A Few Thoughts On TI Flats

[EricOnTheBass]

I know we tend to talk about strings as a general preference, but once I started acquiring and using more than one bass I found that each bass tends to like different strings. What I thought was my personal favorite strings for 20 years (GHS Boomers ML gauge), didn’t sound or feel as good on my new custom built Moollon P-bass. I found nickel round wounds or TI flats sounded/felt better on that bass, while Boomers and Chromes sounded/felt better on my 2012 American P bass. Opened my eyes to stop judging strings on their own, and to judge them on an instrument-by-instrument basis.

Also all 4 of my TI strings feel like the same tension, nice and even across them all. I’ve bought two sets (because I killed the first set installing/removing them multiple times on a few instruments), for around $50. They are still available around $50-60 if you look for the ones (mis)labeled “accordion accessory.”

Flatwound bass strings are my favorite accessory for all my accordians.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I've played round wounds since the beginning. To give a little context, "the beginning" is 1977. I only started playing flat wounds when I got my first P bass 3 years ago. Since then I have tried: D'Addario Chromes, Ernie Ball Group 3, and Fender flats.

Back in November, I finished a parts-build P bass and decided to put TI Flats on it. This is my first time with TIs, so after reading about them extensively here on TB, I thought I would share my experience and impression of them.

The good:

• The all-nickel outer wrap is very smooth and easy to play.
• The tension is low and unlike other brands that feel like ski-lift cables.
• They don't seem to produce an over abundance of overtones, which as I understand is one of the goals in their design.

The not so good:

• I've read widely-varied opinions about their tension. The tension is just fine for me except for the second string (D in four string standard tuning). It is too light.
• They do have a distinct tone. A bit more "dull" than Chromes, and after four months of playing they are quickly getting more dull. Too dull for my preference. Tone is very subjective and these may be great for some, but not so much for me.

TI is obviously not going to make a custom set for little old me, but if I could suggest changes, I would make the core of the D string a little thicker, and offer a version with a stainless steel outer wrap to add more brightness.

Overall, I don't hate them, but I'm not in love with them either. And at ~$100 per set this may be a "one and done" situation.

Thanks for your review. Based on your report especially the dull tone is definitely a non-starter in my book.

On a side bar, over the past summer I bought a Fender Am Pro 5 string that came with a new set of flats, the first bass I’ve owned with flats since 1978. Since they were new and not having any clue as to what brand they are (I posted a while back and didn’t get a conclusive answer) so I figured I’d leave them on to see if the magic everbody talks about with they get some time in the saddle so to speak.

Well, I’m 7 months in at this point, one gig, 7 songs recorded, and countless hours of trying to get them dialed in and practice time. I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t like them live on the stage. They do however work well recording older R&B, Motown material. It is a very authentic tone. But playing this material live??? I would much rather play my AM PBj strung with DR Lo Riders, like I’ve done for the last 20 years.

As for the bloom magic, it’s not happening. Just tonal degradation. JMO.

 

[jglunt]

Flatwound bass strings are my favorite accessory for all my accordians.

I see you've been shopping on Amazon.

 

[jglunt]

• They do have a distinct tone. A bit more "dull" than Chromes, and after four months of playing they are quickly getting more dull. Too dull for my preference. Tone is very subjective and these may be great for some, but not so much for me

Overall, I don't hate them, but I'm not in love with them either. And at ~$100 per set this may be a "one and done" situation.

I concur. I tried two different sets of TIJFs, and they both were too dull for my taste and the music I play. Many years ago, before most of you were born, I played Fender flats. Then I got turned on to rounds and never played flats again for fifty years. My favorites have become Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flats and Rotosound 77 Monel Flats. They sound closer to a roundwound sound with good bottom end and articulation and sustain. I also run GHS Pressurewounds on a couple of my basses. They're a "tweener" string. Not a roundwound, but they sound similar. Not a flatwound, but with less finger noise and finger wear and tear than roundwounds.

 

[smtp4me]

I concur. I tried two different sets of TIJFs, and they both were too dull for my taste and the music I play. Many years ago, before most of you were born, I played Fender flats. Then I got turned on to rounds and never played flats again for fifty years. My favorites have become Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flats and Rotosound 77 Monel Flats. They sound closer to a roundwound sound with good bottom end and articulation and sustain. I also run GHS Pressurewounds on a couple of my basses. They're a "tweener" string. Not a roundwound, but they sound similar. Not a flatwound, but with less finger noise and finger wear and tear than roundwounds.

How much mileage do you get from the Cobalt flats?

I typically play DR strings (HighBeams, Pure Blues) on my other basses and they seem to last a little longer than other rounds, but they are also relatively cheap (~$25 per set). IME flats tend to last longer than rounds, but they are also more expensive - as in at least double, typically. So if the Cobalts get me closer to the tone I want and they don't go dead quickly, they are worth a try.

 

[nixdad]

I've played round wounds since the beginning. To give a little context, "the beginning" is 1977. I only started playing flat wounds when I got my first P bass 3 years ago. Since then I have tried: D'Addario Chromes, Ernie Ball Group 3, and Fender flats.

Back in November, I finished a parts-build P bass and decided to put TI Flats on it. This is my first time with TIs, so after reading about them extensively here on TB, I thought I would share my experience and impression of them.

The good:

• The all-nickel outer wrap is very smooth and easy to play.
• The tension is low and unlike other brands that feel like ski-lift cables.
• They don't seem to produce an over abundance of overtones, which as I understand is one of the goals in their design.

The not so good:

• I've read widely-varied opinions about their tension. The tension is just fine for me except for the second string (D in four string standard tuning). It is too light.
• They do have a distinct tone. A bit more "dull" than Chromes, and after four months of playing they are quickly getting more dull. Too dull for my preference. Tone is very subjective and these may be great for some, but not so much for me.

TI is obviously not going to make a custom set for little old me, but if I could suggest changes, I would make the core of the D string a little thicker, and offer a version with a stainless steel outer wrap to add more brightness.

Overall, I don't hate them, but I'm not in love with them either. And at ~$100 per set this may be a "one and done" situation.

It's unfortunate you've had a bad experience with the TI flats. I've had them on 2 basses since 2014, and have installed them on multiple basses since. I personally love the feel and tone of the strings, and they fit in the mix with my band perfectly.

I know you've already purchased the strings, but for anyone else, these can be purchased on Amazon for about $66. Please note these are in the darker "European" packaging, but rest assured, they are THE VERY SAME STRINGS sold in the "American" market yellow packaging. I've been buying them on Amazon at the discounted rate since 2018.

There’s one other important thing you haven’t mentioned about Jazz Flats probably because you haven’t used them long enough yet - - but they last for years and years without sonic degradation. NOTHING comes close in my experience. Yes - they cost a pretty penny- but if you consider how long they last, they are one of the least expensive strings you can buy..

Yep - best value on the market bar none.

Just my .02 cents. I've been using TI Flats for 15 or more years. IME, whether right out of the pack or on the bass for 10 years, they sound the same. The sound doesn't change.

I agree that they are terribly expensive! But, there are reports of them lasting well over 10 years. So in the long run, the price is not too bad.

They are a low tension flat wound and about the same tension as some round wounds. No biggie. Just tweak string height a bit.

The D string too tight? Huh?

Different strings are like different flavors of ice cream. Choose what you like.

Agreed, I've had sets last 15 years no problem. And they sounded consistent throughout. The initial investment is steep but quickly [or slowly ] becomes a bargain.

I know we tend to talk about strings as a general preference, but once I started acquiring and using more than one bass I found that each bass tends to like different strings. What I thought was my personal favorite strings for 20 years (GHS Boomers ML gauge), didn’t sound or feel as good on my new custom built Moollon P-bass. I found nickel round wounds or TI flats sounded/felt better on that bass, while Boomers and Chromes sounded/felt better on my 2012 American P bass. Opened my eyes to stop judging strings on their own, and to judge them on an instrument-by-instrument basis.

Also all 4 of my TI strings feel like the same tension, nice and even across them all. I’ve bought two sets (because I killed the first set installing/removing them multiple times on a few instruments), for around $50. They are still available around $50-60 if you look for the ones (mis)labeled “accordion accessory.”

 

[jglunt]

How much mileage do you get from the Cobalt flats?

I typically play DR strings (HighBeams, Pure Blues) on my other basses and they seem to last a little longer than other rounds, but they are also relatively cheap (~$25 per set). IME flats tend to last longer than rounds, but they are also more expensive - as in at least double, typically. So if the Cobalts get me closer to the tone I want and they don't go dead quickly, they are worth a try.

I have the Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt flats on two of my basses. They've been on both about a year and still are alive and well. I should mention that they are not as smooth to the touch as the TIJF. Nothing is, but they're much smoother than roundwounds. And they punch and growl. Amazon seems to have the best price on them at the moment.

 

[Element Zero]

I’ve tried to like them. Pedulla Pentabuzz, Fodera Emperor fretless 5, Fodera Ying Yang 5, Music Man StingRay fretless 5… Utter disappointment. I will say I can understand why people like them IF they work on a specific instrument. I say that because I do have a set on my old Ibanez ATK305 and for what ever reason, I swear on my life that I will never take them off of that bass. I’ve owned that one since ‘99 and spent who knows how much on strings over the years. My first set of TIJF I ever tried I put on it. Pure magic. EVERY other bass I’ve tried them on was an obvious “no way Jose”.

 

[DCCat]

I don't know what the thinking is behind TI gauges. 43 for the G and 100 for the E makes sense but 56 for the D and 70 for the A is way too light.
I have 11-gauge TI flats on my Jazzmaster and those gauges are also "wrong" but in a different way. The bottom strings are too light.

To achieve balanced tension, I might have designed the A to be .057, but that's not a significant difference. However, the A should be around .075, and the deficit there is quite noticeable.

 

[GIBrat51]

Well...
If you don't like TIJFs, then you don't like them; and that's the end of that. Personally?
- I've had a set of TIJF's on my '95 Alembic Epic, for about 15 years now. Yes, the same set; they still sound like they did when they finally broke in, and TBH? I can't think of any strings that would sound as good on that bass, or would work as well as they do for the music I play with that bass...
- Yes, I agree that TIJF's are not well balanced - as far as feel goes. But, there are some of us that care more about balanced tone than feel. And, to my ears? TIJF's are tonally very well balanced. I would love to have both, of course; but, if I have to pick one? I'll take balanced tone, every time...
- I have 27 basses (and I play them all), but only the Alembic wears TIJFs. I do have a set of TI 324 Jazz Rounds on one bass, but why is a long story, and isn't germane to this thread. To me, TIJF's are "niche" strings; they do a few things very, very well. But, there's a lot of music that, IMO, they are not exactly the string of choice for. They can do it, but... other flats do it much better. So, I use those other strings for almost everything I play. The Alembic and the TI's get used for Jazz - nothing else.
So... don't feel bad if TI's don't work for you. Even though some people like to think they are, TI's are not the Alpha and the Omega of flat wounds. No flat wound is... Which is why I use about a dozen different brands/gauges of flats on my basses... However... if you did like the overall sound of them on your bass? You might try a set of Fender 9050Ls. They feel pretty balanced to my fingers (well balanced tonally, too); and to my ears? They sound a lot like TI's, but without all the harmonic overtones that make TI's "special". The Fenders have a well balanced tone - just not all the harmonics. I have them on a few of my basses, and like them - a lot.

 

[Crusher47]

I'm a recent convert to TI Jazz Flats and slowly started adding them to some of my basses. They sound great on my Precision, Roadworn Jazz and G&L L1000

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

TI flats work well on some basses, not on others. I've had them on an AmPro Precision for a few years and love the feel and tone -- both recorded and live. On my AmPro Jazz, I didn't get such good vibes. Kind of "meh" nothing big other than a dull copy of the P-bass. After then playing TI Jazz rounds for a year on the Jazz bass (which I liked a lot)_, I then tried some other strings and am into La Bella 760FLs, which hit the spot the moment I strung them on and set up the bass. Keep an open mind and play various strings until you discover the sweet spot. There is no magic bullet in strings.

 

[kevk]

TI flats work well on some basses, not on others…………..Keep an open mind and play various strings until you discover the sweet spot. There is no magic bullet in strings.

+1 …amazing how it can vary from bass to bass. I really enjoy TI’s! For basses they haven’t worked for, I’ve found success with Dunlop flats. To me, TI’s sound great out of the box, and don’t de-grade much (tone-wise) after they’re broken in.

With my Dunlop flat-strung basses…I sometimes “fight” them (brightness/bass match) out of the box, but sticking with them…they eventually sit perfectly. Lower tension than many other flats, but more tension than TI’s. Funny, was using 40-100’s forever, but tried a set of 45-105’s…now my preferred guage.