There's some truth in that; however the E and B in all flatwound strings--and perhaps TI's more than most--are exquisitely sensitive to the details of mounting. I've found the biggest culprit to be unwanted torsion, with second place going to absence of good witness bends at the saddle and nut. When I think I've got a dud, dead-sounding string, I turn the tuning key repeatedly while pulling on the string to keep the peg winding tight. I keep extending the string this way until it loosens and pushes free at the bridge end. Holding the string taut near the nut, I let the string rotate freely to its untwisted state, then gradually re-turn the tuner until the string seats in the bridge again--now twist-free. Before it's up to pitch, I bend the string forcefully downward at saddle and nut to enforce a bend there. Then it's up to pitch and wait a couple of days to gauge success. I've opened up many a string this way and it's now my de rigeur mounting technique with flats. Rounds rotate so freely that only the witness bends are necessary.
