D'Addario Helicore Hybrid

dcaviness · #1 03-29-2006, 11:27 AM

Anyone have any experience with this strings?. I'm a newbee and am using a friends old Kay to break my fingers in and need a pizz/arco type string to satisfy him. I prefer pizz type of playing but he is orchastra minded. Trying to accomidate both styles. . Also have notice very little resonance from current E and A strings when plucked. Could be type of string or age? Bows OK tho. Any remarks would be helpful

Bleeding fingers in Seattle
Dan

conte2music · #2 03-29-2006, 02:52 PM

I used hybrids for a bit on the kay i used to have, and it is really a pizz string. A good bit of talk has been made about the dominants and also corelli 370 as being good hybrid strings. If it's his instrument then I would probably go with something a little more bow friendly if that's his main thing. If you really wanted to go with helicore, the orchestra guage is still very pizz-able. I believe that is what Christian McBride uses.

Best,
Chris

TroyK · #3 03-29-2006, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcaviness

Bleeding fingers in Seattle

They will bleed for a while. You just have to work though it. New Skin can help short term. It's just a rite of passage, though.

A lot of us in Seattle, maybe we should have a get-together. You wear gloves.

jgbass · #4 03-29-2006, 04:07 PM

I have some Heliocore Hybrids and they sound fine on my Czech Ease, but I am used to a lower tension string with a different feel, and I am replacing them with the Kolstein Heritages, as I have on my other bass. If you interested in the Heliocores, PM me.

liam_g · #5 03-29-2006, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

They will bleed for a while. You just have to work though it. New Skin can help short term. It's just a rite of passage, though.

A lot of us in Seattle, maybe we should have a get-together. You wear gloves.

Not to hijack the thread, but yeah, we needs us a Seattle get-together!

Liam

Justin K-ski · #6 03-29-2006, 05:24 PM

I use a hybrid E on my classical bass. It sounds good with the pirastro orig top strings. However the hybrids are very bright and metallic sounding.

FidgetStone · #7 03-29-2006, 05:51 PM

The Helicore Hybrids did not work on my bass well at all. (2003 Christopher carved top) They were, as Justin commented, very metalic sounding on my bass.

I am using Pirasto Flat Chromesteel strings currently. They have a much warmer pizz tone and they bow better as well. They are an all metal string so they are brighter than Obligatos, but still far less metalic than the Helicores.

And, as you will hear around here a hundred times, results vary quite a bit from one bass to the other.

Bobby King · #8 03-29-2006, 06:00 PM

I've never had much luck with Helicore Hybrids. In fact, I have a barely used HH medium A string that I'll sell to anyone that wants it for $10, shipping included. Send me a PM.

JoeyNaeger · #9 03-29-2006, 08:05 PM

Interestingly enough, one of the basses at school has some hybrids and it actually sounds and bows pretty dang good. Of course they've probably been on that bass for years now so some of the metalicness may have dulled out. I would use the orchestra flavored ones as they'll bow much better and still pizz ok.

stockbass · #10 03-30-2006, 12:16 AM

I found them (light version) to be a little dull, but without the nasal character that spiros can have on some basses and a nice low tension. Good overall sound that without a doubt work great on some basses.

dcaviness · #11 03-30-2006, 11:23 AM

Thanks for replys. Might look into the orchastra strings for better sound quality/bowability and still be able to pizz. Looking for a Jazz style instructor in the south end/Puyallup/Auburn/Sumner -any leads?

Michael Glynn · #12 03-31-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcaviness

Thanks for replys. Might look into the orchastra strings for better sound quality/bowability and still be able to pizz. Looking for a Jazz style instructor in the south end/Puyallup/Auburn/Sumner -any leads?

I think Clipper Anderson is in the Tacoma area. He teaches at PLU, so you can probably get in touch with him through the university. Great player.

tgrant · #13 04-06-2006, 01:29 PM

I have bought the helicore hybrids twice (two different basses) and didn't like them much on either bass. I had better luck with TI Superflexibles as a hybrid string.

Marc Piane · #14 04-06-2006, 01:55 PM

I can't stand them. I find them to be really inconsistent from set to set. They are super bright at first, sound decent once they break in, then go dead pretty quickly. They are about the best string at that price-point but you get what you pay for. IMHO.

TroyK · #15 04-06-2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liam_g

Not to hijack the thread, but yeah, we needs us a Seattle get-together!

Liam

Just look at the Seattle area people on this thread alone. Let's post under Misc and see who responds. I'd love to meet some of you guys.

fish slapper · #16 04-08-2006, 01:45 PM

Hey, thought I'd chime in. I've been trying the Helicore Hybrids on my Shen for a couple months now and am giving up on them. They are great pizz in a Jazz jam but I'm still fighting the arco response. I'm going back to Pete's next week and he's got an idea of something to try. An orchestra string that isn't too dark. Although to my taste a little darkness wouldn't be bad.

Anybody else got any suggestions?

Mark