1/4 size DB strngs

[Suresh]

Higuys!
I ve been playing electric bass for25+yrs and my dream is to be able to play an upright,either an accoustic or an EUB.
Im now 44 so I guess the choice is a shorter scale lenght.
The problem is,I really am blind about strings and their availability.So I would like to ask fellow players here who knows or plays 1/2 (38" ?) scale DB,what brand of strings do you guys use?
FYI,I think Im going to play mainly pizzicato with litte arco
so .I play mainstream jazz and pop as well.
Thank you very much folks.
ANy info will be very appreciated
Best regards
Suresh

[Francois Blais]

I think the best string for you would be the Corelli tungsten set in medium gauge.
The 100cm set (39.4 ") is number 350A. (1/2 size)
The 90cm set (35.4") is number 350B. (1/4 size)
http://www.savarez.fr/anglais/corell...itecontrebasse

Your message talks about 1/2 size and the title says 1/4.
???

Both sets can be bought from Quinn Violins, for example.
http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_corellibass.shtml

Hope this helps!

[Andrew McGregor]

Why 1/2 size? Almost any adult can deal with a 3/4 bass, that's a 40 or 41" scale length. But Corellis are still a good string choice to start with… very soft under the hand as bass strings go, without any significant compromise on sound.

If you're thinking of upright technique as three semitones across your hand like for bass guitar, and getting worried about the scale length because of that, don't worry. Upright fingering is different; for most of the neck you use a 'closed hand' position with a semitone between 1 and 2, and another between 2 and 4. 3rd finger isn't normally used until the higher positions. (note: that's rather a simplification, but it will do for now) So, you don't need an enormous stretch to get around the bass; what you do need is fast hands.

[Suresh]

Francois,
thanks for the info.Excuse me for the mistype.It should be 1/4.Actually I got this size figure from Dino Fiumara of BSX.He told me use the 1/4 size DB strings to fit acustom38"HalfNote model.Honestly,Im totally blindabut DB sizes and strings.BTW,is the1/4 =38".Please correct me ifIm mistaken.
Andrew ,thank you very much for the support.
Well.Imusedto playing onefinger perfret on myEB. I dont think I can learn really fast to adapt tohe scale lenght and have to change the left hand technique. So I think the best way is acompromise ,and I hope I am making the right decision to go for a 38" scale.Longer would mean much more effort,shorter would be electric bass tonerange I believe.
Anybody who plays a 38" DBor EUB?Advise andexperience are very very much appreciated.

[Francois Blais]

On Thomastik-Infeld's website, they qualify 38" scale (96.5cm) as 1/2 size.
This is similar to Corelli's offering of 100cm. (1/2 size too)

As for fitting on your instrument, it depends on the lenght between the bridge and tailpiece (or string anchor).

A 1/2 size string may be too long if this lenght is very short.
Do you have a pic of the instrument or something?

That said, I think very few players will choose a short scale EUB.
Some will choose a crossover type instrument, which can be played upright and horizontally. (the Zeta Crossover being an example)

You can get a small scale Kydd bass too:

http://www.kyddbass.com/

They have a longer scale model too.

[Andrew McGregor]

Originally Posted by Suresh

Andrew ,thank you very much for the support.
Well.Imusedto playing onefinger perfret on myEB. I dont think I can learn really fast to adapt tohe scale lenght and have to change the left hand technique. So I think the best way is acompromise ,and I hope I am making the right decision to go for a 38" scale.Longer would mean much more effort,shorter would be electric bass tonerange I believe.
Anybody who plays a 38" DBor EUB?Advise andexperience are very very much appreciated.

Well, even on a 38" scale you're going to get in injury trouble playing bass guitar style technique; human hands were never meant to do that with a double bass. EUB you might get away with it. Also, once you get into the upper register of the bass, there is no way around having to learn thumb position anyway.

Personally I think you'll be much better off learning one of the proper double bass fingering systems (there are about three). I found that they actually helped my bass guitar playing anyway, so it's not a loss or wasted effort on that side either.

As for tone, on an EUB 38" will be fine, but a 38" double bass has much less power and a rather restricted tone, so they're not very satisfactory instruments.

[LouisF]

I've picked up a 5 string 5/8th bass by Rumano Solano. Its previous owner used it most for jazz (high C); I've had Lisa Gass here in LA set it up for bowing and I think it will make a nice chamber music bass, but I really DON'T like the way the Corelli's sound on it (although I generally like the strings for my other bass).

Any suggestions? The options seem to be limited to spirochores (which I don't have a problem bowing) or Supersensitive's Pinnacle or Supremes (both of which I've tried in the past and are OK).

Anything I'm missing that might give a warmer, fuller sound than the corellis?

Thanks

Louis

PS A picture of the bass (before I had it worked on) is attached. We call it the Tinkerbell bass!

[Francois Blais]

Flexocors are available in half size, and should fit your instrument very well.

Which Corellis do you use?
The nickel series is quite warmer than the tungsten.

(For what it's worth, I have a new, full set of medium nickels for 100cm scale bass that I could sell for cheap, please contact me privately)

Hope this helps,
Best regards,
François

[LouisF]

They're the 350 tungstens. PM sent. Thanks

Louis