Fresh TI Flats: NSD

[uwrossl]

Just re-strung my Moollon P Classic with a fresh set of it's own dedicated TIs and realized I'd forgotten the joy of a new set of TIJFs. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this; but I really like the sound of the TIJFs when they are fresh. I love em at 2 years as well, but new, they've got a nice zip to them without being clanky or noisy that I really like.

Just burned through around 15 sets of flats in a flatwound testing frenzy over the past 4-6 months and love em or hate em....there's really just nothing like the TIs.

I've got 4 weeks to break them in for a ridiculously fun recording session coming up. The Molloon will be wearing TIs and my Serek Midwestern will be sporting its well worn set of Dunlops.

 

[thabassmon]

I love my TI Flats, they are great.

Just curious what else you tried,
La Bella Deep talking flats, or low tension flats, GHS Brite Flats, D'Addario Tapewounds??

Any thoughts on them.

 

[uwrossl]

I love my TI Flats, they are great.

Just curious what else you tried,
La Bella Deep talking flats, or low tension flats, GHS Brite Flats, D'Addario Tapewounds??

Any thoughts on them.

I tested both the LTFs and the DTF FS set as well as the Brite Flats. The only Tapewounds I use are a set of the La Bella Black Tapes for my Serek Midwestern which is a short scale.

I really liked the LTFs and feel like there's a lot in common between them and the DTFs. They still have plenty of La Bella thump to them while being very easy to play under the fingers. The DTF FS I did like and there's a good bit more heft to them I'd say but honestly after testing them if I were to play DTFs I'd opt for either the FL set or FM set. The FS set just seems a bit unbalanced and like you'd get more out of either the heavier FM or the the lighter FL. At some point I will play the FS in longer and see if the balance a bit better. Only put a couple weeks on them. Overall take though is I probably prefer the LTF's because they are well balanced, easy on the neck and fingers, and not really much if any loss of thump/punch.

The Brite Flats are indeed quite a unique string. Very stiff and a high tension even with the light set. And they are the stickiest, most grabby string I've ever laid hands on. Wiped them down 3-4 time with alcohol and they were still grabby. It did finally start to disappear after about a week of regular play. Sound wise once they get played in a bit they settle into a really nice place and reminded me a lot of the EB Group IV flats and or the Fender 9025MLs. They definitely are more flatwound than round wound in their sound and have a nice bit of thump to them. I only played them in for a couple of weeks as well and would imagine that with a couple more weeks of playing would settle into a really nice place. That said if I were pressed to choose I'd opt for the EB Group IVs over the Brite Flats. Plenty of similarities between the two but I liked the mids of the group flats a bit more and they are nowhere near as grabby as the Brite Flats. The Brite Flats though if broken in a little more would probably sound dead on like a new set of Group IV flats.


Here's a list of what I tested. I think this is all of them. I've asterisked my top 5.

• EB Cobalts 45-100
• EB Group IV
• Fender 9025 45-100
• La Bella LTF*
• La Bella 760FS
• GHS P Flats Custom Medium*
• GHS Brite Flats
• Rotosound 77's 40-100
• Pyramid*
• Dogal Jaco Flats
• Optima RB
• DR Legend
• D'Addario Chromes 40-100
• Dunlop(3 sets) 40-100, 45-105, 50-110*
• Thomastik Jazz Flats*

 

[thabassmon]

I tested both the LTFs and the DTF FS set as well as the Brite Flats. The only Tapewounds I use are a set of the La Bella Black Tapes for my Serek Midwestern which is a short scale.

I really liked the LTFs and feel like there's a lot in common between them and the DTFs. They still have plenty of La Bella thump to them while being very easy to play under the fingers. The DTF FS I did like and there's a good bit more heft to them I'd say but honestly after testing them if I were to play DTFs I'd opt for either the FL set or FM set. The FS set just seems a bit unbalanced and like you'd get more out of either the heavier FM or the the lighter FL. At some point I will play the FS in longer and see if the balance a bit better. Only put a couple weeks on them. Overall take though is I probably prefer the LTF's because they are well balanced, easy on the neck and fingers, and not really much if any loss of thump/punch.

The Brite Flats are indeed quite a unique string. Very stiff and a high tension even with the light set. And they are the stickiest, most grabby string I've ever laid hands on. Wiped them down 3-4 time with alcohol and they were still grabby. It did finally start to disappear after about a week of regular play. Sound wise once they get played in a bit they settle into a really nice place and reminded me a lot of the EB Group IV flats and or the Fender 9025MLs. They definitely are more flatwound than round wound in their sound and have a nice bit of thump to them. I only played them in for a couple of weeks as well and would imagine that with a couple more weeks of playing would settle into a really nice place. That said if I were pressed to choose I'd opt for the EB Group IVs over the Brite Flats. Plenty of similarities between the two but I liked the mids of the group flats a bit more and they are nowhere near as grabby as the Brite Flats. The Brite Flats though if broken in a little more would probably sound dead on like a new set of Group IV flats.


Here's a list of what I tested. I think this is all of them. I've asterisked my top 5.

• EB Cobalts 45-100
• EB Group IV
• Fender 9025 45-100
• La Bella LTF*
• La Bella 760FS
• GHS P Flats Custom Medium*
• GHS Brite Flats
• Rotosound 77's 40-100
• Pyramid*
• Dogal Jaco Flats
• Optima RB
• DR Legend
• D'Addario Chromes 40-100
• Dunlop(3 sets) 40-100, 45-105, 50-110*
• Thomastik Jazz Flats*

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, looks like you tried a bunch, that would of been fun for me.



No shop in my country stock the strings I'm considering, which means I have buy them online with extra shipping costs on top as I am on the bottom of the world. I am trying to decide between;
Low Tension Flats with a DTF 0.029 string
DTF 760FX-CB and not use the B
Or just go with what I know I like TI JF345-C

In your opinion, would the DTF FX set have a similar feel hypothetically as the LTF set, or is the flat wrapping wire completely different, with a completely different tonal character?

I am looking for flats that sound good when playing basslines, melodies, chords and soloing. My main Instrument is a six tuned E1,A1,D2,G2,C3,F3 which is why I haven't included a B string, I have settled on using a plain steel 0.020 for the F3. It is currently strung with D'Addario Nickel Rounds (+ the plain 0.020) but because I have been playing my 5 which is strung with TI flats (again up a fourth E1,A1,D2,G2,C3 no B string) I thinking of fully ditching rounds on bass for now.

The TI's are great but I am wondering if the DTF FX would be a little brighter, maybe a little clearer for chordal playing.

 

[uwrossl]

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, looks like you tried a bunch, that would of been fun for me.



No shop in my country stock the strings I'm considering, which means I have buy them online with extra shipping costs on top as I am on the bottom of the world. I am trying to decide between;
Low Tension Flats with a DTF 0.029 string
DTF 760FX-CB and not use the B
Or just go with what I know I like TI JF345-C

In your opinion, would the DTF FX set have a similar feel hypothetically as the LTF set, or is the flat wrapping wire completely different, with a completely different tonal character?

I am looking for flats that sound good when playing basslines, melodies, chords and soloing. My main Instrument is a six tuned E1,A1,D2,G2,C3,F3 which is why I haven't included a B string, I have settled on using a plain steel 0.020 for the F3. It is currently strung with D'Addario Nickel Rounds (+ the plain 0.020) but because I have been playing my 5 which is strung with TI flats (again up a fourth E1,A1,D2,G2,C3 no B string) I thinking of fully ditching rounds on bass for now.

The TI's are great but I am wondering if the DTF FX would be a little brighter, maybe a little clearer for chordal playing.

Hmmmm...That's a tough one because that's something far different then I've ever attempted. Can't really weigh in on the FX set just because I've never tried them and I have found with certain brands that their lightest sets differ a fair amount from the rest. The FX set I would wager would be a little brighter as I don't find TI's to be a bright string. They are are more about the mids. As far as clarity TI's and Dunlops have provided me with the most clarity. I thought the LTF's provided more clarity than the DTF FS set but hard for me to say if that would hold true as you get into the lighter DTF sets. The LTFs also settle into their own much quicker then the DTFs.

If I ever came across a set of the FX for a good price i'd snatch them up because I would like to try those as well as the light set of the GHS P Flats.