TI flats ... need more tension .!?

[DavC]

i like the feel and sound of my TI flats ... JF344 ... even though the A string is a bit floppy at only .070 .. !

is there something that feels similar , but has a little more tension ... not stiff like Chromes , but flexible like the TI s


thanks for any suggestions ...

i have lately used GHS Compression Wounds and like them ..
but i was looking more for the feel and tone of flats ...

was looking at SIT " silencers " .. ? not quite flat , but .. ??

trying to string up 1 bass to pretty much cover all my needs ! yeh i know ...

thanks ... Dave C.

[beyondat]

Labella 760fx are a little stiffer.

[jallenbass]

Labella 760L are pretty easy on the fingers as well. GHS Precision Flats would be another good choice depending on the sound that you are looking for.

[unclekebm]

How long have you had them on your bass?
I went through the same thing, It took 3 months < of steady gigging to adapt
Now, 3.5 years later, still on my P and aging very well..
All the strings feel perfectly balanced

[ctufankjian]

Originally Posted by unclekebm

How long have you had them on your bass?
I went through the same thing, It took 3 months < of steady gigging to adapt
Now, 3.5 years later, still on my P and aging very well..
All the strings feel perfectly balanced

+1 I've always wanted flats with the same tension as the rounds I play. I'm thinking that well played/ stretched TI's are as close as they come. Everything else, Labella's included (imo) are just way too tight.

[Jazzdogg]

I have TI flats on 5 of my basses, both fretted and fretless, and string tension has never been an issue for me; over the past 4 decades I've played rounds, tape-wounds, and flats; chromes were my last flats before switching to TI's several years ago.

Guess I'm odd, because I cannot relate to stories in which TI flats are too loose and floppy; I think of TI flats as just right: very musical, and kind to my hands after a four-hour gig.

I like the level of expression and nuance I can coax from TI flats through slight alterations of my playing style - especially when playing ballads on fretless; they provide a level of flexibility, both literal and figurative, not afforded by the higher-tension strings I've played.

The trade-off for somewhat lower string tension is a slight increase in string height and/or relief, but that, in my opinion, is a price well worth paying. Clearly, TI flats aren't for everyone. But, that's cool.

[FunkMetalBass]

TI does have a rather weird setup. They're fairly consistent with 34-38 lbs of tension on every string (even for 6-strings), but then they have that 31-lb A-string. Even on my 35" scale basses, the entire set is 5-8 lbs lighter than what I prefer. Do they sell singles around the .075 range?

[pedroims]

Sadowsky flats , very smooth on the fingers.

[jallenbass]

Originally Posted by ctufankjian

+1 I've always wanted flats with the same tension as the rounds I play. I'm thinking that well played/ stretched TI's are as close as they come. Everything else, Labella's included (imo) are just way too tight.

It all depends on the guage. Jamersons - tight. L or FX - not at all. Does depend on the bass as well.

[unclekebm]

Originally Posted by ctufankjian

+1 I've always wanted flats with the same tension as the rounds I play. I'm thinking that well played/ stretched TI's are as close as they come. Everything else, Labella's included (imo) are just way too tight.

yea, me too..
I was trippin' at first, the A string seemed so out of place
LaBella 760FL's were my fav (which I still like)
but the TI's are just so versatile, they even have a good slap tone..

I also like the way the TI's pull the neck evenly

[Alex E]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Labella 760L are pretty easy on the fingers as well. GHS Precision Flats would be another good choice depending on the sound that you are looking for.

Definitely would agree with the two choices above. To me, the GHS Precision Flats are a little stiffer than the JF344s. In turn, I thought the Labella 760Ls were just a wee bit stiffer than the GHS Precision Flats.

Tone-wise, they are both very similar to the JF344s as well. To my ears though, they weren't quite as bass-heavy.

[Mojo-Man]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Labella 760L are pretty easy on the fingers as well. GHS Precision Flats would be another good choice depending on the sound that you are looking for.

I love TI-flats, I got use to low tension.
If you have string-thru option on bass, this will tighten them up a little.
Also they break in after about 6 months, and become stabile.
As said above, GHS Precision flats are a little tighter tension.
Good second choice.

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

If you have string-thru option on bass, this will tighten them up a little.

No it wont.

[DavC]

i like the sound of the TI flats ... and the feel ...

just seems like the last couple necks don't agree with them 100% ...

like most folks say ... i am slowly dialing in the neck tension , like none .. !! and adjusting the string height to play quietly for the harder finger styles ...

but , if i keep changing strings around , then they won't get good and broke in ... !! i'm 53 , they'll outlast my fingers .. !

thanks for the thoughts and tips ... keep em coming .. !!

Dave C.

[Krucial]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

TI does have a rather weird setup. They're fairly consistent with 34-38 lbs of tension on every string (even for 6-strings), but then they have that 31-lb A-string. Even on my 35" scale basses, the entire set is 5-8 lbs lighter than what I prefer. Do they sell singles around the .075 range?

That .075 A string would be exactly my request.
The so rumoured 'low tension', took just an hour to get used to (though I cannot downtune them ), but the strangely thin A string still feels wierd. As always I hope the manufacturer did some good thinking about it, wich probaly is true, since the sound of the A-string compared to the E and D is just right .

Some suggested GHS flats as an alternative fotr the TI's.
I know: different sounds on different basses, but I think soundwise they are pretty much as far apart as flats can be.
Thumpy, old scool and supportive in the mix versus expresive, modern and dominant in the mix.
By the way: I like both. An alternative for TI's: yes...the chromes.