TI Flats vs the world...

#21
I’ve had TIs strung on my MIA P-bass for the last 2.5 years and I still continue to love them. To me they aren’t as floppy as some people seem to say (maybe I’m just used to them), but to me as far as tension goes they feel about the same as the medium/light gauge Rotosound Swing Bass rounds I have on another P-bass. I find them to be far more playable than most traditional flats because they are lower tension so bends and such are much easier.

If there is a downside (other than price) then for me it was that it took a good long while before they really had that traditional ‘flats’ sound. They were surprisingly bright for about a year, which is good in its own right if you like that sort of thing (and I do for certain styles of music), but now that they have settled in they are absolutely delicious. I’m going to keep these things strung on for as long as they will hold!
 
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#23
Elder Rynok said:
Okay, I need everyone's help. I don't have the time to try every string under the sun. I am playing too much right now. I have been using Dunlop Flatwounds for almost 2 years I think. I loved them, but the QC is horrible. A couple of dead E strings, balance on the G string off and tinny, and 2 strings from 2 different packs that broke when tuned to pitch and plucked.

I know you might be thinking it's the bass or it's me, you might be right, but I can't take that risk with my schedule right now.

I am looking for a thumpy string with good grit, nice low-end growl. And grindy when I dig in with a pick and distortion. (mostly prefer flatwounds) The TI flats almost sound perfect, but I have avoided them due to worry about pick playing since they are so loose, but I have tried so many strings lately that don't feel right. I am currently giving pressurewounds a try and don't hate them, but is it even worth my time to try TI Flats?
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Have em on all my basses - not that thump IMO. Thump to me is the opposite of growl so... TI Flats are very bright for a flat wound. Very flexible like playing light rounds with better fundamental, hollow yet piano like purity with no string noise though it is easy to get clank...
 
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#24
Personally, I love TIs. To my ears, they don't take quite as well to hard fingerstyle attack and grindy modern pick playing. But that's all flats. To my ear they have a certain clicky, flappy "clipping" sound with either of those techniques, followed by a quick decay. Playing softer allowed for much smoother tone and greater sustain while retaining that flatwound punch. But for Carol Kaye type pick playing, they are the best.

I'd completely recommend them to you as there is always a compromise to get those tones in a working fashion if you are willing to adjust your technique to them. Close in tone and feel are GHS Precision flats, mentioned above, and I'd also second the notion of switching to a roundwound bass when appropriate. I once had a TI P bass on a gig and the bandleader called RHCP's "Higher Ground" with the iconic slap bass line....not the forte of the TI Jazz Flat.
 
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#25
I've used nearly every flat out there and do very much like TI flats, but not on all of my basses. I like the tension on every bass, but some basses simply sound better with other strings. To me, I feel like particular basses were "made" to wear a particular string. For instance, my '62 precision is currently wearing TI flats, and I'm not as thrilled with the tone of that bass/string combo, and will eventually go back to LaBella low tension flats on it.

My '74 precision has had nearly every brand of flat on it, and for some reason, it sounds best with old fender flats or chromes, which it's wearing now. My 50th-anniversary precision is a TI flats bass for life. It's not cheap, but I like to try several different sets on each bass and it's worth it, IMO, if you plan on keeping and playing that bass for a long time. I'd have never even though to use fender flats, as I figured fender made bad strings for some reason until someone gave me a set. I put them on that '74 and in a week or so it sounded pretty dang awesome. TI's never really go totally dead thumpy like other flats do in my experience, and I've had sets >5-7 years on basses.
 
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#26
I have TIs on several basses. Including a Spector, Ps and even my Ibanez Prestige 3000e. I was a roundwound user for years.

TIs give me the tone I want and man they feel good. I used to play really hard. The TIs actually forced me to improve my touch. I can nail 16th if needed nice and even.

I don’t feel they are a one trick pony at all tone wise either. I don’t play funk on them but you can pop and get a nice snap. Pick sounds great as well. My band plays everything from 311 to Greenday to Petty to Sugar Ray to Country tunes.

I agree about the cleaning. I used some isopropyl alcohol on a makeup wipe and they sound good as new.

Clearly I’m a fan. And they,by all accounts, last FOREVER.

J
 
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#27
jmon said:
I have TIs on several basses. Including a Spector, Ps and even my Ibanez Prestige 3000e. I was a roundwound user for years.

TIs give me the tone I want and man they feel good. I used to play really hard. The TIs actually forced me to improve my touch. I can nail 16th if needed nice and even.

I don’t feel they are a one trick pony at all tone wise either. I don’t play funk on them but you can pop and get a nice snap. Pick sounds great as well. My band plays everything from 311 to Greenday to Petty to Sugar Ray to Country tunes.

I agree about the cleaning. I used some isopropyl alcohol on a makeup wipe and they sound good as new.

Clearly I’m a fan. And they,by all accounts, last FOREVER.

J
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Agreed, except I like mine dirty! I have purposefully eaten greasy fried foods and played my bass just to give them more funk. But yeah, they really do clean up well if you like their bright tone (which I do, but I like the funk more).

Also, as you mentioned, they sound amazing with a pick. I’ve only messed around this way because I suck ass at pick playing, but they really take to the pick well. I don’t think I’ve actually tried to pop/slap with them, but that might be something worth checking out... actually - I might go grab my bass now and give it a try.
 
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#28
Try EB Cobalt flats. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned them yet. Half the price of TI's, and will give you a grittier tone. A little zingy to start, but that goes away likes with Chromes. And you can definately pop and slap with them.
 
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#29
basslicks said:
Agreed, except I like mine dirty! I have purposefully eaten greasy fried foods and played my bass just to give them more funk. But yeah, they really do clean up well if you like their bright tone (which I do, but I like the funk more).

Also, as you mentioned, they sound amazing with a pick. I’ve only messed around this way because I suck ass at pick playing, but they really take to the pick well. I don’t think I’ve actually tried to pop/slap with them, but that might be something worth checking out... actually - I might go grab my bass now and give it a try.
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Might wanna clean that grease off first!! Wouldn’t wanna start a fire. :roflmao:
 
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#30
After 2 months of trying them out, I just took a set off of my Stingray.

They sounded nice, but I just couldn't get used to the floopiness. I play agressively with fingers and pick and they just banged around to much for me. I went back to Rotosounds 66 nickels for the piano like tone with grit when needed with higher tension.

I have a set for sale if interested.
 
#33
petrus61 said:
Geez...reading what folks are saying about TI’s in this thread almost seems like a consensus of sorts! Good thing TB isn’t the arbiter of “floopy”, or we’d never try anything new...
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Can’t say I agree with “floopy”. There is an adjustment in playing yes. But it’s not extreme. But to the OP if you are a very agressive player string hand wise you may or may not like them. Buying a used set of TIs is not a bad option as long as they haven’t been cut down to short or something. At around 60ish a set they are an investment.
 
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#35
jmon said:
Can’t say I agree with “floopy”. There is an adjustment in playing yes. But it’s not extreme. But to the OP if you are a very agressive player string hand wise you may or may not like them. Buying a used set of TIs is not a bad option as long as they haven’t been cut down to short or something. At around 60ish a set they are an investment.
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They’re closer to $80 now, but it’s still only around $40 at that price considering they can be resold on TB fairly easily, assuming they’re not of the short scale or cut for 3+1 tuning peg variety.
 
#36
TI-Flats. Some people love them...Others oh well. Although I use and like other strings TI-Flats would be my desert island string. I've used them for 12 years.
I have a set on one of my P-Basses that are 8 years old. They still sound great. People complain about the price. But they last forever.
 
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#38
I have found as i get faster - my playing attack gets lighter. This in turn alliws a lower action which allows me to play faster which...

I am at as low as i can go pretty much and I'm using ti flats...

1.5mm on the g and 2mm on the e 2.25 on b.

I regularly play steve harris and john myung on this setup (some of the myung stuff is still too fast for my left...)

I still have to consciously dig to get steves clank tone. I do play closer to the bridge though so those up by the neck may find them loose...
 
#39
Elder Rynok said:
...is it even worth my time to try TI Flats?
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I love them and I do not find them as "floppy" as many people do, but they do have less tension than your typical flat. I like flats in general and have tried most of them but TIs are by far my favorite. And I like they way the sound with a pick as much, if not more, than fingerstyle. But you'll never know until you try them, you should go for it!
 
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