I was curious as to the texture of thomastik's strings (particularly, the jazz rounds and flats). I much prefer strings that are soft to the touch - for example, DR's (nickels) have always felt much too coarse for my liking. I love elixir polywebs, but can't seem to find a 5 string polyweb set in super long scale. So, I was wondering if TIs have a soft feel. I hope this makes sense - its pretty late and my brain isn't being very cooperative. Thanks. Lates, Davo
The TI flats are low tension, sm. dia. and smooth. They kinda have a sticky feeling at first, but it seems to lessen. The low tension is an issue for some. Others take the time to get used to it because they love the sound. Some love the low tension right off the bat.
i have only experience with thomastik strings at violin and cello.. .;I`ve been playing them and they were comfortable (from that I can say as bassplayer and non violin or cello player) but I`ve heard their strings for basses completly suxx... (if that is true... can`t say).
I've never heard of complaining about the basic tone. Some hate the tension, and I have heard a few complain the E got muddy.
well.. so u think they works well? or great? i am very confused about strings (i never know which to buy... ).. maybe i should try them...
I have them on my P. I love the tone, but..... I find that if not on my main bass, I have to be very aware so as not to "dig in". My main bass is a Hot Rodded P with half-rounds. The other thing is, the A-string is only .070. That means nut slop. It really is best to have a new one cut. I haven't yet, because I haven't decided for sure that these TI's stay on. One plus, they appear to be pricey until you factor in the life of them. They seem to last at least 3 times as long, so in the long run they're actually cheaper.
i used thomastiks on my fender jazz bass. they were jazz roundwounds i think. i really liked them at first. they were light gauged, very playable, and had a bright, but warm sound. that didn't last long, so i changed them, and when i tried to put them back on my bass to give them another chance a couple months later, the G-string broke, and after about a week and a half, with 3 thomastiks, and one unidentified string on my bass, the thoms refused to stay in tune. i won't buy them again for my electric. i like their upright strings, though. my two cents, andy rice
TI Jazz Flats rule. Their tone is fantastic, especially on fretless, but they are a bit slinky. Anyone allergic to the ol' "floppy B string" probably isn't going to like these. They require a light, precise touch.
I had DR sunbeams and just switched to TI powerbass. The TI's are smoother texture-wise. If you are talking about tension the powerbass have slightly more tension. From what I have heard the other TI strings are looser in tension- I have never tried their other makes though.
Misanthrope try a set for yourself.if you like low to almost no tension you can't go wrong.and their funky at least they are for me.I use them on my Acoustic bass guitars and my EUB and on a few of my electrics.
I use a 5 string set of TI Jazz Flats (thanks Dude), and love them. The sticky feeling soon disappears, and they "wear in" after about a month or so. IMO, they sound heaps better as they get older, and should last a year or more. They have a richer midrange than most anything else, and plenty of definition. I find I can use a straighter neck and lower action, and I do not find any floppiness in the B. I have a set on my Yamaha BBG5, and on my Fender Jazz MIA Deluxe with J-Retro (thanks Dude), and after using nearly every brand of string in existance over 20 years, Have finally found ones I like. Well, Slowounds are pretty good too, but I love TI's.
I've just put a set of TI JR344 roundwounds on my '62 RI fretless Jazz. After about 10 hours of serious playing, they seem to be opening up tonally. Very nice. I didn't have problems with the low tension and they sound just fine even when I dig in really hard (which is often). Regarding texture, these are about the smoothest roundwounds I've seen. They have very tight windings, so they're smoother and quieter than most rounds. Very, very nice. I got mine from Steve @ The Dudepit, too. Good deal and the guy knows how to take care of his peeps!
Well, I threw a set on, and at the risk of being strung up by my toes, I have to say they weren't for me. Great strings tone-wise, but after a couple hours of playing, I just couldn't dig the feel. Too bad, too, cause I loved the low tension. But, it was the stickiness that did me in. Oh well, maybe I can unload 'em for a few bucks. What are 2 hour old TI Jazz flats worth, anyway? But thanks to everyone for their replies. Lates, Davo
Thanks for the replies everyone. I've got one last question - and please please pardon my ignorance if this qualifies as one of the dumbest questions you've ever heard, but can I take off the silk wrap - entirely? I really hate the way it looks on my headstock. I know, I know, its about the sound, not the look, but if I can have both... Thanks, Davo
The wrap is there for a reason, mate. If you remove it, the windings will unravel and your bass strings will disintegrate on you.