Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
anyone use TI jazz rounds>?
- Thread starter drewphishesp
- Start date
I put a set of TI jazz rounds on my fretless Stingray 5 in November. I had never messed with the truss rod since I got the bass new in 2014 and it came from the factory with incredibly high action. I thought the TI strings might lessen the herculean amount of strength it took to "fret" a note on it. All other strings I'd tried still took much strength in the left hand to play. But it seemed that the high action was indeed the culprit which was making that bass a strain to play. The TI's did not lessen that strain much.
Not a problem just a note. At first the G string almost felt too thin. It's nearly as thin as a low E string on a guitar. Not quite that thin but close enough to mention. But I adjusted to that rather quickly.
A friend with tons of confidence in adjusting and setting up stingrays took the bass and cranked the truss rod clockwise for maybe a half turn ( I think ) and "vwahlah" ( voila ) it suddenly had low action and wasn't a chore to "fret" a note. I had had this dumb notion in my head that I would ruin the bass if I messed with the truss rod.
I'll preface the next paragraph by saying that I love Stingray fretless' because they still retain an absolutely outrageous funk tone when slapped. Something I don't often find on other fretless basses.
At first after the truss rod adjustment I thought the strings were a bit too loose feeling but it did not lose the capacity to sound great when slapped full out. I had suspected the lightness of the gauge would make the strings too floppy to slap and still sound OK. But the TI's have held up great in that regards. But it took maybe a month for me to start to really like them. It's kind of like I had to first readjust my whole playing style to see what they could really do. Now I love them. From an overall dynamics standpoint concerning my own playing technique I don't think I've played another string similar. I do miss a bit of the high end presence which the previous Ernie Ball Slinkies had but for now I'm keeping the TI's on the bass.
Another bass friend who had classical violin training as a child tried that bass and said "these strings are really different. I can tell they were made by orchestral string makers".
But the real test is live with a band and it was mid January when that happened. Played a local beer hall where I well know what sound I can potentially get there . The bass wearing the TI's got amazing live tone. The all encompassing , oozing chorus-like hum that I really only get with the fretless. There was no lack whatsoever of that.
Still haven't tried them on my Stingray fretted 5.
I have one remaining problem though. When I play the G string open I get a loud hum at the bridge. It is annoying. Seems to be at the point of contact of the string and the bridge saddle. If anyone knows a fix for that I'm all ears.
Not a problem just a note. At first the G string almost felt too thin. It's nearly as thin as a low E string on a guitar. Not quite that thin but close enough to mention. But I adjusted to that rather quickly.
A friend with tons of confidence in adjusting and setting up stingrays took the bass and cranked the truss rod clockwise for maybe a half turn ( I think ) and "vwahlah" ( voila ) it suddenly had low action and wasn't a chore to "fret" a note. I had had this dumb notion in my head that I would ruin the bass if I messed with the truss rod.
I'll preface the next paragraph by saying that I love Stingray fretless' because they still retain an absolutely outrageous funk tone when slapped. Something I don't often find on other fretless basses.
At first after the truss rod adjustment I thought the strings were a bit too loose feeling but it did not lose the capacity to sound great when slapped full out. I had suspected the lightness of the gauge would make the strings too floppy to slap and still sound OK. But the TI's have held up great in that regards. But it took maybe a month for me to start to really like them. It's kind of like I had to first readjust my whole playing style to see what they could really do. Now I love them. From an overall dynamics standpoint concerning my own playing technique I don't think I've played another string similar. I do miss a bit of the high end presence which the previous Ernie Ball Slinkies had but for now I'm keeping the TI's on the bass.
Another bass friend who had classical violin training as a child tried that bass and said "these strings are really different. I can tell they were made by orchestral string makers".
But the real test is live with a band and it was mid January when that happened. Played a local beer hall where I well know what sound I can potentially get there . The bass wearing the TI's got amazing live tone. The all encompassing , oozing chorus-like hum that I really only get with the fretless. There was no lack whatsoever of that.
Still haven't tried them on my Stingray fretted 5.
I have one remaining problem though. When I play the G string open I get a loud hum at the bridge. It is annoying. Seems to be at the point of contact of the string and the bridge saddle. If anyone knows a fix for that I'm all ears.
I love TI rounds to the point of picking a bass that works with them rather than vice versa. It's the feel that's the USP for me, but saying that downplays how good they sound. Lush, rich sounding strings.
I've only ever used the 4 string sets though.
Anyone here able to say how they got on with the skinny B in the 5 string set?
I've only ever used the 4 string sets though.
Anyone here able to say how they got on with the skinny B in the 5 string set?
I use the TI flats on a P-bass. Sound and feel great. The feel is softer than standard flats and is closer to the feel of my double bass strings. I deliberately wanted a similar sense of touch. One less thing to worry about when doubling!
I currently have one bass that wears GHS Bass Boomers; one bass that wears Roto 88 Tapes; and one bass that wears TI Jazz Rounds. Seeing as how I have 20 other basses that wear flats, I'd say that's pretty high praise for the Jazz Rounds. My '94 Gretsch G6119BO Broadkaster would still be a nearly useless Mud Monster without the TIs. It never wore flats; it sounded like a bullfrog fart in deep mud with all the other rounds I tried on it. And I tried a lot of them... I'd bought the TI's by mistake some years ago, and would have sent them back; fortunately, I was too lazy. I put them on the Broadkaster, partly because I got tired of looking at them; partly because other basses that they'd fit, already had strings that I liked; and partly out of a desperate desire to get a useful sound out of the only left-handed Gretsch bass I've ever seen. Fortunately, the TI's did the trick. I still have a hard time believing how... just flat out nice... Big Orange sounds now. It's like I flipped a switch and the bass just... turned on. Plus, the green silks on a big orange bass? Kinda makes it look like a carrot...
Love TIJRs (2.5 years on a Ric).
Anyone who loves the properties of TIJRs should also consider Dogal Hellborg Rounds, but their A and especially E are rough feeling, not smooth at all. Check the audio clip near the end of that thread.
Anyone who loves the properties of TIJRs should also consider Dogal Hellborg Rounds, but their A and especially E are rough feeling, not smooth at all. Check the audio clip near the end of that thread.
I have TIJR on three basses: Ric 4003S, Guild Starfire II and a Fender Tony Franklin fretless P and love them on all three.
I have four different strings I use:
- LaBella low tension Beatle Bass strings
- TI Jazz Rounds
- TI Jazz Flats
- TI Super Alloys (only on my active bass)
Frankly, the TI Jazz Rounds are fantastic, and are the easiest to play string out of the 3 TI variants. Also, no string noise when you slide.
- LaBella low tension Beatle Bass strings
- TI Jazz Rounds
- TI Jazz Flats
- TI Super Alloys (only on my active bass)
Frankly, the TI Jazz Rounds are fantastic, and are the easiest to play string out of the 3 TI variants. Also, no string noise when you slide.
