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It was suggested to me to try stainless steel flats on my 175, and since I love the DR Pure Blues rounds I thought I would try their Legend SS flats first. I was a bit uneasy replacing the TI Swings the guitar was strung with with the Legends but went ahead with the experiment. They sound like other flats do after a few days' playing with the familiar thud, which makes me wonder what they will sound like in a few days. Not too bad for single lines but note definition/seperation when playing chords is almost nonexistent. Very blurry and murky sounding. It gets worse. They feel like they were dipped in honey or some other sticky substance right before they were put in their packages and shipped off. Very strange feeling. Now I have to go put the TIs back on, which is not a drag at all. TIs rule over all other flat wound strings, period.
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05-20-2016 08:35 PM
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Been there/done that. For some of us, the only acceptable replacement for TI strings is a fresh packet of TI strings. -- Sorry you were disappointed.
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Got TIed last year and since then, there is no looking back, they are worth every penny in my book.
Last edited by vinlander; 05-21-2016 at 06:38 AM. Reason: typo
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I concur. A $14 lesson. Thanks guys!
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Any chance you have any thoughts as to how the DR flats compare to other brands?
I find I still have a fondness for the GHS precision flats even though they sound nothing like the TI flats.
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To be honest, I have only used mostly D'Addario Chromes---fine strings, imo. There was a period 10 or 11 years ago where I taught at a music store that was managed by a guy who loved jazz guitar, so there were always lots of archtops and various brands of flatwounds in stock. That's when I discovered TIs and used them for a minute. I wasn't playing too many jazz gigs at the time however and eventually couldn't justify the cost of TIs, so I went back to the Chromes and used them exclusively until the past couple of months. I did try the DR Legends during that period and did not like them then, but thought I would give them another chance.
To answer your question, the DRs are not even a viable choice. The Chromes are much more balanced tonally and feel way better than the Legends. Note separation and definition are much better than the DRs. They also last for months and are really a good choice since they can usually be found at Guitar Center and are reasonably priced.
The TI Swing flats mercilessly trump over the other strings I've tried. The only way to know, really, is to use them for awhile and then do what I did, string your guitar with inferior strings, Chromes included. TIs are a gift from God in my book. They are the perfect string in every way. I don't know what they do to make them so wonderful, but I will never look elsewhere trying to find the holy grail. They are the holy grail. I may try the GHSs on my Ibanez Artstar archtop since I am still curious. But my '59 VOS 175 and Hofner Jazzica will never have to suffer through any other string again.
I'll try your GHSs if you try my TIs!
Last edited by jbucklin; 05-21-2016 at 11:09 AM.
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Put the TIs back on the 175 and she's purring like a happy kitten. Each note I play I can almost hear her saying, "Don't ever do that to me again!"
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hah not surprised..ti flats are the best..pure nickel double wrap-low tension!!... so much for the jim hall experiment (tho d'aquistos he used were also good..and they were ss)...thankfully i have a few packs left
cheers
ps- if you ever get a string with schmutz on 'em again, just rub them with isopropyl alcohol on paper towel...
or get a box of iso alcohol prep pads...invaluable!...one pad cleans all 6 strings...keeps strings nice
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Thanks Neatomic. I was joking about the honey thing. It had been so long since I had tried them before that I forgot how they feel---a very tacky tactile sensation. That's the way they all are. I think the problem I'm having is that I've bought so many guitars as of late and haven't spent enough time on this amazing VOS 175. Not so today! Can't seem to get enough of it with my renewed love for it with the strings it was made for--TI Swings. You're the best man!
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dr did have considerable trouble with strings rusting in the package at one point..they have since changed packaging, and not impossible it has some reaction with strings...or perhaps they coat the strings with something to help prevent rusting
in any event, the iso pads are great for regular string maintenance anyways
enjoy the ti swingin 175!
cheers
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Great honest review and thanks for the tip Neatomic.
TI's are automatic. I love the tension. It's like riding an old Cadillac. Smoove..
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I've found myself using that same Cadillic analogy here lately! Smoove as molasses. Wait, the DRs are what make me think of molasses!
Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
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I still haven't tried the TI's, none around here locally. I don't mind ordering online, who is the best for that?
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Amazon. Are you a Prime member there?
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not a prime member, but I think my roommate is...
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Then you'll have in 2 days. 😄
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I've tried a few sets of DR strings and found them all awful. "Not sure how they stay in business" bad. Fishing the old strings out of the garbage can bad. Man.
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LOL! Tell us how you really feel, man!!! I didn't begin to really love them until yesterday. Maybe, just maybe, like me you will see (hear?) the light....
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It is funny because I have been using chromes for years. But over the past year so they just seem to brighten Clokey for me. I had an old Set of D are flat wound and got a couple of sets of TI strings on sale. The DRstrings went on my VM Jaguar. The TI strings went on my 165. Both sets were 13's. I find that TI strings feel to have a much lower tension , Or is it stiffness, I always forget. The Jaguar should be the loosey-goosey since it has a much shorter scale. And I would not say that I'm a fan of DR strings but the set that I had resemble more chromes without the Chrominess.
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Like most respondents, I'm a fan of TI flats, but the question I ask myself is whether they are more than twice as good as my go-to Daddario Chromes in order to justify the dramatic price increase. The answer in my case is "no". If TI and Daddario were the same price, I'd probably go with the TI.
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That's the same logic I used for years. Keep in mind that my VOS 175 is like a very spoiled, temperamental and moody woman (aren't they all?), making me jump through hoops finding the right pickup, right strings, until she was happy. Nothing but the finest, most expensive pickup and strings. Originally Posted by Klatu
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I have a "standard" 12-52 set on one of my Ibanez archtops right now and it seems to want more tension on the wounds. The wounds in TI 13-53 set are even lighter, so they're not for everyone, in spite of their undeniable quality.
By the way, in Europe the price of D'Addario Chromes has increased so much that I think they're on a par with TIs.
I've never tried DR flats, but their "Tite-whatevers" (?) are/were nice nickel plated roundwounds, with no harshness at all.
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No, not all women are spoilt, moody and temperamental.
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True, that. My wife is temperamental and moody, yet then so am I! I am given to hyperbole from time to time however. Originally Posted by Peter C
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