Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings

Subject: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 11 Nov 22 - 07:05 PM

I.M.H.O At £25 a set are utterly useless. Dull unresponsive and not a patch on Elixir's. Please do not be caught out like this old fool! They are cracked up to be the best on the market. No, they are just the most expensive.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 02:47 AM

You’re comparing apples with oranges here (1) they’re not supposed to sound the same as Elixirs and (2j they’re called Thomastic Infield - always read the label!

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 03:34 AM

Don't be clever. A good sound is a good sound whatever is on the label.
Dull is dull. Please note the I.M.H.O. at the beginning of the post before you teach me to read. By the way they are Thomastic-Infeld not Infield. Easy to get the name wrong isn't it?

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 04:32 AM

In the spirit of fair play, I have just received a reply from the distributors. T.I. strings will sound dull if you put them on incorrectly. I'm speechless.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 01:20 PM

What you haven’t said is what type of guitar you’ve put them on. My guess would be that, if you put classical guitar strings on it, it would sound equally bad as they’re the wrong type of string. They’re designed for instruments that sound their best with a very mellow and dry sound and I use them to tame my National mandolin. I don’t have a suitable guitar to put them on.

Still, you must know what you’re doing and that’s why you’ve bought them. I too made much the same mistake but it was back in the 1960s.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 02:27 PM

Fair enough. That makes more sense to me. I put them on my Yamaha Fg365SE, which is one hell of a guitar. They made it sound as if the strings had not been changed for six months. If they are aimed at toning down a thin bright sound as some Taylor's can be, that also makes sense. That said there is no reference to that in their marketing unless I missed it.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 05:48 PM

I doubt you’d ever find them on a modern flat topped guitar. They’re mainly used on carved topped jazz or other esoteric/antique or possibly fretless guitars.

For a Yamaha I’d stick with d’Addario round wounds or the Elixirs. d’Addario also make a ground wound string (flat-tops) which is a half way house between the Thomastics and round-wound strings.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 12 Nov 22 - 07:06 PM

Interestingly the distributor has come up with the following.

Because round core strings don’t have such a tight grip, in some circumstances the tension holding the core and the wrap wire can get lost and these two parts become slightly detached from one another.   Tonally, this results in the string sounding ‘dead’ which is unfortunately irreversible and therefore a new string will certainly be needed. This can often happen when the strings are trimmed prior to them being fitted to an instrument (more on this below).

We mentioned earlier that many string makers have made the switch to using hex core strings and Chas pointed out that “this shift was nothing to do with tonality differences. It was all about making strings cheaper to manufacture and reduced the likelihood of a dud string getting through quality control.”

Doesn't stop them from charging £25 though. Take your point about esoteric guitars etc. I'm currently having an interesting discussion with the distributor's M.D.. He has come out with some real howlers. Watch this space!

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 02:41 AM

Round-core strings should not be cut before tuning up to pitch, and it’s a good idea to put a 90-deg kink in the string above the tuner post but below the cut. This prevents the windings loosening on the core-wire.

Newtone strings (which are made in the UK by a small business in Nottinghamshire, are one-third the price of TI strings, and are amongst the best, if not the best, strings on the market) are similarly round-core, and this point is clearly set out on their packaging.

IMHO. YMMV.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 03:15 AM

Second that about Newtone strings, I've used nothing else for a nmber of years.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 03:20 AM

Thank you both for that. I have just received a diatribe from the distributors that beggar's belief. Mudcat is not the place to pursue this, but I will try Newtone, and leave T.I. well alone. How long do Newtone strings last in your experience?

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 03:46 AM

First things first, Newtone are based in Derbyshire (on a small industrial estate on the edge of Matlock) and not Nottinghamshire.

Second, thy produce both round and hex core strings - order their custom gauges (as I do for octave mandolin) and you get a choice. They advise that round cores are not cut until you put them on the instrument (I’ve never found the need to do that anyway) and Neil, who runs the operation, reckons that the round cores are slightly mellower from the outset than the hex cores.

As for longevity, I doubt that they’re any better or worse than anything else. If grot in the windings is a problem for you, use coated strings but they cost more and tend to go hairy.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 09:37 AM

Yes, hairy! I know. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 01:05 PM

Yes, Ray, I’d confused Matlock between Notts. and Derbyshire. Mea Culpa, I am but human.

Secondly, Newtone Masterclass Acoustic 6-string sets (which are what I’m accustomed to using) are Round-core only, with choices of gauges and materials.

Newtone Masterclass Acoustic Strings

Otherwise, my point stands - Round-core strings should not be cut until tuned to pitch.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 13 Nov 22 - 05:30 PM

Personally, I can’t imagine why someone would want to cut strings prior to fitting although I suppose you might if you were unfortunate enough to have a slotted headstock and they were too long to cope with.

Maybe it’s appropriate to offer a word of advice on fitting strings? For years, I used the obvious method of attaching them to the bridge, poking the end through the hole in the tuner whilst leaving just the right amount of slack to wind on. The pitfalls of this method are that it’s difficult to work out how much slack to leave - the amount varies with the thickness of the string - and, for things like mandolins, you often find that the loop end has come adrift whilst winding on.

In recent years I’ve been using a far simpler method. Attach the string to the bridge/tailpiece, keep on the tension whilst you stretch the string to the tuner and wind the string round the tuner post as many times as takes your fancy. Only then do you poke the string end through the hole and wind the string up to pitch. With this method, there’s much less winding involved and it’s a lot quicker. With loop end tailpieces, it’s also easier to keep up tension to stop the loops slipping off.

Incidentally, Newtone used to operate from a garage in Heanor which is almost in Notts.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 03:18 AM

"Personally, I can’t imagine why someone would want to cut strings prior to fitting"

Ray, for a little bit of enlightenment I recommend you watch this video by Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings, and all will be revealed.

In 61 years of playing the guitar (amateur and semi-pro) I've used every restringing method known to man and beast, including your method, and I used to heap scorn and ridicule on what's now become known as 'The Taylor Method' until I actually tried it! I found it the easiest, most straightforward method of all, and with a much reduced risk of scratches/other damage to the headstock, and far less chance of blood-letting/eye-poking.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Taylor guitar fan, never owned a Taylor or even been tempted to own one, I'm strictly a Lowden/Brook/Martin man. But the 'Taylor Method' is the only method of restringing I use now.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: gillymor
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 07:37 AM

I've been using most of the elements of that Taylor stringing method for a long time except for cutting the strings before stringing which looks like it would make things a bit easier (unless of course you're using those round cores). I also apply some graphite to the nut slots before installing the strings, grinding in some lead pencil also works. Most of you guys with a manual string winder probably know that there is a bridge pin puller built into the head of the thing so you don't have to use wire cutters.
Btw, the name of the company referenced in the thread title is Thomastik-Infeld.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 07:47 AM

”I've been using most of the elements of that Taylor stringing method for a long time except for cutting the strings before stringing which looks like it would make things a bit easier (unless of course you're using those round cores). I also apply some graphite to the nut slots before installing the strings, grinding in some lead pencil also works.”

Yes, in my previous post I forgot to mention that I use the ‘Taylor Method’ for the hex-core strings (usually Elixir Nano PB or D’Addario XS PB) which I use on my Brook and Martins. When I’m using Newtone Masterclass PBs on my Lowden, I don’t cut until I’ve tuned ‘er up.

Regarding nut slots, I hate the dirty appearance of a nut with graphite/pencil-lead ground into the slots, so I use either Li’l Bends Nut Sauce or the similar Music Nomad product, which are both a clear, colourless gel applied from a tube with a fine nozzle - invisible and non-soiling.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: gillymor
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 07:59 AM

Good to know about those clear alternatives, BW.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 09:20 AM

The distributors agreed with me on receipt of the strings and replaced them with Elixir. All's well that ends well.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 09:26 AM

Backwoodsman - the Taylor guitar stringing video

Thanks but ot impressed, sorry. I never thought I’d find more to dislike about Taylor guitars!

1. Take all the strings off at once - try that on anything with a floating bridge and you’ll have to re-set your intonation. Changing strings a course at a time enables you to keep the whole lot more or less in tune the whole time.
2. Side cutters to remove bridge pins - what? If you can’t remove them with your fingers, you’ve pushed them in too hard. (I did once see a chap in a guitar shop tapping some in gently with a small hammer.) Great if you want to split your bridge. If one won’t budge, simply push the string back down the bridge pin slot to dislodge the ball end from the notch in the bridge pin. All the bridge pin should be doing is holding the ball in the notch.
3. Using the tuners to measure how much slack to leave - revolutionary! I used to pull them tight, grip them at the nut and measure the slack with reference to the frets but I’ve grown out of that. (.... and I’ve been re-stringing guitars longer than Taylor have been making them!)

At that point I gave up watching. If anyone is a proponent of the locking strings on method, please tell me how you can easily get the darned things off again.

If your nut needs some sort of lubrication, it probably needs attention. Start by cleaning out the nut slots with a sharply folded sheet of brown paper. If that doesn’t work, buy a set of nut files. If they’re too expensive buy a set of needle files. Although not as good as the real thing, I bought a set of needle files earlier this year for £2.95 and that included delivery!

I know what you mean about Taylor guitars, I’m a Santa Cruz man myself although I still have the Martin I bought new for £190 somewhere.

Subject: RE: Review: Thomas Inkfeld Acoustic guitar strings
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Nov 22 - 10:02 AM

Ray…. you asked why anyone would want to cut strings before installation, I gave you the link to the video to answer that one question, nothing more, nothing less. No mention has been made by anyone here, apart from you, of any of that other stuff.

I’ve been changing strings on guitars - solid and hollow body electrics, flat-top acoustics, arch-tops, classical, pedal-steels, fixed bridges, floating bridges, pin-bridges, pinless-bridges, mandolins, mandolas, yadda, yadda, yadda - since 1961. I’m fully aware of all the other stuff in your unnecessary little lecture, but those things weren’t what we were talking about. You’ve made several snarky posts in this thread, so I’m guessing you’re just trying to appear ‘superior’. Guess what…

My wife has a neat little saying she trots out when someone starts lecturing or mansplaining at her - “Don’t you know that nobody likes a Clever-Shit?”.

Now I’m done here, It’s all yours….