T.I Acousticore Strings

[mesaphlin]

Hello everyone,

I want to play with Thomastik-Infeld Acousticore Acoustic Bass Strings - 4 String Set on my fretless bass. My question is that are they like flatwounds in terms of durability? I mean everyone knows that with flatwound strings, the one can play many years without changing them like roundwounds and they still stay playable.

Does this concept apply to acousticore strings also? Or are they like roundwounds? So after awhile they go dead or dull so they have to be changed regularly?

 

[famousbirds]

Acoustic strings (at least these) won't work. They have a nylon core. Magnetic pickups need a metallic string (or at least a metallic core) in order to register the vibration.

 

[mesaphlin]

Acoustic strings (at least these) won't work. They have a nylon core. Magnetic pickups need a metallic string (or at least a metallic core) in order to register the vibration.

mine is Lightwave saber fretless bass so it works with lights not with magnetic pickups.

 

[famousbirds]

You know, I thought about mentioning that as the one exception, but I thought, "ah, what were the odds"

 

[mesaphlin]

You know, I thought about mentioning that as the one exception, but I thought, "ah, what were the odds"

So acousticores' durability is like flatwounds? Could I play with them longer than I use with roundwounds?

 

[famousbirds]

I've not used them, personally. But I would think they're going to be way more mellow out of the box compared to a round - so in that regard, yeah, seems like they'd work like a flat.

You should try em out and let us know!

 

[Robin Ruscio]

I Used em for a year or so on a Warwick alien, and they did get a little dead sounding.

 

[biobass]

I have had the same set of Acousticores on my Turner Renaissance fretless 5 for about 7 years now, and they are still going strong. I haven't A/B compared them with a new set. I'm sure they sound different, but they still sound and feel great for what they are. They are still very distinct in their sound and retain their ability to be intonated properly, which is my prime determinant as to when to change strings. Admittedly, I generally can't stand the sound of new strings, except for TI, which I find to sound broken in from the get go. I have Jazz Rounds on my '65 Jazz, my Precision A/E semi-acoustic fretless and my Roscoe Beck 5 have Jazz Flats, my '39 Kay has Spirocores. The youngest set of them all, Jazz Rounds, is probably 5 years old

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[jon5252]

I would b

 

[jon5252]

Sorry that got away too soon. I would really be interested to hear what you think of your lightwave fretless.

 

[vinnycolletti]

Well I give up asking string retailers. Can anybody tell me the overall length of the TI Acousticores?
I know they're 37 or 37-1/2" ball to silk but I need a total of about 46" for one of my archtop acoustics. Right now I have D'Addario Super Long Scale round wounds on it and have used Labella Tapes but neither are really cutting it. Thanks gang

 

[michael_t]

Well I give up asking string retailers. Can anybody tell me the overall length of the TI Acousticores?
I know they're 37 or 37-1/2" ball to silk but I need a total of about 46" for one of my archtop acoustics. Right now I have D'Addario Super Long Scale round wounds on it and have used Labella Tapes but neither are really cutting it. Thanks gang

Have you been in touch with @SLaPiNFuNK, aka Jason from bassstringsonline.com?

 

[Jeff Scott]

I've not used them, personally. But I would think they're going to be way more mellow out of the box compared to a round - so in that regard, yeah, seems like they'd work like a flat.

You'd be wrong about that assumption.

Exhibit A:

 

[vinnycolletti]

Have you been in touch with @SLaPiNFuNK, aka Jason from bassstringsonline.com?

Actually he just wrote me back, 12-14" past the winding. Thanks

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

Will the Acousticores work on an acoustic bass guitar with piezo pickup?

 

[Jeff Scott]

Will the Acousticores work on an acoustic bass guitar with piezo pickup?

That's what they are for.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

That's what they are for.

Thanks for the clarification. TI's descriptions are a bit confusing.
I'm currently using La Bella Black Nylon Tapewounds on a Taylor AB-1 acoustic bass guitar. Are the Acousticores more similar to the tapes than the TI jazz flats?

 

[Shanannigan]

Thanks for the clarification. TI's descriptions are a bit confusing.
I'm currently using La Bella Black Nylon Tapewounds on a Taylor AB-1 acoustic bass guitar. Are the Acousticores more similar to the tapes than the TI jazz flats?

I just started using them on my acoustic. On electric I use La Bella Black Nylon, which I converted to after using Jazz Flats for a long time. I find that on acoustic the Black Nylon and Jazz Flats are more similar to each other, than either are to Acousticores.

I find that the tone of the Acousticores bring out the sounds that I like about Jazz Flats and Black Nylons on electric. I found that the Black Nylon and Jazz Flats sound too harsh on acoustic, due to being steel core strings I'd assume, while the Acousticores have a much warmer sound, better mid range, and almost none of the harsh clacking noise that a lot of strings have on acoustic.

Note that I'm referring the tonal qualities of the strings acoustically, and not plugged into an amp. I actually didn't try the Black Nylons or Jazz Flats plugged in because my priority is to get a good acoustic sound.

The only thing is that I've found Acousticores have a really unique feel to them. They are low tension, much like Jazz Flats and Black Nylon, but maybe even more so. They have a weird thing where they will roll a bit under your fingers when fretting and plucking. And I've found that they take a while to be able to stay in tune (perhaps because of the nylon core they need to stretch and settle).

So the feel is something to adjust to. But I think they've sold me on the idea that a nylon core string is really a must for ABG to get the sound that I feel and ABG should have, which is like a big classical guitar.

I do wish that more companies would venture into making nylon core strings for bass. I'd like to see what the possibilities are. Gut strings would be interesting to try too.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

Thank you for the follow up comments. The comments about tactile feel remind me of things some players have mentioned about the strings on a Kala ubass or similar smaller ABGs.

I recently prepared a video on how to record ABG by tracking with different mics, DIs, etc. and did everything with the La Bella black nylon tapes. Curious how you think the Acousticores would sound compared to the following tape tones?

 

[Jeff Scott]

The Acousticores feel like classical guitar strings with the rolling feel It does take a bit of getting used, and they do require a lot of stretching, at first, but once they settle in they tend to stay in tune for a long time. I used them on bot the 4 and 5 string Rick Turner basses I had. Loved the wonderfully unique tone to them. They have a great warm tone but also a clear, beautiful treble to them.

Both my Turners were fretless basses so I have no experience as to how they sound with frets below them. Perhaps @EdwardofHuncote can add more to this discussion.

Here are a couple recordings, one each of the 4 string and 5 string fretless Renaissance basses.