Finally Nailed the Tone

[adamg67]

My Jake (Delano P pickup + Humbucker) has had roundwounds on it since I bought it a couple of years ago, and I've never really managed to get the sound I wanted. I've got an Elwood (Haussel J pickups) with TI flats but that hasn't really done it either. So, over xmas I put some TI flats on the Jake... wow. That's the sound I want, bang on. They need to play in a bit so I might need minor tweaks, but with any of my favourite amps from the Multiamp (mainly the MB ones) it just sounds perfect to me. Why I've not done it until now I do not know, my previous bass (Ibby BTB) had TI flats and I loved it. Maybe because I've not had a Jazz style bass before and didn't realise how much difference there would be. It's just a genuine "finally nailed it" moment, getting a Barefaced cab for the multiamp really brought the amp / cab sims to life and now the bass is sounding spot on as well. Sorted!

Time to put some roundwounds on the Elwood I suppose.

I'll try and stick a clip of it on soundcloud when I get chance.

[krispn]

Flats can do wonders to the tone and feel of a bass. Folks often overlook how important a string change can be to get a different sound. I love TI flats and have Reid a few different brands but keep coming back to them. The feel, tension and tone all work for me. The Fender flats aren’t bad either but that statement could elicit some objections!

[Paul S]

That's my exact winning combination, too - Jake 5, Delano pickup, TI flats.  I have TI flats on all my basses.

[BlueMoon]

Once you get used to their low tension, TI flats are the business imo.

[dmccombe7]

Just looked at the TI flats but they gauge seems odd 43, 56, 70, 100. Seems quite a step from the A to E strings gauges. Does that not sound like the E string has more boom than the other strings ?

I expect a more even balance across the string widths.

I'm currently using La Bella Low Tension 40-100 but this is my first set of flats in 30+ yrs.

Dave

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Just looked at the TI flats but they gauge seems odd 43, 56, 70, 100. Seems quite a step from the A to E strings gauges. Does that not sound like the E string has more boom than the other strings ?

I expect a more even balance across the string widths.

I'm currently using La Bella Low Tension 40-100 but this is my first set of flats in 30+ yrs.

Dave

The tension of the strings dictates (or should) the diameter. I use that set and find them balanced. The only way to find out if they suit you is to try some.

[dmccombe7]

17 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

The tension of the strings dictates (or should) the diameter. I use that set and find them balanced. The only way to find out if they suit you is to try some.

I hear good things about them from fellow BC'ers so think i might give them a go on my Jazz bass see how they sound.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

Is the tone across the strings quite even tho ?

 

[krispn]

I’ve never had an issue with them and a wee pick up tweak could help if you were to find them lacking but honestly I’ve had many brands of flats over the years but always snap up the TI’s to have on a bass when I can.
 

I kinda flit between rounds and flats and at the minute I’ve got Fender flats (which I quite like and that’s a bonus as they’re quite reasonable), GHS flats (I had the Lakland JO flats and really liked them too - heard that GHS made them and figured their own brand flats wouldn’t be a million miles off) and a LaBella 5 string set from my old P5. My go to are the TI’s and the Fenders!

 

[dmccombe7]

Cheers @krispn always handy getting little tips from others on flats.

I got my La Bellas for not much more than i was paying for my D'addario nickels to be honest.

The TI's i've seen advertised for around £36-£40 which aint bad for strings that will last a year or more.

Dave

[chris_b]

9 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

The TI's i've seen advertised for around £36-£40 which aint bad for strings that will last a year or more.

My TI flats have been on for about 5 years and they're not even broken in yet.

[krispn]

11 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Cheers @krispn always handy getting little tips from others on flats.

I got my La Bellas for not much more than i was paying for my D'addario nickels to be honest.

The TI's i've seen advertised for around £36-£40 which aint bad for strings that will last a year or more.

Dave

A year or more? More like a lifetime 😀 flats get fuller and offer more thud the longer you have them on. It’s also advised to go eat fried chicken and immediately play your bass to nail the early Muscle Shoals p bass thump and good clogged up greasy strings. 

Edited January 4, 2020 by krispn

[4000]

20 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Cheers @krispn always handy getting little tips from others on flats.

I got my La Bellas for not much more than i was paying for my D'addario nickels to be honest.

The TI's i've seen advertised for around £36-£40 which aint bad for strings that will last a year or more.

Dave

I’ve tried basses with TIs and La Bellas and much preferred the TIs. And as others have said, any set of flats should last you years. 

[krispn]

LaBellas can be a bit stiff and tiring to play initially.

[chris_b]

21 minutes ago, krispn said:

. . . . . . . .  It’s also advised to go eat fried chicken and immediately play your bass to nail the early Muscle Shoals p bass thump and good clogged up greasy strings. 

That might just be an urban myth, although Jaco did say something about chicken grease. UK 60's bass player Binky McKenzie use to put Vaseline on his strings to speed up his playing. Then again I believe Binky had many "issues" at the best of times. David Hood, Muscle Shoals bassist said be used a Jazz bass in the studio. Which went against the trend at the time which was almost 100% Precision bass. Sorry. . . . . . /pedant

[ambient]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

My TI flats have been on for about 5 years and they're not even broken in yet.

I had the same set all through uni, they’re incredible strings. They must have had thousands of hours use in that time, bearing in mind I was doing at least ten hours a day practice.

The gauges do on paper seem odd, they’re incredibly well balanced though. The low B is something like .136, which seems really heavy compared to the low E, it feels right though.

Edited January 4, 2020 by ambient

[krispn]

7 minutes ago, chris_b said:

That might just be an urban myth, although Jaco did say something about chicken grease. UK 60's bass player Binky McKenzie use to put Vaseline on his strings to speed up his playing. Then again I believe Binky had many "issues" at the best of times. David Hood, Muscle Shoals bassist said be used a Jazz bass in the studio. Which went against the trend at the time which was almost 100% Precision bass. Sorry. . . . . . /pedant

Pedant away. It still sounds great no matter what he used 😀

[dmccombe7]

45 minutes ago, krispn said:

LaBellas can be a bit stiff and tiring to play initially.

Its the Low Tension ones i have. Is that the ones you mean are a bit stiff. ?

 

[krispn]

No they have others which are the original Jamerson ones I think it is

[adamg67]

The TIs sound nicely balanced to me, on both my current basses (5 string) and they did on the 6er I had before that.

For the amount I play I doubt I'll ever change them  

I was playing with a pick and palm muting last night, that makes a lovely sound as well. 

[adamg67]

I just put part 2 of the plan into action and went from flats to rounds on the Elwood (active Jazz with Haussel J pickups), and that now sounds bloody brilliant as well. If only I'd listened to what people said on BC in the first place. What did they say, you ask? I've no idea, I didn't listen.

[burno70]

On ‎04‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 13:07, 4000 said:

I’ve tried basses with TIs and La Bellas and much preferred the TIs. And as others have said, any set of flats should last you years. 

Same. I'm a very recent convert to TI flats and absolutely love them. Brighter than La Bellas which suits me. 

[Beedster]

On 03/01/2020 at 13:50, krispn said:

Flats can do wonders to the tone and feel of a bass. Folks often overlook how important a string change can be to get a different sound. 

Yep, we go looking at new basses, amps and cabs, when a different set of strings might be all that's required

[phil.c60]

Had just the tone I wanted and then broke a string (well, discovered it had given up around the tuning peg so after I slackened it to fiddle with the intonation etc. it refused to tighten up). New strings fitted (Roto Jazz Monel flats) and now will have to play 24 hrs a day for three months until the "zing" wears off!

[dmccombe7]

I went back to using my Jazz at home which has D'addario nickels and altho i liked it i have to say i now prefer the feel and tone of the La Bella low tension flats on my Sandberg. The thing i like most is the lack of fret noise when playing loud at either rehearsals or gigs.

Something else i've found with the flats is that if i play to hard with them as i did with the nickel rounds i can't move as quickly however if i play both basses or strings with a lighter touch i can move my left hand a lot faster and with less strain on the flats than the rounds. Playing hard i find it easier with the rounds. Weird that. ???

In rehearsals using the flats and thru an EBS HD360 head and Ampeg 810 cab the tone was fantastic. Almost flat with character button in and a little boost on bass and a touch boost on approx 400Hz. Bright was at 12 oclock point and a touch of Drive. Gain was notched back until it stopped clipping and Compressor was just coming on with almost every note during rocky type songs but occasionally with more quiet songs.

The sound had a nice click as i played the strings which i reckon was down to a treble / bright boost setting.

Not as warm a tone as my Mesa rig but i might try a bit more hi end next time i use the Mesa. Maybe even up the Gain for a bit more drive. Have been considering a Tech 21 Geddy rackmount as i have a spare 1U space in my rack.

Dave