TI flat pickup height
 

I've had TI flats on my Modulus Q5 (Bartolini pups) for about a month now. In order to get volume output to be even across the strings, I had to raise the B side pickups (both of them) to about 4-5/64" and the G side pickups are about maxed out at around 11/64". This is the only way volume output can be even. Has anyone else experienced this with TI flats?

On a side note, when I had Fodera Diamond nickels on, the B side pickup was just a tiny bit closer to the strings than the G side. I had to move the B side a little closer when I had Ken Smith Slicks. TI flats made me bump the B string pups closer AND the G string pups further.

Thanks

I cannot address your specific issue as I have only tried these strings on my V-J with Aguilar passive pick ups installed. I noticed no balance issue on this bass.

Not to derail your intended discussion, I have been considering trying a set of TI flats on my Q5, also with Barts. I am curious which set you are using. Can you use a 34" scale on the Q5 or do you need to go to the 36" scale set?

I have installed TI flats on several of my basses and while the low tension light gauge has required a bit of over all tweaking, I have not found any string balance issues so far. Is your issue only with the B string itself, or with the B and E string? Could be a "bad" single string?

Anyhow, aside from the volume balance issue, how do you like these strings on your Q5?

Thanks

On my P, I dropped the E as much as I could while raising the G as high as the screws allowed. Which is still not close enough for my taste (on all strings though)

I found the E string to be a bit overwhelming while the G strikes me as whimpy, but I get that feeling on Ps in general so ymmv.

It isn't a bad string since if my pickups are even distance from the string, the volume slowly decreases from the G string to B string. When playing unamplified, there is no volume or tone change from string to string.

Also, part of it was that I was playing mostly on bass weak headphones so I had to raise the pups a little when I was using those, but when I got in a band situation I lowered the B side a smidge, it was still around 5.5/64" on the B side and G side was 11/64". I just thought it was weird that I had to have my pups set up the way they were. The overall balance when my B side pups are raised is superb.

I used the 34" scale and the silk ends started just after it cleared the nut (no silk sitting on the nut).

The strings on my Q5 rocked. When playing with my fingers it was incredible, but the downside was in order to get the pick sound in my head, I had to EQ the heck out of it on my bass's preamp. It became too much of a hassle when switching between pick and fingers for me, which I switch even during songs. I went back to an old set of rounds for the time being since I can keep my eq the same for fingers and pick. I will always miss how the TI flats sounded playing fingerstyle (these strings did tempt me to stop playing with a pick, but I need the pick attack too often).

Also, I didn't have to make a truss rod adjustment when I put these strings on, but I did have a good amount of relief to work with in the neck before I put these on (I don't like a nearly straight neck). If your Q5 doesn't have a truss and the neck is already almost straight, TI flats might cause a back bow.

I was planning on selling the TI flats (one month of use) this summer along with some basses and other strings. If you're interested now, PM me.