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Lifespan of TI's

How long do you leave your TI's on?

  • < 1 year

    Votes: 3 3.7%

  • 1-2 years

    Votes: 6 7.4%

  • 3-4 years

    Votes: 9 11.1%

  • > 4 years

    Votes: 63 77.8%
  • Total voters
    81
#41
thebrian said:
I wonder if TIs are the reason why so many people here on talkbass say that the Pino Custom Shop Bass is the "best bass Fender has made in the last 30 or 40 years". I mean, if you think about it, it just a P bass. And the CS makes lots of P Basses that are made with the same quality and construction. So what is the difference that makes the Pino so much better?.. I think it's because it's the only one that comes with TIs from the factory and people don't realize how much of the feel of the instrument comes from the strings. Just thinkin out loud..
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The flats definitely are a contributing factor but there's more than that to the Pino. First, it has a great neck profile. Big and full and round but not too big. Second, it's super lightweight, probably in the low 8lb range. Third, there's some mojo in those pickups whatever they are and lastly it looks and feels like a well played PBass. I wish I had one and had a chance to get one at invoice pricing but even at around $2200 was hard to justify.
 
#42
Britbonic said:
The flats definitely are a contributing factor but there's more than that to the Pino. First, it has a great neck profile. Big and full and round but not too big. Second, it's super lightweight, probably in the low 8lb range. Third, there's some mojo in those pickups whatever they are and lastly it looks and feels like a well played PBass. I wish I had one and had a chance to get one at invoice pricing but even at around $2200 was hard to justify.
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I agree. What I'm saying though, is that a lot of CS Ps are also in the low 8 lb range, most CS reissues have wonderful neck profiles, and the vast majority of the relics that the CS makes also look and feel like a well played bass. But the Pino commands about a $1000 more on the used market than a normal used CS relic P. I know the Pino has a custom P/U, but unless that P/U is wound with solid gold, I'm seeing that the only real difference between a Pino and a normal CS relic is a $70 set of TIs. Hmm..
 
#43
I've had a set on a AVRI 57 PBass going on 4 years now and they sound great. I know a guy who has them on a PBass and Jazz that have been on there 10 plus years. They are amazing. I've offered to buy just the strings several times but no soap.

As a point of reference, I recently put a barely used set on my SR5 but had to switch my D string from PBass because string from set was too short. What an amazing difference in tone between the new and old. New ones sound brighter and almost like rounds, old one sounds mellow but with so much more bass. Very interesting. Wish there was a good way to speed up aging.
 
#44
Britbonic said:
old one sounds mellow but with so much more bass.
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That's what I've always been led to believe. However, I have just had to replace a seven year old set because I was unable to distinguish some lower notes on the E string. They sounded like a muddied "plonk".

I'm not complaining, as I love TI's and the replacement strings were TI's. It is just that I have come to realise that like all things on this earth, everything has it's life span, and nothing is immortal......even TI flats :eek: ;)
 
#45
7 years is along time, especially if they are on a bass that gets a lot of use. I rotate between my 4 basses pretty regularly depending on what I'm playing and which one feels best at the moment. Sounds like somewhere between 2 and 5 years might be optimal use period for TIs. I've been playing my SR5 that I just put new TIs on a bunch but wish there was a way to speed up the process.

How long do people find it takes for them to break in and lose the highs?
 
#48
Pokerstar said:
Pardon my newbie question.... but, I kinda thought that flats were basically for fretless, but after reading this thread I would certainly come to a different conclusion.
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the Bass Guitar was born with flatwounds strings. the sounds you hear from 1951 to the prominent part of the 70's are all flatwound.
a few bassist used rounds those days, like Entwistle (who actually "made Rotosound produce them" in the early 60's) or Chris Squire.

However, I have just had to replace a seven year old set because I was unable to distinguish some lower notes on the E string. They sounded like a muddied "plonk".
Click to expand...

wow! seven years is a lot. I have them on my Precision since march 2011, and they're still sounding perfect, although I switched them several times on other basses, or just to retry rounds on this P.

a thing I notice is that every time I put them off, as a restring the bass, they sound more metallic and kinda new for days.
actually, I don't even like this thing... pure agony playing and waiting for them to sound mellow again.

same thing happens with a second set I own (used to try TIs on other basses passing by my house).
 
#51
Britbonic said:
I've been playing my SR5 that I just put new TIs on a bunch but wish there was a way to speed up the process.
Click to expand...

There is, it's an old timer's trick. Folks think I'm joking when I tell them but I'm dead serious.

Eat fried chicken before jamming, and no don't wash your hands.

Instant mellow and talk about slick strings! :)


How long do people find it takes for them to break in and lose the highs?
Click to expand...

Without chicken grease, 6 months maybe more. I really noticed my TI Flats really came into their own after about 7 or 8 months, even with chicken grease.
 
#52
Honest question, has anyone here tried chicken grease?

I was ready to do it a bit ago, but my mom (who was cooking) wouldn't let me take a vat of her chicken grease home to "rub on my bass". Tried to explain Jamerson did it, still no dice.

Can anyone vouch for the authenticity?
 
#53
DogBone said:
There is, it's an old timer's trick. Folks think I'm joking when I tell them but I'm dead serious.

Eat fried chicken before jamming, and no don't wash your hands.

Instant mellow and talk about slick strings! :)




Without chicken grease, 6 months maybe more. I really noticed my TI Flats really came into their own after about 7 or 8 months, even with chicken grease.
Click to expand...

IvanMunoz said:
Honest question, has anyone here tried chicken grease?

I was ready to do it a bit ago, but my mom (who was cooking) wouldn't let me take a vat of her chicken grease home to "rub on my bass". Tried to explain Jamerson did it, still no dice.

Can anyone vouch for the authenticity?
Click to expand...


Redardless of whether Jamerson (Jaco was supposed to have done it too :rollno:) used chicken grease or not, IMHP it is a rather inept way to go about getting "the" tone. Even without chicken grease, a lot of gunk can build up on the fretboard. Can you just imagine the slimy mass of congealed and smelly grease that would be on the fretboard ?

@ IvanMunoz : Did'nt you realise that mom always knows best, and it's better to be patient and wait it out. ;)
 
#54
Well I have a gig Friday night and always have a couple of some of the best slices in SF (Golden Boy for locals). It does make my hands greasy but there's no way I'm playing my beautiful, roasted maple, pao ferro SR5 without washing my hands first. Hopefully a rehearsal and 2 3 hour gigs this weekend will speed up the break in process.
 
#55
Why's everyone in such a rush to get where they think they wanna be? With a lot of strings I actually enjoy the different sounds that come and go during the break-in process. To my ears TI Flats especially have always sounded great from day one right though to being completely broken in years later.
 
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#56
jeffbonny said:
Why's everyone in such a rush to get where they think they wanna be?
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I was thinking the exact same thing myself. Patience is a virtue. Besides, it's not as though the audience at a given gig or concert are going to say something like..."ah...! new TI's. Lets get outta here !!!" :D

I have a week old set of TI's on at present. The tone is certainly not that bad as to make me want to go to extremes like smearing the strings with chicken grease.
 
#57
You're right, the tone of new TI's isn't bad at all but their real value is how they sound and feel when they're broken in. If they never changed much from new or aged like most strings they wouldn't be nearly as popular or worth the price. Has nothing to do with the audience but everything to do with the bass player.
 
#58
Britbonic said:
You're right, the tone of new TI's isn't bad at all but their real value is how they sound and feel when they're broken in. If they never changed much from new or aged like most strings they wouldn't be nearly as popular or worth the price.
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Agreed, but the same can be said for all flats. People know (or should do..) that most flats take a bit of time to break in.

I just dont understand people trying to "rush nature". ;)
 
#59
fearceol said:
Redardless of whether Jamerson (Jaco was supposed to have done it too :rollno:) used chicken grease or not, IMHP it is a rather inept way to go about getting "the" tone. Even without chicken grease, a lot of gunk can build up on the fretboard. Can you just imagine the slimy mass of congealed and smelly grease that would be on the fretboard ?

@ IvanMunoz : Did'nt you realise that mom always knows best, and it's better to be patient and wait it out. ;)
Click to expand...
"Mom I'm a grownup let me have the chicken grease:bawl::rollno::D
The curiosity is killing me, though. If I do, I will post sound samples of before and after
 
#60
fearceol said:
Redardless of whether Jamerson (Jaco was supposed to have done it too :rollno:) used chicken grease or not, IMHP it is a rather inept way to go about getting "the" tone. Even without chicken grease, a lot of gunk can build up on the fretboard. Can you just imagine the slimy mass of congealed and smelly grease that would be on the fretboard ?

@ IvanMunoz : Did'nt you realise that mom always knows best, and it's better to be patient and wait it out. ;)
Click to expand...

The fretboard of my P-Bass is absolutely disgusting. Just as it should be. I clean other instruments. The P never, ever gets cleaned, wiped, or anything else than might take away its awesome Neanderthal qualities.
 

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