TI Jazz Flats users , what makes these strings unique?

walruswaspaul · #1 03-10-2008, 06:41 AM

Been thinking about trying these for a while , they are supposed to have an almost double bass type sound to them due to the nylon inner wrap and I figure because of this they will sound good on my shortscale epi eb0 . TI users seem to generally describe them as a "unique sounding flat" , so I was after some thoughts on this , what makes them unique? , what characterizes the TI Jazz flat sound? and what makes them so popular?

optikhog · #2 03-10-2008, 06:50 AM

It's like they wanna be rounds but aren't. Punchy, articulate, excellent midrange, all the things regulars flats tend not to be.

I put a set on my cheap fretless and took it to practice - the tone stopped my drummer cold. He kept asking me if I was sure I hadn't bought a new bass.

milhouse · #3 03-10-2008, 07:05 AM

The tension is unique as well. Very 'floppy'? Loose? Someone else can probably describe it better than me. I love mine, but they did take getting used to.

chroma601 · #4 03-10-2008, 07:09 AM

Would these strings work on a fretless ABG (say, for example, a Dragonfly?)

Nick Kay · #5 03-10-2008, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruswaspaul

they will sound good on my shortscale epi eb0

Uh, be careful with that. TIs are low tension. If you combine that with a short scale like an EB, be prepared for flop city with spaghetti strings.

Darkstrike · #6 03-10-2008, 10:07 AM

They also feel slicker, smoother even than other flats.
Also I believe they are a unique guage, but I'm not 100%

bkbirge · #7 03-10-2008, 10:31 AM

I've got 'em on one of my fretless PJ's and I like them. Loose tension suits my playing style and they have a nice punchy midrange. They last forever and feel good.

As for approaching the double bass sound, not in a million years, at least not on my basses. My upright and TI equipped bass do not share any characteristics except they both have 4 strings and somehow the notes are always a little sharp.

I'm using higher tension Hybrid Helicores on the upright and that does affect the sound. If you want an upright sound then get an upright, really. If you just want a great sounding set of electric strings for your fretless then you can't go wrong with the TI's IMO.

If I was equipping a short scale or acoustic bass guitar then I might look at Jamerson Labella's as they have higher tension.

bthiemann80 · #8 03-10-2008, 11:39 AM

For me, it was the up front tone that made them unique. The tension is really low, which does take some getting used to. But its the expressive midrange and punch that makes them unique to me. Most flats have lots of traditional thump but can get lost in the mix rather easily. The TI's dont seem to get lost in the mix at all. They are great strings.

4Mal · #9 03-10-2008, 12:01 PM

The guage is what makes them soft. They are slightly light at .043 - .100 The string constuction itself is very high quality and it seems to me that TI does a better job in the consistency department than any other string manufacturer out there. I've never had a dead one out of the box* - that's happened to me with everyone else except for DR bass strings - I did get a couple of dead DR guitar strings though ...

String to string balance is very good as well. It just seems to me that they probably spend more time making them, use better materials and do a better job at QA.

Tonally, it seems like maybe the inner wrap cut's the steely quality a bit. I find them a little woody - which I like a lot, particularly on a fretless bass.

The other flat I tend to like is the D'Addario Chrome - it's a good string - not as good as the TI - IMO. Good enough that I'm OK using them if the setup of a certain bass really wants a higher tension string though.

* A couple of years ago I got two set's of TI Super Alloys where the windings on the E were a bit long and hit the nut. I had to trim them back a bit. The US TI rep replaced them for me (and a bunch of other folks who received those) for gratis. Nice touch!

62bass · #10 03-10-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Mal

The guage is what makes them soft. They are slightly light at .043 - .100 The string constuction itself is very high quality and it seems to me that TI does a better job in the consistency department than any other string manufacturer out there. I've never had a dead one out of the box* - that's happened to me with everyone else except for DR bass strings - I did get a couple of dead DR guitar strings though ...

String to string balance is very good as well. It just seems to me that they probably spend more time making them, use better materials and do a better job at QA.

Tonally, it seems like maybe the inner wrap cut's the steely quality a bit. I find them a little woody - which I like a lot, particularly on a fretless bass.

I agree completely. I use them on all my basses. Until recently I had them on six including a fretless. The lower tension doesn't take long to get used to. You may have to adjust your truss rod a bit.

They do seem to last and sound good for much longer than any other string I've used. About 7 years on my oldest set so far.

As 4 Mal says their construction methods, materials and quality control seem to be the reason for their superior (to me) sound. They also spent a lot of money in the design stage before they came on the market.

Their higher price is completely justified in my opinion.

phat5 · #11 03-10-2008, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chroma601

Would these strings work on a fretless ABG (say, for example, a Dragonfly?)

I first tried the JF-344's on a Godin 4 (their acoustic model) Sounded better than anything I have ever heard....I was instantly hooked!
I currently have a set on my 60's P bass copy, they just sound "right" a good fit tonally for this bass. I also like how the D and G strings sound phat; not thin and anemic. I prefer the Chromes, but sometimes I need that full midrange, articulate woody sound that cuts thru the mix. I need to buy another bass for my JF-345's......never thought I'd get to the point of buying basses to match the strings I like.

Basshappi · #12 03-10-2008, 06:53 PM

I have a set on my BB400 and they are a perfect match for that instrument. They compliment it's inherent woody tone to a T.

I will be putting a set on my MIM Jazz.

I do not like flats in general, but the TI's have a nice brightness (for flats) and the lower tension makes them very comfortable to play.

They are pretty spendy but I expect them to last for years.

7flat5 · #13 03-10-2008, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

Uh, be careful with that. TIs are low tension. If you combine that with a short scale like an EB, be prepared for flop city with spaghetti strings.

Untrue. I have a set of JF324 short-scale strings on my '67 EBO. These have a little fatter E to compensate for the scale. Judging from the OP's handle, perhaps that "Come Together" sound would be attractive. These get that. They are warmer by a shot than roundwounds, which sound metallic in comparison. They are not "thumpy" though. They have a very lively midrange and a warm overall sound, and lots of sustain. Mute them at the bridge if you want thump.

Great strings.

Jazzdogg · #14 03-10-2008, 10:03 PM

I, too, run TI JazzFlats on all of my electric basses. Despite all of the comments about them being "loose," "floppy," etc., I really haven't noticed any lack of tension, whether it's on a 34" scale-length fretless, or 35" fretted fivers.

They are my favorite strings because they cut through the mix without any undesirable finger or fret noise, and are capable of providing a wide array of sounds.

I keep the treble turned down on my basses, and I do not slap, but a friend who slaps sat in: he sounded great, largely because he was able to achieve a clear, cutting, tone without the clankiness and extraneous noise so common with rounds.

They're also a LOT easier to keep clean than rounds, and sound good for a lot longer before they have to be replaced.

I'll never buy rounds again.

basskopf · #15 03-11-2008, 07:24 AM

I had a set of TI flats on my Fender American Deluxe and changed them out for a new set. This was a mistake, they still sounded great after a year. I have TI jazz flats on two basses and Fender OEM roundwounds on my Highway One ... but thinking about changing these too. I agree with all of the above, these are fantastic strings.

badboy1984 · #16 03-11-2008, 01:32 PM

I think about changing a set of them on my Jazz bass. I think i have try 3 type of string now and i still not happy about my sound.

First set i try is "Warwick Blue Label Stainless Steel" and that sounded really aweful because the string feel rough when playing and also the finger noise is really bad and the string is too bright for my playing.

Then i took a old set of "Labella Flats deep talk" and put them on, and that make it sound abit better but still not the sound i really.

Then i put a set of "regular slinky" and that make the bass punchier than before but i still getting finger noise.

So i may try a set of these to see how it goes.

mambo4 · #17 03-11-2008, 02:05 PM

I have some on my J-bass copy, i love em.

Like others have said, the tone is great: punchy mids, extremely articulate, cuts through the mix. It was not the bright rock tone I was used to on my ground wounds. At first they were a little too "honky" in the upper mids for me, but I think that after 1 month of breaking in they sound much better.

as for the losseness, I think that's just relative to usual Flats. They were lower tension than the ones I replaced, but I got used to it quickly.

It's hard to describe but I find the tone very musical.

62bass · #18 03-11-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phat5

I first tried the JF-344's on a Godin 4 (their acoustic model) Sounded better than anything I have ever heard....I was instantly hooked!
I currently have a set on my 60's P bass copy, they just sound "right" a good fit tonally for this bass. I also like how the D and G strings sound phat; not thin and anemic. I prefer the Chromes, but sometimes I need that full midrange, articulate woody sound that cuts thru the mix. I need to buy another bass for my JF-345's......never thought I'd get to the point of buying basses to match the strings I like.

I put the JF 344's on my Godin 4 fretless too. They were better than anything else I tried, including the vaunted nylon tapewounds.

They do sound "right" on a P bass and the D and G strings sound like they should. I also have them on my Ibanez Artcore bass and they make the unique but for me a bit too bright sound of that bass sound just right for me.

They work great for me also on my Danelectro DC. I think that set is about 5 years old now.

It takes a few hours of playing on them to get them to really warm up.

emblymouse · #19 03-11-2008, 03:23 PM

I believe one of the reasons they are so unique is that they have an inner silk wrap between the core and outer winding. This is like how a traditional wrapped violin/cello/double bass string is made. That, and really pure nickel! Both account for the higher price.

walruswaspaul · #20 03-11-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7flat5

Untrue. I have a set of JF324 short-scale strings on my '67 EBO. These have a little fatter E to compensate for the scale. Judging from the OP's handle, perhaps that "Come Together" sound would be attractive. These get that. They are warmer by a shot than roundwounds, which sound metallic in comparison. They are not "thumpy" though. They have a very lively midrange and a warm overall sound, and lots of sustain. Mute them at the bridge if you want thump.

Great strings.

Thats good to hear regarding the tension on the EB0 , so the tension is not too loose on a shortscale bass ?
Regarding the "Come Together" sound you are spot on with that reference , I do like a bit of macca