TI’s vs LaBella

[andare]

Roundwounds sound really nice on their own, especially played slowly or playing chords, but I find them noisy and muddled otherwise, and not crazy about the rough feel, light tension, and fast-changing and degrading tone with use over a few dozen hours of play. I like the DR Pure Blues, singing mids and warm highs.

Degrading? Do you mean maturing? Once a set of pure nickel rounds has gunked up broken in, the real fun(k) begins, for the rest of your life.
The idea that we should change strings is completely unnatural. It's just what Big String wants us to do.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I prefer larger gauge strings, more heft under the fingers, feels like I’m playing strings rather than the wood of the fretboard. I prefer the Labella 760FS over the 760FL. I also enjoy the 760M 1954 Vintage strings, no problem bending them (enough for effect). They’re not dark at all, they have a clear well-behaved piano ring on top. The Olinto strings sacrifice a bit of smooth “bassy-ness” for sharp snappy attack and more clarity and articulation. They’re a large gauge but low tension.

Roundwounds sound really nice on their own, especially played slowly or playing chords, but I find them noisy and muddled otherwise, and not crazy about the rough feel, light tension, and fast-changing and degrading tone with use over a few dozen hours of play. I like the DR Pure Blues, singing mids and warm highs.

I’ve been curious about the TI Jazz Flats for a long time. If they have the rich mids and complex harmonics of roundwounds with the punch and durability of flatwounds they would work for me.

The TI jazz flats are as you describe, the only downside is that they are very low tension so they must be played softly.

 

[butterfingers1]

The TI jazz flats are as you describe, the only downside is that they are very low tension so they must be played softly.

Would you say they are comparable in tone to roundwounds?

 

[Gervais Cote]

Would you say they are comparable in tone to roundwounds?

They don’t burp and have that extra treble a typical round wound has but they have a kind of unique vibrato when you let them sustain a few seconds and that makes them addictive when you play some slow paced music.

 

[TheArchitect]

I prefer larger gauge strings, more heft under the fingers, feels like I’m playing strings rather than the wood of the fretboard. I prefer the Labella 760FS over the 760FL. I also enjoy the 760M 1954 Vintage strings, no problem bending them (enough for effect). They’re not dark at all, they have a clear well-behaved piano ring on top. The Olinto strings sacrifice a bit of smooth “bassy-ness” for sharp snappy attack and more clarity and articulation. They’re a large gauge but low tension.

Roundwounds sound really nice on their own, especially played slowly or playing chords, but I find them noisy and muddled otherwise, and not crazy about the rough feel, light tension, and fast-changing and degrading tone with use over a few dozen hours of play. I like the DR Pure Blues, singing mids and warm highs.

I’ve been curious about the TI Jazz Flats for a long time. If they have the rich mids and complex harmonics of roundwounds with the punch and durability of flatwounds they would work for me.

I prefer a 50-110 set with wounds. More tension, warmer tone. 45-105 DTF's for rounds. I am going to test some other flats on the jazz soon I hope

 

[andare]

Would you say they are comparable in tone to roundwounds?

To me they sound like flats that only have mids. So not at all like rounds.

 

[butterfingers1]

I prefer a 50-110 set with wounds. More tension, warmer tone. 45-105 DTF's for rounds. I am going to test some other flats on the jazz soon I hope

I think you mean large rounds and regular flats?

 

[TheArchitect]

I think you mean large rounds and regular flats?

Yes, that was a typo/mistake combo meal.... LOL . 50-110 rounds vs 45-105 flat wounds is correct

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I just swapped TI’s on my Yamaha BB434 for a set of La Bella 760’s. Even after a couple years, I still felt the TI’s were just a little too bright. The La Bella’s are definitely bright(ish) fresh out of the pack, but I don’t have to roll the tone off as much. And, as a bonus, they seem to thump more. Been a while since I’ve had these on a bass so it’ll probably take some time to get reacquainted with them.

I was on a kick using the LTF’s (still have a really old set on my Stingray) but I’m not a fan of the G’s in the current set.

 

[shoulderpet]

Degrading? Do you mean maturing? Once a set of pure nickel rounds has gunked up broken in, the real fun(k) begins, for the rest of your life.
The idea that we should change strings is completely unnatural. It's just what Big String wants us to do.

I personally love the sound of new strings, I'm sure there are probably a lot of players that do, honestly if money was not a consideration I would change my strings weekly

 

[TheArchitect]

I personally love the sound of new strings, I'm sure there are probably a lot of players that do, honestly if money was not a consideration I would change my strings weekly

For rounds I agree. The zing that is quickly lost with rounds is not really a thing with flats to me

 

[TomB]

I just swapped TI’s on my Yamaha BB434 for a set of La Bella 760’s. Even after a couple years, I still felt the TI’s were just a little too bright. The La Bella’s are definitely bright(ish) fresh out of the pack, but I don’t have to roll the tone off as much. And, as a bonus, they seem to thump more. Been a while since I’ve had these on a bass so it’ll probably take some time to get reacquainted with them.

I was on a kick using the LTF’s (still have a really old set on my Stingray) but I’m not a fan of the G’s in the current set.

Which 760’s did you get? FX, FL, FS, FM? The G’s vary IME, but the 44’s in the FL set do calm down quickly. I’d expect that set to be a good replacement for TI’s if you like added thump and a bit more “resistance” from your strings. Give ‘em time, whichever you got.