BelCanto loaner set

[PB+J]

If anyone wants to try a set of BelCantos but doesn't want to pony up, I'll mail you the set I have. if you don't like them, send 'em back. If you do, either buy them from me or send them back or send them to someone else

Anyone interested?

[Basschair]

Me?

[kontrabass]

Me, too.

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot?

[Basschair]

Originally Posted by kontrabass

Me, too.

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot?

1.....2......3.....shoot!

I'm willing to bet there are some people who PM'd before us.

[PB+J]

DOH! I forgot to to look at PMs

Basschair, it looks like you're the first. PM me your address and I'll mail them out tomorrow or Friday

I'm thinking of this, maybe naively, as an honor thing--can you send them on to Kontrabass?

[Basschair]

Originally Posted by PB+J

DOH! I forgot to to look at PMs

Basschair, it looks like you're the first. PM me your address and I'll mail them out tomorrow or Friday

I'm thinking of this, maybe naively, as an honor thing--can you send them on to Kontrabass?

PM'd

Yup, I'd give the strings about a week on my bass to settle in and see what they can do. If they don't work out, I'll send them right along...if they do, I'll get in touch with you?

[PB+J]

So Basschair's done--who's next?

[Francois Blais]

I'd like to try them too, if possible.

Best regards,
François

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by francois

I'd like to try them too, if possible.

Best regards,
François

What? François wants to try a new string? That seems highly unusual.

:-)

[Jake deVilliers]

I've been liking the FCS on the bass right now, but after reading Chasarms "Comparison Test" between them and the Bel Cantos I think I'd like to sign up for a turn at them.

Sounds as though they have all the qualities I like in the FCS but with a darker shading.

Sounds good!

[Basschair]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

I've been liking the FCS on the bass right now, but after reading Chasarms "Comparison Test" between them and the Bel Cantos I think I'd like to sign up for a turn at them.

Sounds as though they have all the qualities I like in the FCS but with a darker shading.

Sounds good!

Now that they are broken in, they are a lot darker than the FCS strings. They're working well for me because it seems they are actually allowing my bass to be heard, without overshadowing it with the string's personality.

[Jake deVilliers]

Do I take a number for better service or put my quarter on the table?

PB+J?

[Basschair]

Sorry to break it to anyone who's wanting to try them, but it looks like I'm going to hang on to these. They've really grown on me

[Jake]

Man, I am going to have to wait until I run into somebody who's got some BC's before I buy a set. For arco, I've never found anything I like more that Pirastro Original Flexocors. They are the bomb. I recently bought a used set after messing around with other strings. I'm glad to report that I am in flavor country once again although I am thinking of trying a 92 Flex G.

[Basschair]

Originally Posted by Jake

Man, I am going to have to wait until I run into somebody who's got some BC's before I buy a set. For arco, I've never found anything I like more that Pirastro Original Flexocors. They are the bomb. I recently bought a used set after messing around with other strings. I'm glad to report that I am in flavor country once again although I am thinking of trying a 92 Flex G.

How is the sustain on those, once the bow leaves the string?

[Francois Blais]

Originally Posted by Jake

For arco, I've never found anything I like more that Pirastro Original Flexocors. [...] I'm glad to report that I am in flavor country once again although I am thinking of trying a 92 Flex G.

You may want to try using the rubber ring filter with the Original G.
This may solve that string's brightness.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Basschair

How is the sustain on those, once the bow leaves the string?

I am not quite sure exactly what you you mean, but the pizz is okay on my bass. It's very dark, which I like, but the sustain is decent. They are not going to have the kind of growl, attack or clarity that say Spirocores or Pirastro Flat Chromesteels have. I buy them because they make the bass sound good with the bow. The arco attack is a lot easier to control, IME, than any other strings I've tried. I haven't had Orchestral gauge Original Flatchomes, which I bet are in the same ballpark as far as arco as the Orig Flex. I have heard great things about the new Thomastiks from TB's Paul Cannon over at Rice in the other BC thread.

Thanks for the suggestion, Francois. I may give that a if I can find the rubber thingy.

[Basschair]

Originally Posted by Jake

I am not quite sure exactly what you you mean, but the pizz is okay on my bass. It's very dark, which I like, but the sustain is decent. They are not going to have the kind of growl, attack or clarity that say Spirocores or Pirastro Flat Chromesteels have. I buy them because they make the bass sound good with the bow. The arco attack is a lot easier to control, IME, than any other strings I've tried. I haven't had Orchestral gauge Original Flatchomes, which I bet are in the same ballpark as far as arco as the Orig Flex. I have heard great things about the new Thomastiks from TB's Paul Cannon over at Rice in the other BC thread.

Thanks for the suggestion, Francois. I may give that a if I can find the rubber thingy.

Ah, I was refering to how long the string will ring out if you lift the bow after a stroke. Similar to pizz (IME) but a little more subtle. The Belcantos seem to have a good thump initially in pizz, and sustain for a bit. With the bow, the react well but don't ring out much at all when I lift the bow after a stroke. FCS and the Corelli 380s I tried out earlier this week and last hand a much longer sustain, both in pizz and with the bow.

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

I've been liking the FCS on the bass right now, but after reading Chasarms "Comparison Test" between them and the Bel Cantos I think I'd like to sign up for a turn at them.

Sounds as though they have all the qualities I like in the FCS but with a darker shading.

Sounds good!

The Belcanto does not have the bite on the attack of a FCS, nor does it have the sustain. If you are really in love with the modern pizz tone of FCS (which is spirocoreish in nature IMO) then you may not dig the Belcantos at all.

If you bow, you'll love them.

I also think they may be a little highter tension than FCS. They seem to have a little more height with the wheels all the way down than did the FCS.

[jfv]

Originally Posted by Basschair

Ah, I was refering to how long the string will ring out if you lift the bow after a stroke. Similar to pizz (IME) but a little more subtle. The Belcantos seem to have a good thump initially in pizz, and sustain for a bit. With the bow, the react well but don't ring out much at all when I lift the bow after a stroke. FCS and the Corelli 380s I tried out earlier this week and last hand a much longer sustain, both in pizz and with the bow.

Yes, I couldnt resist and bought a set and have swapped out
Corelli 370 M's for it. I play about 95% arco, usually only pizz
when my bow hand gets tired

The BC are like some dark rich coffee, they have beautiful
tone on my bass under the bow, but they don't have near the
sustain the Corelli's do. On my bass the harmonic portion of
the sound decays REAL fast leaving only the fundamental
sustaining a bit longer. For orchestra playing the short
sustain is actually goodness most the time anyway.

These strings couldnt be more different than Dom's coming
out of the package, the Dominants you're amazed they didnt
break the package the BCs are like soft supple snakes, you
could probably coil the E string around your arm

I'm sure that has much to do with difference in sustain.

I'm enjoying them a lot right now though, interesting to see
how they age.