I just ordered a set. I love TI Flats, but want something with more brightness and growl for my other bass. Hoping these will feel familiar but with that extra quality that flats don't have.
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Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Rounds
- Thread starter Johnny Alien
- Start date
They are lower tension so be prepared to either lighten your touch or raise the action a bit, or both. But once you get past that initial stage they become extremely responsive strings.
Took the dive on a set of these for my Player Jazz. Lots of great things to talk about, but one puzzler.
String feel is the best I’ve experienced on a round wound. Period. Smooth, with a reduction is clank and squeak. Tone is sparkly across the range with clear even response.
So here is my only complaint. I purchased the low tension set with the E measuring .089. These are bendable without being floppy. Everything on the E, A and D string are almost perfectly fluid. The E string clocks in at a low tension of 12.70 kp. Tension must be important for a brand to post them right on the packing. From there each string only varies by no more than 1 until you get to the G. It clocks in at 15.70, three kpbhigher than the E string and two or more than the rest.
It is dramatically noticeable when playing and is like an abrupt speed bump when playing across the range.
why would they make the G so much more taught than the others?? If balanced tension is the goal, then all strings should have a similar tension when traditional tuning is applied. This is bugging me because I otherwise love these strings.
String feel is the best I’ve experienced on a round wound. Period. Smooth, with a reduction is clank and squeak. Tone is sparkly across the range with clear even response.
So here is my only complaint. I purchased the low tension set with the E measuring .089. These are bendable without being floppy. Everything on the E, A and D string are almost perfectly fluid. The E string clocks in at a low tension of 12.70 kp. Tension must be important for a brand to post them right on the packing. From there each string only varies by no more than 1 until you get to the G. It clocks in at 15.70, three kpbhigher than the E string and two or more than the rest.
It is dramatically noticeable when playing and is like an abrupt speed bump when playing across the range.
why would they make the G so much more taught than the others?? If balanced tension is the goal, then all strings should have a similar tension when traditional tuning is applied. This is bugging me because I otherwise love these strings.
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Anyone used the 5 string sets with the skinny B?
Love, love, love the 4s but wondering whether to give the 5s a go too.
Love, love, love the 4s but wondering whether to give the 5s a go too.
Guess I can't recommend this, just telling you what I did: Wanting the heavier gauge I put my first set of TIJRs, the 36" set, on my Ric, 33.25" scale. They survived just fine on there for over two years. I only took them off to try something else, Dogal Hellborg rounds. That was very interesting but the JRs are probably going back on. (Hellborgs are even more flexible and even clearer sounding, but *much* rougher to the touch.)
I'm a flats guy but the JRs are hanging on to my affections. On another bass I tried two brands of pressurewounds and Sunbeams and for me they aren't close.
I'm a flats guy but the JRs are hanging on to my affections. On another bass I tried two brands of pressurewounds and Sunbeams and for me they aren't close.
Exactly so. Believe it or not, there are some of us who prefer balanced tone over balanced tension - me included. I would love to have both, of course, but if I have to choose? I'll take tone every time. Which is one of the reasons I really like these strings. I normally avoid rounds like the plague, but the Jazz Rounds are... pretty nice. So is the minimal string noise - something which drives me insane, as a rule. I also like that they're flexible, but still respond well to a pick. I currently have the JR's on my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster; a bass which, no matter what strings I put on it, always made an old Gibson EB-0 sound like a guitar. Wearing the TIs, it's now a very nice, useful bass. Still lots of low end, but now there's decent mids, and... are those actual highs I hear? On the whole, I'm very glad I bought these strings - even if I did buy them by mistake...
Does anyone have a notion on how long these strings typically last? It seems to me mine are lasting quite a while compared to other rounds. Also as an aside is there a general rule about how long strings last on a bass if it's been sitting for a while unused?
Some rounds age so gracefully that I don't mind at all and even prefer it. I ran my first set of TIJRs for about two years. They were still beautiful but of course had lost a lot of highs, but I usually play with those highs rolled off anyway.
Just my experience, but pure nickel outer (TIJR, Dogel Hellborg Rounds) and stainless steel (Roto 66) are like this, but nickel plated steel are the worst (because as they age they not only lose highs, but sound bad).
Just my opinion and to tell you the truth it isn't worth much, but it's free.
No man that is really helpful. I just bought some Dogels (not the Hellborgs but I'd like to try those too). I've had a hiatus of 2.5 years with my basses and haven't changed any of my strings. The flats are all TIs and La Bellas and I don't care about those, they can stay on, because that's what they do. But the rounds I was wondering about. To my ear, they don't sound a ton a different just a tad less robust and fewer harmonics, if that makes sense. I'll see what I can squeeze out of what's left and replace them in a month or two maybe.
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Thought I'd drop this insightful vid straight from Thomastik themselves. He covers all the TI strings, but you can find the Jazz rounds at 19:20
He covers everything from slap to finger style to tapping. I gotta say, even with a fairly heavy attack, those skinny strings don't make any of the unpleasant clank/squeak/rattle you tend to hear from other light gauge rounds.
He covers everything from slap to finger style to tapping. I gotta say, even with a fairly heavy attack, those skinny strings don't make any of the unpleasant clank/squeak/rattle you tend to hear from other light gauge rounds.
This might bug me. I'm not a big fan of 45/65 G's & D's when paired with 80's & 100's on the A & E...did that make sense? My ol' man arthritic hands like a consistency of "bounce" beneath the fingertips.
Riis
I said:
..but for the record, Dogal Hellborgs "won" with me. I quickly got used to the roughness in return for their unmatched clarity. TIJR fans should try them!
