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TI Jazz Flats rule for me...

#62
Thomguy said:
I just had a discussion with a fellow Talk-Basser and I’m glad Joe mentioned that he contact me. Not only to lend some direction and have a good conversation but it reminded me that I miss this place and that I should visit more often. Pretty soon either I or someone here will be joining the discussions more frequently (Maybe it’s time ‘Thomgirl’ say hello).

Anyone who remembers me knows that I’m not a shill for the T-I’s, I just work here. I will try to give purposeful advice based on my experiences regardless of manufacturer as musical tools are just so subjective and no one string or one bass or one amp, etc., is universally appealing to players…thankfully so!

As for the short-scales fitting on a long-scale bass; on some, yes, they’ll work as long as it’s a top-loading bridge and not a string-through and as long as the distance from the anchor-point to the saddle isn’t over three inches or so. To be sure, here are the measurements in inches of the JF324 set from the ball-end to the start of silk-wrapping at the top:

G: 35.80”
D: 35.75”
A: 35.80”
E: 35.30”

Handmade strings are not perfectly identical but these measurements are close enough to use as a rule-of-thumb, so to speak. You can check your bass to make sure these will fit and to re-iterate another poster, the resultant tension will be a bit higher for your tuning and they also are closer to the desired gage so this looks like the set from where I’m sitting.

Please post your feedback when you get a chance and thanks for calling and I hope I was able to help.

Best regards,
Kevin Reynolds
Connolly Music Company: US Source for Thomastik-Infeld, K&M stands, Realist transducer pickups and Wolf products
Phone: 800.644.5268 (Ext. 5523)
Click to expand...

Ha... you beat me to the boards!
Thanks again Kevin
 
#65
I just got the TI 32" scale on my 76 Jazz....AND, OMFG, WHAT A TONE!!!!!! I can't put the bass down!!!! They feel great and so warm and smooth through my 73svt/nv610. A little tweeking to the svt and MY GOD!!! I can go from a warm mellow tone to PUNCHY AS HELL with just a dynamic change in finger style and position. I play a song or 2 with a pick and I was worried about how these would respond/sound....was worried for nothing as they sound fantastic!!! I have never played the long scale strings but I can tell you that the tension is no issue with the short scale 32s on my Fender. The G string only got 1 1/2 turns on the post and I had to shave a small bit of silk from the E but it works fine and sounds KILLER!!!! Now if we can just get them to make a heavy guage so I can have TI's on all my basses!!! Thanks Kevin...I'm now a TI'er for life....off to play!
 
#67
Just got my first TI 324 flats, but I'm having some doubts about trying them on my short scale Flying V since they are obviously made for longer scale (32"). The problem is mainly the E string, where the thick part would go at least one inch on the tuner. Besides that part feels really stiff so I'm a bit afraid to try that.

I've thought about getting the intonation mod bar for that 3-point bridge but I won't help that much.

Anyone used these strings on 30,5 scale? Will it work fine even with the thick part going on tuner ?
 
#68
ilpo said:
Just got my first TI 324 flats, but I'm having some doubts about trying them on my short scale Flying V since they are obviously made for longer scale (32"). The problem is mainly the E string, where the thick part would go at least one inch on the tuner. Besides that part feels really stiff so I'm a bit afraid to try that.

I've thought about getting the intonation mod bar for that 3-point bridge but I won't help that much.

Anyone used these strings on 30,5 scale? Will it work fine even with the thick part going on tuner ?
Click to expand...

I don't think the fat part going up on the tuner is a problem. As long as it winds normally on the post, you'll be fine.

Worse is the string tapering before the nut. That has happened to me a couple times. :spit:
 
#69
I just went through about four or five different string types looking for a better sound. Overall, I think I like the TI flats the best. I particularly like the mellow sound I get from the upper (D,G) strings. I think I had to sacrifice some of the roundwound growl in the lower (E,A) strings but, overall, I believe it was worth it.
 
#71
warnergt said:
By the way, these TI flats seem to require a lot of retuning. They seem to keep going flat. Are the strings stretching or something? Is this normal?
Click to expand...

This is normal with new strings. You should stretch them slighty after you put them on. I pull up(away from the neck) slightly on them starting from the nut and work my way down the neck to the bridge. It will take a bit of playing to get them to settle. I usually find that after about a week they will settle and hold tuning.
 
#73
I'm curious about how a set of say T1 Jazz nickle flats would sound on a G&L SB-2. The flats I have on it now are about 6 years old and I have no idea what brand or gauge they are. They were on the bass when I got it and still sound pretty good. I'm having to constantly retune the bass alot. So is this a sign to buy some new ones or what? I used flats in high school because that was all there was....yeah, I'm old as a dirt clod.... Anyway, I like that full, fat tone, so what gauge would all of you "flat fiends" recommend? :help::help:
 
#74
I'm a fan of both flats and rounds. I think it's 'all about the bass' for the choice of string. My Sadowsky NYC JJ4 just loves SS Lo-Riders (and I was never an SS fan). They sound great on that bass.

My newly aquired USA Lakland Bob Glaub w/jazz profile neck came by request with Lakland Flats. They are ok, but I found them to have a bit too much 'thud' and changed them to a set of Sadowksy Flats which I've always really liked. The Sads sounded and felt more to my liking. Last night I changed the strings to a set of JF344 that I briefly had on another bass a couple years ago. I was hoping they would still be ok having once been strung. Anyway I put them on the BG and they sound very good. I'm liking them quite well after only one day. The E seems a slightly less alive than the others. Also, I use a Drop Dtuner and hope this won't affect the life of the string but most likely will I suppose.

I am used to more tension with a Flatwound but they feel good on the BG for sure. I would prefer a .105 on the E though. So.. my request/input to TI is to make a 34" scale set of JF344 Flats in a standard .105 set. ;)

Gotta gig on Friday, can't wait to test them out. :bassist:
 
#75
roger winkler said:
I'm curious about how a set of say T1 Jazz nickle flats would sound on a G&L SB-2. The flats I have on it now are about 6 years old and I have no idea what brand or gauge they are. They were on the bass when I got it and still sound pretty good. I'm having to constantly retune the bass alot. So is this a sign to buy some new ones or what? I used flats in high school because that was all there was....yeah, I'm old as a dirt clod.... Anyway, I like that full, fat tone, so what gauge would all of you "flat fiends" recommend? :help::help:
Click to expand...

I don't think having to retune a lot will be caused by strings that are too old. Check your tuning pegs to see they aren't slipping, the screws that adjust height on your saddle to make sure they aren't loosening off. truss rod, etc.

As for what gauge for Thomstic flats--you don't have a choice. They come in one gauge only for each scale length. There is a reason for this. The string gauge is optimum for the sound on these strings and carefully chosen to match other string parameters.

I'm probably older than you and have been playing professionally since 1961. Flats were all you could buy then and there wasn't much of a choice of brands either. The Thomstics are far superior to anything else I've ever used.

Give them a try. Play the hell out of them for a week or two and as they settle in and develop their full tone, see how you like them. If you like them as much as I do, you won't have to change them for many years. I got over 8 years out of a set and only changed to new ones because I thought it might be about time. They still sounded very good. The new ones are now nicely played in and sound and feel wonderful.
 
#76
62bass said:
I don't think having to retune a lot will be caused by strings that are too old. Check your tuning pegs to see they aren't slipping, the screws that adjust height on your saddle to make sure they aren't loosening off. truss rod, etc.

As for what gauge for Thomstic flats--you don't have a choice. They come in one gauge only for each scale length. There is a reason for this. The string gauge is optimum for the sound on these strings and carefully chosen to match other string parameters.

I'm probably older than you and have been playing professionally since 1961. Flats were all you could buy then and there wasn't much of a choice of brands either. The Thomstics are far superior to anything else I've ever used.

Give them a try. Play the hell out of them for a week or two and as they settle in and develop their full tone, see how you like them. If you like them as much as I do, you won't have to change them for many years. I got over 8 years out of a set and only changed to new ones because I thought it might be about time. They still sounded very good. The new ones are now nicely played in and sound and feel wonderful.
Click to expand...

TI's flats are a light guage, which initially made me wonder how fat they would or could really sound. But the set on my Squier Jazz VM fretless sound fantastic, and as a result I'm now willing to try a set on one of my Precision basses. I don't know yet if they'll do what I want, but I'm willing to give them a shot. And hey if they're good enough for Pino's P-bass who am I to argue? :D
 
#77
Question: I mentioned this in my post previously today.

I have a set of JF344 Flats on my new Bob Glaub but they were a set I had strung on a bass a couple years ago and didn't care for them on that bass. They sound good on the BG.

OK. The fact that they were strung already, does that affect the string negatively ?? I don't want to buy a new set if I don't have to, at least not yet...
 
#78
Big String said:
Question: I mentioned this in my post previously today.

I have a set of JF344 Flats on my new Bob Glaub but they were a set I had strung on a bass a couple years ago and didn't care for them on that bass. They sound good on the BG.

OK. The fact that they were strung already, does that affect the string negatively ?? I don't want to buy a new set if I don't have to, at least not yet...
Click to expand...

Maybe. Try them out. If they sound good leave them alone.
 
#80
Big String said:
Question: I mentioned this in my post previously today.

I have a set of JF344 Flats on my new Bob Glaub but they were a set I had strung on a bass a couple years ago and didn't care for them on that bass. They sound good on the BG.

OK. The fact that they were strung already, does that affect the string negatively ?? I don't want to buy a new set if I don't have to, at least not yet...
Click to expand...

I've taken strings on/off plenty of basses and never had problems with it. I'll try a set on one bass, take them off and try them on another, take them off and put them back on the first bass, etc. The tone of the string shouldn't change at all, and hasn't in my experience. The only problems you may have are (1) the ribbon may fray a bit from being pulled through the bridge, and (2) too much on/off can eventually weaken the string around the tuning post (but doing this a few times has never been a problem in my experience).
 

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