TI Flats advice.

[eyeballkid]

ok, so after a long time of wanting to try out some TI flats Ive finally got a set on the way. I started out on a fretless and for years and years once I moved to a fretted bass I continued to use tape wounds because I loved the slippery rubbery feel under my fingers. Ive been longing to go back to that and figured Id get some low tension flats like the TI's. BUT... I got to thinking about a couple questions I had.

first.. I (and my band) play with everything dropped a half step AND I have the E drop tuned to a full step from there (D flat, A flat, D flat, G flat). I play with a pretty light touch usually, but since these are renowned for low tension, will I run into problems from down tuning that makes them TOO low tension?

second.. I play both Musicman and Fender jazzes. I hear that the TI's are a bit more mid forward than other flats. How well do they mix with a Musicman Stingray or Sabre? OR, which would any of you recommend I put them on, the jazzes or the Musicmans? I know, I know, they are flats so they belong on a jazz, but I dont always follow tradition. Has anyone used them on a Stingray and what did you find? I bought them with the Musicman in mind, but since its a little mid prominent I dont want something that futzes up the mids too much. I would IDEALLY like to try them on both, but since the headstocks are very different I can only cut them for one of them.

any experience would be helpful.

thanks.

 

[tink9975]

you might start to get some flop on the E string tuned to Db, but I played on a set of TIs tuned down a half step for a year or so with no issues, just a slightly lighter touch.

Cant speak towards the MM basses, but they sure do sound good on a Pbass.

edit: tuned my e string down to Db, its definitely looser, but if you use a light touch and raise your action a little, it should be usable

 

[Pier_]

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Here's how the dropD sounds on my Precision. This set is 3 and 1/2 year old.

I've used them a lot on many instruments, and as you get used to the tension, there are no issues. If you play half step down in drop D just add a slightly more relief to the neck, not much, and maybe raise a bit the E saddle. But you'll have to discover these things on your own, trying them.

PS: stingray & flats have been fellows in the 70s, and today you can hear the stingray with flats on many recordings. The first I recall is Cliff Williams from the ACDC since the Ballbreaker album.

 

[eyeballkid]

cool. thanks for that!
btw.. Im really familiar with flats on a Stingray. I used em for years. My question was more specifically how are the TI's on a Stingray since they are said to be more mid forward and a Stingray is more mid forward too? Do is make it TOO middy?

From your soundlink I dont think it would be too much. The mids seem very broad and not spikey in a particular range. Also, I liked the way it seems to tame the flubby low end that Pbasses can sometimes have. Nice tone man!

 

[foudufafa]

I tried TI Flats on my Warwick Thumb and didn't like them, sounded dull. i then tried on the Jazz fretless and didn't like them either (the TI Jazz rounds on the fretless are amazing).
i then tried them on my StingRay and they sound awesome. Exactly the sound I was expecting when I bought the StingRay, that 70/80's funk sound. Even slapped they sound great. i tried them last night in a gig and they sat very well. so I think that is a perfect coupling.

I cant speak for the drop tuning though.

 

[Pier_]

Thanks !
I can tell you that they are middy "compared to other flats", but in fact they just have a kind of "flat eq" spectrum, with a rich harmonic content.

On every bass I've used them, the result was a nice flatwound tone with all the characteristics of the specific bass.

Here are a couple of samples on a jazz:

Finger

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Pick

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I've used them on a PJ (yamaha bb414), on a G&L L1500 and on other jazz (I always keep my used sets of strings ), and they always let the bass shine!

One thing to remember is that the gauge is peculiar, and needs a proper setup, in particular for the A and D string. They are 70 and 55, like a 35-90 set, so don't be afraid to raise the A saddle a bit more then you maybe are used.

 

[BigfellaBass]

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That's my latest work, lyrics are in spanish, but the whole album I recorded with a Schecter bass, TI Jazz Flats tuned CGCF. Sounds great!