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TI flats.. what am I missing?

#101
La Bellas to me just mean thump, which is ok if you are looking for that type of tone. TI's on the other hand are tonally superior in the context of Flatwound strings. Look you may like them or not but you cannot get away from the fact that a large number of Bassists use and swear by them.
 
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#102
I tried a number of TI sets years ago, as I did many other flats. My last set finally landed on my '67 EB-2 where the low tension is a plus and they're happy as clams. I think I agree they're good with short scales.

For longer scales & 5'ers I'm pretty solid with DTF's and lately am digging the EB 5-string 45-130 set (the non-Slinky, non-Cobalt ones).
 
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#104
Briton said:
La Bellas to me just mean thump, which is ok if you are looking for that type of tone. TI's on the other hand are tonally superior in the context of Flatwound strings. Look you may like them or not but you cannot get away from the fact that a large number of Bassists use and swear by them.
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I have been working on my take of Somewhere Over the Rainbow the last couple of nights and the TI's sound very sweet and wonderful. Quite inspiring actually.
 
#105
They work on some of my basses but not on others. Personally I think they have the sweetest sounding G string but the A string is drastically under-gauged. You need to definitely have more relief in your neck due to the A and also play with a lighter touch.

I personally prefer the overall experience of D'addario Chromes in the light/medium combo gauge 40-100.

My Fender Pino P uses TI's fine but my 63 reissue P uses Chromes.
 
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#106
I alternate between the TI flats and the LaBella 760FS on my P bass. Right now, as I am rehabbing a rt index finger injury, the TI are on the P. If I am playing music in the Motown vein, there is no substitute for the LaBella's. However, for other styles, I find the TI's to be more musical. Better mids, and with the right touch, a beautiful tone.

Tx
 
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#107
Rev. Cornelius said:
I alternate between the TI flats and the LaBella 760FS on my P bass. Right now, as I am rehabbing a rt index finger injury, the TI are on the P. If I am playing music in the Motown vein, there is no substitute for the LaBella's. However, for other styles, I find the TI's to be more musical. Better mids, and with the right touch, a beautiful tone.

Tx
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There are labella LTF4A out there if you looking for Ti tension but Motown sound.
 
#108
magnaton said:
I've been forever curious about TI flatwounds, so finally took the plunge and threw some on my 64 Jazz. Should preface this by saying that I have no intention of coming across as dismissive/ arrogant -- these are obviously very popular, very high-end strings that have been time-tested for decades... but I don't get it.

They feel like floppier, run of the mill flats. Do these need mucho break-in time? I know Fender flats open up spectacularly over time. Happy to try put some miles on them but I'm pretty aggressively underwhelmed. What am I missing with these bad boys?
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I'm with you...paid big bucks tried them on every bass I have and literally threw them out. They were wimpy floppy, low output no unique tone.
 
#114
wesonbass said:
however, I have ti flats on my Coronado. Wasn't sure at first about these. But got use to them pretty fast. Now I love them. Glad to hear that their gonna last forever
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I tried them on my Coronado II, and couldn't wait to get them off. They are either love them or hate them strings. I have not tried them on any of my long scales yet,
they are just laying around gathering dust. I went back with chromes on my CII.

057912
 
#115
I took my TI Flats off and put Rotosound 77 on my Mustang PJ.

Left the Rotosounds on for about 2 months or so to really get a feel for how they would work out after a little bit of break in. Nice set.

Put the TI Flats back on it last night. I can't feel much of a difference in them. They're softer but not by a lot. And they just flat-out sound better than the Roto's.

I ordered a set of Chromes but I have my doubts that they will knock the TI's off the saddle.
 
#116
Briton said:
La Bellas to me just mean thump, which is ok if you are looking for that type of tone. TI's on the other hand are tonally superior in the context of Flatwound strings. Look you may like them or not but you cannot get away from the fact that a large number of Bassists use and swear by them.
Click to expand...

I can get away from the fact by simply not buying them. And I won't ever again. I never tried so hard to like a set of strings only to conclude that they suck. YMMV.
 
#117
socialleper said:
I think there is a bit of an echo chamber effect happening in these threads.
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echo chamber? is that what lemmings use?
:laugh:

corndog said:
There is no magic here. Just low tension strings.
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i only use the jazz rounds, but: you're right = low tension...not for everyone.

RedJag said:
I tend not to like super floppy strings, I may yet try them one day, but the initial descriptions I'm seeing don't make me super eager to try them.
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they're floppy, don't bother.... you'll start another thread like this one.

strings: we all know that folks like different strings for different (idiosyncratic) reasons. big whup --- it's not news. play what you like, like what you play.*



* flats suck. :laugh:
 
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#118
I love them. They seem to be a perfect fit for my MM SR5. I feel like when playing with the band I can hear every tiny nuance of how/what I'm playing. I don't get the floppy rap they get but then again I've always played rounds so they seem fairly normal to me. They've only been on for approximately three weeks but I don't see taking them off anytime soon. Love the smooth supple feel they have.
 
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#119
MordBass said:
I think its more that the characteristics that people love about flats, show themselves more and more with age. While with steel rounds, you want that bright, zingy, bouncy, tone that fades within a month of use.
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You're wrong about what people like with rounds. It has nothing to do with any sort of zingy, bouncy, or bright.

Roundwound strings push upper harmonics that gives your tone emense depth. Not top end. Even dead ones still do this. The top is just a by product. That's what the tone knob is for.

Stainless steel strings aren't about the top end either. It's the mid scoop, and clarity of the E string, that some people prefer over nickel. Plus, a lot of Stainless strings are actually far smoother to the touch than a lot of nickel rounds. Or even a lot of flats, for that matter.
 
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