Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Has anyone used TI flats for ages and then tried Optima? Please describe the differences between the two. If you've used Optima, what are your feelings about them, why have you continued or why did you move on? Thanks!

admin wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2020 10:25 am Please take a moment to indicate your preference for the type of
strings you prefer on your Rickenbacker bass.

4001C64S strung with Thomastik JF344 flatwounds.

Kiddwad57 wrote: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:39 am Please describe the differences between the two.

Trying to be completely objective. Both Thomastik JF344 and
Optima 4440L are wound with alloy 200 (i.e., pure nickel) which
makes them have the same output and similar sound. Regarding
gauge, JF344 have a lighter 1st string and 2nd string than 4440L
but the 3rd string is heavier. Both have the same gauge 4th
string. However, JF344 are wound over Thomastik patented thinner
core wire and have a layer of silk which makes them less stiff.

Compared with Rickenbacker 4440 set the Optima 4440L are more
similar in gauge than Thomastik JF344. However, Rickenbacker
4440 were wound with alloy 430 (i.e., chrome stainless steel),
hence their sound was brighter and with more output than alloy
200.

My 4003 is still pretty new and wearing the factory original roundwounds while I figure out what direction I want to go with it. The rest of the fleet has quite a variety. You can hear samples of them here (just click off their pop-ups wondering if you want to become a member).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1voj37wnuhsn ... s.wav?dl=0

In order they are:
My fretless Kala U-Bass with rubber strings
My old modified fretless Les Paul Frankenstein Gibson with ancient Guild tape wounds which are very old (like mid '70s old) but they don't seem to age.
My modified Rickenbacker 2030 with half-rounds- I thought about buying an acoustic bass guitar, but I think I get that sound better with this one.
My 1969 Hagstrom 8-string with TI Flats and TI Jazz Flats for the octaves
My fretless Pedulla Buzz Bass with roundwounds
My Hofner Beatle with TI flats.

Thanks for that, H the H. Sorry it's taken so long to respond. I like the concept of the Optima RB set being a tad more robust on the D and G. As much as I love the TI, the G can sound a bit thin to me, sometimes.

Ernie Ball Power Slinky 110 Flats (though the E broke and my neighbourhood lutherie swapped another flat in there during a pick-up swap.)


Had a miscellaneous set of half wounds on it prior that also felt good...

Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 40-95
Bright as rounds, no finger squeltch noise.
They are brighter than Chromes.
If you are into bright, these are the brightest I have found.

Dogal Hellborg signature strings.

D'Addario Chromes EC84 on 3 Ricks. La Bella Low Tension Flats on one Rick, The rest have D'Addario XL170 and X170-5 or EPS170.

After much curiosity and at long last I put a set of Optima RB4000 on the 4003fl. The Optima’s immediately reminded me of what I’ve always loved about TI Jazz Flats: Their quality and consistent feel across all four strings and the refined sound, once again, consistent from string to string. So, a somewhat expensive lesson learned; it's back to the TI Jazz Flats for me.

My Top 4 fav’s:

Flats:
Ernie Ball Cobalt flats for bright clear tone
TI JF344 for mellow, more plunky, fluty tone

Rounds:
Rotosound Swing
DR Fatbeams

I have been a very long time user of LaBella tapewounds.
on my Hofner Green Line I have LaBella white gold tapes and I really like them on that bass
On my fretless 4003 I have 3 sets of strings that I have tried. Originally it came to me with TIJF’s on it and those are really nice strings, I like them a lot.
I put LaBella 760N tapewounds on it and the neck promptly shifted about 2 mm…and I do have a truss rod issue on my Ric to be addressed in the not too distant future.
I took the LaBella’s off and installed a set of Dogal Hellborg RW string and I like them even more than the TIJF’s with one caveat…I just can’t get the G string output to balance up to the other 3 strings. I have noticed that when I play the strings open they sound pretty even, but regardless of what I do with string ht, polepiece adjustment, or pickup adjustment, once I fret the G string the output drops, and it gets progressively worse as I move up the neck. any ideas?

Oh, my vote….I guess I will go with Tapewounds…once I get the neck squared away I will try LaBella white gold tapes on the Ric. My fingers just absolutely love the feel of them.

I have 4 Rickies.

2 are stringed with TI flats, 2 are with Rotosound Swing Bass roundwounds.

'66 4001S- TI Jazz roundwounds
'73 4000- LaBella low tension flats
'80 4000 and '81 4001S- DR sunbeams

I've been using DR Hi Beams in a lower gauge set -- 0.095 E.