Another convert looking for guidance

SpankyPants · #1 07-26-2010, 11:19 PM

I've been playing electric bass for a few years now, but my trumpet player just gave me an upright bass for a jazz side-project we're trying to start. The bass is a real beater, and it needs some work done... one of them being the strings.

It came with some old D'addarios, but they're very stiff and are somewhat difficult to play. My friend let me play his bass strung with Evah Pirastros (IIRC) which felt much better. I was wondering what would be a good, affordable choice for lower-tension strings. Playing jazz, I'll be doing almost exclusively pizz playing. I'm not quite sure what tone I'm looking for since my ear isn't tuned to double bass yet. My priority here is to find a decent set of playable strings to learn with, so I can eventually figure out what tone/feel would suit me best in the future.

In my search, I saw that Thomastik Superflexibles might be good to try, but I'm a bit overwhelmed and confused by the amount of information in this forum. Would anyone have any other suggestions for me to look into?

Paul Warburton · #2 07-27-2010, 07:14 AM

Thomastik Mittel (Orchestra) Strings seem to be the most popular jazz pizz string available.....lots of punch and sustain blossom. For strings a bit lighter and much easier to play with good results I recommend Thomastik Spirocore Solo Strings. Designed to be tuned up a whole step for classical solo playing, they are thinner with less tension. Tuned down to regular pitch they work great for jazz pizz in most instances and might help wake up a bass like you describe. IME, IMO and YMMV....good luck.

Bobby King · #3 07-27-2010, 08:15 AM

What Paul said or Spirocore Weich.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #4 07-27-2010, 08:31 AM

What Paul and Bob said and check the setup. String height, fingerboard camber, tailpiece cable and the bass itself all affect how a bass feels when you play it.

drurb · #5 07-27-2010, 09:00 AM

What they said-- Spirocore mittels are the gold standard. Please keep in mind that DB and EB are related but different instruments. Unless you are especially gifted and insightful, I'd recommend at least one lesson with a good teacher to get you going. Not only will this help you to get the most out of your playing but it'll help you to avoid injury. Take a look at this post from another EB convert. No offense, but most of us can spot a converted EB player who just grabbed a DB. Typically, they just tinkle the strings under amplification as if the DB were just a big fat EB turned 90 degrees.

It's a blast when you're really playing the DB for what it is-- an acoustic instrument.

wdnewman · #6 07-27-2010, 09:51 AM

+1 for what Drurb said. Strings are a part of the sound, and an important part, but the strings may not be what is causing the "beater"
being "very stiff and somewhat difficult to play". Your friends bass that
"felt much better" may be correctly set up, while yours could be completely out of whack. In that case no string is going to make it play correctly.
Once your bass has been gone over by a professional shop and all defects and errors corrected and you have had a couple of sessions with a teacher, THEN start worrying about the strings.
Putting a pearl necklace on a pig is usually a misguided kindness.

SpankyPants · #7 07-27-2010, 11:20 PM

Come on, guys... I'm not an idiot; I'm just new to DB.

My friend I spoke of has a degree in bass performance, and we spent the day together discussing technique and instrument upkeep. He explained proper posture, how to hold the bass, proper fingering, finding positions, etc.

Again, since I'm not an idiot, I knew that the setup had a great deal to do with the playability of the instrument. It's actually set up for arco playing, but the action is unreasonably high even considering so. My first priorities are the bridge and the seam where the neck meets the body, which seems to be splitting in the back. He showed me how to carve down the bridge appropriately, so I could start to learn how to maintain and adjust the bass myself. I have the tools to do so, and I have some experience with wood working. I measure compulsively and take it slow, so no worries with that one. However, he gave me the name of a somewhat local luthier to consult about the neck seam. He said that it might be something I can fix myself (and explained how I might be able to do so), but that it'd be good to speak with the luthier before I do anything.

Other than those major obstacles, the rest of the flaws are mostly just a lot of chipped wood and similar superficial problems. No other structural issues as far as I can tell.

I wasn't asking about whether I should take lessons or if my set up was adequate... But I appreciate the advice. All I wanted to know is what would be a decent, *affordable*, lower-tension string. I didn't stress *affordable* enough in my first post. I'm really, really, really poor right now... So price has a large influence on what strings I'll be able to buy.

Again, I'm not a dumbass here. I don't know much about DB strings, so I asked for recommendations. I didn't ask if my pig looked hot with a pearl necklace.

MattyBass · #8 07-28-2010, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Thomastik Mittel (Orchestra) Strings seem to be the most popular jazz pizz string available.....lots of punch and sustain blossom. For strings a bit lighter and much easier to play with good results I recommend Thomastik Spirocore Solo Strings. Designed to be tuned up a whole step for classical solo playing, they are thinner with less tension. Tuned down to regular pitch they work great for jazz pizz in most instances and might help wake up a bass like you describe. IME, IMO and YMMV....good luck.

+3

Spirocore Mittels....

eerbrev · #9 07-28-2010, 05:51 AM

Unfortunately, DB stings have a tendency not to be very affordable. You may have to live with the strings you have until you can scrape up the cash to get a set of something decent. There are cheap strings on the market, but the vast majority (I'm sure there are exceptions but I'm not really aware of any) of the cheaper strings are not the kind of string you want to use.

good luck!

Alex

Eric Swanson · #10 07-28-2010, 05:57 AM

Yes, your pig looks very hot with a pearl necklace. Plus I have a lovely photograph of a ham sandwich I can send you if you like.

Regarding low tension strings, for pizz, its tough to miss with Spiro Weichs or Spiro Solo (at orchestra pitch), as others have said...

They are inexpensive, for double bass strings. Bob's House of Basses seems to sell them for less money than many other shops.

http://www.bobshouseofbasses.com/home.asp Follow the links to "strings" then "Dr. Thomastik," etc.

Being poor is understandable. But your strings still have to work or else life will be even worse. Spiro Weichs or Solos will get you there, without having to sell much blood at the local hospital, or participate in many medical studies...

The Superflexible Solos are less money, but you are using a string that fewer folks dig. Spiros are generally liked by many pizz players, even it they end up using something fancier.

Finally, welcome, welcome, welcome to Double Bass. It is a beautiful thing, you have started...

drurb · #11 07-28-2010, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpankyPants

Come on, guys... I'm not an idiot; I'm just new to DB.

My friend I spoke of has a degree in bass performance, and we spent the day together discussing technique and instrument upkeep. He explained proper posture, how to hold the bass, proper fingering, finding positions, etc.

Again, since I'm not an idiot, I knew that the setup had a great deal to do with the playability of the instrument...

Again, I'm not a dumbass here.

C'mon Spanky, we're not mind readers! The advice you were offered is not that offered to an idiot or dumbass but to someone unfamiliar with the instrument. Folks here were trying to be helpful. Had you included the information at the beginning that you offered in your last post, you likely wouldn't have gotten the advice you did and you would have saved us some time as well.

Given that you're not an idiot or a dumbass, you'll probably appreciate that "affordable" strings often means "cheap" strings. They often don't turn out to be very satisfying. I consider Spiros to be extremely affordable when you consider how many years they last. It's not clear why you want low-tension strings simply because the ones on there feel stiff now. As you've been advised here, change the setup as you plan to and then evaluate how the strings feel. You might just save some money and doing it in that order might save you future string swaps.

Eric Swanson · #12 07-28-2010, 07:45 AM

+1 on the blessed Spiro longevity. There was a thread a couple of years back about how long folks had their Spiros on their basses. The record was something like 20+ years, as I recall...

Pretty good value, in terms of dollar per note played...

Bobby King · #13 07-28-2010, 08:18 AM

The Corelli 370 strings are good strings, they're light gauge, and tend to be more affordable than Spirocores and many other strings