Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats (short scale 32" version) on my Starfire II

[lungimsam]

So, they are as described by TI. This is the JF 324 short scale 32" set (43-56-70-106).

They fit the scale length. Didn't have to cut any of them. Silks wrap nicely on the pegs, but the g string's silks are a touch short but nothing to worry about (see pics below).
They are definitely nicer made strings than my Ernie Ball Cobalts (which I like the best on my Starfires so far).
Very uniform outer nickel ribbon wrap and slippery smooth to the touch. Silvery shiny.
They are not floppy feeling at all and the light tension feels good to play and my right hand has no problem plucking, same with a plectrum.

Sound:
1. They are higher output strings (as TI claims) - louder strings than all others I have used based on fact that they are pushing my interface into the red. I guess I will have to lower the pole pieces a touch. A lot of kick to them. These are definitely BASS strings.
2. The TI strings sound just as present and clear/articulate toned as Ernie Cobalt and stainless flats but have a more focused fundamental punch. These are all about a nice big and present fundamental. Never muddy. Just direct, clear fundamental. More full bodied and very balanced sounding tone (has even balance of highs, mids, and lows). Not airy sounding like stainless can be. Less fret klacking noise.

Only downside I am experiencing is this:
All the strings sound like electric bass guitar strings (that is good!!) but the g string sounds more like an upright bass string. I wish it sounded more like the others.
Is this normal for these strings? Or maybe something wrong with the g string?
In the heat of playing it isn't so noticeable but if I just play up and down on the g string it is really noticeable by itself that is sounds different than the other strings.

What is your experience?

I would like to just settle on using these strings from now on for the Starfire Bass as they are sound nicer than my favorite Cobalt Flats and everything else I have tried, but not sure what to do about the different sounding g string.

 

[lungimsam]

UPDATE:
It was a dead g string.
TI sent me a new g string and that one is fine.
Nice that they sent me a new one.

They sound amazing at home, but the EB’s sound better onstage for me. The TI’s could not penetrate through the booming subs/toms/keys/5singers/2 guitars well enough and made some notes sound indiscernible to me. Deep Talkin’ LaBellas used to do that, too.

 

[James Hart]

Got a review after settled in a couple months? I LOVE them on my custom fretless 6 string P bass. My newly acquired Starfire has Chromes, but without playing them on it yet, I will likely look to TI next.

 

[lungimsam]

I moved them onto my red Starfire bass and will see if the 1MEG volume pot and the true bypass equipped Tonestyler tone circuit allows for better/brighter penetration for me in live settings. At home I love them. They sound great and played with a pic even better. I really like their tone high up on the neck with a pic. Brings out the semi hollow tone very well and encourages me to be more creative in bass lines and fills. They are light tension but not floppy if you are used to string sets in the 125-160lbs. tension range. Super smooth on the left hand fingers.
I think they are the highest quality constructed flats I ever played.
These are:
TI Jazz Flats 32” JF324
(Called short scale but fits Starfires)
.043 - 32.80 lbs
.056-32.84 lbs
.070-27.66 lbs
.106-35.38 lbs
So a 128.68lbs. Stringset. But they feel the same as the 150lb sets I have used. Not floppy.

 

[RVBASS]

Interesting, I have tried TI flats a few times and always find them to be very bright, almost like round wound strings. Maybe I don’t give them enough time to break in and mellow out a bit.

 

[James Hart]

Interesting, I have tried TI flats a few times and always find them to be very bright, almost like round wound strings. Maybe I don’t give them enough time to break in and mellow out a bit.

it took a good 40ish hours for mine to settle in on my fretless 6 string P bass... it is a bright bass wood wise with a deep dark pickup. First impression was they were a touch twangy.

 

[RVBASS]

Great, thanks for that feedback. I just put a new set on a five string bass, I will leave them on for a good while to let them break in.

 

[lungimsam]

Mine were mellow from the start and have not changed at all.
I have only bought two sets of TI's - one short scale, one long scale. Both came with a dead g or e in the pack.
The g on the short scale set got replaced by TI, so that was nice. That replacement g string sounded uniform tone with the others.
The E, from the long scale set, I got no answer from TI. So to the free Amazon return they went.
I will try to upload a sound sample and you all can tell me if they sound normal.

In general, I have found that flats have three types of sound, based on what they sound like on my basses:
1. Like TI, mellow and nice fundamental and not sounding like anything else on the market. But very nice. A little mellow for my style.
2. Rubber band like and unusable, unless you want to sound like a rubber band (LaBella Low Tension medium scale, GHS Precision medium scale, Roto 77 flats, medium scale)
3. Metallic and powerful from the start but mellows over time (Chromes, Cobalt flats, Deep Talkin, Group IV,).

The latter I like the best. The rubber band ones I don't understand how they can put them out there. Especially the laBella LTF. They sounded like floppy totally detuned strings, though they were tuned to pitch. I don't get that they get rave reviews. Maybe I was the one person on earth who got the bad set. Labella was nice enough to give me a refund.

I wonder what it is about flats that they are so prone to dead strings coming in sets, and tonal inconsistency among strings in sets. They must be way harder to wrap consistently or something.

 

[James Hart]

Round wounds don't seem to have any issues and just sound like round wounds always do. Dead strings in the pack seem rare.

I guess you weren't buying Rotosounds in the late 80s! I had to switch to Ken Smith strings (also stainless rounds) to get consistent sets (I was changing weekly)

 

[lungimsam]

No, I started bass playing in 2004, so I am glad I missed that 80's era. I have read others' remarks on the same thing about Rotos of the old days.
I have used lots of Rotos swing bass that have all been consistent for long scale.
But I have tried their medium scale 66 twice now and the first set was dead out of the pack and sounded nothing like 66 swing bass strings, and the second set the low E utterly dead and won't play in tune with itself. Both sets were packaged in the old style packaging they used to use so they may have been lying around a warehouse for years and years.

 

[lungimsam]

Here are the TI short scale set on the Starfire I , tone circuit bypassed. EQ'd pretty bright. Fingers first, pic second.