Anyone tried Thomastik-Infeld Classical Strings?

[815C]

Has anyone tried out the Thomastik-Infeld classical guitar strings, and if so would you recommend them?

They aren't cheap. But neither are the Thomastik-Infeld Bebop Jazz strings I use on my archtop and I love those.

[Bax Burgess]

I'll be repeating this for awhile: that's a pricey string. Absolutely, I'm curious, but no, I haven't and will not be trying them - one consideration being that great strings on one guitar can be pedestrian on another.

[tbirdman]

I love the Plectrum series for my steel string guitar. I'm curious about these classical from Thomastik. I also notice they have John Pease Folk for fingerpicking. I'm curious about them for my steel string guitar. I do have SAS.

[al_az]

I am mostly an electric/ fingerstyle acoustic player. Of course had to buy a classical guitar, for no other reason than to say I have one. I went through several different classical strings, found I really needed high tension strings as I just could not deal with low tension strings. I got frustrated by the random string breakage, I seldom played the guitar but more often than not when I did go to pull it out I would find a broken string. I actually also realized I did not really care for the sound of a classical guitar on the pieces I was playing. I looked around and bit the bullet on a set of TI Classic S rope core strings KR116. They are FANTASTIC!!! COSTLY! but worth it. I have had the set for about 3-4 years. I never have to tune, they just never seem to drift. The sound is NOT nylon, somewhere in between steel and nylon. That being said it is a much more usable tone for what I play.
Here is a quick little thing I just recorded. Nothing added, totally dry to give you an idea of what they sound like. The guitar is a Juan Hernandez Profesor. And yes I used a thumb pick,shot me.

[Bax Burgess]

What al_az said.

[ssynhorst]

Originally Posted by tbirdman

I love the Plectrum series for my steel string guitar. I'm curious about these classical from Thomastik. I also notice they have John Pease Folk for fingerpicking. I'm curious about them for my steel string guitar. I do have SAS.

tbirdman,
The John Pearse Fold strings by Thomastik are to make classical trebles sound more like steel strings, not the reverse - for classical guitars.

From my experience and what I read it seems Thomastik is trying to experiment with different ideas for different results, a costly process. It seems they do have various different tones and playability.

I commend them for the attempts and suggest you might pay a bit to join the experiments. I have rarely in my life wanted to do anything ordinary. You cannot be above average doing what everybody does. - Stevo

[Norsepicker]

I have a 19th century parlor guitar that was bellied when I got it. I had steel strings on it at first which threatened to lift the bridge, then regular nylon strings and I didn't like the sound. The Thomastik classicals are perfect, exactly what I wanted. Incidentally I use Thomastick mandolin strings on my bowlback mandolin and they are perfect. The long life of the strings make them affordable. I haven't had to change strings on either instrument in over a year and they are still good.

[Bax Burgess]

I have a set of KR116 on a Rainsong 'nylon' parlor, handed it to a guy who played some gentle Blues, who then remarked that the strings were warm and clear. Something about the inner rope windings of 6 to 7 'thinner than hair' wires makes for a low tension, smooth and sweet sounding string.

[Landru]

Thomastik infeld strings are the best - hands down. Expensive? Yes. I have some on my D28 for three years now - no drop in tone, no drop in extreme class. Try that with your string of choice. These are Royal strings - they have no equal. Try them - what’s $25 to check it all out?

[Doctor7]

I've had a set but didn't like them too much to be honest, and I absolutely love their electric guitar strings!!

For classical, there are so many other options that sound better, last longer and are much cheaper, if you ask me.

[RJVB]

Just to be clear, the OP is asking about the Thomastik CRK strings, not any of their types of steel strings designed for use on classical guitar.

Thomastik claim that these strings are made of a nylon/"carbon" hybrid. If "carbon" stands for the usual PVDF - polyvinylidene fluoride (also used for fishing line) than that claim is pure marketing speak because the 2 materials are chemically incompatible (dixit the owner and chief research chemist of Aquila Strings).
I have tried them once and can confirm that they do have a sound that's more nylon-like than the other carbon strings I've tried.

I haven't tried the basses, as they're wound with the usual silver-plated copper which gives too much zing to my taste.

As to their tape-wound rope-core steel trebles: I like them! The 1st and 2nd are sadly too low tension for me but the G string is almost perfect.