Thomastick- Infield flatwound bass strings - a Rog look

[Rog]

Thomastick-Infield (TI) are a string making firm from Austria. They have made serious inroads in recent years to the international bass world, as more people are seeking the 'classic' bass sounds, playability and string longevity.

I bought 2 sets a few years ago, largely on the recommendations given on the bass forums I attend.

I chose the TI Jazz Flats JF344 4 string sets and put them on my '72 Precision and my '97 Jazz Deluxe. Although both Fenders, these basses have quite different characteristics and sounds, giving me a chance to compare their performance on my preferred basses.

I enquired all round NZ and no-one had heard of them, other than one mainly upright bass shop in the other island. They wanted a shitload of money for them (well over $100), so I gave that a miss and located them online at the Dudepit. Steve Barr is an agent for TI in USA and is brilliant to deal with. My landed price was just over $NZ50 a set - considerably cheaper than the Ernie Ball flats I'd preferred for the past 15 years.

Here's the link:
http://p096.ezboard.com/fthedudepitfrm1 ... =601.topic

So - what are they like?

The very first thing I noticed was that they clanked all over my fretboard. This is due to their lower than normal tension. IMO, this makes them extremely attractive for my old bass, which at 33 years old could do with a bit less stress on the neck. A quick relax of the truss rod and they were at my preferred (low) action. Some people prefer tight strings and I would not encourage them to try TIs, as they'd be disappointed. But for those who prefer a light touch and a more 'buttery' feel - they are simply delightful to play. I'm in that category.

The next thing I noticed was that they sounded dreadful! I soon realised that they have significant differences in tone from my old EBs. They have quite a pronounced mid boost and at my standard amp settings, sounded too 'nasally'. Cutting the mids was the obvious answer. I wouldn't suggest a '70s smiling face EQ, but more of a happy grin.

The strings were rather 'rougher' than my EBs to start with, but after a couple of months, they smoothed out. I have no idea how they do this, but it seems they get better with age, rather than getting deader, as rounds do. I've read that some guys who've had them on for over 5 years consider they sound better then than new. My experience with them supports that.

I'd think the JFs are not particularly suitable for funk, popping and pulling, although there are many players who do enjoy them in that role. IMO, a decent set of Rotos are the strings for that style. You need bright bite. For the type of music I do, I prefer a fuller, rounded bass tone from my strings. I've used them for rock, blues and r'n'r and they do all that beautifully for me. When I hit the bottom E - I hear a real note - this has actually improved my basslines, as I can hear the notes better - no mud.

They do make a wide range of strings and when my D'Addario Chromes run out on my Strat, I'm going to grab a set of their 6 strings to try out. They make rounds as well as flats and if you have a squiz around the Dudepit, you'll find out lots about these.

For me - they were the right choice and although I nearly tossed them in the beginning, I stuck with them and after a few months realised I couldn't go back to anything else. It has been said that as you put them on your bass, you know that they're the last bass strings you'll ever buy, because they'll last forever. I'm tending to agree with that.

The price is attractive, with the weak US dollar and Steve gets them here in about a week. At around $NZ50, I'd suggest anyone over about 35yo should give them a go. Anyone younger than that is likely to want a more metal sound and as I said - go Rotos!

Reviewed with a no money back guarantee by: Rog

[Andy Pasha]

My TIs have been on since last millenium (literally). I almost changed them this weekend, then thought...what the hell....

[Rog]

ANDY!!!

Great to see ya mate!
Welcome to the Land of the Long White Cloud!