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*TI Flats MegaThread*

#181
J_Bass said:
It really is a great bass.

I found it by chance in Porto's Ludimusic, believe it or not. It was there for months, during the pandemic. They only made a couple of hundred of these basses, or so, but one found it's way to Ludimusic!

I was there picking up a Boss OC-5 I ordered, and I recognized the BBPH (thanks TB!). I asked to play it and bought it right there. It's a powerful bass.

The EQ is very good. And it has Passive/Active with no difference in volume.
Click to expand...

Really cool story hahaha
I played one at Egitana [Yamaha partner] and thought about buying, but ended up saving for another project, kinda regret that choice but yeah, life moves on...
The 2nd hand market for that bass is absolutely insane, with a mint version reaching 3k at reverb!!!
 
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#182
Carlos Azevedo said:
Really cool story hahaha
I played one at Egitana [Yamaha partner] and thought about buying, but ended up saving for another project, kinda regret that choice but yeah, life moves on...
The 2nd hand market for that bass is absolutely insane, with a mint version reaching 3k at reverb!!!
Click to expand...
Uau, 3k?! I'll sell mine for 2k, haha!
 
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#183
NKBassman said:
The loose feel took a few weeks of getting used to, but I developed a more delicate touch that I feel has benefited my playing in general, and on all my other basses too.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree with you on that one.
I always thought strings with higher tension would help with a light touch and feel since I could play faster and "beat the hell out of the strings". Therefore, I used Rotosound rs77ld for a long time (super high tension). It took me some weeks to get used to, but in the end, I am playing faster, applying much less stress and pressure on the neck and playing long sessions with a big smile on my face with my TI strings.
Now I grab some other basses equipped with the old Rotos and it feels weird and slow to play. The feel is very unique with the TIs just like you said, you develop a more delicate touch and that is very noticeable on recordings, my band really loved the upgrade.
 
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#185
I love TI jazz Flats. I just moved my 3yr old set from my Matt Freeman sig bass with an SD SPB-1 pickup to my 2011 MIM PBass with SD QP pickup and they work perfectly on that bass. I then put a set of Sadowsky Blue Label flats on the Matt Freeman bass and they found their home. If you like the mid thing that TI’s produce but want a little more stiffness and low end you should try the Sadowsky’s. Mine are still settling in and they have a great tone.
 
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#186
Hi guys, for 5 string bass would you know if I can pair EADG set of TIs with Dunlop flat 125 B string? Has anyone mised sets like that?
I just don't want to permanently ament the nut saddle for 136 of TI and happen to have spare 125 from Dunlop at the same time
 
#187
JRMK said:
Hi guys, for 5 string bass would you know if I can pair EADG set of TIs with Dunlop flat 125 B string? Has anyone mised sets like that?
I just don't want to permanently ament the nut saddle for 136 of TI and happen to have spare 125 from Dunlop at the same time
Click to expand...

I mean, if you can get your hands on that single string... you could buy a regular TI flat set and add that one specific string.
I have done that tons of times for a 5-string but with rounds (since single round wound strings are easy to find and I had the same problem with nut) for the same reasons. Get a set 4 string set and test it, since you already have that flat it should be super easy.

Plus, I have used those Dunlop flats (never on that combination) and found them a bit bright for flats. That could be cool on that B string and would make it pop a bit more and might go really well with TI.

In the end, test it... double bass players do that all the time and you have nothing to lose since you won't really drill the nut or do any permanent change.
Good luck.

Carlos//
 
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#189
Mastermold said:
Wow, a 6-string set of TI flats is nearly as expensive as a tank of gas! Hope you like them!
Click to expand...

Indeed they are...$150 CAD plus shipping and an import fee. Ug.

First impressions, easily the best flat wound string I have ever played. I recall years and years ago (like 20 years ago?) getting a Godin fretless semi-acoustic bass. It was light and fun, but ultimately not my bag. It had some flats on it, but they had zero sustain and were very thumpy...no doubt partially due to the semi acoustic nature of the bass, but I didnt fully understand that at this point in my playing. I tried all sort of flats and ground wounds in my search for the perfect smooth string and gave up and traded in the Godin.

Fast forward to now. TI's are installed on my Warmoth fretless 6 string. The TI flats are smooth with great tension and great tone top to bottom - I love the way they sound further up the fingerboard, very much like a voice. I need to do some tweaking on my set up to dial them in, but nothing too crazy. They are really playable and easy on the fingers. The only string I am struggling with is the giant .136 B string. It is huge and seems almost too big compared to the .100 and .070 E and A strings, but still manageable. The B string has the least sustain and sounds the quietest, but I recall that being how this bass was with rounds too. So far, I am enjoying these strings and once I get the set up done, I think I will be really happy.
 
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#190
So I have always been curious about tapewound strings, and recently acquired a set of GHS tapes. The most appropriate bass I have to try them on currently has TI flats, which I love and don't really want to mess up a good thing. So I'm just curious how do TIs take to being removed and replaced? They're over a year old and pretty well broken in. If I don't dig the tapes on the P bass I'd want to put the TIs back on.
 
#191
NKBassman said:
So I have always been curious about tapewound strings, and recently acquired a set of GHS tapes. The most appropriate bass I have to try them on currently has TI flats, which I love and don't really want to mess up a good thing. So I'm just curious how do TIs take to being removed and replaced? They're over a year old and pretty well broken in. If I don't dig the tapes on the P bass I'd want to put the TIs back on.
Click to expand...
Ain't no helping it: looks like you've got to get a new bass!
 
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#192
NKBassman said:
So I have always been curious about tapewound strings, and recently acquired a set of GHS tapes. The most appropriate bass I have to try them on currently has TI flats, which I love and don't really want to mess up a good thing. So I'm just curious how do TIs take to being removed and replaced? They're over a year old and pretty well broken in. If I don't dig the tapes on the P bass I'd want to put the TIs back on.
Click to expand...
Well, @HaphAsSard has the best solution, but, if you don't want to do that, I wouldn't worry about TI flats off/on a few times. I have a set I bought used and then tried them on 3 or three basses until they found their current home . . . no issues that I can detect. You need to be really careful with the silks if you want them to stay neat and tidy.
 
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#193
AaronBass4 said:
Well, @HaphAsSard has the best solution, but, if you don't want to do that, I wouldn't worry about TI flats off/on a few times. I have a set I bought used and then tried them on 3 or three basses until they found their current home . . . no issues that I can detect. You need to be really careful with the silks if you want them to stay neat and tidy.
Click to expand...
That's kinda what I expected, thank you.
 
#194
I've owned my Alembic Europa 5 String w/ Series I electronics for some 19 years now and predominately used Nickel Roundwounds on it. I believe that back in the day, Alembic Series Basses were typically fit with flatwound strings. It got me to thinking and I thought it would be fun to try TI flats on my Alembic. I've had them installed for a little over a month now and I'm really liking how the bass sounds. The tone is nice and full. Also, given the bass can be a little unforgiving technique wise, the TI flats mitigate some of the fret noise.

I'm quite happy with this experiment.

Bones
 
#199
Hastur said:
Hello, I love sound of TI with dirt pedals, but I want more tension or stifness for heavy pick playing. Can I solve this by using .136-.056 (lower strings from JF345 set) and uptune to C standard or D standard for normal/hight tension feeling?
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Not a bad idea.
TB admin @Chris Fitzgerald has had success in installing the BEAD strings from the T-I JF345 set on his short-scale Rob Allen Mouse 30 and tuning them up a fourth, to standard 4-string EADG:
Low B flat wound options to tune up to E
What you're considering (specifically the DGCF scenario), if on a long-scale bass, is the near-exact equivalent. Be done it can, as per Chris's experience; that the result sound and play to your liking remains to be seen.


Alternatively, check this out:
Rotosound SM77 as TI Flats alternative
Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 flatwounds are at the opposite end of the tension+stiffness spectrum relative to Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats, so you might be content with the 40-100 set (SM77) at DGCF; or you might try their next gauges up (RS77LD = 45/65/85/105; the heaviest sets are the RS77LE and the SH77) but, as implied by @e-flat in his thread, those may not sound the same (which is to be expected, to a point) and (more to the point) not just as Thomastik-y.
 
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#200
HaphAsSard said:
Not a bad idea.
TB admin @Chris Fitzgerald has had success in installing the BEAD strings from the T-I JF345 set on his short-scale Rob Allen Mouse 30 and tuning them up a fourth, to standard 4-string EADG:
Low B flat wound options to tune up to E
What you're considering (specifically the DGCF scenario), if on a long-scale bass, is the near-exact equivalent. Be done it can, as per Chris's experience; that the result sound and play to your liking remains to be seen.
Click to expand...
Thanks for answer and link. Ideal scenario is DGCF for fretless jazz bass. Now I can buy set of JF345 here in Czechia for 67 EUR. So I will try it.

HaphAsSard said:
Alternatively, check this out:
Rotosound SM77 as TI Flats alternative
Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 flatwounds are at the opposite end of the tension+stiffness spectrum relative to Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats, so you might be content with the 40-100 set (SM77) at DGCF; or you might try their next gauges up (RS77LD = 45/65/85/105; the heaviest sets are the RS77LE and the SH77) but, as implied by @e-flat in his thread, those may not sound the same (which is to be expected, to a point) and (more to the point) not just as Thomastik-y.
Click to expand...
I have Rotos RS77LE, downtuned to DGCF now and sound is good, but different from TI. TI has better mids for my ears and something more inspirational in sound for me.
 
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