Yeah that's what TIs sound like!
Not on my bass.
But I can get that sound easily too. They're very versatile strings.
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TI Jazz Flats rule for me...
- Thread starter JohnDavisNYC
- Start date
Not on my bass.
But I can get that sound easily too. They're very versatile strings.This is going to be the most ironic thing I have ever heard of concerning basses, but since the only bass that I have with a Pbass pickup is my Fodera Yin Yang...
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Maybe I'll try the TIs on it!
Wow, I wonder what Victor Wooten would say if he found out!
Victor and Carol Kaye are friends and she uses T.I. flats exclusively. I think he probably wouldn't mind.
I put a set of T.I.s on a student's bass a couple years ago. It's a Mexican P and has EMG pickups. Sounds great. The student loves it too. She's still using them and playing regularly.
Andy Brown
Commercial User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 5,675
- 312
- Disclosures
- Founder/Owner: Wing Instruments
I gotta tell ya. I've had TI Jazz Flats on my P-bass for two weeks, and I'm floored. They bring incredible authenticity to the old-school passive P sound, and feel great tension-wise.
At what point does the stickyness wear off? Is there anything I can wipe on them to get them more slick?
At what point does the stickyness wear off? Is there anything I can wipe on them to get them more slick?
Mine never feel sticky to me. Try wiping them down with some naptha (lighter fluid) or alcohol like shellac thinner. Don't smoke and don't get any alcohol on your bass if it's a nitro lacquer finish.
GHS Fast Fret makes any strings feel slick. Too slick for some guys. It also does a good job of cleaning strings.
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
It took about a month for the stickiness to clear for me, but just in the places I play alot. I've gotten into the habit of trying not to touch my strings when I don't have to so I don't deaden them sooner (I've got sweaty hands, man), but with the TI Flats, I try to remember to run my hands up and down the strings when I'm not playing to take care of the stickiness.
I never thought of doing something like 62bass's solution, but now that I know I don't think I will. Knowing my luck, I'd drip something horrible onto the bass finish or fretboard.
I never thought of doing something like 62bass's solution, but now that I know I don't think I will. Knowing my luck, I'd drip something horrible onto the bass finish or fretboard.
Andy Brown
Commercial User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 5,675
- 312
- Disclosures
- Founder/Owner: Wing Instruments
I'm gonna try putting a towel (and maybe something else) between the strings and the bass, then use a sponge to lightly apply the naptha.
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Play them in for about a month and the stickiness goes away..... It almost feels like rosin to me.
Ljazz
Ljazz
Alcohol or naptha or paint thinner won't harm any of the other finishes, particularly the poly stuff being used on most production basses. Nitrocellulose lacquer is very easy to dissolve with alcohol and ammonia. Nitro won't be harmed by naptha or paint thinner.
Alcohol, paint thinner and naptha will remove wax, so if you have wax over your finish it might dull it, but that's easy to fix. Just apply more wax and polish it.
So so don't worry about alcohol on your finish unless it's nitro lacquer and since nitro lacquer has such a mystique to it, you'll almost certainly know if it is. It'll be well advertised such as on the new Highway I basses. And check that your pickguard isn't nitro too.Naptha and paint thinner won't harm any fully cured finish so it's pretty well safe on anything.
I carelessly was cleaning the nitro pickguard on my P bass one time and without thinking used a dab of alcohol on a cloth. It started to feel sticky and went dull where I started rubbing. It took an hour of work with a polishing compound to get it back to the gloss it had. I was lucky I caught it when I did.
Anyhow, putting a towel or cloth to mask off any area you're worried about will also solve the problem.Or, just play the hell out of the Thomastics if they feel sticky to you. It won't last long and new Thomastics sound best when well played in anyhow.
Andy Brown
Commercial User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 5,675
- 312
- Disclosures
- Founder/Owner: Wing Instruments
I've put a lot of sets of Thomastic flats on basses, my own and others, and only once had a problem with a dead sounding G string. Not lack of sustain but just a loss of brightness even though new. I think what I did wrong was I got a twist in the string as I was winding it on, but that can happen with any string. I removed the string and restrung it and the problem was gone.
I'd check to see if there's maybe something going on at the saddle. Maybe the string isn't seated properly. It shouldn't be dead and the lower tension has never caused that on any bass I've used them on. If you're sure the problem is with the E string, then return them. Thomastic stands behind their product.
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Sorry, I was just being silly. I am SURE you guys know what you are doing and in reality have no worries. Sorry again.
I've just put a set of JF345's on my Ibanez SR1005. I needed to perform careful widening of the B nut slot but it was worth it. I agree with all of the positives and negatives discussed here regarding these strings.
On the positive side I really notice how clearly the pitches of the notes I'm playing cut through when the full band is playing. My mistakes are now plainly audible.
When I put them on last weekend I noticed that strings smelled very strongly of some kind of oil. The smell was similar to gun oil. So I wiped the strings down twice with paper towels LIGHTLY dampened with paint thinner. Some of the smell went away and some of the stickiness. I'll probably try naptha this weekend. I'm also thinking of trying a light pass or two on the tops of the strings with crocus cloth to try to reduce the stickiness.
Graeme
On the positive side I really notice how clearly the pitches of the notes I'm playing cut through when the full band is playing. My mistakes are now plainly audible.
When I put them on last weekend I noticed that strings smelled very strongly of some kind of oil. The smell was similar to gun oil. So I wiped the strings down twice with paper towels LIGHTLY dampened with paint thinner. Some of the smell went away and some of the stickiness. I'll probably try naptha this weekend. I'm also thinking of trying a light pass or two on the tops of the strings with crocus cloth to try to reduce the stickiness.
Graeme
My 2 cents:
For me, it's all about getting a fat, clear, growly, classic P-Bass tone, both with the tone up and rolled off using my fingers. I don't slap and rarely use a pick. I have an alder 57 RI P-Bass body with a new Highway One Jazz neck ( yes, Jazz) and a Fender "Original '62" pickup and Gotoh 203 bridge, .047mfd tone cap.
I had D'addario Chromes on my P. Nice when you have nothing to compare them too. Then I tried the TI's. Also nice, but very similar in sound to the Chromes. Maybe a tiny bit more low mids. Maybe. Then I put on a set of LaBella 760FL's ... I started out smiling and then, joyous laughter!! No comparison! The Labella's were fatter and much more musical right out of the package. Wonderful deep and fat tone compared to the Chromes or the TI's. The TI's had over a month of daily playing. Still no comparison. I put away my TI's. You can't understand or appreciate this unless YOU personally tried them both. You can't get this realization from hearing a friend tell you or reading it in a forum. The 760's are just plain fatter and growlier while being as clear as TI's or Chromes. My point of reference is from actually playing in a band situation at volume, with a 4Pro playing classic rock, blues and Motown... and yes, from also sitting on my couch with a 25 watt combo. Do yourself a favor. Try these strings.
For me, it's all about getting a fat, clear, growly, classic P-Bass tone, both with the tone up and rolled off using my fingers. I don't slap and rarely use a pick. I have an alder 57 RI P-Bass body with a new Highway One Jazz neck ( yes, Jazz) and a Fender "Original '62" pickup and Gotoh 203 bridge, .047mfd tone cap.
I had D'addario Chromes on my P. Nice when you have nothing to compare them too. Then I tried the TI's. Also nice, but very similar in sound to the Chromes. Maybe a tiny bit more low mids. Maybe. Then I put on a set of LaBella 760FL's ... I started out smiling and then, joyous laughter!! No comparison! The Labella's were fatter and much more musical right out of the package. Wonderful deep and fat tone compared to the Chromes or the TI's. The TI's had over a month of daily playing. Still no comparison. I put away my TI's. You can't understand or appreciate this unless YOU personally tried them both. You can't get this realization from hearing a friend tell you or reading it in a forum. The 760's are just plain fatter and growlier while being as clear as TI's or Chromes. My point of reference is from actually playing in a band situation at volume, with a 4Pro playing classic rock, blues and Motown... and yes, from also sitting on my couch with a 25 watt combo. Do yourself a favor. Try these strings.
I did. I don't like the feel of them and live with a band or recording prefer the sound of TIs. But they work for you so that's great. You're right about trying to explain to others about the sound of strings (or pickups or amps for that matter) It can't be done with any accuracy and everyone hears things differently. But we all enjoy going over and over the same topics and promoting our own favourites.
As you say, you should just try them out for yourself.
62bass,
Interesting how your experience was so much different than mine. Did you play the 760FL set? It's noticably different than the FS, FM or M sets. In tension and tone. I can see the "feel" being different because nothing I tried feels like TI's. I think a person's playing style/technique and what their "target sound" is in their head has a lot to do with this too. Someday, months from now, I may try TI's again.
Interesting how your experience was so much different than mine. Did you play the 760FL set? It's noticably different than the FS, FM or M sets. In tension and tone. I can see the "feel" being different because nothing I tried feels like TI's. I think a person's playing style/technique and what their "target sound" is in their head has a lot to do with this too. Someday, months from now, I may try TI's again.
I tried FLs and thought the D string wasn't kicking enough, so I went up the the FS and liked the D better but missed the response of the FLs. I'm still working with the FS set, thinking of trying DR flats next before deciding whether to try FLs again.
TIs are great, but at low volume don't sound as good. Crank them up in a band setting, however, and they are FAT!
Mastermold,
I agree that the TI's were very nice at volume. How would you describe the difference between the FS's and the TI's at volume? Where were the LaBella's lacking in comparison (if anywhere)?
I agree that the TI's were very nice at volume. How would you describe the difference between the FS's and the TI's at volume? Where were the LaBella's lacking in comparison (if anywhere)?
