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My TI Jazz Flats Review


Basshappi

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A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had purchased two new sets of strings, a set of Elixirs for my Jazz and a set of TI jazz flats for my Yamaha BB400. I am not able to give a through report on the Elixirs yet as the Jazz needs some neck and action adjustments (I am getting fret buzz from hell!) But I will say that the tone is very pleasing and the texture is interesting I am looking forward to really getting to a workout with them and will report back.

 

As for the TI Jazz Flat wounds

 

Let me preface this commentary by stating that I am NOT a fan of flat wound strings. I have used probably 3 sets of flats in my entire life, which includes one set of tape wounds and the set of La Bella Deep Talkin flats that currently reside on my fretless(I dont like them either). I have decided to try the TIs mainly because of the comments of others concerning them, so I thought What the heck. I put them on my Yamaha because it has a rich, woody tone that I really love and I thought that with the possibility of some studio work coming up that it would be great to have one of my basses set up for a serious

Motown Funk sound.

 

Now that Ive gotten all that out of the way.....

 

These strings KICK ASS! I love these things! :eek:

My first impressions were that the strings are indeed lower tension compared to other flats, they still have noticeably more tension than rounds but they are easy on the fingers and I could bend them almost as effortlessly as rounds. I have read other reviews that complained of some type of coating substance that leaves a sort of sticky or greasy residue at first but I did not experience this, the strings were clean and smooth.

 

They sounded good acoustically. I was very surprised at the amount of sustain the strings have! Totally unlike any other flats Ive played (which have usually had very quick decay) not comparable to rounds of course, but thats to be expected.

 

Plugging into my amp, I set all the EQ flat and started playing. More surprises! These things are very bright! I realize that this will wear off some and I have heard that they mellow nicely, time will tell. The other thing that really pleased me was how articulate these strings are, each note is clearly defined. Even when I boosted the bass freq. to get a more dub-like tone this articulation remained. The tone is even and consistent from string to string.

 

I played this bass exclusively for the next three days and when I picked up my Warwick the crunchy brilliance of the rounds was almost shocking! I actually rolled off some of the treble until I became acclimated to them again! :D

 

So if you like flat wounds, or just want to try something new, give these things a try. I know that they are kind of pricey but they should last for years so I think it is money well spent.

Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai

 

Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.

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basshappi,

 

Thanks for the review. I'm looking for a set of flats. Do you know if they come in sets for 5'ers?

 

You said that they were pricey. What does a guy expect to pay. I have them on my Ibanez acoustic guitar 5'er and I think I got them for about $65 for the set. :)

 

And, yea I like them on the Ibanez, but the B string broke a couple of days after I put them on. But that might have something to do with the Ibanez being 32" scale and trimming them off for that length messed up the core and it unraveled. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks again!

HypnoBassMan

 

The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.)

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Yes they make 5 string sets. For my set(4 str) I paid about $40 from a local shop.

 

I think you're right about why your B string broke.I don't know if they offer them in various scale lengths.

Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai

 

Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.

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Glad you like 'em! Your experience sounds just like mine: I tried 'em & loved the smooth, easy feel, the old school vibe, & the clarity, presence & articulation. As some have pointed out elsewhere, they're kind of a hybrid: they feel like a flat, but act like a round. It definitely works for me. They are a blast to play on my Ric.

 

The best prices I've found are on eBay from vintagebasstradingco (= Steve "Dude" Barr at the Dude Pit, whom you can contact directly), and at Great Strings. Powerbass rounds, Jazz rounds, & Jazz flats are all available (I believe) in 4, 5, & 6 string sets.

 

No, I don't work for them, & I'm not an endorser. :D I just dig 'em.

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Originally posted by basshappi:

Yes they make 5 string sets. For my set(4 str) I paid about $40 from a local shop.

I love 'em too! :love:

 

I've got them on a 6-stringer. Paid $70 from juststrings.com. Still *great* after a year. Note: They've got a plastic core (not metal), and it's been said here that they are *not* typical flat-wounds by any measure.

 

Only problem for me, on Ibanez SR496BM, I can't quite get the low B to intonate properly. Not sure if the string is bad or if the bridge doesn't let me make the string "long enough" (it's a bit sharp fretted at the 12th fret). Intonation's not too bad, though, so I'll probably try another set before doing something with the bridge (or getting a better bass...).

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TI flats are indeed great. Put them on your fretless too. And they last a looong time. Them Deep Talkin strings look kewl, but I never liked the way they feel.

 

I also tried their jazz rounds on fretless. Even lower tension. But they sound great. They don't have that horrible, metallic, overly bright sound when new. Oddly, I seemed to encounter dead spots on the G string when going from flats to rounds. This was never an issue with the flats for some reason.

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Well, I'm using them and liking them, but they are changing my playing.

 

When compared to my fav...DR HiBeams, they are much less punchy, bend less, somewhat stiffer. I think for a given diameter, they are stiffer (in other words, the .45's I use from DR are not as stiff as the same guage of TI's)

 

However, the melodic warmth and sustain makes up for it. They are bassier somehow. They also click and clack less.

 

All in all, I've decided I need 2 basses, one loaded with the DR and the other with the TI's...there are some things each string does well to compliment the other.

 

Okay, time to get a new bass...where's that extra 2 grand?

"Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread.

 

Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate.

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Only problem for me, on Ibanez SR496BM, I can't quite get the low B to intonate properly. Not sure if the string is bad or if the bridge doesn't let me make the string "long enough" (it's a bit sharp fretted at the 12th fret).
Hey PhilMan99, if you haven't already, try putting witness points on the B string at the bridge and nut. That lowers the intonation slightly, and gives the fatter strings a more defined vibrating point at the bridge saddle and nut, instead of arcing over them. Also improves some strings that drift around while trying to tune them.

 

Glad you mentioned a TI 6 string set. I've been on a quest for different strings for my Ibanez BTB 6'er.

Bassplayers aren't paid to play fast, they're paid to listen fast.
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Originally posted by HypnoBassMan:

basshappi,

 

Thanks for the review. I'm looking for a set of flats. Do you know if they come in sets for 5'ers?

 

You said that they were pricey. What does a guy expect to pay. I have them on my Ibanez acoustic guitar 5'er and I think I got them for about $65 for the set. :)

 

Hey.......if you want to try a 5'er , I have a set that I just pulled off a Stingray 5 .

 

You pay priority postage ( 4 bucks ) and they're yours.

 

Let me know.

PJR

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Originally posted by fig:

Only problem for me, on Ibanez SR496BM, I can't quite get the low B to intonate properly. Not sure if the string is bad or if the bridge doesn't let me make the string "long enough" (it's a bit sharp fretted at the 12th fret).
Hey PhilMan99, if you haven't already, try putting witness points on the B string at the bridge and nut. That lowers the intonation slightly, and gives the fatter strings a more defined vibrating point at the bridge saddle and nut, instead of arcing over them. Also improves some strings that drift around while trying to tune them.

 

Glad you mentioned a TI 6 string set. I've been on a quest for different strings for my Ibanez BTB 6'er.

umm....please excuse my ignorance here......but......what is a "witness point"? and how would one go about putting one of these thingamajigs on a string?

Peter Lufrano

www.TheAutophile.com

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Hey Peter, the lower strings, like B, E, and A are rather thick, so they 'round over' the bridge and nut contact points, even when tuned to pitch. You may or may not see it.

 

So when the strings are tuned to pitch, place your thumb on the string about half an inch forward of the bridge saddle and press down slightly. This takes out the roll and makes a defined angle in the string where it contacts the bridge saddle. The strings vibrate better and tune better. Do the same thing at the nut, about a half inch on the fretboard side. This has the added benefit of making those first fret notes as easy to finger as the rest of the fretboard.

 

Anyway, these are called witness points.

 

By doing this, your strings action will lower slightly, so you may have to adjust the action back to where you like it.

 

Hope that helps. It's a good habit to get into with each string change. I do the higher strings, too, but they don't really need it. All of 15 seconds, and you're done. Woohoo!

Bassplayers aren't paid to play fast, they're paid to listen fast.
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Originally posted by PJR:

Originally posted by HypnoBassMan:

basshappi,

 

Thanks for the review. I'm looking for a set of flats. Do you know if they come in sets for 5'ers?

 

You said that they were pricey. What does a guy expect to pay. I have them on my Ibanez acoustic guitar 5'er and I think I got them for about $65 for the set. :)

 

Hey.......if you want to try a 5'er , I have a set that I just pulled off a Stingray 5 .

 

You pay priority postage ( 4 bucks ) and they're yours.

 

Let me know.

PJR

Still got 'em, pete? I'd jump on them if you do.... send me an email!
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