G string to match weichs?

Kaspar Vadsholt · #1 09-25-2005, 06:43 AM

Just replaced a set of animas for weichs on my 7/8 Lang. Although I love animas for their dark, organic tone, there's something to be said for spiros punch and sustain. However I DON'T like the sitar-ish tone on the G-string. I've tried Eudoxa, and it sounds great, but I worry about the windings and the tuning instability. Oliv could be an altenative, but is it too dark and thick in combination with the weichs?
Is there an alternative, steel- or synthetic-wise, i.e (relatively) soft tension, punchy and warm?

Thanks alot

anonymous0726 · #2 09-25-2005, 07:03 AM

When I play Weichs I always get complaints from my cohorts, "Did you lower your strings? It sounds like Eddie Gomez on a bender..."

Too much growl and sustain, I guess. That sitarish sound you mention. For Spiros I play regulars or Solos, the Solos being really loose and dark-sounding and the Regulars thicker and percussive sounding with more sustain and midrange.

Kaspar Vadsholt · #3 09-25-2005, 07:58 AM

Yeah, I know what you're saying but I played a hardbop gig last night and it sounded great. I guess it's comes down to a deliberate attack. Christian McBride sounds great with light helicores, and he has
all the punch in the world. It's also about the bass you play, and I suspect that my bass (and right hand) likes the lower tension of the weichs, especially coming from animas. I have not tried spiro solos, but aren't they even whimpier?

Thank you!

anonymous0726 · #4 09-25-2005, 08:09 AM

I think it depends on the bass. On my bass the neck angle is a little too high, and so lighter strings are actually louder and free-er sounding. The Solos, fo me, have a thuddier attack and a shorter sustain with a big, wet, open bottom. I think if the tension went below what your bass wants they'd get real dead, but I've heard them on a few different basses and they did alright.

Kaspar Vadsholt · #5 09-25-2005, 09:06 AM

Wet bottom...hm, sounds nice. I dig Scott LaFaros bottom, knowing
he used gut. Sometimes Spiros orchs are too long sounding in the bottom methinks. But do the solos project well enough? (and I think the thing about weichs is that they don't project as well as orchs, which can generate comments like you mentioned) Yeah, Eddie Gomez' sound is an acquired taste, but isn't he one of the baddest mf's around?!

AMJBASS · #6 09-26-2005, 10:14 AM

I have been curious about Spirocore Solos for the longest time. I think I am going to try out a set....if they are darker than Mittles(Orchestra) on my bass and they have good acoustic volume I will be pleased. I love using gut, but this is the worst time of year for it! They don't stay in tune and feel awful. From what I have read of Rays experience the solos are definitely worth a shot.

TroyK · #7 09-26-2005, 10:54 AM

I've been using solos for about 3 months and am still happy with them. The tension is appropriate on my bass. I've never had Spirocores on this particular bass before, so it's tough to compare, but they have some of that Spirocore tone that you expect, but because of the lower tension, they seem to have a bit more of an old school nature to them. Tough to explain, you'd probably have to try it.

It's been working for me, though.

Troy

Kaspar Vadsholt · #8 09-26-2005, 01:58 PM

Yhanks for the replies, I might go for the solos, but aren't they even thinner in diameter than weichs?
My thread was originally about getting a fatter-sounding G-string for jazz pizz, and I suspect a solo G-string would be the wrong direction, or what?

TroyK · #9 09-27-2005, 10:42 AM

I had heard that they were thin in diameter. It's tough for me to say, because I don't have other Spirocores around to compare, but they are not noticably different in gauge than what I would expect from other steel strings. I've been using Permenants and Flatchromesteels and they're similar. Maybe a little thinner.

Now, if you want a larger and darker G, that's probably not the way to go. I honestly wasn't following this thread until I saw the contimplation of Solos and thought I would share my current experience.

-tk

basss · #10 09-27-2005, 02:15 PM

I had good luck with an Obligato G and Spiro Weich E,A and D. The obli G was fatter sounding and less twangy than the weich and matched up well in tension and tone with the weichs. The obli G also seem to last a lot longer than the rest of the obli set that I had used previously.

jazzbassnerd · #11 09-27-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basss

I had good luck with an Obligato G and Spiro Weich E,A and D. The obli G was fatter sounding and less twangy than the weich and matched up well in tension and tone with the weichs. The obli G also seem to last a lot longer than the rest of the obli set that I had used previously.

+1 for that thought.

I don't use that set up, but for the tone I think you want the Obligato G should sound nice. It may be a little too "gut-y," but I don't think so. I remember the G and D being a little brighter than the E and A, it could sound good.

Kaspar Vadsholt · #12 09-28-2005, 12:20 AM

Thanks for the tip, Guys! I'm gonna try out an obligato G-string when my eudoxa dies, which could anytime soon! Isn't the lifespan of an obligato shorter than a spiro?

Kaspar Vadsholt · #13 09-28-2005, 12:33 AM

After my last reply I did a search for "obligato"s here on TB, and it seems that they (to some) get "buried in the mix". That is obviously not what I want. I need a G-string that gives that good old walking pizz punch and body in the mid/higher register without being too old school. Sounds contradictory? Well, maybe it is

**Francois Blais** · #14 09-28-2005, 06:10 AM

How about an Oliv G then?
I don't think there's a better sounding G around!

basss · #15 09-28-2005, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspar Vadsholt

After my last reply I did a search for "obligato"s here on TB, and it seems that they (to some) get "buried in the mix". That is obviously not what I want. I need a G-string that gives that good old walking pizz punch and body in the mid/higher register without being too old school. Sounds contradictory? Well, maybe it is

IME the obli G was different than the rest of the set. The rest of the obli set did tend to get buried in the mix but the obli G was much brighter which is why it matched well with the weichs. I had the same experience with the weich G - it was much brighter/thinner sounding than the rest of the set which is why I put the obli G on in the first place.

Kaspar Vadsholt · #16 09-28-2005, 06:32 AM

"IME the obli G was different than the rest of the set. The rest of the obli set did tend to get buried in the mix but the obli G was much brighter which is why it matched well with the weichs. I had the same experience with the weich G - it was much brighter/thinner sounding than the rest of the set which is why I put the obli G on in the first place."

-Yeah, that might be the way to go, hmm. But how stiff is it? I want a flexible string.

"How about an Oliv G then?
I don't think there's a better sounding G around!"

Personally, I don't think there's a huge diff between eudoxa a oliv G's, and as previously stated, I'm worried about their vulnerability. But how's it going with oiling them, Francois?

Thanks!

anonymous0726 · #17 09-28-2005, 07:23 AM

I played Weich E and A with Obli D and G for a while. It was a pretty nice mix.

AMJBASS · #18 09-28-2005, 07:27 AM

I used that setup for a while as well. The Obligatos are much smoother sounding than Spirocores. However, I don't think they have the same presence. It is a decent setup. Remember that what you are hearing while you are playing isn't what the audience is hearing.

anonymous0726 · #19 09-28-2005, 07:50 AM

I played one set out with that combination. It struck me as 'nice' set, but I wasn't nuts about them. This was on my 3 year progression from Spiros through about a dozen different sets and combinations all the way down to Spiro Solos, where I played 3 or 4 sets in a row.

I'm back on regular Spiros now and would probably choose Dominants as the other set that I really like. I don't think that I'd go back to any of the others that I tried.

**Francois Blais** · #20 09-28-2005, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspar Vadsholt

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

"How about an Oliv G then?
I don't think there's a better sounding G around!"

Personally, I don't think there's a huge diff between eudoxa a oliv G's, and as previously stated, I'm worried about their vulnerability. But how's it going with oiling them, Francois?
Thanks!

If oiling is not necessary with plain gut, as stated in this post:
Oiling Varnished Gut Strings
So I don't see, and never heard of, the necessity of oiling metal woung guts.
I may be wrong, I'm not familiar with gut strings, and avoid them because of their cost and susceptibility with humidity and weather.