2 Basses...what to try?

[BEEF]

Hey,

I've got 2 basses to find the best strings for.

#1 - UB 'Professor' carved flat back
#2 - Englehardt C-1 plywood

The UB will be used more for arco but want a nice pizz tone, the Englehardt will be the opposite.
I've got Spiro weichs on the Englehardt now, and the UB is arriving (any day now) with Obligatos.

I have a set of Spiro Mittels also being sent to me.


Soooooo, the question is.....

...what would you get (in addition) to 'try on each'?


(I'm newer to DB and don't mind spending some cash on strings to find the right set for each.)

[TroyK]

That's a broad question and I think everyone may reply and list their favorite strings, which may not be that helpful to you. I think it would make sense in your situation to set the basses up for different purposes. e.g. - One for classical and one for jazz; One for sectional and one for solo.

Or whatever works for you.

If it's classical/jazz, why not Spirocores on the laminate and either Flexicores or Helicores on the carved?

You might like the Obligatos for one or both and if so, you'll find out in 2-5 months if you're the type of person who they last for years for or the type that they last for a few months for.

I have a set of medium Helicore Orchestrals new in the box that I could sell for something less than retail, I was keeping them for something that doesn't seem imminent, so contact me through PM if you're interested.

Troy

[BEEF]

Yeah, I'm thinking one Jazz / one Classical.

I'll let you know on the Helicore's.

I may even go with a gut or 'gut type' on the plywood bass for an 'old school' sound with a more modern sound on the carved bass.

Not sure what to try.


What would you guys do?

[TroyK]

Put the Spirocore Mettiels on the laminate to start. That's a good baseline (no pun intended).

-tk

[TimoMetzemakers]

What Troy said, and how about a set of Belcantos for the hybrid? I haven't tried them myself, but according to what everybody said in the Belcanto megathread, they should be perfect for mostly arco and some pizz.

[Uncletoad]

I'd put the red Spiros on the jazz bass and Belcantos on the arco bass.

[jmpiwonka]

i'd put jazzers on the jazz bass and parazzi's on the arco bass

[TroyK]

I'd love to have 2 basses. You know better than us what your intent was, but if I were fortunate enough to be in your situation, I wouldn't put a hybrid string on either bass.

I've been on a ridiculas multi-year string experiment and what I've found is quite shocking and I will reveal it here now:

Pizz strings are good for pizz.

Arco strings are good for arco.

Hybrid strings are a compromise. They're neither bad nor great at either. Us 1 bass dudes who don't like to be boxed in, generally deal with compromise strings.

Now, I've used arco strings for jazz and sometimes like them better. In my practice room, I definitely like the better for jazz than bright pizz strings, but on a loud gig in a big room, with horns and a bangin' drummer, they just don't cut it and the pizz strings sound on stage like the dark woody arco strings did in my basement.

People also sucessfully bow Spirocores. I practice arco with my current Jazzers and it's fine. But, I put a Flexicore G on for yucks last month and remembered how great it was to bow arco strings. "Fine" and "Great" are different things.

So, if it was me, I'd blessedly avoid hybrid strings. Set one bass up (the one that you think will have a richer sound) with a good arco string of your choosing, not a hybrid string that bows well.

And set the other one up with a good pizz string. Spirocores, Jazzers, maybe even something unbowable like Pirastro Pizzacatos or certain strangly wound LaBellas (I've never used them) But, Medium Spirocores should be everyone's starting point, the "control group" if you will.

For arco; Belcantos, Flexicores, Helicores, Jargars, others, but start there.

All the "Great for both stuff", I think you could skip for your initial setup, which I think was your first question.

If you wanted to set the pizz bass up with guts, that's an idea too. I might do that if I had a dedicated pizz bass and wanted that sound. If you do that, then maybe a 70/30% arco/pizz string on the other bass in case you want to play some jazz gigs with metal strings.

Do something and let us know. But be careful about trying the herion, it's a deep dark tunnel.

-tk

[BEEF]

Thanks for the direction, guys.

Didn't really have an intent. While waiting for my Upton bass, I borrowed my father's cheap plywood bass. He tried it and just couldn't learn it. Basically it's an indefinite loaner. And it's actually a really nice sounding Englehardt.

I'm sending it in for a new endpin, bridge, tail wire, and possible tailpeice. I'll get a local luthier's opinion.

It just occured to me over the last few weeks that I can have two different types of sounds all together.


I won't be playing 'out' anytime soon, but will have microphones in front of these in a home studio when the need arises. So the pizz bass/arco bass seems the most flexible solution.

Any other string selections for each would be welcome.
I'm gonna have the ply strung up with the Spiro Mittels when I take it in.