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Gabriel Tenorio Strings?!!

#2
I remember that some 40yrs ago,in a communist Eastern European country where (and when) having a set of Rotosounds was automatically made you the king of the block,a friend of mine made something very similar (the guy tested for 6 or so months various steel cores,materials/diametres as well as different copper wires.The late was Cu-Em, the most usual insulated copper wire used in electrical motors' manufacture and whatnot.
As I recall,the "final" product (strings for 34" necks,4-string set) was very "piano-ish" sounding (a desirable effect at that time ;) ,with loads of sustain and good intonation.Moderate (not high!) output due to the inner strings' structure and composition.
However,these strings had two major drawbacks:first,the copper's outer isolation (email) worn out after a couple of weeks/months and,second,the whole string had some serious dings under,right where it touched each fret (a normal behaviour BUT not so obvious on most steel/nickel wraps)....since copper was softer than any fret's material.
Bottom line:because of the specific,twangy character wich was so sought after at that time,we used alot of those strings at the expense of changing them every 5-6 months or so. Once the "factory recipe" was achieved and the inherent flaws were noted,my buddy made those strings in VERY large quantities. :D
...eh.....good ol' times..... :D ;)
PS
AFAIK after watching the video you posted,the guy uses some kind of tinned copper (if the string being made while recording is a copper one,indeed).Also,in the same movie clip I see some reels with coloured wire (green,reddish,etc).Except the shiny,"a-la-nickel" look of the wire that is made during the video recording,all others wires appear to be having the email coloured,translucent isolation.Wich is exactly what it's used in electrical motors and what my buddy used 40yrs ago.(please correct me if I'm wrong).
 
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#3
@pacojas - did you ever get that set of copperwounds from Tenorio strings?

I'm in need of a set of strings and I'm waffling between buying yet another set of ol' faithful TIs, or gambling $60 on a totally new company for me.

Do you have any impressions you'd care to share?
 
#4
40Hz said:
@pacojas - did you ever get that set of copperwounds from Tenorio strings?

I'm in need of a set of strings and I'm waffling between buying yet another set of ol' faithful TIs, or gambling $60 on a totally new company for me.

Do you have any impressions you'd care to share?
Click to expand...

i emailed them last week. was told they should ship out this week. will update.
 
#6
They're not too good at returning emails. I asked them a few questions over a week ago (what were the string gauges and winding lengths to be precise) and never received so much as an acknowledgement.
 
#7
40Hz said:
They're not too good at returning emails. I asked them a few questions over a week ago (what were the string gauges and winding lengths to be precise) and never received so much as an acknowledgement.
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i think the guy may be swamped as of late. he returned my first email within hours. the second email was responded within 48 hours.
my order was delivered today. he took about 10-11 business days to make them and they were sent via USPS Priority 2-Day as promised.

image.jpeg

here's a shot of the red copper
image.png

hopefully, i'll get to try them out in a day or so. stay tuned! :)
 
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#12
pacojas said:
lol,.. i wish there was! i think we'll have to check his website, brb
Click to expand...

Maybe you'll have better luck than I had. I couldn't find that info anywhere on the website. Which is why I bugged you. I'm not so lazy I didn't look and try to ask the makers first. :laugh:

But that's ok. Sounds like it's close enough to a standard 45-105 set to not be worth worrying about.
 
#13
40Hz said:
Maybe you'll have better luck than I had. I couldn't find that info anywhere on the website. Which Is why I bugged you.

But that's ok. Sounds like it's close enough to a standard 45-105 set to not be worth worrying about.
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yeah,.. the website is very vague and i didn't specify, so he probably made a set of Mediums for me. if you want a particular gauge you have to make mention.
btw, i just got in from work so i'll install the coppers tonight!
 
#16
here's a shot of the Copper Set on an 09 AV62 RI jbass. these strings feel nothing like TI's straight out of the package which is not an issue for me. i only say that because i've read reviews that do mention them. they are not overly bright and have an almost flatwound tone which i like. the tension is somewhere between TI's and your average consumer models. these will probably have to stretch for awhile before i can do an accurate evaluation. there is enough sizzle for the HiFi Slapper crowd, but they do seem a little more tailored for R& B, reggae, blues, and classic rock. i like that even though they're fresh & new, they sound old & broken in!
the output across the scale is even, punchy, and articulate. i have a Shell Pink pbass that will look awesome with these strings, so expect another post about these strings!
image.png

tomorrow, i'll load the Nickel Rounds on this jbass, the Copper Rounds on the pbass, and sum it all up. my initial reaction,.. i'd buy this particular set of strings again! :thumbsup:

ps: this is the first set of strings that i did not need to cut to size! :)
 
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#17
UPDATE: even though the tension is higher on these strings i don't see the neck moving too much after an hour. the action is riding higher, but i know its the gauge difference. going to lower the action
  • these accommodate low action slightly better than TI's, imo. they exhibit zero flop at pitch. intonation was a few cents sharp relative to the TI's setting
  • great fundamentals and while you are playing you will notice a distinct singing voice to these strings. if you love the piano timbre of say Rotosound,.. it's not quite that,.. but similar.
  • they play well to a lighter touch, yet still very comfortable digging in! the more i play these i can feel them breaking in. they're holding pitch/intonation better now.
  • i suck at Slap and these strings feel alittle stiff to me right now. i promise you i sound way better slapping on TI's.
  • i've been fiddling around for less than an hour and i predict i'm really going to like these strings, just not on the jbass. i love the new voice of the copper. it does sound warm and organic. nice clear overtones that ride the fundamental with authority. the harmonics are glassy with a noticeable metalic ring. imagine that extra sound of the drum stick tapping a cymbal. very sweet, indeed. unique even.
  • btw. i'm testing these strings through a HiFi preamp, Class H amplifier with full range monitors (@700watts of headroom). i'm not missing much if anything. this string company is legitimate!!!
  • i forgot to mention the strings are lacquer coated.
 
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#18
2ND UPDATE: it's me, the guy that advocates acoustic practice sessions every so often, ha! anyway, these strings really ring out (un-amplified) compared to most i've used over the past. i'm having no trouble hearing each note and it's nice how easy it seems when launching harmonics. very loud.
 
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#20
pacojas said:
lol,.. i wish there was! i think we'll have to check his website, brb
Click to expand...
Secretive bastids!
i forgot to mention the strings are lacquer coated.
Click to expand...
Say what? Interesting, and reassuring. On the website they mention they're against synthetic film coating à la Elixir, and I was wondering how durable the coppers could be (I'd turn uncoated copper strings green in a NY minute).
 
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