Thomastik Infeld AC series Acoustic Guitar Strings
Light 11, Med-Light 12 or Medium 13 Gauge
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Here is
The Most Expensive String You'll Probably Ever Buy
for your acoustic guitar.
Thomastik Infeld (TI)
Silk and bronze wrapped on bronze plated round cores. Silk wrapped ends.
The construction of these acoustic strings is pretty complex.
Read on for more details.
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"Plectrum" is the name of the model or style of string. It has nothing to do with
whether or not you play these strings with a plectrum. If you've heard me discuss playing
or heard/seen me play, you know that I don't use a plectrum or pick for any guitar or fretted
instrument. I play these strings with fingers and nails on a mid size Martin OM-16 and/or a
Grand Concert size Lakewood, Cedar top over Walnut back and sides.
I have THREE gauges of these Plectrum strings.
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I generally have all THREE gauges of these strings in stock. |
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| Here's the data on string gauges |
Set Gauge 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tension AC111 Hybrid Wound Light .011 .014 .019w .027 .036 .050 125.3 lbs AC112 Hybrid Wound Med-Light .012 .015 .024w .033 .044 .059 168.1 lbs AC113 Hybrid Wound Medium .013 .016 .025w .034 .047 .061 185.0 lbs |
You're not reading wrong and it's not a typo. The low E string on the AC113 set is
a whopping .061 inch! The AC112's low E string is an .059 inch! These wires are BIG!
That means lots of big, rich tone. The bass notes vibrate the room like a kid with a
killer stereo at the traffic light.
Still the tension is not enormous or non-manageable.
Look at the comparison with other 12 and 13 gauge acoustic strings.
TI AC112's - 168.1 lbs total
Martin SP4100's - 164.8 lbs total
D'Addario EJ16's - 163.2 lbs total
TI AC113's - 185 lbs total
Martin SP4250's - 188.3 lbs total
D'Addario EJ17's - 188.8 lbs total
The TI strings, even though a lot LARGER in diameter than the Martin or the D'Addy strings
are still within just a couple of lbs in overall tension! Here's how they achieve the lower tension.
The TI strings are similar to silk and steel strings in that there is a VERY thin layer of
real silk between the windings and the core wire. TI uses real silk, not dacron like some
string builders. The core wires in these TI strings are ROUND, not hex shaped. That helps
to achieve lower tension while emphasizing the EVEN HARMONICS. And probably the most
unusual feature is their HYBRID flat/round construction.
AC111 strings are
1st string - plain steel, brass plated
2nd string - plain steel, brass plated
3rd string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, FLAT wound bronze windings
4th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, FLAT wound bronze windings
5th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, FLAT wound bronze windings
6th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, ROUND wound bronze windings
AC112 strings are
1st string - plain steel, brass plated
2nd string - plain steel, brass plated
3rd string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, FLAT wound bronze windings
4th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
5th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
6th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
AC113 strings are
1st string - plain steel, brass plated
2nd string - plain steel, brass plated
3rd string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
4th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
5th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
6th string - round core brass plated steel, silk inlay, round wound bronze windings
This unconventional combination of round/flat, brass/bronze, very thin silk
round core keeps the tension LOW while keeping the mass of the string HIGH.
That results in this incredibly penetrating tone. I have begun stringing my OM-16 acoustic
guitar with AC112's instead of Martin MSP4100 or other light gauge strings because
of the increase in bass and overtones. And all of that comes without significant increase in tension!
What's not to like! Well, the price, you might say. I'd say that too, to some extent. I've said for years
that I'd pay a hundred dollars for a set of strings if I got better tone out of them. Luckily, I don't have
to pay a hundred dollars, these TI's do the job for a lot less.
They cost more than any other string. I like them better than any other string!
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