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Issue with Thomastik Infelt Jazz Flats

InstantEctobass

InstantEctobass

Feb 18, 2018
2,739
3,931
#1
Hi,

I purchased a set of TI Jazz Flats to put on a Precision Squier, rosewood neck (beautiful)! That's my first set of these.

After setting them correctly and taking my time, also making a new nut to hold the string correctly, I'm having an issue with the A string. It clearly sounds different from the rest of the set. It's sounding like a "normal flat string", when the 3 others (E D and G) are having the TI "timbre" (tone), which I consider "new old". Raising the saddle didn't change anything. I tried the strings with 4 different basses and pickup configuration, the A string is always sounding too bright. I can hear it unplugged too anyway.

Have you ever had this? Most expensive set of strings and defective? Or am I unlucky?

Thanks!
Have a good Saturday :)
 
#3
michael_t said:
A new set of TI Flats starting out sounding uneven is quite normal.

They do take longer than some other flats before they settle, so patience is the key here.
Click to expand...

It's been two weeks and I've played them quite a lot. I do not think it's a matter of "settling in". I mean, settling in will affect tuning stability and stuff but the tone? Out of the box they should be sounding more even than it is right now, and it's been 2 weeks. Mostly for the "praised" strings... seriously I truly think right now that they are overrated. 100 gauge for E and 70 for A cannot be even... but who am I to judge? :laugh::laugh:
 
#5
Mushroo said:
Do you hear the difference with fretted notes on the A string, or only with the open A?

Have you tried adjusting the pickup height?
Click to expand...

Yes with fretted notes too, I forgot to mention that in my initial post. Also, not a matter of pickup height, tried them on 4 different basses, and even unplugged I can hear it sounding more bright, more punchy (too in fact!!).

What's amazing is that you can easily break a brand new string and make it sound dull/dead if you cut it badly or damage it while installing... here I got a string that sounds too bright. TI Jazz Flats are known to sound "old" when new. The A string refused to be part of the legacy here
 
#6
I think it’s totally normal. I just put a set on a SR5 and the A D and G strings are bright but the E and B are noticeably more “flat” sounding. They’re only been on for a couple of days. I have a set on another SR5 that are about a month old with about three good four hour gigs and many hours of practice. When I first put that set on the E and the A were very bright and the B, D and G were flat sounding. In the month they’ve been on they’ve all evened out and sound the same. Meaning to say the bright sounding E and A have smoothed out to match the rest of the strings. In a nutshell I don’t think it’s abnormal for them to sound uneven out of the box. It just takes some serious play time to even out.
 
#7
I use Ti on p and active ibby SR300.
When new , the A is little bright, but not different much.
My opinion is, you can try this way, play the open D string, and compare the sound with fretting D note on A string.If both soUnd have same or pretty close brightness, your set are find. Once broken in, the A will loose some bright and the E will get more solid sound meanwhile the G become fuller in sound.

Hopehelp
 
#10
InstantEctobass said:
It's been two weeks and I've played them quite a lot. I do not think it's a matter of "settling in". I mean, settling in will affect tuning stability and stuff but the tone? Out of the box they should be sounding more even than it is right now, and it's been 2 weeks. Mostly for the "praised" strings... seriously I truly think right now that they are overrated. 100 gauge for E and 70 for A cannot be even... but who am I to judge? :laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...

Just give it another 2 months run....
Once broken in, you can feel how nice it balance in string to string stiffer and tension . And you also get some stiffness increase compare to fresh from pack first day strung.

All Ti flat I bought just around USD5x.
Price just close to 2 pack GHS 3025 or 3050 precision flat I bought in past.
 
#11
68Goldfish said:
I think it’s totally normal. I just put a set on a SR5 and the A D and G strings are bright but the E and B are noticeably more “flat” sounding. They’re only been on for a couple of days. I have a set on another SR5 that are about a month old with about three good four hour gigs and many hours of practice. When I first put that set on the E and the A were very bright and the B, D and G were flat sounding. In the month they’ve been on they’ve all evened out and sound the same. Meaning to say the bright sounding E and A have smoothed out to match the rest of the strings. In a nutshell I don’t think it’s abnormal for them to sound uneven out of the box. It just takes some serious play time to even out.
Click to expand...

By logic of a perfectly balanced set, the E string will always be darker in harmonics because its fundamental notes are more dark... and the A will be darker than D and G... etc. Here I got a A string that is brighter than the D and G. It's not logical... Plus what I truly like is how every string manufacturer say that their strings are perfectly balanced when they're clearly not. LaBella black nylon are great but the E and A strings will never have the same timber than the D and G, even after months and months of playing. But that's okay because at least their tone is paired (bass strings E and A, and "treble strings" with D and G). Here I only got that A string that is not right compared to the 3 others. If I set the A .070 gauge string to a D note instead and I compare the two, with the real D string... the "A" string is still sounding brighter than the true D string... which is illogical, knowing that the string is getting more tension (because it's heavier and I am asking for it to be tuned at a pitch it's not meant for). To me I clearly feel like my A string is either a bad one, or that the gauge chosen by Thomastik, .070, is too light for a A tuning.

Rock Salad said:
I don't think they sound broken in right out of the box, not sure where you heard that. They take quite a while to settle and loose some zing. But the two sets I have gotten were quite even across the strings. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Oh come on... really? people only swear by Thomastik Jazz Flats to get that "used" tone. They don't "zing" much, which some people are looking for. Compare them to Rotosound flats for example ?

Yahboy said:
Just give it another 2 months run....
Once broken in, you can feel how nice it balance in string to string stiffer and tension . And you also get some stiffness increase compare to fresh from pack first day strung.

All Ti flat I bought just around USD5x.
Price just close to 2 pack GHS 3025 or 3050 precision flat I bought in past.
Click to expand...

I don't understand why I would have to wait 2 months to even out... that doesn't make them as perfect as people tell... but I guess I was wrong getting them, maybe?

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts guys!
 
#13
InstantEctobass said:
I don't understand why I would have to wait 2 months to even out... that doesn't make them as perfect as people tell... but I guess I was wrong getting them, maybe?

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts guys!
Click to expand...

Most Flatwound bass string need some time to get well settle in, if you have no patient, I would suggest you Labella LTF4A ( if you looking for old school vibe)which almost 85% broken in tone fresh from pack, spend around 2 weeks for fine settle tone; meanwhile for modern growl tone, get the Ernieball Cobalt Flatwound , she is the only Flatwound string sound like roundwound ,much roundwound sound than ECB81 and the tension just like 45-105 nickel round .No need spend single minutes to wait for run in tone.

Hope help
 
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#16
Half the fun is just playing them and listening to them fatten up the more you play them. I've been playing both my five string stingray's all day and there's definitely a big difference between the two sets of TI's. Like I said above, one set is only two days old and the other set is about a month old. Neither set was even out of the pack but the ones that are a month old are sounding nice and even now. The E and A still have a bit of a metallic ring as compared to the D and G but not nearly as much as when they were brand new. And I can't say that I was super thrilled with the sound of the B to begin with but now their all flattening and fattening up. The A D and G are still super zingy on the new set. It's just a matter of time. I've never heard of a string being to zingy and there being something wrong with it. Dead yes, to zingy and bright...no.
 
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#18
InstantEctobass said:
I don't understand why I would have to wait 2 months to even out... that doesn't make them as perfect as people tell... but I guess I was wrong getting them, maybe?
Click to expand...
I'm with you on that, as I disliked them, too, though I use their Superflexible upright strings and I do love them. But TI JF lovers love them like no other string I've ever seen, and many of them get very insulted and angry if you don't love them as much as they do. But I gave them 4 months to impress me because of people telling me I needed to give them time, and they never did, so I gave up. I'm sure if I'd have hung in there another 3 or 4 days, my feelings would have been different :D
 
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#19
And I can totally dig that. I can see why people would be bothered by the uneveness to the point that they just didn’t like them. I thought the question was if there was something wrong with this particular set or string. I was just pointing out that in my experience and what seems like a lot of other people’s experience it’s perfectly normal.
 
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#20
68Goldfish said:
And I can totally dig that. I can see why people would be bothered by the uneveness to the point that they just didn’t like them. I thought the question was if there was something wrong with this particular set or string. I was just pointing out that in my experience and what seems like a lot of other people’s experience it’s perfectly normal.
Click to expand...
Well you're one of the less intense TI JF fans :D
 
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