| Author | Message | ||
| dallastx
New Username: dallastx Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2004 |
It is not my intent to start yet another 'Who Uses What Strings" free-for-all here, but I am SERIOUSLY interested in learning from EXPERIENCED users of TI Flats. I have been using (successfully) D'Addario ECB80 Chromes on all of my fretless bolt-ons, BUT, since my recent come-uppance to 'Alembic Owner' status, I want to fit it (new Excel) with something more deserving, string-wise. Now, I haven't COMPLETELY ruled out using roundwounds on it, although it goes against my general nature to do so. I am considering a JF-344 set, as I believe that is the closest thing they have to the 40-60-75-95 gauged sets I am used to and, for the most part, happy with. AGAIN, if you have used or are still using TIs on your fretless 'Lembic, please chime in now with pros/cons/opinions/etc. THANKS!!! STeve | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 261 Registered: 6-2002 |
They take a little getting used to. They may not be everyone's cup of tea. But quite a number of regulars on this site swear by them. I know I love them on fretless, at least after a bit of use, when the brightness goes down a little. | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 415 Registered: 12-2002 |
i love DR high-beams on old #12, but i still boil my strings after a month of use,it makes them new again. | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 262 Registered: 6-2002 |
Also, Steve, you buy Thomastics by the scale length, not by string gauge. So the 344 is a 34" 4 string set: they claim that they build the best possible string and just stick with the thickness they end up with, instead of going for a specific thickness and trying to make the string come out as best as possible at that thickness. Sure makes sense to me. They're also quite 'loose', but they find that's what you need to have the best possible harmonic response in a string. So eventhough I personally wouldn't mind a bit of extra tension under my fingers, I wouldn't want to lose the fine sound they produce. Just play low on the E string - that's a BIG sound. | ||
| dallastx
New Username: dallastx Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2004 |
Adriaan, Thanks for the info. I've heard that they have a much looser feel to them than 'regular' strings. That also makes me think that some major neck adustments would be in order, given their lower tension. Am I right? Before I do anything about strings, I guess I should get to know the bass first with whatever is on it (Alembic med gauge rounds?) and make a decision later. As I mentioned earlier, I may just stick with a lighter gauge round, but I really LIKE flats on a fretless. Or, perhaps, I might put some TIs on one of my Carvins and see how I warm up to them first. If you (or anyone else) have any other recommendations for flatwounds that sound particularly well on Alembics, I'd be interested in hearing about it. Thanks again for your input! STeve PS-So, are you telling me that EACH set of JF-344s are gauged slightly DIFFERENT??? JustStrings has them listed as 43-56-70-100... | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 263 Registered: 6-2002 |
Steve, You may need to adjust the neck a bit. My Epic, which is a set-neck like your Excel, doesn't seem to have any problem coping with the lower tension. I can't remember doing any major adjustment, but the climate here in the Netherlands may be easier on basses than it is in Texas ... Sorry for the confusion about the gauges: each set is gauged the same, but the difference in size going from string to string is not .010" like you see with most other brands. Funny how signature sets like Billy Sheehan's Rotosounds and Marcus Miller's DRs also have some non-standard gauges. Adriaan | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 482 Registered: 7-2002 |
Major neck adjustments when switching to TI flats are common. When I did it, 2 of my Alembics did ok with just truss rod adjustments, the other 2 & my Fender needed a heat bend. The tension is so much lower on those strings, you can never tell. Valentino | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 412 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have used both the TI's and the Chromes. I love the looseness of the TI's. BUT, I find them a bit thin sounding and do not have the bottome end that the Chromes have. I love the sound of the Chromes but hate the tension. On the other hand, I love the feel of the TI's, but I think they sound just so-so. I guess it's a trade off. I am tempted to try Pyramid strings again. They are flexible, made of nickel too. I have heard that they are different than what they used to be back in the 70's. I remember I loved them then, but they were hard to find. Now with the internet and on line ordering, I will give them a try again. | ||
| 811952
Advanced Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 221 Registered: 10-2003 |
I just strung up the Alembic with TI jazz flats about 10 minutes ago. It took nearly a half-turn of tension off of both truss rods to get the neck where it needed to be, and the bridge saddles had to move much closer to the neck. The E saddle is almost all the way forward. The strings are very low tension, as Michael D. said, but I imagine my long scale will give them a little more bottom than Michael's experienced. Maybe not. I've got a rehearsal tomorrow evening, and I'll post my first impressions of them with a band after that. John | ||
| gbarchus
Member Username: gbarchus Post Number: 84 Registered: 6-2002 |
I bought some Pyramids for my Alembic and broke the E string on both sets just as they were winding around the tuners. I have a 34" scale. The people at Pyramid told me that their long scale is too long and the string winding should not wind on the tuners (only the core and the cloth wrap). They told me they would custom make an E string for me, but I never heard from them again. I have two unused sets with broken windings on the E string. Gale | ||
| kungfusheriff
Intermediate Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 111 Registered: 8-2003 |
My Alembic has a graphite neck, so it shrugs off changes in string tension pretty easily. I just got her less than a week ago, so I'm still in the process of auditioning strings, but at this point have tried the very dead Alembic strings that came with the bass, a fresh set of Alembic strings, and six-month-old TI JFs that I transferred from another bass. I actually don't like the 'zing' and 'hollow' lows of the Alembic strings--mind you, it's been TWO YEARS since I've put new rounds on any bass, so my ears aren't acclimated to highs--but the TIs felt weird to me, too skinny for the bass. I'm going to have to try the DR Hi-Beams I've liked on previous Alembics. The half-dead TIs, which is actually the point where they start to come into their prime, are a good thing to have in your bass' case if a different sound is needed. TIs are a good transition, sound-wise, from rounds to flats...they have an articulate midrange, and harmonics ring well, compared to the GHS flats on my son's Fender bass, which, as it sits, is a serious thump machine. While their feel forces a learning curve and some bridge adjustments at the very least, their sound is very musical, and from what I'm told, the gauges weren't chosen randomly or by tradition, but were rather engineered from the ground up in an effort to achieve a predetermined sound. Anyone looking to pick up a set should, and I hope I'm not stepping on any toes here, look up Steve Barr at thedudepit.com. His price is more than competitive, as far as US dealers go, and he ships at the speed of light. Well, maybe a little bit slower, but not much. Plus, through his forum, you may directly contact the manufacturer's US representative, which doesn't hurt either. | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 295 Registered: 1-2003 |
Does the lower tension on the TI jazz flats mean that you can't have as low action as with other higher tension strings? | ||
| kungfusheriff
Intermediate Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 112 Registered: 8-2003 |
Not at all. Mine work fine with low action, though, to be clear, you do have to adjust the bridge and possibly the neck to compensate for their lower tension. | ||
| dallastx
Junior Username: dallastx Post Number: 17 Registered: 6-2004 |
Guys, Thanks for all the input! There is some great info here about TIs, some I knew about and some I didn't. I'm beginning to like the roundwounds that it came with, so I guess I will leave them on there for now and see where it goes. I have flats on all my other fretless', so I suppose its a reasonably good idea to keep rounds on at least ONE of them. Out of curiosity, I may still try some TIs on another bass, but I don't want to use my new (first) Alembic for experiments. I guess my biggest concern in that respect would be wear/tear on the fingerboard from rounds. Does that Pao Ferro hold up pretty well? My others (Carvin) have ebony. I'm not gigging and don't expect to be any time soon, so wear/tear is probably a non-issue, for that matter. THANKS! STeve | ||
| 811952
Advanced Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 222 Registered: 10-2003 |
Wow. The TI Jazz Flats are really supple. Who buttered the neck? Not as much bottom as Rotosounds, or maybe just more midrange. A LOT more midrange. It's a very interesting sound. If/when I arrive at control settings for a good McCartney tone a la "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" (one of my life goals), I'll post it here... John |
