Tomastik enfield

[azfryguy]

I have had the worst experience with tomastik enfield! Last year I went through 3 sets, thats over $150. Let me explain myself . . . The first set I bought were just the normal TI strings medium gauge. After two weeks of play the g string cut a spot in the saddle and that broke the string. It was a pretty big deal I was so mad. So after I got the saddle filed down by a pro I bought my next set. TI power bass I hade those on for a couple months and from the minute I put them on the B sounded dead I just thought oh well its only a 34" scale it will never have a good B. Those strings died very quick within 3 months. So after that I bought the same set I bought for my first set. When they arrived I put them on. Very quickly I realized that the low B was for a 35" inch scale bass there was winding at the bridge and that string at gauge 130 wraped once around my tuning post, It looked very bad but did not affect the sound then I put the E on and I swear it sounded like a flatwound I was so mad. I called Musiciansfriend the next day and they sent me a pack of elxers for free when I put those on the B was great and every string was so smooth and crisp. So before you buy any TI products keep the receipt

[stflbn]

If a strings not right after buying it... they'll replace it.

But ya gotta ask. They don't follow up with ya.

I recently bought a second set of TI Jazz flats in 34" Scale. I noticed as winding the B string that it was a 36" scale. I called them the next day and had a replacement 34" Scale in my hands in 4 days. I've also had an E string replaced before that 'rattled'.

If you give a company a chance to make something right... they usually do.

But you have to give them an opportunity.


IMHO.


.

[azfryguy]

good point i emailed them like 20 times and never got an e mail back

[stflbn]

Pick up a phone.



I can't keep count how many times people here say 'I've emailed ** times and haven't got a response'.


Contact the company you got the strings from and they'll either make it right or put you in contact with the company that will make it right. But you have to make it happen. Wait to long and it won't happen because they'll assume you've ruined the string through use or abuse.

.

[scottbass]

Originally Posted by azfryguy

good point i emailed them like 20 times and never got an e mail back

If you sent those emails to "Tomastik enfield" I'm not surprised you never got a reply! (jk)

[LoveThatBass]

Originally Posted by azfryguy

good point i emailed them like 20 times and never got an e mail back

I am surprised. I had a question to TI that I emailed and surprisingly received a response from Peter Infield himself.

Have you tried DR High Beams Stainless Rounds? They are easy on the fingers and the frets and sound fantastic

[Johnny Alien]

PowerBass are standard roundwounds. 3 months of steady playing on roundwounds is not dying quickly. That is pretty long life for rounds IMO. Try Slinkies they die within 2 weeks.

[azfryguy]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

PowerBass are standard roundwounds. 3 months of steady playing on roundwounds is not dying quickly. That is pretty long life for rounds IMO. Try Slinkies they die within 2 weeks.

well the thing is i always wash my hands before i play bass always. My very first strings i boght were eixers and no joke they lasted 4 years

[Johnny Alien]

Are Elixers coated?

[stflbn]

Elixir's are coated. Play them long enough (depending on your technique and amount of playing) and the coating starts to fray off and the strings start to look kind of fuzzy. Play them with a pick and that happens sooner.

Elixir's are pretty bright sounding over their lifespan.

[Johnny Alien]

Exactly so the comparison is not really fair (standard roundwound vs. coated strings).

Obviously the coated strings are designed to work much longer. I still say that if you play frequently then 3 months off of a set of roundwounds is pretty good.

Especially on rounds that are meant to be really zingy with high output like the Powerbass strings. The TI Jazz rounds are much more mellow and tend to keep that tone a bit longer.

[tbone0813]

I was thinking about picking up a set of Jazz rounds. I am just curious how the .118 or .119 B string sounds? Is it floppy? It will be on a 34" scale which concerns me a little.

[Johnny Alien]

Originally Posted by tbone0813

I was thinking about picking up a set of Jazz rounds. I am just curious how the .118 or .119 B string sounds? Is it floppy? It will be on a 34" scale which concerns me a little.

I have no idea what they are like on a 5 because I always play 4's.

They are much lower tension strings so they may feel a bit floppy on a 34" 5 string. My guess is at the least you would have to adjust how you play a bit.

[stflbn]

Personally I'm a believer in the philosophy of a larger B-string results in a stronger B-string.

A 125 B-string from an SIT set is the lightest i've gone in a Long time. 130's are my preferred B-string.

[superfunk47]

Well, for one thing, you don't contact TI directly (nor MF, really). They have a distribution company here in the states that you would contact to get replacements. TI themselves don't handle it.

Second, three months is a long life for rounds any way you cut it. Even washing your hands. There are other things that deaden them than the oils in your hands. If you want longer living strings, try coated ones again. Sounds like those fit what you want better. Not really TI's fault.

Third, it sounds like you got a couple dud sets. Happens with any company. That's when you call them to get replacements, which they're more than happy to do.

I don't really see anything wrong on TI's end here?

[Johnny Alien]

Originally Posted by stflbn

Personally I'm a believer in the philosophy of a larger B-string results in a stronger B-string.

A 125 B-string from an SIT set is the lightest i've gone in a Long time. 130's are my preferred B-string.

It is not just about the size of the string it's also about the type of core. A hex core will create a string with more tension. The jazz rounds are smaller AND have a round core so they are definitely lower in tension.

[jackajesusfreak]

Originally Posted by azfryguy

I have had the worst experience with tomastik enfield! Last year I went through 3 sets, thats over $150. Let me explain myself . . . The first set I bought were just the normal TI strings medium gauge. After two weeks of play the g string cut a spot in the saddle and that broke the string. It was a pretty big deal I was so mad. So after I got the saddle filed down by a pro I bought my next set. TI power bass I hade those on for a couple months and from the minute I put them on the B sounded dead I just thought oh well its only a 34" scale it will never have a good B. Those strings died very quick within 3 months. So after that I bought the same set I bought for my first set. When they arrived I put them on. Very quickly I realized that the low B was for a 35" inch scale bass there was winding at the bridge and that string at gauge 130 wraped once around my tuning post, It looked very bad but did not affect the sound then I put the E on and I swear it sounded like a flatwound I was so mad. I called Musiciansfriend the next day and they sent me a pack of elxers for free when I put those on the B was great and every string was so smooth and crisp. So before you buy any TI products keep the receipt

I've had TS and La Bellas. Never had any problem with the La Bellas. The TS had a dead E string. However TS sent me a whole new set. Even with the good set, I still thought the La Bellas sound better.
Jack

[queevil]

Originally Posted by azfryguy

well the thing is i always wash my hands before i play bass always. My very first strings i boght were eixers and no joke they lasted 4 years

I don't wash my hands before I play because my fingers won't glide as easily across the strings.

4 years for a wound string. Elixer is the wound string that I prefer but the longest I've ever had a set on a bass was 9 or 10 months but they were probably dead after 6 or 7. Still, they're a great string. Wish I got 4 years out of them.