The people that would pay that much for used TI's are usually people that have actually had (good) experiences with them. Go swing by the TB classifieds. It's a barrel of laughs.
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Seriously, are TI strings really worth the high price?
- Thread starter FJBass82
- Start date
The people that would pay that much for used TI's are usually people that have actually had (good) experiences with them. Go swing by the TB classifieds. It's a barrel of laughs.
For me, definitely yes. Jeffbonny had the right idea. Something like this you have to judge on a cost-per-use basis. If you buy a set of strings for 16 bucks and play them every day and they crap out after a hundred days your cost-per-use is 16 cents. If you buy a set of TI's for $60 and play them every day for two years (which is entirely realistic with these strings) your cost-per-use is about 8 cents. And they sound a lot better.
By the way, this is a real-world example from my experience.
By the way, this is a real-world example from my experience.
Strings are a very personal thing and a particular string will sound different according to the bass it's on. There are strings I love on one bass that simply don't impress me on another. I have used TI flats on my Fender Jazz and really like them a lot. I tried some TI rounds on a couple of occasions (can't remember on which basses) and I found them too thin sounding for my taste.
I prefer TI Jazz roundwounds to the flatwound version.
Both are beautifully made strings and last a long time. Because of the warmer tones I prefer, I can get much more life out of a set of strings.
The rounds are nicely tarnish resistant, too.
Both are beautifully made strings and last a long time. Because of the warmer tones I prefer, I can get much more life out of a set of strings.
The rounds are nicely tarnish resistant, too.
I can only speak to the Flats, but TI's are worth it to me. The low tension is a very key thing for me, many of the other flats are high tension and I don't like that. Rounds may be a different story, but if the TI jazz flats were $143 for a 4 string set I'd still use them. Luckily they are much cheaper than that.
@ $143 over 6 years (the longest I've used a set of TI flats) that would be $0.07 a day. I'd pay that too. By contrast a $10 set of Boomers you change every 3 months will cost $0.10 a day.
So the OP is asking about round wound TI strings and everyone is posting the merits of their flats. OK. 
These are completely different sounds and comparing the life of flats to rounds is a non starter conversation. I can't EVER tell when flats are dead because they are pretty much always dead. No one who is after a round wound sound will be buying flats for the savings or in lieu of. Its a completely different product.
The TI flats are great. The TI double bass strings are great. The round wounds are nothing special and when I used the 3 or so sets mine died just as fast as anything else out there. The sound and feel was fine the longevity was less than Pro Steels and Sadowsky Blacks. There would be a possible market for used flats of a specific character. Rounds would be weird as you lost everything the string would be wanted for. Unless you want dead rounds which are easy enough to collect without paying for them.
These are completely different sounds and comparing the life of flats to rounds is a non starter conversation. I can't EVER tell when flats are dead because they are pretty much always dead. No one who is after a round wound sound will be buying flats for the savings or in lieu of. Its a completely different product.
The TI flats are great. The TI double bass strings are great. The round wounds are nothing special and when I used the 3 or so sets mine died just as fast as anything else out there. The sound and feel was fine the longevity was less than Pro Steels and Sadowsky Blacks. There would be a possible market for used flats of a specific character. Rounds would be weird as you lost everything the string would be wanted for. Unless you want dead rounds which are easy enough to collect without paying for them.
So the OP is asking about round wound TI strings and everyone is posting the merits of their flats. OK.
No, after a little initial confusion people are now talking about the relative cost of using the strings they like.
I'm truly sorry have a problem with that....no, really I am....
So the OP is asking about round wound TI strings and everyone is posting the merits of their flats. OK.
These are completely different sounds and comparing the life of flats to rounds is a non starter conversation. I can't EVER tell when flats are dead because they are pretty much always dead. No one who is after a round wound sound will be buying flats for the savings or in lieu of. Its a completely different product.
The TI flats are great. The TI double bass strings are great. The round wounds are nothing special and when I used the 3 or so sets mine died just as fast as anything else out there. The sound and feel was fine the longevity was less than Pro Steels and Sadowsky Blacks. There would be a possible market for used flats of a specific character. Rounds would be weird as you lost everything the string would be wanted for. Unless you want dead rounds which are easy enough to collect without paying for them.
It's not a "possible" market for used flats OR rounds, its a legitimate one.
Again, peruse the TB classifieds...
I think the comments (mine and others) regarding TI flats are somewhat relative because they speak to the brand and its rep for quality. I don't know what magical roundwound you play that lasts forever, but I'm sure OP would like to hear about it.
Stick_Player
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- Nov 13, 2009
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Well then. Carry on old string buyers. No offense intended.
I don't play magic strings. I am unattached at the moment. I have a heap of them I am working through. I should probably sell them to the TB'ers when I am done, no? Sadowsky Blacks lasted so long I just pulled them off because I hated the tone not because they died. 2 months in and they just wouldn't die. But as soon as they were off, my amp, my bass, everything got it's tone back. I was real unhappy and took 2 months to figure out why. Strings are hugely important. I have La Bella RX SS on right now. And though they have saved me from the Sadowsky's they are so scooped I might not give them the same time consideration.
I don't play magic strings. I am unattached at the moment. I have a heap of them I am working through. I should probably sell them to the TB'ers when I am done, no? Sadowsky Blacks lasted so long I just pulled them off because I hated the tone not because they died. 2 months in and they just wouldn't die. But as soon as they were off, my amp, my bass, everything got it's tone back. I was real unhappy and took 2 months to figure out why. Strings are hugely important. I have La Bella RX SS on right now. And though they have saved me from the Sadowsky's they are so scooped I might not give them the same time consideration.
My only experience with TI rounds was playing a very dead set on a friend's six-string Tune bass that I borrowed for a few weeks. On that bass, they did not feel floppy at all, but that likely had more to do with the bass than anything. They had a strong fundamental on that bass, too, moreso than a set of taper-wound strings that I like. (If I remember correctly -- been awhile -- the TIs aren't taper-wound.)
I have TI flats on a four-string Brubaker Brute. Love them on that bass. They feel flexible but not floppy to me. They slap well and sing played fingerstyle. Tried them on another bass and, on it, they felt floppy and sounded thin.
Used strings: I'd buy some if lightly used to try a set out and see how I liked it -- more likely to try it with flats (and have) than rounds, but might with an expensive set like the TI rounds. When I bought used strings, I asked the seller where the kinks at the bridge and nut were... Doublebass players (whose strings cost lots more and who tend to mix and match strings from different sets) dabble in the used string market, too.
My friend who had the Tune, btw, is an aggressive player with a heavy attack. Likes heavy LaBella flats and also likes the TI rounds.
I have TI flats on a four-string Brubaker Brute. Love them on that bass. They feel flexible but not floppy to me. They slap well and sing played fingerstyle. Tried them on another bass and, on it, they felt floppy and sounded thin.
Used strings: I'd buy some if lightly used to try a set out and see how I liked it -- more likely to try it with flats (and have) than rounds, but might with an expensive set like the TI rounds. When I bought used strings, I asked the seller where the kinks at the bridge and nut were... Doublebass players (whose strings cost lots more and who tend to mix and match strings from different sets) dabble in the used string market, too.
My friend who had the Tune, btw, is an aggressive player with a heavy attack. Likes heavy LaBella flats and also likes the TI rounds.
+1
Flexible is not floppy...
I use JR344 on a 75 ash/maple JB. High end sounding for fingerstyle. Of course for slapping You don't get the DR mmiller tzingy trebles...but the nickel sound
So much low end fundamentals
I thought the secret sauce was Jamerson or whoever coating strings in butter
Go for it! Report back with your results.
I use TIs for flats, and I have one bass strung with the rounds, the others being strung with dunlop nickel rounds (good tension match for the TI flats - the TI rounds are a little lower tension).
The flats and rounds last a good while. As the flats die off I rotate them onto an fretless acoustic for an upright sound, so they get an extra lease of life. So I get far more than a year from a set that way.
The rounds also seem to last reasonably well, or at least the rate at which they die off is different. There is the initial zing drop off, although the zing isn't as pronounced, but after that the changes are more gradual than with most other strings in my experience.
The flats and rounds last a good while. As the flats die off I rotate them onto an fretless acoustic for an upright sound, so they get an extra lease of life. So I get far more than a year from a set that way.
The rounds also seem to last reasonably well, or at least the rate at which they die off is different. There is the initial zing drop off, although the zing isn't as pronounced, but after that the changes are more gradual than with most other strings in my experience.
Are TIs worth the high price? First off, a set will probably last 5 to 7 years. So, that's like spending $10 a year for them (about.80 cents a month).
They are one of the best sounding of all flat wound strings but on the negative side, they are a very loose and floppy string.
If one has a strong attack, the action usually has to go higher or there will be fret slap.
As much as I love TIs, I can pluck faster on stiffer strings.
They are one of the best sounding of all flat wound strings but on the negative side, they are a very loose and floppy string.
If one has a strong attack, the action usually has to go higher or there will be fret slap.
As much as I love TIs, I can pluck faster on stiffer strings.
The OP never specified which TIs he was referring to. I LOVE both the Jazz Flats and the Jazz Rounds more than just about any other string. The feel of both of them is absolutely amazing under the fingers.
My only gripe is that they are both difficult to slap IMO, and the rounds are so flexible that you need a really, really precise set up/fret job to get low action with them. Then again, you don't really need it because of the flexibility.
My only gripe is that they are both difficult to slap IMO, and the rounds are so flexible that you need a really, really precise set up/fret job to get low action with them. Then again, you don't really need it because of the flexibility.
I really luv the soft feel of these strings (flats). Some see this as a negative. I see this as a positive. It really allows me to get expressive with my instrument. It's an incredibly touch sensitive string.
Downside, for me they don't have the as much of the mid to upper mid range, which I really like to have when playing on the bride pup.
Edit: So to answer the Q: yes they are worth it
Downside, for me they don't have the as much of the mid to upper mid range, which I really like to have when playing on the bride pup.
Edit: So to answer the Q: yes they are worth it
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