ diff. guages of these two brands specifically? —Ryan |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 243
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 09:29 AM
Pyramids are gauged a little heavier on the lower strings than TI's. I'd say they are somewhat similiar in tone, with the TI's being a little darker than the Pyramids. If I recall correctly, the TI's seem to have a little less tension than the Pyramids (but noticeably less than Chromes.) I switched to TI's from Pyramids on my Jag (.13) and JM (.11) some time back...mainly for the difference in price. While I'd give a slight edge to the Pyramids in tone, they are both great sounding and long lasting strings. |
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Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 10:07 AM
Thanks sidewalksurf. Yeah, I definitely noticed the tension differences between the TIs and Chromes. The TIs are way looser at the same guage (.12) on my JM. I may try some .13s to see if that balances things back out again. The more I play the the TIs, the less I notice tension differences though. I much prefer the tone of the TIs to the Chromes. I have a set of Pyramid Golds on the way, so I'll be able to try those as well. By the way, I really dig the Sir Finks! I have Instrumentals in the Key of...Boss! Great record Ryan |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 243
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 10:28 AM
Thanks, Ryan. I'm sure you'll dig those Pyramids! |
Joined: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 1010 Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 12:21 PM
chromes have a hex core, TI's have a round core, that's why there's a difference in tension. but yes, TI's are way better sounding than chromes. — |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 01:11 PM
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1062 Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 02:25 PM
I like Thomastiks AND Pyramids! They are similar, but to my ears Pyramids have more mids, which is where my music lives. I use them for surf. The relatively scooped mids of TIs result in more low-end authority and a perceived tiny treble boost, currently I have a set of TI flat 10s on my german archtop, which has a slender mahagony neck and they are just perfect for her. —The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy. |
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Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 03:41 PM
Thanks for the responses guys! Keep 'em coming —Ryan |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Mar 03 2008 04:08 PM
The Pyramid Golds are much more "loose" feeling than D'addario Chromes... |
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Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Mar 04 2008 05:33 PM
Well, to round out this discussion, I just tried the Pyramid Gold .13 Flats. All I can say is that these strings are made differently than any other string I've ever tried. They are dead on perfect for surf. The most noticebble differences between these and the TIs is that there are no extraneous "noises" generated when playing the Pyramids. All you hear is the note and not a lot of string noise, overtones, etc. This might not be what a bluez player would like, but for me, it really helps the notes stand out. Also, the Pyramids bass response has some major authority! Man, when you thump the low E on these bad boys, you can feel it in your chest. They are also much "tighter" than the TIs which is good for me because I pick very agressively and loose strings make me fall all over the place. The .13s are a bit heavier than I'm accustomed to. .12s are absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, these are only made in .11 and .13 Ryan |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Mar 04 2008 05:38 PM
^^^ what he said! |
Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle 
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Posted on Mar 04 2008 06:15 PM
I like both sets. Both are pretty expensive for strings that see action in a bar band. And the Pyramids are exactly twice as expensive as the T-Is. I do not dig the price at all. I favor the T-Is on the Jaguar because of the selection of gauges in the 13 set. And I like the bronze coating on the plain strings; helps take off the shrill. — |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california
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Posted on Mar 05 2008 10:47 AM
...from my experience, Pyramid strings seem to last and last and last...two or three times longer and still sounding right... ...i sort of figure that into the cost of using them... but, you are right, it is a drag to fork out a bunch of cash for guitar strings... |
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Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Mar 05 2008 10:52 AM
My main issue with using the Pyramids vs. the TIs is that to use the Pyramids requires a re-intonation of my D-saddle due to the tension differneces. The problem comes when I break a string and don't have another set of Pyramids to replace, I'm kind of screwed. With the TIs, I can throw on just about any string from a set of .12s and get by and still stay in tune. If they only made Pyramids in .12s it would be a done deal Ryan |
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I play Pyramid Gold (.013) on the Jazzmaster...sweet sounds, last long time.
They feel more similar to .12 Chromes than the .12 TIs as far as resistance goes. I'm going to stick with these for a while becase the tone they generate is really powerful.
