Info for Series I

[David Houck]

I think the desirability of lower tension is a matter of personal taste.  Years ago, at the insistence of the guitar player I was playing with, I tried tuning down to D; I didn't like it at all.  But on the other hand, the TI Jazz Rounds I have on my Spoiler are the lowest tension string I've played and I love 'em.  A lot of 5 and 6 string players try to get a really tight B; and I would think that players who are after that piano tone probably go for high tension as well.  I could see where it could be useful to have low tension strings on one bass and high tension strings on another; a good excuse to order a new bass, or a new double-neck !

[goatfoot]

I think the reason for the mod is that there is a wider selection of long-scale strings than short-scale strings.  Probably the owner of the bass had a favorite set of strings that was only available in long-scale.  I don't think you can just snip off the excess since if you cut passed the end of the silk wrap the string would unwind.    
 
I just put a set of 32 scale TI Jazz flats on my Brown Bass and the silk wrap of the G strings ends just at the tunning peg when tuned to pitch.  If the string were any longer the string would probably snap when I attempted to tune it.  
 
As an aside ... I love these strings on this bass.  They greatly improved the tone from the CX-3s that came with the bass.  I imagine the CX-3s would sound alright on a fretted bass, but they just didn't work on the fretless.  The TI's bring out the warmth and growl that I knew this bass had in her.  I don't think they are low tension at all ... but I guess that I play with a pretty light touch.  
 
BTW, very nice bass, Ed.  Great condition for a almost 30 year old bass.  I love the mostly walnut neck, the tan pickups, and the thicker body.
 
Later,  
Kevin
 
(Message edited by goatfoot on July 02, 2004)

[haddimudd]

I am sure this is heading a bit off topic but since I've read more than once about TI strings on this forum: What are they? I don't think I ever heard of them. Are they a new brand (brand new so to speak - heehee, English can be so funny )?
 
The flats are real flat wounds? I am curious because in my world usually flats are the most desperately avoided strings, at least if you are seeking hi-fi sound with brilliant overtones - even on a fretless bass.  
 
Are these TI flats different?

[dela217]

The TI strings are Thomastic-Infeld brand strings.  They are made in Germany.  They come in round and flats too.

[goatfoot]

TI has been around for quite some time.  They're imported to the US from Vienna.  The Jazz Flats are true flatwounds but TI makes roundwound strings as well.
 
I can't really compare them to other flatwounds first-hand.  They don't sound thuddy like the sound Jamerson got out of his old set of DeBellas.  But they don't sound like roundwounds either.  On my bass they're warm and growly but not especially bright.
 
I like snap-crackle-pop on my fretted bass (I use DR's on my 5-string Rogue) but I'm going for a more upright sound on my fretless.  The TI's give me the sound I'm looking for.
 
Later,
Kevin

[haddimudd]

Ah ok, thanks for the info! So they are good for upright sound but probably not for a Pastorius sound, right? I believe my personal preference still is roundwounds for fretless. Although I might yet have to hear the TI flats to appreciate them, who knows?

[the_mule]

Edwin van Huik suggested to use medium scale strings (DR HiBeam) on my short scale Series I, because they add more 'body' to the sound, and after a week of playing I can only second that advise...
 
Wilfred

[hankster]

Back to the string scale issue...I used to play a Gibson Les Paul short scale bass, and in those days shortscale strings were hard to come by, at least where I lived.  I found that the problem of the lower tension was that it led to subtle tuning problems in the lower register that were tolerable in performance but excruciating in studio settings.  The proper tension of shortscale strings prevented the problem.
 
Rick