Thomastik-Infeld Rounds. Three types. Differences?

[bassrique]

Guitar Strings Bass Guitar | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

There are three roundwound choices:

-Jazz Rounds

-Power bass rounds

-Infelds rounds

I thought there was one more but no matter. I have TI flats on 2 basses (Fender P/J Bass and an Ibanez Artcore5 [EADGC]) and I love them.

I have a modified Geddy Jazz with older Roto66 on it. I am looking for a "brightish" string selection for more aggressive slap and Geddy hard fingerstyle type playing. I don't need a Roto66 bright sound that lasts a week. I'd like something a couple notches down but still bright. I would like the strings to settle in for a long lasting "brightish" sound.

I have been so happy with the quality of the TI flats I would like to experiment with TI rounds.

Experiences? Ideas?

 

[trothwell]

I tried the Power Bass set, with similar sonic goals to what you are after, and was disappointed. They got very warm and mellow, very fast. From what I understand, the Infeld set might in fact be more along the lines of what I wanted, but I'm not sure.

Have you considered the new Rotosound Ultramag series?

 

[bassrique]

I tried the Power Bass set, with similar sonic goals to what you are after, and was disappointed. They got very warm and mellow, very fast. From what I understand, the Infeld set might in fact be more along the lines of what I wanted, but I'm not sure.

Have you considered the new Rotosound Ultramag series?

What's the deal with those?

 

[trothwell]

What's the deal with those?

An Alloy 52 string (combination of nickel and iron), like GHS Pressurewound, GHS Progressives, and I believe Infeld Super Alloy.

I would describe them as having a tight, punchy low end; strong midrange; bright and open high end, but not harsh. A/B comparing to some isolated bass recordings of other strings I have liked, I think these sound especially clear. They don't really have that classic Rotosound 66 chime tonality, but without trying to compare, they sound very good on their own.

 

[ahbass2500]

I have used...

Jazz rounds - insanely light strings that require a light touch and do boom better than bright IMO. I love them and always string my G&L JB5 with them, but not what you are after from what I can tell.

Infeld Rounds (superalloys) - I ran these prior to converting to Jazz Flats or Jazz Rounds on everything. To me these are a little more typical round wound feel and sounding strings. They lasted a long time and I generally liked the tone. I usually kept at least one bass strung with these too prior to selling that particular bass. Likely the one to try for your needs if you want to stick with TI. They are my second favorite round after the Jazz Rounds. Noting that I find they sound and feel nothing like the Jazz rounds. However they are in line with the strings I used for years (SIT Powerwounds, DR Sunbeams, and DR Fatbeams, and DR Nickel Lo-Riders).

 

[adje]

I'm familiar with both JF and JR varieties. I wouldn't recommend JR for an aggessive playing style, but seeing that you know your way around JF you should be able to handle JR just fine. And they retain plenty of brightness.

 

[JRA]

Experiences? Ideas?

i only know the TI jazz rounds. i have them on four fretless axes. they punch when i dig in, they sing for solos, and so i consider them to be very responsive, overall. i think they're the bomb! they would be considered a light-gauge string set.

from feedback/posts in other threads and discussions, they're loved by some, "meh" for others. it would be great to get some follow-up on your choice(s). good luck!

 

[wmhill]

I really enjoy the superalloy TIs. Brightish but not harsh. I only quit using them because of price VS life span.

 

[dagrev]

AS has been said, the Infeld's are likely more of what you want from TI. I have not played the Power Bass set but the Jazz Rounds is not what you want, but great strings. The Infeld's have typical roundwound clarity but are not harsh or clanky. I suspect they could be if EQed in that direction. They are full with good mids and a nice top end. I would think they could be as aggressive as you want them to be given amps have great abilities to cover much territory. Added bonus--the Infeld's keep their tone a long time. My '64 Thunderbird wears nothing else.

 

[DCCat]

This vid has been posted here many times, and it's problematic because it doesn't necessarily provide a good basis for comparison among the strings, but the OP may find it useful.

 

[blacktocomm]

I also love TI flats so I threw a set of TI Powerbass rounds on my Alembic Spoiler. They definitely mellowed out quickly, but they retain a lot of clarity. No zing to speak of. They give my Spoiler almost a piano like tone if that makes any sense.
My favorite rounds at the moment are SIT Foundations. Inexpensive, great feel and sound and so far they seem to be keeping their brightness pretty well. At $20 or so a set you might want to give them a spin.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Big TI JRs fan here. Here are the standard recordings I post to highlight how they sound on my Ricks. They can get mellow when needed but these particular recordings are on the bright side for these particular songs.









These are all with TI JRs through various setups but all are DI'ed to the recording consoles. Played fingerstyle, all with a little bit of VTBass on them. Two of the songs are the same but performed about a year apart so they are a little different from each other, and they were recorded in different situations, a live gig in front of an adoring audience, the other, a live radio program in the studio.

"March To Orion" was an improvised jam!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I really enjoy the superalloy TIs. Brightish but not harsh. I only quit using them because of price VS life span.

I was VERY impressed with these. They had a very balanced sound. And I was very impressed with their lifespan.
These are the only Infeld strings that I’ve tried. They’re kind of pricey, but IMO they’re worth it.

My only complaint is they don’t have as high of string tension that I like, but I have a pretty hard touch with my plucking hand. I think their string tension will suit the majority of players.

 

[Bushmaster]

I don't need a Roto66 bright sound that lasts a week. I'd like something a couple notches down but still bright. I would like the strings to settle in for a long lasting "brightish" sound.

Guess, if I was strict about the idea, I'd have to say this would be hard to achieve.

(Sort of an improved copy of Rotosound had been Dean Markley SuperRound Bass which unfortunately had been out of production as of 2014.)

An Alloy 52 string (combination of nickel and iron), like GHS Pressurewound, GHS Progressives, and I believe Infeld Super Alloy.

Yes, Superalloy is nickei-iron.

Well, concerning these... The finish of TI Superalloy is smoother than that of nickel-plated rounds (GHS Boomers, D'Addario XL etc.), measurable tension is medium, but their feel is rather taut. Bass is rock solid, but not extended (as with TI Jazz Rounds or LaBella DTB Rounds), not boomy, and nicely defined. Mids are open, though nicely growly (not barking like a mad dog) and woody. Highs are open, airy, and unobtrusive. Sustain is decent though not spectacular. Longevity is ok (though not superb).

My first impression was that I liked the compact and defined sound, but then grew unhappy with it. The sound deteriorated. My hands had ongoing problems with the tension.

 

[BOOG]

Big TI JRs fan here. Here are the standard recordings I post to highlight how they sound on my Ricks. They can get mellow when needed but these particular recordings are on the bright side for these particular songs.









These are all with TI JRs through various setups but all are DI'ed to the recording consoles. Played fingerstyle, all with a little bit of VTBass on them. Two of the songs are the same but performed about a year apart so they are a little different from each other, and they were recorded in different situations, a live gig in front of an adoring audience, the other, a live radio program in the studio.

"March To Orion" was an improvised jam!

You and the band sound great. Are you still playing out? If locally, where at?

 

[GIBrat51]

Well...
First of all, I have to say that I've never been a fan of rounds on a bass - any rounds. Between a nerve condition known to lay people as "white finger", and my hands being frostbitten more times than I care to remember? Playing round wound strings is... painful at the best of times - for more than a few minutes. Other times? It's excruciatingly painful. Which is why almost every bass I've ever played for the last 50+ years has worn flats or tapes. And why only one of the 25 basses I own at the moment wears rounds. My '94 Gretsch Broadkaster wears TIJR 324s. But, if any of the God-only-knows-how-many flats I tried on it over 12 years, hadn't sounded like a hippo fart in deep mud? It would be wearing them, right now...
But, those TIJR's do make it a pretty useful, really decent sounding bass, so... there they'll stay. I do have to admit, though; my finicky fingers like these rounds - a lot. Probably because they're the least round wound feeling rounds I've ever used. They are a little brighter sounding than I would prefer a big hollow-body bass to sound, but... it's bassy enough to get buy. All the other rounds (yes, I tried them, too) I put on it, either sounded like a guitar, or - at best - a baritone guitar. So, I'm happy I bought the TIJR's by mistake - and even happier that I thought to try them on the Gretsch.
All of which might seem to be "condemning with faint praise", but... no, not really. The TIJR's are really nice strings, and my ears - and especially my fingers - do like them a lot. The fact that they're on a bass that has pickups which really belong on a rockabilly guitar, isn't the fault of the strings. They are just making the best of a bad situation - and doing a fine job of it, too...

 

[Jeff Scott]

You and the band sound great. Are you still playing out? If locally, where at?

Thanks for the compliment!

The band is no more, since late '08.

 

[mrperkolator]

Well...
First of all, I have to say that I've never been a fan of rounds on a bass - any rounds. Between a nerve condition known to lay people as "white finger", and my hands being frostbitten more times than I care to remember? Playing round wound strings is... painful at the best of times - for more than a few minutes. Other times? It's excruciatingly painful. Which is why almost every bass I've ever played for the last 50+ years has worn flats or tapes. And why only one of the 25 basses I own at the moment wears rounds. My '94 Gretsch Broadkaster wears TIJR 324s. But, if any of the God-only-knows-how-many flats I tried on it over 12 years, hadn't sounded like a hippo fart in deep mud? It would be wearing them, right now...
But, those TIJR's do make it a pretty useful, really decent sounding bass, so... there they'll stay. I do have to admit, though; my finicky fingers like these rounds - a lot. Probably because they're the least round wound feeling rounds I've ever used. They are a little brighter sounding than I would prefer a big hollow-body bass to sound, but... it's bassy enough to get buy. All the other rounds (yes, I tried them, too) I put on it, either sounded like a guitar, or - at best - a baritone guitar. So, I'm happy I bought the TIJR's by mistake - and even happier that I thought to try them on the Gretsch.
All of which might seem to be "condemning with faint praise", but... no, not really. The TIJR's are really nice strings, and my ears - and especially my fingers - do like them a lot. The fact that they're on a bass that has pickups which really belong on a rockabilly guitar, isn't the fault of the strings. They are just making the best of a bad situation - and doing a fine job of it, too...

JR324 is the short scales 32” right? What’s the wound length?

 

[michael_t]

JR324 is the short scales 32” right? What’s the wound length?

35.5" from ball to the start of the silk.

 

[GIBrat51]

JR324 is the short scales 32” right? What’s the wound length?

35.5" from ball to the start of the silk.

Well, I was going to hobble down the basement stairs, and measure the things, but; thankfully, @michael_t saved me the trip....
Although the TI 324's are sold as short scale strings, they are intended for short scale basses like my Gretsch - or a Hofner- with several inches of... nothing... between the bridge and the trapeze tailpiece. And, even then? They are very long; longer than a lot of "Medium Scale" strings, made for "normal" medium scale basses. My Gretsch Broadkaster, even though it's a 30.5" scale bass, is so big, physically, that it can wear most Long scale strings like they were made for it. And, there are a lot of "Medium scale" strings that are just... too short for it. The TIJR 324s, OTOH? They fit the Gretsch almost perfectly. The headstock is a 2+2; I only had to cut about 1-3/4" off the E and the G strings to get a perfect 3 winds on the tuner posts. The A and D strings? They were perfect, right out of the package...
So; depending on what you want to put them on? Don't be surprised if they're actually too long. For most 30" scale basses, they most likely will be. For 32" scale basses? Well, they did fit my 32" Canadian-made Fury Anthem fretless bass just fine. But, it's a string-thru-body only bass, and it has a very long headstock, too. So...?