• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Are T-Is all that?

Are T-Is really all that?

  • OMG yes, I'd pay $1,000

    Votes: 43 42.6%
  • Are you nuts? Those are $70. I could buy a tort pickguard for that!

    Votes: 24 23.8%
  • What are T-Is?

    Votes: 34 33.7%

  • Total voters
    101
Everyone keeps saying $70??? I guess everyone is talking about four strings?

Bassstringsonline has them at $109 for five string basses. Even if they are lower cost over time, it’s a an expensive experiment if they don’t work out.
 
Everyone keeps saying $70??? I guess everyone is talking about four strings?

Bassstringsonline has them at $109 for five string basses. Even if they are lower cost over time, it’s a an expensive experiment if they don’t work out.

People here are always posting NBD's of basses that cost well over $2,000+, so I think they can also afford to try whatever strings they want, they're just being cheap. If you don't like them you can EASILY sell them for like $20 less than you bought them for with a 4 string set, $30 less for a 5-string set and really not be in the hole all that much.

It's like buying a really expensive sportscar or motorcycle and whining about how much performance tires cost, except these "tires" for out instruments actually last quite a while. You gotta pay to play.
 
Last edited:
I've been using TI Jazz Flats on my long-scale fretless 5-string for about 20 years and absolutely love them. They are perfect for me and I haven't had any desire to switch strings. The only problem I've had is the B tends to go dead fairly quickly, so I have a Chrome B on it now. I keep my strings on for years, so the price doesn't bother me.

I like low-tension strings on a short-scale.

I've been using Chromes on my short-scale four-string fretless for a few years and they have been fine, but I've always wanted to try TIs. I was worried that they would be extremely floppy on the 30-inch scale, but I just put a set of short-scale TIs on and they sound great. Of course, they are lower tension than the Chromes, but not nearly as loose as they thought they would be. I'm glad I made the change.

When using the Chromes on this bass, the bridge pickup was noticeably quieter than the neck soloed or with both pickups on. When I put on the TIs, I immediately noticed that the bridge pickup was just as loud, and maybe a bit louder, than the other two settings.
 
I've had TIJF's on one bass or another for years now... And always on my main player. However, I've been running Sadowsky Blue Label Flats for almost a year, and i love them. A great, cheaper, and slightly more tense alternative to TIJF's.
 
I've been using TI Jazz Flats on my long-scale fretless 5-string for about 20 years and absolutely love them. They are perfect for me and I haven't had any desire to switch strings. The only problem I've had is the B tends to go dead fairly quickly, so I have a Chrome B on it now. I keep my strings on for years, so the price doesn't bother me.

I've used probably 7-8 sets of TI Flats over my playing career on different basses and have never had a B string go dead. Actually the B string being phenomenal is why I like the strings so good.
 
I've used probably 7-8 sets of TI Flats over my playing career on different basses and have never had a B string go dead. Actually the B string being phenomenal is why I like the strings so good.

I've read this before from other users. I don't get it.... On my bass, the B starts out sounding great, but after a few months, it just seems to die. It sounds dull and thuddy, with lower volume. The Chrome B has a slightly brighter sound than the rest of the set, but it fits in a band context. Maybe its some peculiarity in my bass or pickups.
 
After a massive flatwound and tapewound sampling period conducted over the course of the last couple of years, TIs are on my list of Top 3 Favorite Strings (so far!). They're great strings, and I like the tension, feel, and mid focus they have. If you're looking for a string with a prominent fundamental (think La Bella...) then you might not like the TIs. They have a terrific clarity which beats most flats, but without the harmonic overtones and "zing" of rounds.
 
If you're an upright bassist the name "Thomastik" (only heard of Infeld more recently) goes way back. It was the first upright bass string I ever bought, way, way back in the last century some time. Of course, I guess you could say that's pretty fancy ;).
 
Thomastik-Infield, I wonder if they charge so much because of the fancy name you can't remember?
LOL! I thought it was because of them making strings for bowed instruments. They're actually pretty reasonably priced for bowed instruments compared to some. But now that you mention it, that name is pretty darn fancypants.