Best Jazz strings?

BassGreaser · #1 02-04-2005, 07:00 PM

I'm looking at making the jump to steel strings as I'm using a Eudoxas/Oliv combo, and would like a more aggressive sounding set of strings. I searched through to Newbie links, and didn't find any info:P So give me suggestions

Marcus Johnson · #2 02-05-2005, 03:41 AM

Are you pizzin' (that doesn't look right, somehow)...if so , you can't go wrong with Spiros, IHOP.

Paul Warburton · #3 02-05-2005, 07:22 AM

Ditto...just for diggin' in and getting a goodly amount of sustain. Several options from solo strings tuned down to regular tuning and these can sound decent with the bow too. For bowing, the regular Orchestra strings and the Starks are pretty bad on MOST basses If you have a real dark sounding bass you can make them work. But for just plain hard core jazz playing they're great IF you like sustain.
Chris is the only one on the board that I know who uses the Starks. You mention wanting aggresive...here ya go. You'll need weekly appointments with your Doctor for the first few weeks.
The Thomastik Weichs are a lighter, more arco friendly string. If I did more bowing i'd probably use these or the Solos. For me, for Straight Ahead Jazz playing and my particular bass, I use the regular Orchestra strings.

AMJBASS · #4 02-05-2005, 07:58 AM

I would be using the Spirocore Stark too if my bass could have taken the tension. For the short period I had them on I was deeply impessed. They have a huge fundamental, and sound more "thick" than regular Spirocores. I suppose I could pick some up now since I am playing a Christopher Hybrid. It looks like it should take the tension without any problems.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 02-05-2005, 08:32 AM

Agreed about the spiros. Even if you don't want that much tension all over, the Stark E is a beauty to behold on any bass with any set of strings

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Are you pizzin' (that doesn't look right, somehow)...if so , you can't go wrong with Spiros, IHOP.

International House of Pancakes?
I'm Holding Oversized Penguins?
Industrial Hummingbirds Outsourcing Pizza?
Imelda Henning Orsted Pedersen?

BassGreaser · #6 02-05-2005, 09:02 AM

Just pizz playing straight ahead jazz is what I'm going for. I've put on a set of D'addario Hybrids mediums, and they sounds pretty good. I like the tension of these strings.....One thing I've noticed when I put these strings on is that my bass seems to be more responsive. Reacts closer to an BG.....no 2 second delay after you puck a string

But I'm still going to try the strings that are suggested

KSB - Ken Smith · #7 02-05-2005, 09:10 AM

I think that the Best any kind of String depends on your particular Bass, how you set it up and how you play...

I used Spiro Reds back in my eariler days and recently used them on one of my Basses a few years ago.. I tried Obligatos out and thought they worked better for me on that Bass. They were Glassy Smooth, soft to the touch, plenty of Volume and Bowed well when I needed them to.. Not as good as Flexocors or the like.. But better than the Reds.. This was on my 1875 Batchelder Bass. It is a 41" String Length, Eb necked, Slightly small bodied Bass.. See here; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double.../batchBass.htm
The pics show the old Reds on the Bass but I changed them within the first year. I remember the Reds bowing fairly well but that depended on how good the Bass was as far as Bowing qualities..

The same goes for Pizz.. Newer Basses and Plys may need the Higher tension Reds to vibrate the wood but older Basses like to relaxe a bit and get some 'rays'..lol... I think you get my drift..

It's not easy or cheap finding the perfect string for each Bass but the results are sometimes worth the effort..

BTW, my Olde English Bass 'smoked' Jazz wise with 20+ year old Flexocors, Purple bottoms.. go figure..

Marcus Johnson · #8 02-05-2005, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Agreed about the spiros. Even if you don't want that much tension all over, the Stark E is a beauty to behold on any bass with any set of strings

International House of Pancakes?
I'm Holding Oversized Penguins?
Industrial Hummingbirds Outsourcing Pizza?
Imelda Henning Orsted Pedersen?

Just checkin', see if anyone's payin' attention. I was thinking Iggy, but Imelda works for me, too.

**Jeremy Allen** · #9 02-06-2005, 10:08 PM

Me too, me too, Spirocores.

If you like the tension of Helicore hybrid mediums, you may prefer weichs to mittels (purple to red) in spiros; I made a similar transition long ago and found the spiros to be as easy to play/comfortable but with more of a backbone (or balls, or whichever physiological analogy works for you).

Try the mittels if you really want to cut through the mix with a powerful sound. I can't speak for the Starks--even the name frightens me...but I've seen spirocore mittels and to a slightly lesser extent weichs on a lot of jazz players' instruments, producing a wide range of generally cool sounds. (They can become problematic when the action gets absurdly low--think Eddie Gomez on Chick Corea's "Friends" and "Three Quartets"--interesting, musical, but not particularly evocative of the double bass).

BassGreaser · #10 02-07-2005, 04:38 PM

what are mittels?

**Francois Blais** · #11 02-07-2005, 07:25 PM

Mediums; regular Spiros.

BassGreaser · #12 02-07-2005, 08:34 PM

ahhhh...learn something new everyday.....thanks guys!!! I've heard some good thinds about Corelli 370. anyone ever play these before?

crocau · #13 02-08-2005, 12:48 PM

Corelli 370 are very soft strings. For pizz, you might want the biggest ones, the TX. The M are too thin and are probably good for bowing only.

I prefer the Spiro weich.

JonB · #14 02-08-2005, 12:50 PM

Yes.
I went to 370tx several years ago. I like them because of the low tension, clear sound and they're easy to bow.
I've tried Obligatos, Jarger Dolce, Permanents, Helicore Hybrids and jazz, Spiro Medium and keep coming back to Corelli's. I should try Superflex sometime. During my orchestral days, that bass had flexocors, which I liked very much.
My newer bass sounds better with 380's. They're a little less aggressive-sounding.

**Jeremy Allen** · #15 02-08-2005, 01:24 PM

Fellow Hoosier: do Corelli 380TX bow as ridiculously easy as the 370s? And can you comment on the volume/projection between the Corellis and Spirocores?

Thanks,
Jeremy

godoze · #16 02-08-2005, 02:05 PM

I like the Corelli's tho I haven't used them in a couple of years. One of my students has them on her bass and she sounds pretty good.

Marc Piane · #17 02-08-2005, 02:06 PM

I used Spiro Weichs, tried D'Addario pizz and hybrid, switched back to Weichs. I found D'Addarios to be too inconsistent from set to set and the sound not to be quite as bright. This can be good but I use a Realist so I need all the brightness I can get.

godoze · #18 02-08-2005, 02:10 PM

Has anyone Tried the Spiro Stark E with either the oblis or the Superflex ?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #19 02-08-2005, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DZ

Has anyone Tried the Spiro Stark E with either the oblis or the Superflex ?

Yes. It's a thing of beauty with the Oblis - the only problem is that you start to think, "hmmm, that E sounds so good, maybe I should change the A as well..." and before you know it, you have a full set of Starks on. Can't speak for the Superflexes.

JonB · #20 02-09-2005, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johono5

Fellow Hoosier: do Corelli 380TX bow as ridiculously easy as the 370s? And can you comment on the volume/projection between the Corellis and Spirocores?

Thanks,
Jeremy

Yes, they bow about the same. The G string is the same on both sets anyway. Forgot to mention that one of the other things I like about Corelli is they sound very consistent in the higher positions when crossing strings. Probably because they are so thin.
It's been several years since Spiros. I remember them being very nice for pizz and kind of difficult for my limited arco technique. They are fairly similar to Corelli volume-wise. (not tone, though)