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GRRRRRRRRRRRRR....TIs!!!!!

bassbully

bassbully

Endorsed by The PHALEX CORN BASS..mmm...corn!
Sep 7, 2006
12,760
6,556
Blimp City USA
#1
Well i think i might be done with TI jazz flats after all. I bought a set months ago after reading on TB about how amazing they were ,and they are but.... they come with issues. Yes, tension is an issue but i like the loose feel of them and never had an issue there. They did make me adjust a few necks on basses due to the lack of tension on the neck thou. I ran these stings on a 51 RI did'nt like them there at all. A 50's classic (nice) and now on my 73 telecaster (Awesome)

The issue is really that I play harder on some songs and am digging in a bit to much. I play in an Americana Indie Folk rock band who has its mellow moments but we rock out also. TIs from even back in my country playing days honk out when played hard and at the gig on Friday night when the band was playing at higher volume i heard it to often. Yes, i can set my action up but i don't like my action too high, so they have come off for good. I think I will stay with super long chromes. I played my 73 tele with them last night and she sounded good. I know some knocked TIs and warn if you dig them they honk...they speak truth :( I did one session on our last CD that we scraped on my end due to the TIs honking on the recording. It was the only song i tracked with that bass. I love TIs they have a sound of their own and i am kind of sad to see them go cuz i like so much about them but my playing style wont change that i know.
 
#2
bassbully said:
Well i think i might be done with TI jazz flats after all. I bought a set months ago after reading on TB about how amazing they were ,and they are but.... they come with issues. Yes, tension is an issue but i like the loose feel of them and never had an issue there. They did make me adjust a few necks on basses due to the lack of tension on the neck thou. I ran these stings on a 51 RI did'nt like them there at all. A 50's classic (nice) and now on my 73 telecaster (Awesome)

The issue is really that I play harder on some songs and am digging in a bit to much. I play in an Americana Indie Folk rock band who has its mellow moments but we rock out also. TIs from even back in my country playing days honk out when played hard and at the gig on Friday night when the band was playing at higher volume i heard it to often. Yes, i can set my action up but i don't like my action too high, so they have come off for good. I think I will stay with super long chromes. I played my 73 tele with them last night and she sounded good. I know some knocked TIs and warn if you dig them they honk...they speak truth :( I did one session on our last CD that we scraped on my end due to the TIs honking on the recording. It was the only song i tracked with that bass. I love TIs they have a sound of their own and i am kind of sad to see them go cuz i like so much about them but my playing style wont change that i know.
Click to expand...
dampen them to prevent this?
 
#3
TI Flats are wonderful strings. I myself enjoy the amount of tension they offer me. I don't get the honking some people refer to at all and I dig in often but it's controlled if that makes any sense lol. They are not for everyone though and thank goodness there are a number of great flatwounds out there for all of us to try. :bassist:
 
#5
Yes I agree that they are amazing strings.....But if you have trouble "digging in" and that is your style, then you need something else. They are more of a finesse sort of thing, so the tension is lower than what you need. I do find the recording issue weird. I have recorded with them and have had no problems.
You prbably do need Chromes or GHS Precision Flats instead.

FG
 
#6
bassbully said:
I am thinking a mute? I don't see how this will help. I can hear the change and honk or a buzzing kind of note anytime you fret hard and dig. I never thought it was an issue but its getting to me now. I never have this problem with chromes.
Click to expand...

Never know what people are comfortable doing so bear with me....have you set your action up a little higher to give you a little more clearance for "digging in?

My action is higher than most I suspect for that reason. Big strings twung hard have wider excursion = fret buzz when plucked hard.

Am curious to try TI's myself....:bassist:
 
#7
lowendfriend said:
Never know what people are comfortable doing so bear with me....have you set your action up a little higher to give you a little more clearance for "digging in?

My action is higher than most I suspect for that reason. Big strings twung hard have wider excursion = fret buzz when plucked hard.

Am curious to try TI's myself....:bassist:
Click to expand...

Oh yeah i understand this completely and have adjusted some. TIs are not a thick gauge string. I don't like high action and this is another reason for the change. I got strange overtones during recordings and heard them when playing quietly live a few times.

I agree TIs take a different touch and i was kind of aware of this while paying them for awhile. I think now its more of a headache and along with the honking out i cant's stand no more.
 
#8
Don't give up on the TI's. I noticed the same strange tones when I first tried them too. I tried different set ups and nothing helped. Then, I tried lowering my pups and BINGO, no more honky overtones. Now my action is really low on both fretted and fretless Jazz's and I'm getting great tone.
 
#9
I'm with you. I hated TI's my own self. I tried...gave them a good solid 3-4 months, but I never got used to that mid honk either. If I'm playing flats, I want them to sound like flats, and TI's don't to my ears. Those who love them REALLY love them, but the opposite is also true IMHO.
 
#10
I think TI's are a love-hate deal. I've tried them on way too many basses, and the result was always the same... and that was to take them off. I’m sure however it has to do with my playing style. I dig-in, too much sometimes, but I want to freedom to do so... TI don't give me that; They just need to be played gently all the time - they're like an overly sensitive girlfriend :eek:
 
#11
They do take a getting used to ...

They also may work better on some basses and not well on others. My P bass is strung with D Addario XL Chrome 100s and it is IMO a perfect match, that bass being alder with a rosewood fingerboard. I then tried the same type Chromes on my Jazz alder body maple neck, they did not play well together! Off came the Chromes, and on went some TIs, now the Jazz is a happy camper.

Here is my take on why, the P bass is fat in the low mids and and the Chromes have a bit more top end zing on top of big lows, with Chromes I'm getting a nice even sound overall. The P bass neck is a B size with a subjectivly soft feel probably due to the nitro finish and rosewood board and the tension feel is pretty good with the Chrome 100s.

The Jazz is considerably brighter both acoustically and through an amp, it also has a maple poly coated neck. The Chromes wore me out on that bass both tension wise and sonically on the one 3 hour gig they were used on. Subjectivly the Jazz has a "harder" feel playing wise, and the pickups emphasize a different set of frequencies due to the design and on this bass 70s spacing. The TIs being more pliant, feel great on that neck and what may sound like mid honk on a P bass sounds like smooth even mids on the Jazz.

Sounds like TIs may not be a good match on some basses and better on others.

Felixyeahthumb.jpg
...
 
#12
Any strings causing me to adjust my playing style are the wrong strings for me. Especially when they cost as much as the TI strings.

I've used Chromes and really liked them. The next set of flats I try will be LaBella. I love the tone Pino gets; just enough mid presence.
 
#15
That's the thing. I did have decent luck with TIs on other basses but the digging honking thing is there no matter what the bass is if you dig hard and pluck them hard. The sound is as if they flatten or buzz out when plucked too hard. I love the feel the tension the tone but i can go thru another gig hearing "Flump...Flump" when I am plucking along....nope!
 
#17
Plain and simple.... you have to raise the action a bit..... For me it's about 1/64". Plus, these are nickel wrapped, so the magnetic content is higher than SS, so you'll need to lower the pup a touch.

I too agree the TI's are not great on everything. I think it has more to do with your pups than wood however. My '08 MIA P + TIJF's = blah (not much better with Labellas either... but I haven't figured out why yet). The MIA pup is just too darned tame.... no dynamics at all..... just too "soft". Put chromes on, and it springs to life.

My '87 SB1 + TIJF's = perfect match! But the SB1 + chromes = too much with a lot of unpleasant overtones. I used to think they (chromes) were good on my SB2, but a recent restringing has given me second thoughts on the the SB2/chrome combo.

I think the TI's really shine through with hotter pups. The output of the sb1 at 75% is equal to the MIA P at full volume. If you can play with some touch and control, then a whole awesome spectrum of dynamics and tone become available. And that is, IMHO, really what makes the TI's so fabulous for some, and not so good for others.

Ljazz
 
#18
JimmyM said:
Hey Tim, yep, and I have a couple basses with old Fender flats but I'm thinking about swapping them over to Chromes.
Click to expand...

I have the TI flats on my Peavey Millenium. They are a well made string IMHO, but I'm actually planning to switch back to nickel rounds. Either D'addario XL's, or Fender nickels. I think I can actually get a better bottom end sound on it with the rounds, I have before. I agree, the TI's are lots of mids, but not what I want from a flatwound. I'm sure you must have had similar results, going between the TI's you've tried, and the XL's you regularly use.

I still hope you get to check out the Millenium BTW, I think you would like it.
 
#19
ljazz said:
Plain and simple.... you have to raise the action a bit..... For me it's about 1/64". Plus, these are nickel wrapped, so the magnetic content is higher than SS, so you'll need to lower the pup a touch.

I too agree the TI's are not great on everything. I think it has more to do with your pups than wood however. My '08 MIA P + TIJF's = blah (not much better with Labellas either... but I haven't figured out why yet). The MIA pup is just too darned tame.... no dynamics at all..... just too "soft". Put chromes on, and it springs to life.

My '87 SB1 + TIJF's = perfect match! But the SB1 + chromes = too much with a lot of unpleasant overtones. I used to think they (chromes) were good on my SB2, but a recent restringing has given me second thoughts on the the SB2/chrome combo.

I think the TI's really shine through with hotter pups. The output of the sb1 at 75% is equal to the MIA P at full volume. If you can play with some touch and control, then a whole awesome spectrum of dynamics and tone become available. And that is, IMHO, really what makes the TI's so fabulous for some, and not so good for others.

Ljazz
Click to expand...

My pup is a low as it can go. It is also a hot pup, again raising might help but i still feel its when you dig hard that the TIs just don't behave right like say Chromes. I don't want to watch how i play that closely anymore.
 
#20
Beefbass said:
I have the TI flats on my Peavey Millenium. They are a well made string IMHO, but I'm actually planning to switch back to nickel rounds. Either D'addario XL's, or Fender nickels. I think I can actually get a better bottom end sound on it with the rounds, I have before. I agree, the TI's are lots of mids, but not what I want from a flatwound. I'm sure you must have had similar results, going between the TI's you've tried, and the XL's you regularly use.

I still hope you get to check out the Millenium BTW, I think you would like it.
Click to expand...
I've checked it out. You're right...it's a good bass. But I think I'm done buying basses. I have everything I need.
 

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