brightness?

RickSausage · #1 03-06-2008, 05:11 PM

Hey everybody, newbie to the forum, please be kind as I'm sensitive and tend to cry easily...

Anyone have any suggestions for livening up a set of dead strings? I'm just not gigging enough with my upright to make dropping a buck and change on a new set of strings worth it. At the same time, it just sounds so...dead.

Thanks!

Marcus Johnson · #2 03-06-2008, 07:00 PM

Mr. Sausage;

They often sound dead because the bass isn't getting played enough.... so it's a bit of a catch-22 in your case. Basses and strings like to be played, and the more they are played, the better they respond. Same's true of the player, obviously; use it or lose it.

They could just be dead strings, too. What kind are they, and what are they sounding like?

RickSausage · #3 03-06-2008, 07:16 PM

It's been so long since I put them on I can't really remember what they are. I think they're Thomastiks?

I don't know how to describe the sound other than "dead." Very dull tone, no sustain. I hardly ever change strings, even on my electrics - I just boil them when they go dead. But the upright? I really hate changing upright strings, not to mention what it costs to do so...

Marcus Johnson · #4 03-06-2008, 07:55 PM

They could just be crapped out. If you were to put on a new set of Thomastik Spirocores, you would solve your brightness problem for a considerably long time. Most people find them overly bright at first, and then they settle in and give you a nice, balanced sound for a looooong time. Probably the best value in DB strings for that reason. No DB strings are "cheap", but if you're looking for an all around string that sounds good on most basses, it's hard to go wrong with Spiros. If you break them down to a cost/day basis, I think they win hands down.

RickSausage · #5 03-06-2008, 08:25 PM

Cool. Thanks so much for the tip.

bassist1962 · #6 03-07-2008, 03:18 AM

Also, as Marcus has said, whether you are giging or not, play the thing as often as possible. Vibrate that wood, and wake it up. You'll be pleasantly suprised.

jmpiwonka · #7 03-07-2008, 08:34 AM

yeah. i need to play my bass more often. i can't seem to keep spiros on long enough to get them broken in.
should start picking up my bass and atleast running through some scales and stuff every day

Phil Rowan · #8 03-07-2008, 08:52 AM

Keep your eye out for a used set in the classifieds if you're worried about having to break them in. I bought a used set several years ago and they sounded great (and still do).

bassat88 · #9 03-07-2008, 02:00 PM

It's all about those spirocores (sp?) those things can cut through glass!!

RickSausage · #10 03-09-2008, 03:59 PM

I did a Google search for Spirocores and I read somewhere that they're not great for arco. Any thoughts?

Marcus Johnson · #11 03-09-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickSausage

I did a Google search for Spirocores and I read somewhere that they're not great for arco. Any thoughts?

Spiros are used successfully by many arco players, including entire sections of some great orchestras. I feel that the arco qualities of Spiros has been slagged unfairly in some circles. They do demand attention in order to control their relatively undamped character in comparison to other strings. They may not be the best choice for section work that may require a darker string. But they have a wide harmonic "footprint", and if you can learn to control them with the bow, they're really expressive arco strings.