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Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats Flatwound Bass Strings Reviews  5 / 5 based on 2 reviewsThey're just regular flatwound bass strings around a steel core. I've used them on reggae, jazz, rock, and roots gigs so far. I play bass and piano as my two main instruments, and have been playing since I was 4, professionally since I was 10.
The strings were given to me by a friend who recommended them. I had been playing rotosound rounds for a very long time, so I was skeptical about his string choices and how bright he said that they would be. I tried them just to humor him and just for fun.
The strings are very low tension for flats and very bright (again, for flats). They aren't as bright as rounds of course, but they're very good strings, and I doubt (being flats) that they'll ever break. I have them on a Godin BG-5 with BassLines pickups and on a Lakland 55-94 Deluxe with Bartolini's and both sound warm and bright at the same time, even enough to allow a little slapping from time to time. Also, harmonics sound great on these strings.
Sometimes I feel like the strings are a little too loose and too low-tension. I like to be able to pull a little more, personally, but that can be a bad thing in a player, and a sign of tension.
Haven't broken one, anyway. I doubt they will break.
They're a really bright set of flats that should last a player (even one with oily, sweaty hands like mine) for a very long time. The low tension means that they probably aren't for all playing styles and can be hard to play. However, that very same low tensions can inspire a player to play with a more refined and accurate touch. It's a double-edged sword, in that case. So, overall, it gets a 4. A 4.5, if I could award it, but it rounds down to a 4 in this case. ShackMan rated this unit on 2010-07-17. Nickel flatwound roundcore bass strings. Significantly lower tension than most other flats
I buy TI Jazz Flats from a variety of sources online because no one -- NO ONE -- in my area carries flatwound bass strings, let alone TIs. Price varies from a low of $58 to a high of $85 for a super long 5-string set.
I love everything about TI Jazz Flats. I grew up playing heavy gauge LaBella flats because at that time (1965), nothing but flats were available for bass. Over the years, I went to rounds but decided after seeing many, many positive reviews that I'd try TI flats. I loved them right away. The main complaint from many players is that the tension is too low, but I had no trouble adapting. I suspect that the players who find the tension too wimpy play rather heavily. The feel of TIs is very smooth, and they have a very nice balanced tone from low to high, with a very punchy, solid midrange thump.
The price is high, but they last forever, so even an $80 purchase may work out to being only slightly more than $25 a year for strings. I recently did a session with two-year old TIs on my Lakland 55-94 and they sounded amazing.
Outstanding construction and quality. Never had one break, never had one dead out of the box.
TI Jazz Flats aren't for everyone because they are significantly lower in tension than many strings. But they sound great. Don't be put off by the price: though more expensive than many brands, they last three times as long. Contrary to what many say about flats, TIs have a very nice high end snap if played with a pick, but they produce solid, smooth,even tone throughout the entire range of extended range bass. Played fingerstyle, they can emulate Jamerson's P bass Motown thump; with a pick on a Rickenbacker or Hofner Beatle bass, they're pure McCartney. Laklander rated this unit on 2010-01-19.
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