Thomastik-Infeld JF345 Bass Guitar Strings: Jazz Flat Wounds 5-String Long Scale Set; Pure Nickel Flats G, D, A, E, B Set

I'm a long time Fender Jazz American Standard player, so I am very used to getting a nice warm tone out of my basses. I recently bought a custom luthier's creation, and he used dual Aguilar M5 pickups, on a chambered body, with steel roundwounds. I found the bass to be very bright compared to what I am used to. I read a lot of reviews about Thomastik-Infeld Pure Nickel Flats, and connected with a string expert who recommended them to mellow out the tone, and I read that Carol Kaye swears by them, so I took the plunge. Conclusion: Carol Kaye is not wrong. These strings are extremely warm, seem to be pretty low tension, are just plain easy to play, and the tone is so much better now. While they are on the expensive side, I am really happy that I purchased them, they tamed the aggressive brightness of the new bass right down.

Been using the TI Jazz Flats on my fretless Roscoe LG3005 for many years and love them. But for my P-Bass I've been struggling to find the right set of 5-string flats. My local luthier felt the TIs were too "flabby" for a P-Bass, so I stayed away on that guitar.After trying the LaBella Deep Talking Bass and the D'Addario Chromes for several months without feeling any love, I decided to put the TI Jazz Flats on it. Why did I wait so long? They feel great and sound fantastic. That pronounced midrange with the detailed harmonic content is exactly what I'm missing in the other brands, and the TIs just feel great to play.I'm aware of those who say the tension is too low for use on a P-Bass. YMMV, but I knew I made the right call as soon as I installed the TI Jazz Flats. This was validated by the FOH engineer who mixed us in July (Chromes), raved about the improved tone & where it all sat in the mix for our August gig (TI Jazz Flats).They aren't cheap, but they'll last a long time and you'll always feel the love!

These strings are very smooth, and they make my bass sound very different from other basses. I have had other people play on my strings and the were just mesmerized at the smoothness of it, some were a bit thrown off, but they got used to the feel of the strings. The sustain that I get from notes is a noticeable improvement. When sliding down the bass (looking for that nice "VOOOOOOM" sound) you have to know how to finesse it the strings to work with the fret board. Playing in the high register with these strings, It is as if my bass is singing. With the right EQ and the right touch you can get a nice slapping sound from these strings. I gave my guitar tech these strings to setup for me, and he told me that "Theses strings are the best strings on the planet, you will never have to change them". I believe Thomastik-Infeld has made a very good product. These strings for now, are part of my bass sound, I enjoy playing with them.

If you're here looking at reviews, there's a good chance you've been eyeing these strings and wondering whether or not it's worth it to drop more than a C note on a set of strings. You've probably seen a lot of reviews in which people sing the unconditional praises of the TI jazz flats, and an alarming number of reviews in which people describe the strings as having the tension of "loose rubber bands". Even the people who like the strings claim that they require a gentle touch because of the low tension of these strings.This may be a true perception for those who are used to a higher tension flatwound. However, by raising my action at the saddles, I was easily able to provide a level of tension and playability comparable to the roundwounds GHS I previously had on my Ibanez SR-375, and avoid fret-buzz all the way down the neck. The B string is fairly monstrous on these (.136), and may require that you have your nut filed for it to fit correctly. I did this myself (probably ill-advised), but if I'd had a spare $50 lying around, I would not have hesitated to bring my instrument in for a proper setup.Whether you do it yourself, or bring it to an expert, you are almost certainly going to need a full setup when installing these strings.I moved to flats because I'm looking for a less metallic, woodier, and more centered fundamental tone with less string noise. These strings help me to accomplish all of this. If you're looking for a snappy slap and pop funk sound, this probably isn't going to be your string.Is it worth it to lay down the cheddar for fancy strings from Austria? I cannot answer that question for you.All I can say for certain, is that had I not, there would still be a lingering question in my mind as to whether or not I had the right strings on my bass. In the end, I got the tone I was looking for - so it was worth it for me.

Update March 2023: I enjoyed these strings while they lasted. I played them quite a lot over the past nine months or so and enjoyed the warm, woody tone and relatively low tension. However I hit two significant minuses, so am deducting two stars: playing a recent outdoor gig in high humidity they got so sticky I was having trouble sliding to fret. Second, they've pretty much gone dead now. I cleaned them a couple times and they definitely weren't dirty. Part of why I bought them was for the purported longevity. It does seem they may last perhaps a little longer than typical, though I expected more for what they cost. As the original review noted, the Thomastik Spirocore strings on my double bass lasted a decade. On the SRF705 I went back to the excellent D'Addario ECB81-5 Chromes (flatwounds) at half the price.--original review--More than fifteen years ago I installed TI strings on my 3/4 double bass and was astonished at how its sound "came alive." Even today they still play very well - best $100 I've spent on a set of strings. I've never before heard of strings able to maintain their sound and playability for that long. Similarly I read these TIs for electric bass also last for years... hope so, since they're double to triple the price of a set from the major US manufacturers.This set says on the the package they're designed to help a fretless electric bass sound more like an upright. I installed them on an Ibanez SRF705. That bass includes a set of quality piezo pickups, one per string, integrated with the bridge saddles. Compared to the stock flatwound D'Addario Chromes - recently worn out (sounding kind of dead even when cleaned) after only eight months or so, the TIs do have a certain double bass sound, particularly when plucked harder. They also have lower tension than the Chromes, so it was necessary to raise the action to get rid of buzz and back to my growly/mwah characteristic fretless sound. Be aware the B string is relatively thick at 0.136 inches. I like that, as it makes for a more solid, steady sound for those low notes. Thinner B strings can easily start to sound "floppy."

Yeah, they're expensive- trust me, well worth it. I'm getting 4-5 years outta a set of these when I'm gigging on the regular. Last set I'm replacing was 7 years old, hasn't gone false, good tone, and still has plenty of sustain. I'll boil them and throw them on my fretless.

B string is dull and dead. E-G are awesome!

Having played electric bass for 38 years or so, I prefer flatwounds and these are far and away the best I've ever played. Sound wonderful, no fret noise whatsoever, and last a very long time. They're expensive for sure, but worth every penny,

Genialer Sound!

Flats maybe an acquired taste, yet thomastik infeld hits the mark. Low tension (may require truss rod adjustment in some guitars) makes the bass easier to play. The tonal quality is excellent. Recommended.

Hallo. Habe den Eindruck, das meine Thomastik Flat Wound Retoure Ware ist. Die Saiten sahen so aus alshätten sie schon mal einen 5-Saiter gesehen. Einzelverpackung war auch beschädigt. Ich brauchte sie dringend und habe dummerweise kein Foto dabei. Ich werde sie behalten. Kann man eventuell über einen Preinachlass verhandeln? MfG H. Neubauer

Superb strings. They need to bed in a little to get their famous sound but after a few hours of playing they are fantastic.They are expensive, but they can last over 5 years so averaged out they are still good value.

Son para el bajo lo mejor que he utilizado , súper finas y un sonido para mi buenisimo un 10