Flats with out the tension

[heavyhitter]

I have some Rotosound flats and I love the feel of the strings but the tension IMO is really high. I had to really crank my truss rod a lot to get the how I wanted it with them. My action is not really high and to fret (especially by the nut) is really aching my fingers after a couple hours of practice.
I run standard tuning and I am using the 45-105 set.

Are Roto's usually this tight? I know that flats will be tighter than round but this seems a bit much. Who has the lowest tension flats? I think DR has the lowest tension rounds, are they the same with the flats?

[AlembicPlayer]

TI flats are very low tension
and my personal favorite flats

[slombovia]

Originally Posted by AlembicPlayer

TI flats are very low tension
and my personal favorite flats

+1

Yummy

Did I mention +1?

[62bass]

T.I. flats are the answer.

[freshbass]

TI flats JF344. Expensive and worth it. I've had the same set on my 65 Pbass for 5 years. Still sound great.

[heavyhitter]

Thanks I will have to give them a try.
I thought $37 for the Rotosound was $$ these are $55 ouch.
I will try them out, BTW my daughter uses Thomastik Dominant strings on her viola and they are $80 a set so I guess I cant complain, plus in the long run I wont have to change them as often as my rounds. Thanks for the heads up.

[slombovia]

PS the TIs beat ALL strings for even tension from string to string - I love that.

[SuperDuck]

Originally Posted by heavyhitter

Thanks I will have to give them a try.
I thought $37 for the Rotosound was $$ these are $55 ouch.
I will try them out, BTW my daughter uses Thomastik Dominant strings on her viola and they are $80 a set so I guess I cant complain, plus in the long run I wont have to change them as often as my rounds. Thanks for the heads up.

Check out www.jivesound.com - I ordered my TI's from them (a while ago), and it was much cheaper than $55.

Regardless, you'll keep them on for a long time. I put Dr Hi-Beams on my Warwick at $25ish a pop, changing them once a month. I paid over $30 for my TI's and put them on my P-Bass two years ago - I'd say those are the better value!

[Toshiro]

$55 looks expensive, but you'll never replace them. I've been moving the same set of TI Jazz Flats from bass to bass for a few years now.

[Sundogue]

TI Flats, are very low tension. That is what some do not like about them. But if you are looking for low tension flats...TI's are just what you are looking for.

They seem to be about the same as my roundwound Sunbeams (both are roundcore instead of hexcore, which makes them lower tension).

Some feel they have to play very light on them, but I beat the crap out of them and they still respond very well.

[metalmariachi]

This is the lowest I've found them.

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/thjaniflworo1.html

They also have the medium gage 43-100,

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/thjaniflworo.html

The ship quick and I got some picks, Planet Waves guitar polish and a frig magnet thrown in free.

MM

[SuperDuck]

Wow, their prices have gone way up...

[heavyhitter]

Thanks for the links

[jmceachern36]

GHS Precision Flatwounds feel like they have less tension than most of the others I've tried(Labella, Fender, Chromes, and GHS Brite Flats). Don't cost much either. I use the 45-105's. Not as low as TI's. Remember the TI's are not 45-105 gauge. They're smaller. To me they also sound smaller. Less punch. Just my opinion.