Anybody having problems with Thomastik Jazz flats & rounds?

[chuck norriss]

Pier_, I do remember DR urging customers not to stretch highbeams, stating it is not needed. I don't know what other manufacturers say. I have always suspected that they tell this to customers to avoid damage to the cores, not because it's actually true. Reason being, in my nearly 40 years of playing, and in the opinion of every luthier I've ever known, and every factory authorized repair person/ builder, stretching just enough (and not too much), enormously enhances stability, and to my touch, makes strings slinkier...Now, that said, no doubt one could damage a string, and it does indeed take a sensitive touch.

But this is the dilema, eh? I'm interested to know what Thomastik tells me. Seriously, though, (IME), all strings just feel like crap and slide out of tune until they're ready for replacement if not gently but thoroughly stretched.
OH MY GOD, what kind of flame fest have I started. God knows, "40 years" of experience could be 40 years of total ignan'ce, as far as any one else is concerned. If I had a dime for every person who said moving a J pickup 3/4" of an inch didn't make a difference, or the body wood or neck has no effect on sound... maybe me, and all my mentors are wrong. It's happened before.

I ought to give it a try with my next set of TI rubber bands...damn, it
is hard not to stretch those things, like avoiding fresh baked cookies!

Not so much stretching as breaking in, or waiting some days after installing new. Did you return thse to TI as well or is this the same issue that I'm misreading?

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Representatives from both Pyramid and Thomastik-Infeld have told me not to pull/ stretch the strings - it's damaging to the strings.
I think they know more about strings than I do, so I stopped that several years ago. One benefit was that the strings lasted even longer. Perhaps they knew what they were talking about.

 

[bluesblaster]

I just took off a set of JF344's from a J bass that are ten years old, they sound great but the "plinkyness" of the G string was bothering me so I swapped them for Labella 760 FL's

 

[lovethegrowl]

I just took off a set of JF344's from a J bass that are ten years old, they sound great but the "plinkyness" of the G string was bothering me so I swapped them for Labella 760 FL's

I don't see why others don't hear that problem with the G string.

 

[akori]

OK: as promised, update on Thomastik's response to my two apparently damaged G strings (both Jazz rounds):
I emailed Thomastik, but after two weeks, no reply. Then I remembered I had actually called CONNOLLY MUSIC, who is their USA distributor. I think they had not responded to email in a week, so I called again this time.
I got a really kind, professional woman on the line who did the same as last time; asked me to describe the details, very respectfully asked if I knew how to wind/ care for a string, and then got my address, sent out a prepaid return envelope, and is sending me two free replacement G strings, and wants the damaged ones back so Thomastik can examine them for quality control.
Awesome, as usual.
I could not recommend Connoly Music higher, and I'll definitely be contacting Thomastik to praise Connolly to them. They openly express appreciation for their customers, and also do so on behalf of Thomastik...companies like this, Hipshot, Best Bass Gear, Fralin, Delano, these people restore the joy of doing business in music, and redeem a lot of the crap we get from so many consumer experiences elsewhere. There are certainly other companies and smaller retailers who are like this; like friends you enjoy just calling, and thank God, because in this day, that stuff is so valuable.

BY THE WAY; I asked the Connolly rep if they thought I should stretch Thomastik strings. She said, YES, gently and with reasonable care. Now, I hope to talk directly to someone (preferably a couple of folks) at Thomastik, because they may have some differing opinions. But that's what I know so far. Anyway, it stands to reason you gotta' be gentle with a slinky .043 G string.
Hehe...years ago I snapped a DR C string on a 6-string with an overly aggressive stretch. "That was so stupid", I thought, as it went "pop."
I still want to get a set of DR Highbeams and NOT stretch them per se, as they implore us to do, and see if they stabilize quickly.
I'll post again if anyone Thomastik advises me NOT to stretch.
Cheers.

 

[lovethegrowl]

I stretched mine gradually because I was too damn stupid to know better. I bought the TIs from Bass Strings Online because the were supposed to have so little tension. The TIs replaced slinky gauged Hibeams (120 85 65 45 35 25). I was working on some rock tunes including Sympathy/ Symphony for the Devil. It was harder to do those shuffling 5ths with the TIs than with the Hibeams. I kept arguing that the TIs had more tension than the Hibeams--on the basis that it was harder to play the shuffling 5ths with the TIs. (I'm sure Jason was ready to pull his hair out.)

I dealt with the perceived problem by stretching the strings a half tone at a time working up to a tone & a half, hoping I'd loosen the tension. After doing that it still wasn't easier to play those rapid shuffling 5ths. It took some time for me to realize that the reason that I couldn't easily play those rapid shuffling 5ths is that those lower E & A strings have so little tension that they don't pop up quickly. You really do have to pull your fingers up quickly with those lower TIs, whereas with most other brands of strings, they push your fingers back up as soon as you begin releasing the string--thus facilitating faster technique.

All I have to say is that I'm glad I didn't damage them.

In other threads (& in this one too) I have complained that the G & C strings are leaner & twangier than the others, & I was considering selling them. I have successfully dealt with the problem by boosting 250 hz & 500hz 12 db! (And 1khz + 2db.) This enables me to give a bass boost on my on board Ibanez per amp which thickens & beefs up the sound of the bass. Formerly, just giving that small turn of the preamp's bass eq gave too much of a boost of the B E D A strings, while giving a perceptible but insufficient boost of the G & C strings. Now with the 250hz, 500hz boost, AND the bass boost of the on board bass EQ, the sound is much more convincing.

Also using my best cabinet (SWR Goliath III) I listened to my bass from a distance while the guitarist played it, so I got a more objective sense if what it sounds like. Now they are "keepers".

I now have two really good 6 string basses. The Ibanez, using the TIs w/humbuckers. The other, a modded Squier with single coils and Hibeams. That bass I put lots of money into, & really went all out trying to get a funk growl sound. Yet surprisingly, nearly everyone I know who's a musician is more impressed with my TIs. That particularly includes the guitarist & drummer I perform with, so that's saying a lot.

 

[lovethegrowl]

Correction: shuffling 4ths not 5ths on the Rolling Stone tune.

Also, I no longer use slinky gauged Hibeams. Now I use 135 110 85 65 45 & 30. I still do prefer the Hibeams/jazz pup combination over the TI/humbuckers combo, in spite of the opinions of others for whom I have respect. But they are two nicely contrasting sounding basses.

 

[krovx]

I love the tone/feel of TI flats. I use one bass as of now and once a month I want to put flats on the bass instead of rounds. Are TIs too delicate to be swapping? I have swapped with Chromes with no apparent issues, but TIs are a different beast.

 

[TomB]

I love the tone/feel of TI flats. I use one bass as of now and once a month I want to put flats on the bass instead of rounds. Are TIs too delicate to be swapping? I have swapped with Chromes with no apparent issues, but TIs are a different beast.

Over the years I have swapped TI's on and off, mostly without issue. I do recall breaking one once, but that could happen to an unswapped string as well.