Normal for new TI flats?

[wolffire99]

I decided to try ti flats on a fender P because I love Pino’s tone and flatwounds in general.

They feel amazing to play. The output on them is crazy, it feels like I barely have to touch the strings to get a full sound.

But the midrange is INTENSE and very honky. I can eq a lot of it out by boosting bass but is it normal for them to be like this new?

Will some bottom end come in as they settle in? What kind of time frame are we talking about?

 

[Yahboy]

If all string ring along with well tonal balance, just continue play it.

Midrangy voicing are fresh from pack Ti flat character, need break in period.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Some of it can be due to the bass you have. These impromptu jam recordings, below, are with my former '03 AV '62 Jazz Bass with fresh TI Jazz Flats on it.

 

[2saddleslab]

I decided to try ti flats on a fender P because I love Pino’s tone and flatwounds in general.

They feel amazing to play. The output on them is crazy, it feels like I barely have to touch the strings to get a full sound.

But the midrange is INTENSE and very honky. I can eq a lot of it out by boosting bass but is it normal for them to be like this new?

Will some bottom end come in as they settle in? What kind of time frame are we talking about?

Have you played the TI's in the band environment or just solo at home? That midrange intenseness really makes the bass heard & felt in the band mix. Then you can adjust knobs to taste.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flats take a month of playing for them to settle down, in my experience. After that, you're good for years.

 

[roccobass]

Agreed with the break in period. Give it time. You also might hear a difference on a different amp. Unless, you’ve already experimented that way already.

 

[porterbass]

Some of it can be due to the bass you have. These impromptu jam recordings, below, are with my former '03 AV '62 Jazz Bass with fresh TI Jazz Flats on it.

@Jeff Scott Those are some excellent jam songs and fantastic bass playing!

 

[Gervais Cote]

Same here : my TI flats took a while to become sweet and velvet sounding so play them a lot and be patient.

OTHO, it’s often normal for many p basses to be honky and throw powerful mids and the TI are very transparent, natural and organic so the character of your p bass may remain the same over time.

Some Nordstrand vintage pickups could get rid of that honky sound.

But that’s what allows a p bass to cut in the mix in a loud playing band so give it a try in a live show, you could be agreeably surprised !

 

[michael_t]

Have you played the TI's in the band environment or just solo at home? That midrange intenseness really makes the bass heard & felt in the band mix. Then you can adjust knobs to taste.

^^^This.

True test for any string is how they sound in a band mix after they've settled into their "nicely broken-in" state. So, don't pass judgment on them prematurely.

 

[nixdad]

I've been using TI flats for 10 years now, and have them on most of my basses. Killer investment, as a set will last you for years (some TBrs have had them on their basses for 20+ years.) They will settle in and fit in the mix with the band beautifully.

For now, simply roll back your tone knob to your liking.

 

[Slade N]

You can also cut mids vs cranking lows if you still want to soften the honk after breaking in….also, your ears will need playing time to adjust to the new strings character

 

[mdogs]

I have a bass that has a Novak Gold Foil pickup on it, a fantastic pickup BTW. I originally had a very worn in set of TI flats on it, but the mids were just too much to over come. The pick up is hot and not adjustable, no amount of EQ would settle it.

FWIW, I like TIJF's out of the box and give me a great tone for a couple of months, then they get way too thumpy for me. So, I don't really use them anymore as they are just too expensive to replace that often.

 

[mambo4]

I like TIJF's out of the box and give me a great tone for a couple of months, then they get way too thumpy for me.

YMMV of course
I have had the same set on my bass going on a decade, I hear no need to change them.
Are they completely awesome? no
Are they good enuff? definitely.
But my attitude towards tone chasing has mellowed

 

[wolffire99]

Have you played the TI's in the band environment or just solo at home? That midrange intenseness really makes the bass heard & felt in the band mix. Then you can adjust knobs to taste.

You’re right, they cut through the mix really well just missing a little low end

 

[wolffire99]

FWIW, I like TIJF's out of the box and give me a great tone for a couple of months, then they get way too thumpy for me. So, I don't really use them anymore as they are just too expensive to replace that often.

Thumpy is what I’m going for

 

[gmarcus]

You might also try lowering the pickup a little bit that will mellow out the tone.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I decided to try ti flats on a fender P because I love Pino’s tone and flatwounds in general.

They feel amazing to play. The output on them is crazy, it feels like I barely have to touch the strings to get a full sound.

But the midrange is INTENSE and very honky. I can eq a lot of it out by boosting bass but is it normal for them to be like this new?

Will some bottom end come in as they settle in? What kind of time frame are we talking about?

Instead of adding in bass, try cutting the offending mids instead. The PB’s volume control should be set at 80% or less, the tone just cracked open. Start there.

I’m not a flat user but flats do take a while to “bloom”. What that means is not an increase in low end, but rather more of a dulling of the overall sound. The more often you play them as well as how hard you play them has a lot to do with how long this process will take.

Finally, again I’m no authority of flats, but those strings are extremely popular for a reason. I’m guessing here the response you are hearing is what makes these strings sound great when playing in a band, where you want a very present Mid hump. If you are just playing them at home by yourself, maybe not so much.

I hope this helps

 

[Deleted member 271037]

They do mellow out a bit over time (especially over a LONG period of time) but they will always be rather mid-focused. The lows may sound a bit weak compared to other strings but when I've been playing TIJFs for a while it makes me feel like it's the other strings that have severely bloated lows. I find that the perfectly balanced, focused tone of TIJFs usually sit VERY nicely in a mix (depending on the style of music of course, no strings will be optimal for ALL kinds of music). My only issue with the TIJFs is the low tension, particularly on the A-string. I like them a lot but they're just a tiny bit too floppy for my normal playing style so I always have to adapt my playing slightly with TIJFs.

 

[Old gold]

About three weeks ago I put a set of TIJFs on a heavily modded short scale Glarry P bass (Fralin 51p split pup with a new wiring harness and pots). Out of the box, a bit brighter than I thought they would be. After three weeks, the E,D, and G strings have settled in nicely and sound wonderful. The A string is a bit more recalcitrant, but I can tell that it’s coming around (and I can roll off the tone control to even it out somewhat). I need to play the bass a bit more often, but I have three basses with relatively new string that I rotate through, so maybe 30-40 minutes a day with the TIJFs. Again, a short scale, and I play with a heavy rubber pick, so your results may vary.

 

[Jeff Scott]

@Jeff Scott Those are some excellent jam songs and fantastic bass playing!

Thanks!

Those jams were literally pulled out from the weekly jams we'd do before getting down to serious rehearsal time; warm-ups, so to speak. Totally improvised with lots of eye contact (and sometimes using our ears ).