That “Fender Stealth Tree” is a washer with a tang on it for $22. I can’t even think of a Mercedes part that is so obviously overpriced. You know where Fender can stick it.
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Issue with Thomastik Infelt Jazz Flats
- Thread starter InstantEctobass
- Start date
Yes it will. I do it on my basses that don't have an A string tree and it works.
I'm about 6 weeks into a new set of Jazz flats, and they're getting settled in about now. I agree about the lower tension A string, but with a small saddle adjustment I've got used to it fairly easily. I do feel they have one of the best flatwound B strings I've used, and it's nice to get away from the stiffer feel of many other flats. So I think I can stick with them happily enough.
Show me pics. I tried with my set of LaBella's Black Nylon et the angle was barely corrected.
Oh boy! A challenge! OK, Dunlop Flats and Super Bright Nickels.
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+1 to this, my TI's took about a month of playing before they were noticeably different from new and about 6-7 weeks to properly break in become even , didn't bother me though I just rolled off some treble till they broke in, now they are broken in they have the classic flatwound tone just with a bit more clarity and growl, the low tension is a welcome change for me from the bridge cable feel of most flats.
I have an SPB1 in a Squier Jaguar bass, hate it, should have stuck with the stock pickup, the SPB1 really lacks in the midrange and is way too smooth sounding, my Jaguar gets absolutely buried with this pickup and thats with midrange heavy strings
I don't really want to start get too much into this again, but at this point I'm wondering how hard you play. Like we've covered, the TIs are "bouncy" flats in general, more so than many rounds I've played in the same guage. The A is particularly light gauged and has a lot of excursion when plucked. If you haven't noticed that you need lighten up your touch when playing this string set, that may just be the problem. I'm a light-medium/light player as is, but I had to reevaluate my touch when going to TIs. I play with a what I consider medium action, although some might call it a little high.
Like others have said, the open A string rebound (esp on a Fender w/o a string reatiner) is common. Make sure there is a slight little relief in your neck, and be realistic about the action you can get away with, given you have a bouncy set of strings plus the fretwork of a Squier (not trying to hate, but even MIAs fret work isn't always even). Again, my Fender has a stock nut and was strung w TIs that have TWO wraps around the poles. If I could cut them again, I'd go for three wraps to get a lower break angle, but whatever.
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Again, don't understand why some people aren't getting this: TIs are FLATWOUND strings; they need to be broken in like any other flat. Imo/ime, La Bellas sound terrible out of the gate as do Chromes. Guess what, they both sound like great classic flats when they break in. It's like saying a new baseball glove or new pair of Levi 501s are defective cause they're not comfy out the gate. At this point, I question if you've ever played flats, bc this is the same story for almost every set.
La Bellas can be expensive too. They're every bit as expensive as TIs if you live overseas. TIs are expensive to us in the States bc they're imported.
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I put them on both of my Fender 5's (B string) and yes, they work as advertised. I recommend them and if I ever get another 5, do it again.
Yeah, $22 is a lot, but its an easy install, well made and polished and I doubt I will ever have to replace them.
Just saw this! This is the last thing I'll say: these strings sound brand new (less than a month old), which they are. They're not going to sound the way they sound in the clip I posted (for example) till you put time into them like any other flat. I'd give them at least a couple more months... they'll sound warmer, like any other flat. Other than that, they sound fine!
That's a small price to pay to have a string set that should easily last for many years (I know guys w 10 yr old sets they sound great.) I save more money than guys who are even buying cheap Daddario XLs every 5-6 months.
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I've had the same set of TI's on the P Bass you see me playing in my avatar for 20 years.
Hands down the best set of flats I've ever had.
Only the labella LTF4A has different story, she already has atleast 80% settle in sound fresh from pack, just give it another 2 weeks, the brighter sounding G will get balance with the rest.
This is a great choice of old school vibe Flatwound for those Player who instantly need broken in sound from new string on his bass.
That's so funny... on your second picture, we can see a A string angle being totally bad when it has at least 4 turns around the peg, and the rest of the strings have not these 4 turns... in short: more turns change practically nothing. Only a well placed string tree can. And once again, I tried a tree to put my A string on the "right angle" the .070 gauge is still an issue. Not talking about this again. 100 70 56 43 is NOT a balanced set.
Rolling the treble isn't a proper solution to me, sadly.
Yeah, once again, that A string and its gauge is a total issue. You admit that it's more bouncy than the rest. That's a design issue. Thomastik have been making these strings for decenies... what a joke. Even playing softly, when they aren't bouncy, they got a totally difference tone compared to the 3 other. Never happened in any other set, whatever type of wounds it was, or brand. I play Elixir 40-95 which are ROUND and lighter than these Thomastik. Taking in account that same gauges in roundwound and flatwound are not equal. Flatwounds will have more material, thus more tension. So, no issue with my 040 060 075 095 Elixir, saying in the nut, no buzz when played open. My action is way high with these TI and it still is not solved... 70 is TOO "light". Anyway now I'm aware.
Do you need a photo of my relief and action? They are properly set to me. I had 3 Squier and each fretwork was on point. Anyway, my nut slots are way higher than required and the buzzing string is only happening when played opened (once again...) that's just the string. Not my setting, no my fretwork. I have 3 and a half turns. The issue aren't the turns around the peg (repeating) but that annoying .070 gauge.
My Fender, which are the cheapest flatwounds (chinese brands excluded) didn't need any "breaking in". They were good in less than 10 minutes. My LaBella need a breaking in, but the timber was even across the set. Only the most expensive flatwound set is puting me into trouble. AND I tried it on 4 basses. Annoying.
No, Labella are not as expensive as TI, even though I imported them. TI are truly a shame for you in the US.
Just saw this! This is the last thing I'll say: these strings sound brand new (less than a month old), which they are. They're not going to sound the way they sound in the clip I posted (for example) till you put time into them like any other flat. I'd give them at least a couple more months... they'll sound warmer, like any other flat. Other than that, they sound fine!
They just got 1 month old now... still waiting for a good change... I mean I like to play them in the background of music, but with only their ringing in my ears, can't forget that A string sounding different. I believe about they're longetivity though...
What's weird the TI's is the A string being the brightest... the D and G sounded older right outta box.
It's not a design issue. It's not your personal preference, but it's not a design issue. When these strings break in, they're all tonally even in a way most other strings aren't; part of that is due to the gauging of the A string. Strings that are perfectly balanced tension/feel-wise and in tone is hard to come by. There's a compromise there. Obviously, we'd both love it if the A was a guaged a little heavier (I know some guys who love A string the way it is too), but that changes the tone. The TIs are constructed very differently from any other flat, something you can read more about online. In addition, I've never had the issues you're having w the TI A string on any of my Fenders. Yes, it's a little bouncy, I compensate w slightly higher action and a slight relief, done!
The Fenders may sound more tonally balanced out-of-the-box, but that's irrelevant unless you are impatient or love the sound of new flats. There's more to judging a string than how it sounds out of the box. In fact, a lot of my favorite strings DON'T sound amazing out of the box. I personally think broken in TIs sound better than new or broken in Fenders, but that's just my preference. So I suck it up like most other people and wait a couple mths till they break in.
Again, TI, like many other companies, presumes players buy these strings for how they sound broken in. I can't count how many times I've played flats w tonally unbalanced thuddy E strings out of the pack, or broken in flats w muddy E and A when broken in, but w a twangy G or D. Obviously they don't work for you, so stick w your Fenders. But it's misinformative to say their design is defective... just say you don't like it. And if that were the case, 99% of the strings I've played are defective in some way. And w that, there's no other way I can possibly explain this, so I'll leave it there!
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It doesn't rattle in the slot, and that's what's important. But whatever...I don't really care what you do to be honest. I was just trying to help.
I think you're missing the whole point... It's not a question of "how many wraps", but "how those wraps are positioned on the post".
As you can see in those photos posted by @JimmyM, the last wrap coming off of the A tuning post needs to be as closed to the bottom as possible in order to created an optimal break angle at the nut. This is particularly important with a smaller, lower-tension string such as the TI.
Good point! And more than this for the OP, the others strings (aside from the E string) in JimmyM's picture are at a different break angle bc they're obviously under the string retainer. His A string in BOTH photos is at a normal break angle for a Fender w/o an additional retainer. In regards to break angle, it doesn't matter how many wraps a string has if it's under a string retainer. As for the difference between the E and A string, it's just geometry/physics. All things equal, the string w the tuning post further away (in this case the A string) is going to have a shallower break angle and exert less force on the nut.
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I mean I just played with my bass equiped with La Bella black nylon strings. Tension is way lower than these TI strings and still, it plays great out of the box. Plus my A string on these set of strings doesn't have more than 2 turns around the tuning peg. And even with that, they won't behave as TI's do.
I don't know why you guys focus on that string angle. I tried to put a temporary string tree to lower that A string and it STILL buzzes in the nut slot when plucked open!! That problem is only happening with my TI strings. None of my other basses and strings set has a issue with the different A string angle. Final point. I'll stick that gauge that is not aligned with the rest. Not linearly speaker or even logarithmically speaking:
To me, the only reason you like TI is because they are breaking in and the difference in tone gets lowered with months and years of playing. Which is not an excuse; good strings are good out of the box. Elixir's were yummy on day first. LaBella's were yummy on day first. Ernie Ball's Slinkys were yummy on day first. Fender roundwounds were bad on day first. Thomastik are expensive and disappointed even with how much I'd like to love them.
End of discussion if you all think I'm only thinking personally. There's no reason to discuss this in that case
I don't know why you guys focus on that string angle. I tried to put a temporary string tree to lower that A string and it STILL buzzes in the nut slot when plucked open!! That problem is only happening with my TI strings. None of my other basses and strings set has a issue with the different A string angle. Final point. I'll stick that gauge that is not aligned with the rest. Not linearly speaker or even logarithmically speaking:
To me, the only reason you like TI is because they are breaking in and the difference in tone gets lowered with months and years of playing. Which is not an excuse; good strings are good out of the box. Elixir's were yummy on day first. LaBella's were yummy on day first. Ernie Ball's Slinkys were yummy on day first. Fender roundwounds were bad on day first. Thomastik are expensive and disappointed even with how much I'd like to love them.
End of discussion if you all think I'm only thinking personally. There's no reason to discuss this in that case
