TI Flats are oh so Good!!!

[BioWeapon]

What's the hangup?

I just got my first 5 string bass ever, and it's also the first fretted bass I've had in over thirty years. I'd love to try the Jazz Rounds on it eventually, but I'll probably have to cycle through some less expensive alternatives first before I get to that...

You played fretless exclusively for 30 years? Now that's dedication!

 

[Wiremessiah]

Jazz flats are by far the best strings i have tried on beatle bass. Yes they are loose, but if you raise the action and adjust your feel, they are very fast. Raising action actually increases speed for me. But the sound is incredible. Very thick and pudding like. Its worth adjusting your feel.

 

[Wiremessiah]

I've always experienced the strangest phenomenom with TI Flats.... No matter what strings I've put on my American Vintage 63 Precision Bass, and no matter how much I like them, I always remove them and always put TI Flats back on that bass. Over time, I've been impressed by, and highly praised, GHS Precision Flats, LaBella Deep Talking Flats, Sadowsky Black Label Flats, Pyramid Gold Flats and.... I always return to TI Flats. Maybe it's time to just accept my fate and leave the damn TI Flats on.

exactly my experience on my 67 beatle. I got it in bad shape and honestly being naive just bought the jazz flats because they were expensive, almost a decade ago. I never really appreciated them, being my first set of flats, until i started to experiment with other strings like tapes and deep talkers and grounds. I took the jazz flats off dozens of times, but always came back to them, and now they are a permenant installation. With the scrawny neck on hofners they are perfect tension. They double the sustain as well.

The only issue is that they dont exercise the hands because they are so easy to play.

 

[bassbully]

1. I had a love hate with them. Loved them on a couple basses hated them several. They are a tad bit too mellow of a sound for me and pricey. I prefer Chromes.

 

[Passinwind]

You played fretless exclusively for 30 years? Now that's dedication!

Except for one stint of about a year and a half on fretted BG, and the same on upright, it's actually been more like 45 years. I finally seem to have found a fretted bass I really enjoy playing now though, for whatever reason...

 

[Jeff Scott]

Except for one stint of about a year and a half on fretted BG, and the same on upright, it's actually been more like 45 years. I finally seem to have found a fretted bass I really enjoy playing now though, for whatever reason...

Okay, new debate here:

What's the best fretted bass for Charlie? Or, just, what are the best frets for him?

 

[AngelCrusher]

I know tone is subjective, but I do t see chromes as being warmer at all. To me TI's are by far the warmest and thickest tone of any flat or Round I've used. They don't sound like flats to me. I like chromes to but not nearly as much as TIs

TIs have a big mid bump while Chromes have more of a scoop. That is why I hear them as warmer when paired with a Pbass.

 

[AngelCrusher]

In my experience Chromes have more high end (at least at first) and deeper lows, but sound somewhat scooped. The TI's have quite a bit more mids, and lower buttery feeling, tension!
They're very different strings and both will please different players.

Just saw this, in line with what I hear as well.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I've always experienced the strangest phenomenom with TI Flats.... No matter what strings I've put on my American Vintage 63 Precision Bass, and no matter how much I like them, I always remove them and always put TI Flats back on that bass. Over time, I've been impressed by, and highly praised, GHS Precision Flats, LaBella Deep Talking Flats, Sadowsky Black Label Flats, Pyramid Gold Flats and.... I always return to TI Flats. Maybe it's time to just accept my fate and leave the damn TI Flats on.

I have the same bass and have Chromes on mine. Have you tried them? I started with TIs. Chromes are the best pairing I have ever heard with the AVRI63, especially since that pickup has so much nice mids in it. That pickup is just incredible.

Honestly, if you like TIs though, there is no reason to change. They are awesome.

 

[Ballin'bass]

They're tops when it comes to flats!

 

[nixdad]

I love 'em.
I use TI flats on my Ric 4003 (Beatles band) and on my Fender Starcaster.

 

[BioWeapon]

Except for one stint of about a year and a half on fretted BG, and the same on upright, it's actually been more like 45 years. I finally seem to have found a fretted bass I really enjoy playing now though, for whatever reason...

That's insane! When I grow up I wanna be like you - an expert fretless player!

 

[Element Zero]

Question for all you people since most of you love your flats. What kind of response do you get on a fretless? Less sustain? More "voice" like? More or less mwah?

 

[Jeff Scott]

That's insane! When I grow up I wanna be like you - an expert fretless player!

Where did Charlie say he was an expert fretless player? He only said he's been playing (mostly) exclusively fretless all that time, not how good he is at doing so.

Question for all you people since most of you love your flats. What kind of response do you get on a fretless? Less sustain? More "voice" like? More or less mwah?

That all depends on the particular bass, how it's set up, your playing style and technique/touch on the strings, etc.

 

[Ballin'bass]

Question for all you people since most of you love your flats. What kind of response do you get on a fretless? Less sustain? More "voice" like? More or less mwah?

You're always going to get more "mwah" with rounds.

 

[Groove Doctor]

String 'em thru! Been doing it for decades without issue.

Gorgeous bass man!! Got links to more pics & info???

TIs are a fine flatwound string. The plusses with TI are luxurious feel, good tone, last forever. About only minus is the tension takes some getting used to, and the upfront investment.

My personal #1 right now are Ernie Ball cobalt flats. I just prefer a bit higher output and higher tension than the TIs.

My personal #2 are Sadowsky black label flats.

If TIs are #3, a close 4-6 are Labellas, of which I prefer the deep talkin and the flexible variety. And DR Legends and original EB flats.

I love my Sadowsky flats and TI's, haven't tried the Cobalts (yet). Any other differences? Sound clips?

 

[2saddleslab]

Gorgeous bass man!! Got links to more pics & info???

Thanks! Here ya'go:
Makeover Complete, Frankenstein's Facelift...

 

[Jeff Scott]

You're always going to get more "mwah" with rounds.

IME, it's just a different kind of mwah, one I happen to love the sound of with TI Jazz Flats on my fretless Martin Keith Elfin 5.

 

[Ballin'bass]

IME, it's just a different kind of mwah, one I happen to love the sound of with TI Jazz Flats on my fretless Martin Keith Elfin 5.

It is different. Every experience I've had with rounds vs flats on a fretless is you always get a more defined, sustained "mwah" from rounds, whereas flats give a much more muffled, softer sound. This is because round wounds produce more definition and harmonic overtones which translate to a more obvious "mwah".

For the record, Jaco used rounds.

 

[Jeff Scott]

It is different. Every experience I've had with rounds vs flats on a fretless is you always get a more defined, sustained "mwah" from rounds, whereas flats give a much more muffled, softer sound. This is because round wounds produce more definition and harmonic overtones which translate to a more obvious "mwah".

For the record, Jaco used rounds.

Not the case with my Elfin and TIs; they produce a great mwah, not muffled sounding. YMMV.