What strings for the 360/12?

[stsang]

Here's the website that I ordered from:
http://www.pickofthericks.com/pick-of-t ... r-strings/
I ordered the $17.50 set of strings. Can you folks say that I am getting the right strings? Also are these available from any other source (just in case).

Hi Craig, the set you ordered should work well. It's supposed to be the same as the old Rickenbacker factory (compressed roundwound) 12-string set. I just ordered 3 sets as well from POTR. However I think Scott was actually referring to these strings:

1) The (current) factory roundwound set: http://www.pickofthericks.com/genuine-r ... ing-95404/
2) The POTR TI custom flatwound set: http://www.pickofthericks.com/products/ ... tring.html

The POTR TI custom set is my favorite for Rickenbacker 12-strings but I like to occasionally try different strings too. If you are aiming for the early 60s 12-string Ric sound - you will like the TI flatwounds!

[bowser2533]

Jast put a set of thomastic invelds flatwounds on my 360 12. What difference it made. The seem to have that vintage tone and dont feel as stiff. Used the ric strings for a while. There ok. Try a set these i think you will really hear and feel the difference. Gary

[stsang]

I just put the POTR TI flats back onto my 360/12c63 after monkeying around with various roundwound strings for a while. I'd forgotten how much I missed the smooth, warm jangle I get from these strings. The roundwounds sound rather thin and clangy in comparison. With the TI flats, intonation is great again. What a relief!

TI flats through the vintage-style flat tailpiece (BTW - I found it trickier to string up through this than the R-style tailpiece)

TI flats over the neck pickup

[jimk]

OK, I guess I'll have to give those TI flats a test drive. But man, $35.95 US for a set of guitar strings is a little hard to choke down. OK....so I'm a tightwadded ol' Dutchman.
JimK

[stsang]

But man, $35.95 US for a set of guitar strings is a little hard to choke down. OK....so I'm a tightwadded ol' Dutchman.
JimK

If it helps any, once you have TI flats on, you don't need to change them for a long time, like a year. So you might actually save money in the long run.

[idealassets]

OK, can we review all of this so far? I typed in a search on the pick of the rics site "pick of the rics Thomastik 12 string" and this is all that came up under that search, and thats what I got in the mail today #1)- http://www.pickofthericks.com/pick-of-t ... r-strings/

#2) These did not come up with my search criteria- http://www.pickofthericks.com/products/ ... tring.html for 35.95 a set

#3) These also did not come up with my search criteria- http://www.pickofthericks.com/genuine-r ... ing-95404/

Can we please clarify What is the difference in these 3 sets of strings, and what did I get, compared to what everyone has been talking about? The main thing I am looking for is strings that are not so stiff, so that I can do picking with the finger picks on. There are no other Ric 12 string players within 100 miles of me in order to get this figured out.

Thank you,
Craig

[stsang]

OK, can we review all of this so far? I typed in a search on the pick of the rics site "pick of the rics Thomastik 12 string" and this is all that came up under that search, and thats what I got in the mail today #1)- http://www.pickofthericks.com/pick-of-t ... r-strings/

#2) These did not come up with my search criteria- http://www.pickofthericks.com/products/ ... tring.html for 35.95 a set

#3) These also did not come up with my search criteria- http://www.pickofthericks.com/genuine-r ... ing-95404/

Can we please clarify What is the difference in these 3 sets of strings, and what did I get, compared to what everyone has been talking about? The main thing I am looking for is strings that are not so stiff, so that I can do picking with the finger picks on. There are no other Ric 12 string players within 100 miles of me in order to get this figured out.

Thank you,
Craig

Hi Craig,

Stepping back a bit - what strings do you find 'stiff'? What do you have on your guitar right now? Is it the factory set? How long have the strings been on there? Do you use standard tuning? Is your guitar's neck straight? How high is the bridge? Alot of factors can affect the playability of your Ric.

All the string sets you listed above should not be 'stiff' and you should have no intonation problems with any of these string sets. They're all great strings.

What you purchased (and coincidentally I just received the same string set in the mail today) is supposed to be the same as the 'old' Rickenbacker factory set (.042 gauge on the E). Rickenbacker recently (in the past two years I think) changed the factory set to what you listed as '3)' - it has slightly heavier gauges (.046 gauge on the E). '2)' is the Thomastik Infeld flatwound set that alot of folks on this forum love for its vintage early 60s sound, smooth feel (.044 gauge on the E) and playability.

Incidentally, when I tried the same search on the POTR website, the TI set came up as the second search result. I would have expected it to come up as the first result (sigh). I don't know if Chris Clayton is on this Forum, but this might be useful for him to know.

Does that help any?

All the best,
Simon

[jps]

But man, $35.95 US for a set of guitar strings is a little hard to choke down. OK....so I'm a tightwadded ol' Dutchman.
JimK

If it helps any, once you have TI flats on, you don't need to change them for a long time, like a year. So you might actually save money in the long run.

+1! Maybe two years.

[ken_j]

Just buy set # 2, the TI JS-12-Custom set. Why buy a $2500 guitar and put on cheap strings? The TIs have the sound and playability. They intonate well on a 6 saddle bridge. They have the least amount of hassle and last twice as long.

[jimk]

Well.....I wouldn't call these cheap strings. A bargain, yes. And fully equal IMHO to the old Rickenbacker 95404 set.

Still, if a 35 buck set of strings can last me 12 months or longer, that's a different matter all together.

And lastly, that vintage '60s sound is not as important to me as playing style, and good technique are.
JimK

[JakeK]

Still, if a 35 buck set of strings can last me 12 months or longer, that's a different matter all together.
JimK

My TI flats have been on my V64 for a year next Wednesday Better call Steve at IVG, it's that time o' the year again!

[idealassets]

what strings do you find 'stiff'? What do you have on your guitar right now? Is it the factory set?

Sorry that I don't know what strings came on the guitar. It is a 2011 year guitar that I bought used in early July, 2011. It was traded back in to the dealer, and looks virtually unplayed.

It may be the factory set of strings on it that's been on there for 10 months that I have owned it. The neck has good low action, better than my acoustic guitars.

So the $17.50 POTR strings ought to be an improvement over whats on it now? We will find out tomorrow when I put them on and give them a try. So then, these strings might last a while before I have to change them out in order to play the Thomastik's @ $35?

I believe that things ought to be getting better from here on out.

Craig

[Folkie]

Forgive me if I echo other contributors to this thread. I have a set of TI Flats on my 360/12 and a set of Curt Mangan Fusion Matched Nickelwounds on my 330/12. The TI's sound lovely, play and intonate well, and last forever. They may cost $35.00 a set, but they are worth every penny, IMHO! But, just for the sake of variety, I wanted roundwounds on my 330, and for a long time I was very happy with the Curt Mangans. I recently replaced the hi gains on the 330 with 7.4k toasters, and, with the new pickups, the tone of the Curt Mangans was trebly to the point of harsh, so much so that the strings tend to magnify rattles. As much as I love TI Flats, I still want my 330 to sound and play differently from the 360, otherwise why own both? So, rather than put TI Flats on the 330, I've just ordered a set of POTR compressed roundwounds. They cost about half as much, and they should have a mellower sound than the Curt Mangans. Finding the right strings is all about experimentation. For years I used the much-maligned D'Addario set on my 330/12 and was very happy with the results. The bottom line is that string-choice is inherently subjective and whatever works for you is what you should go with.