I own Thomastik-Infeld an apology

[Johnny Alien]

I hope it isn't too far from the main topic of this thread to ask a quick direct question:

Since you seem to have a lot of experience on this, could you recommend a cheaper alternative that sounds/feels like TIJF's, and also comes in a 6-string set. Even better if they would come in medium/short scale 6-strings as well.

I've been looking for other strings with similar sound/feel, but i've not found any. The stock answer seems to be "buy a 5-string set and a loose hi-C" which is rather difficult to do in Japan. Ordering from the US might be feasible, but the additional postage costs, duties, etc. make the process more expensive than just getting the TI's locally.

Last time I checked, GHS precision-flats didn't even have a matching high-C in production. Similarly with LaBella's balanced-LTFs. I think there might be a hi-C for EB Cobalt-flats, but not sure they make medium & short scale versions of those?

So far, TIJF's have been the only flatwound 6 stirng sets i've found, and they do also have 32 and 30 inch length sets as well. Would be very curious to hear of similar-yet-cheaper alternatives

I apologize I don't play 6 strings so I have never looked at or know anything about what sets are available. Even when I was a TI dealer I did not carry any 6 string sets. Everything I know is limited to what is out there for 4 string and to a smaller degree 5 string.

May I ask what specific GHS strings are you comparing the TI's to?

To which GHS strings do you refer?

I just (first time) bought a P bass last June, and immediately put flats on it in order to have "that sound" in my toolbox. I'm not normally a flats player, but... I DO prefer lower tension strings (my favorites are round core DR high beams, .40 to .100). Anyway... I put Chromes on the P bass because they are highly regarded here on TB, but the tension is a little too high for me. If GHS makes round-core, balanced strings that sound good AND feel good, then I'll try a set.

What GHS strings are like TI?

When I mentioned great strings by GHS I was mainly referring to the balanced nickels which are what I use now. Previously my favorite low tension round was TI Jazz Rounds and these are absolutely as good for a fraction of the price. I also like the GHS roundcore Boomers but those are rounds as well. For flats my TI replacement suggestion is the LaBella low tension flats. Really great strings.

As a note about TIJF lasting forever, that is something that applies to all flats. Flatwound strings in general will last forever. Look at how many of the old school bass players had the same set of flats on their basses for decades. So yes a $75 set of strings that last for over 10 years is a bargain. So is a $40 set of flats that last for over 10 years. And none of this is to talk poorly on TI's. They are fantastic strings that deserve the praise they get. I just think there are other great options these days and 20 years ago when I started my relationship with TI those other options weren't there. TI was the only one doing it.

 

[Spidey2112]

Well then, put me down for a little:

100
22
186

View attachment 4969607​

(6416ba) in HTML

Ladies and gentlemen, the artist formerly known as... ¥.

 

[Phaidrus]

They actually aren’t more expensive. I just bought some off Amazon for about $60 and they will likely last at least 10 years. That comes out cheaper in the long run. So don’t really understand all the gripes about cost.

The risk i.e. the financial damage in case one doesn't like them is much higher than that of a set of another brand. Not all people who try them get to like them.

 

[semiprohooker]

"I owe Thomastik-Infeld an apology."

I was about to hit him up to see about getting a discount/sponsorship.

 

[thmsjordan]

The Sam Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness, often called simply the boots theory:

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness.

Apparently this guy never met Imelda Marcos.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

The risk i.e. the financial damage in case one doesn't like them is much higher than that of a set of another brand. Not all people who try them get to like them.

There is that, but one runs that risk, when trying any set of strings they've never used before.

Of course the TIs cost a bit more, but have none of us paid a little extra for an imported beer or succumbed to the urge to (finally) try some Dom Pèrignon? Courvoisier?

I think, as a one-time, experimental "test" when we're chasing sound, that's not exactly extravagant.

The long-term cost analysis has already been beaten to death in this thread.

 

[Phaidrus]

There is that, but one runs that risk, when trying any set of strings they've never used before.

Of course the TIs cost a bit more, but have none of us paid a little extra for an imported beer or succumbed to the urge to (finally) try some Dom Pèrignon? Courvoisier?

I think, as a one-time, experimental "test" when we're chasing sound, that's not exactly extravagant.

The long-term cost analysis has already been beaten to death in this thread.

I've spend so much money on gear, experimenting with stuff, that I have to agree with you. There's no other way to figure out what works and what doesn't.

 

[Cave Puppy]

I should put my very slightly used JF344s (cut for RIGHTY FSOs) up for sale here. Not a fan of the TIs. (Shrug emoji)

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I should put my very slightly used JF344s (cut for RIGHTY FSOs) up for sale here. Not a fan of the TIs. (Shrug emoji)

Oh, after trying the TIs and just recently getting the Labellas, I think I am firmly ensconced in the LaBella camp, but I remember being in a real bind in 1983 (Broken E string) on a Sunday and finding the only music store which was open wanted $55 (USD) for Boomers or Slinkys or some such. I had a gig that night.

WE do what we must and our sacrifices do (almost) as much to define us as "musicians" as our love for the craft.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

I just spent $120 on a set of 5 TI Jazz Flats. It's the only flats I've ever used but I really like the tone and feel so I don't feel the need to try something else. I don't have a problem with the price since they will literally last for years and still maintain a nice tone. The longer you use them the more you'll save on strings over time.

If you know for sure you want flats and are going to keep them on your bass then it pays to go with TI's. If you're not sure then it can be an expensive experiment.

 

[ToneMonkey]

They actually aren’t more expensive. I just bought some off Amazon for about $60 and they will likely last at least 10 years. That comes out cheaper in the long run. So don’t really understand all the gripes about cost.

+1 Especially for a set of flats, which DO last damned near forever. How many of the guys griping about cost buy a latte every day? I bet a few. Priorities.

 

[HaphAsSard]

So far, TIJF's have been the only flatwound 6 stirng sets i've found, and they do also have 32 and 30 inch length sets as well. Would be very curious to hear of similar-yet-cheaper alternatives

Thomastik-Infeld only have two lengths available (what they call "short-scale" is actually medium+, at 35.5" winding length ball to taper), and that's only for 4-string sets.
_____

Other companies that make pre-packaged 6-string flatwound sets are
- La Bella (a number of them)
www.labella.com/product/760fl-cb/
www.labella.com/product/760fgs-cb/
https://www.thomann.de/intl/flatwound_strings_for_bass.html?feature-62464-first=6&feature-62464-last=6&feature-46592[]=Chome Steel&feature-46592[]=Stainless Steel&feature-46592[]=Nickel&manufacturer[]=La Bella&gk=GISAEBFW&cme=false&filter=true
- Optima (4099.CB)
optima-strings.com/shop/de/elektrobass/flatwounds/295/4099.cb-e-bass-flatwound-strings-satz-6-string-low-b-high-c
schneidermusik.de/shop/en/strings/e-bass/6-string-sets/21951/op.4099.cb-optima-4099/cb-bass-pure-nickel-flatwound-strings-long-scal
- Dogal (JC106B6030, JC106C6035)
Link Removed
www.andbadguitars.com/prodotto/carbonsteel-flat-bass-jaco-system-ultraflat-jc106b6030-set-6-strings-set-030-040-060-075-100-125/
www.andbadguitars.com/prodotto/carbonsteel-flat-bass-jaco-system-ultraflat-jc106c6035-set-6-strings-035-045-065-080-105-130/
- Galli (JF35130; BSN760)
Link Removed
www.thomann.de/intl/galli_strings_jf3530_jazz_flat_bass_strings.htm?shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoianAiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6NzQsImxhbmd1YWdlIjoyfQ%3D%3D
Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
lordofthestrings.com/en/bass/electric/6-string/galli-bsn760-chrome-flat-w-6-str-medium.html
_____

The Galli BSN (Synthesis Flat) have a unique construction for bass guitar strings, i.e. a chrome-steel flat ribbon wound over a nylon core, with intermediate steel windings in all but the thinnest strings.
They work through magnetic pickups, despite the fact that the core is not magnetically active, because the winding is.
One TB member has commented on them as follows:

As someone who has a love/hate relationship with TI flats (I hate the uneven tension of the A but love the sound), I recently bought a set of Galli Synthesis flats and they remind me of the TI Jazz flats in everything but tension (they have greater tension, similar or slightly lower than 045 Dunlop flats).
This is a holy grail moment for me, the only drawback so far seems to be that they take a few days to settle due to stretching with the synthetic core.

 

[musicman556]

Regarding the price of TI JF344 - if you are wanting to try a set of them but don't want to fork over $70-80, go to Amazon right now and put a set in your cart and then "Save for later" Amazon.com: Thomastik-Infeld Accordion Accessory (JF344) : Musical Instruments

The price bounces all over the place. Check out this chart from camelcamelcamel:

I got lucky enough to snag my first set at that $36 low point a few years ago. I fell in love and bought two more sets at $47 ea last year. What this chart DOESN'T show is when there is an additional "click and save" coupon available. Also, I don't think these charts are COMPLETELY accurate. For instance, right now they are $70.20 on Amazon, but CCC shows $74.19. I also think they have missed some drops into the low $60s and upper $50s in the last few months.

These strings last forever, it seems. If they never go on sale again and I get another bass that I think needs a set, I'll fork over the $70-80 necessary. I love them that much. But if they DO drop below $50 again, I'm grabbing a couple spare sets!

 

[kumimajava]

Thomastik-Infeld only have two lengths available (what they call "short-scale" is actually medium+, at 35.5" winding length ball to taper), and that's only for 4-string sets.
_____

Other companies that make pre-packaged 6-string flatwound sets are
- La Bella (a number of them)
www.labella.com/product/760fl-cb/
www.labella.com/product/760fgs-cb/
https://www.thomann.de/intl/flatwound_strings_for_bass.html?feature-62464-first=6&feature-62464-last=6&feature-46592[]=Chome Steel&feature-46592[]=Stainless Steel&feature-46592[]=Nickel&manufacturer[]=La Bella&gk=GISAEBFW&cme=false&filter=true
- Optima (4099.CB)
optima-strings.com/shop/de/elektrobass/flatwounds/295/4099.cb-e-bass-flatwound-strings-satz-6-string-low-b-high-c
schneidermusik.de/shop/en/strings/e-bass/6-string-sets/21951/op.4099.cb-optima-4099/cb-bass-pure-nickel-flatwound-strings-long-scal
- Dogal (JC106B6030, JC106C6035)
Link Removed
www.andbadguitars.com/prodotto/carbonsteel-flat-bass-jaco-system-ultraflat-jc106b6030-set-6-strings-set-030-040-060-075-100-125/
www.andbadguitars.com/prodotto/carbonsteel-flat-bass-jaco-system-ultraflat-jc106c6035-set-6-strings-035-045-065-080-105-130/
- Galli (JF35130; BSN760)
Link Removed
www.thomann.de/intl/galli_strings_jf3530_jazz_flat_bass_strings.htm?shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoianAiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6NzQsImxhbmd1YWdlIjoyfQ%3D%3D
Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
lordofthestrings.com/en/bass/electric/6-string/galli-bsn760-chrome-flat-w-6-str-medium.html
_____

The Galli BSN (Synthesis Flat) have a unique construction for bass guitar strings, i.e. a chrome-steel flat ribbon wound over a nylon core, with intermediate steel windings in all but the thinnest strings.
They work through magnetic pickups, despite the fact that the core is not magnetically active, because the winding is.
One TB member has commented on them as follows:

Thanks for taking the time to post all that. The Dogal's I expect would be budget-busting (though I expect - sound & feel great - I have a set on a super-short-scale 5), but the Galli might be something to explore. Perhaps a Europe-based flatwound sampler would be in order, one day soon

I've tried the LaBella's (and actually have them on one of the basses at the moment) - but they sound & feel nothing like the TI's. The tension/stiffness, for one, is (at least to my touch) much higher than the TI's; tone is much darker / less snappy than the TIs. Not saying that it's a good/bad thing by itself - but putting the note out there just in case someone find this thread & thinks that the LaBella DTF's are 'similar' to TIJF. To me, at least, they feel & sound very different.

Thanks again for the other suggestions - it's always nice to hear from the TB-hivemind about things I've not seen/heard of before

 

[HaphAsSard]

Thanks for taking the time to post all that. The Dogal's I expect would be budget-busting (though I expect - sound & feel great - I have a set on a super-short-scale 5), but the Galli might be something to explore. Perhaps a Europe-based flatwound sampler would be in order, one day soon

I've tried the LaBella's (and actually have them on one of the basses at the moment) - but they sound & feel nothing like the TI's. The tension/stiffness, for one, is (at least to my touch) much higher than the TI's; tone is much darker / less snappy than the TIs. Not saying that it's a good/bad thing by itself - but putting the note out there just in case someone find this thread & thinks that the LaBella DTF's are 'similar' to TIJF. To me, at least, they feel & sound very different.

Thanks again for the other suggestions - it's always nice to hear from the TB-hivemind about things I've not seen/heard of before

You're very welcome; also, you're of course right regarding La Bella flats sounding nothing like the T-Is: I included them because I soon realised my list of flatwound 6-string sets was going to be pretty exhaustive (as far as I'm aware, at least - I may well have missed one or two products).

 

[Johnny Alien]

Regarding the price of TI JF344 - if you are wanting to try a set of them but don't want to fork over $70-80, go to Amazon right now and put a set in your cart and then "Save for later" Amazon.com: Thomastik-Infeld Accordion Accessory (JF344) : Musical Instruments

The price bounces all over the place. Check out this chart from camelcamelcamel: View attachment 4969644

I got lucky enough to snag my first set at that $36 low point a few years ago. I fell in love and bought two more sets at $47 ea last year. What this chart DOESN'T show is when there is an additional "click and save" coupon available. Also, I don't think these charts are COMPLETELY accurate. For instance, right now they are $70.20 on Amazon, but CCC shows $74.19. I also think they have missed some drops into the low $60s and upper $50s in the last few months.

These strings last forever, it seems. If they never go on sale again and I get another bass that I think needs a set, I'll fork over the $70-80 necessary. I love them that much. But if they DO drop below $50 again, I'm grabbing a couple spare sets!

And those are legit authentic TI strings? I ask because the margin is really not all that high on string sales and at $40-55 (maybe higher) they would be selling at cost or a major loss. I am not sure how anyone could sell new ones at that price. When I was a dealer I really was just selling to TB members and my prices were lower for people here than anywhere else and it didn't come close to that even 10 years ago.

 

[mrperkolator]

I've tried the LaBella's (and actually have them on one of the basses at the moment) - but they sound & feel nothing like the TI's. The tension/stiffness, for one, is (at least to my touch) much higher than the TI's; tone is much darker / less snappy than the TIs. Not saying that it's a good/bad thing by itself - but putting the note out there just in case someone find this thread & thinks that the LaBella DTF's are 'similar' to TIJF. To me, at least, they feel & sound very different.

You are correct if you are comparing to LaBella Deep Talking Flats (DTF). However, Labella Low Tension flats (LTF) are supposed to be much closer to TI. I haven't tried TI, but LaBella LTF feel like rounds tension wise, and have a great sound.

After I found LaBella..... I've had trouble trying other strings. Their Black tapes hit it for me. DTF and LTF are also great. I haven't tried any of their roundwound/exposed core/polished rounds. I've heard good things, but again I got stuck with black tapes because I like the sound enough to not want to explore. Like flats, tapes last forever. I'll also say, that certain basses tend to take certain strings better than others. I had one that sounded pretty bad with rounds, but GREAT with LaBella LTF.

 

[triplehex]

TI strings ARE expensive, but worth every penny imho. I especially like their very pricey Acousticore strings for piezo only basses. There is a good reason Turner Guitars puts them on all their Renaissance basses. And their Superalloy strings are my favorite rounds. The best strategy I have found for affording TI strings is to wait for Sweetwater to have a 48 month 0% interest deal on them. They have them on sale a couple times a year and that's when I back up the truck and load up! With REAL inflation in the double digits, after 4 years with no interest they are practically free!

 

[Cave Puppy]

Oh, after trying the TIs and just recently getting the Labellas, I think I am firmly ensconced in the LaBella camp, but I remember being in a real bind in 1983 (Broken E string) on a Sunday and finding the only music store which was open wanted $55 (USD) for Boomers or Slinkys or some such. I had a gig that night.

WE do what we must and our sacrifices do (almost) as much to define us as "musicians" as our love for the craft.

I just ordered two emg volume pots - one from emg ($$$$) and one from reverb ($$) to see which one got to me first.

 

[Isaac_James]

I tried a set and they lasted maybe ten minutes before I swapped them out. Really, really did not like them. They felt like strings that would be on a toy guitar to me. I'll probably try them again since they get so much love and this time I'll keep them on a bass for at least a few weeks to give them a fair trial.

I've heard so much about these strings, most of it positive but a few folks like yourself couldn't stand them.

For folks who have played them and liked them - what about these makes them worth at least twice as much as most other flatwound strings? Is it just the low tension, or do they sound particularly different? I've played Labella DTFs (love them and still have a set on my P bass, 2 years and counting) and D'Addario Chromes (didn't jive with these, not as smooth as the Labellas, and a bit too stiff for my taste).

I'm intrigued by TI strings but I've never been able to justify the cost. Sure they last a long time but so do LaBella DTFs and those are less than $50 for a set.