I’ve had some questions about the John Pearse Thomastik Folk Set which has prompted me to try to write something about them. What kind of guitar should they be used on and their comparison to Silk and Steel. I’m grateful for the “push” to put this in writing.
John designed this set with Thomastik-Infeld. Originally they were designed for old parlor guitars. As you may or may not know, John was an inveterate Martin collector and loved the old parlor guitars…small bodied guitars. But because of the “old fashioned” bracing, it was not suitable to string them with a full metal set. They needed a lighter tension. So, he created this UNIQUE set, which includes six wound strings. Nylon winding on a teraline rope core, the larger strings have some metal winding for mass but not as a core. They are ball end, as that was what the old guitars would have used.
If you know the music of Baden Powell, the man who invented Bosa Nova, you can see in the picture that it is hard to see the third string. This is because originally, on this set, the winding on the third string was red. That was changed later on as technology advanced. The beauty of this set, especially in his hands, was that the guitar didn’t sound like a classical guitar and but had the “cut” of a metal strung guitar. The Joy is that, because of the construction and materials used, it is the same tension as a classical set so it merges the sound of the two guitars into something different, something quite unique.
As to the question of their use. They can be used on any classical guitar which can use a ball end strings and adapted for those which don’t. This will sound more “metal” than the guitar would usually sound but it doesn’t have the “tunk” of the full nylon set and rather has a brilliance which nylon strings don’t give.
As far as other guitars, any small body guitar should be able to use them, old or new. John always used them on his 0028 Koa. However, the player needs to remember that this is a compound set, more suited to finger picking and not particularly good for use with picks as they will wear through the delicate winding. They will be softer to the left hand and give a sound which is not as edgy as a full metal set.
Re silk and steel. I would not call this Folk Set an alternative to the old silk and steel sets because the tension is lighter and they need to be handled a bit differently, ie not for use with picks. While they do offer the benefit of being kinder to the left hand, if that is the main consideration, in general I would recommend our Phosphor Bronze and Silks. They have a fuller sound than the ‘S&S’, without the liability of delicate winding of the Folk Set. They have a lighter tension than a full metal set so they don’t project the way a full metal set will. They give you the benefit of being kind to the left hand but, because of the lower tension compared to metal, softer to play with the right. Both of these attributed cause many musicians to use them when they go in the studio. They are easier on the left hand for longer playing hours and the microphones make up the difference of projection. They also hold up much better than the ‘S&S’ sets which, notoriously, go dead after about 5 or 6 days. For older hands, they are also a great alternative to a full metal set.
John Pearse® Phosphor Bronze and Silk Strings
