Golden Spirals Alternative

valdi kolli · #1 08-07-2006, 09:59 AM

I can´t believe I´m the only one missing them.

Do you guys know of any alternative?

Mad cow decease is not an excuse for not making them.
I know of the Labella ones but I´ve heard that the D string is a bit too thick. and it´s quite hard to order them. Have you guys tried the pirastro pizzicatos? are they similar to the Golden Spirals.
Any other ideas?
or do we (Golden Spiral guys) just have to put our fist through the table and ask them to make them again.

Valdi

Peck_Time · #2 08-07-2006, 04:41 PM

I emailed D'addario last week about their plans to reintroduce Golden Spirals (I've never played them, but have read good stuff), and here is the reply:

"There are no plans to reintroduce Kaplan Golden Spiral Bass strings, but we are evaluating the possibility of synthetic gut double bass strings."

TroyK · #3 08-07-2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peck_Time

I emailed D'addario last week about their plans to reintroduce Golden Spirals (I've never played them, but have read good stuff), and here is the reply:

"There are no plans to reintroduce Kaplan Golden Spiral Bass strings, but we are evaluating the possibility of synthetic gut double bass strings."

It doesn't surprise me that D'addario would be plotting a perlon core type string since everyone else does and there is a clear market for those types of strings.

They've been talking about remaking Golden Spirals, though and I don't think they'll get as much of a reaction from simply chasing Obligatoes, Heritage, Dominants, Innovations, etc.. They're late to that party. Plus most of those strings have some type of durability issue and D'Addario is the only string manufacturer who seems to make all steal strings that have a reputation for braking.

I saw some new-old-stock Golden Spirals in the classifieds, someone should snap them up.

Marcus Johnson · #4 08-07-2006, 05:07 PM

Isn't it strange, too.... that term "synthetic gut". Why don't they just call 'em they are? I mean, where do they come from, plastic barnyard animals?

Whoa.... I think I was channelling Andy Rooney there for a minute.

svenbass · #5 09-22-2006, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Isn't it strange, too.... that term "synthetic gut". Why don't they just call 'em they are? I mean, where do they come from, plastic barnyard animals?

LOL! - I can envision some surly, grim faced workers stirring a big pot of melted Fisher Price Barnyard sets!

Planet Pickups · #6 09-22-2006, 03:10 AM

"plastic barnyard animals? - I can envision some surly, grim faced workers stirring a big pot of melted Fisher Price toys! "

LOL !
I used to have the Tynex Kaplan Spirals too. I miss them too, and could not find any equal strings on the market. I settled on the Rotosound RS4000 G and D , and they are close. Slightly lower tension and not quite the same in volume and feel, close enough though. They are lower priced and last longer. The tynex wrap on the spirals used to un-wrapple ( can you say that in English? )
Valdi, I have a friend who has the D and G Labella´s goldentones, and I was offered to try them out on my bass. So when I have tried them out I will let you know how they compare to the Spirals.
/Peter

boombloom · #7 09-22-2006, 05:13 AM

A lot of my bluegrass style evolved around Golden Spiral G and D and Spirocore A and E. So far I've been very fortunate in that I've found new Spirals here and there. Mostly I've found them here on the Talkbass classifieds. Someday I guess I'll have to try the Goldentones. I have a set of RS4000's that I've never tried. I have Obligatos on my other bass and they're OK. It sure sucks depending on an endangered/extinct string.

martinc · #8 09-22-2006, 05:56 AM

The Pirastro Pizz nylon-wrapped gut G is as close to the Golden Spiral as you can get. I have both and other than the slightly darker colour of the Pirastro I wouldn't know the difference. They both sound great if you like the gut sound.
There have been reports of the Pirastro's windings coming loose.That has not happened to me (I'm on my second one)but I did have that problem with a couple of the Golden Spirals.

Ed Fuqua · #9 09-22-2006, 09:42 AM

Everybody I know that plays'em has a stash. Which is gonna eventually run out....

I used to play them and really dug the sound (Thomastic weich E and A with GS D and G), I've been kind of wondering what it wouls sound like with the Velvet E and A with Spiral D and G....

basstef · #10 09-23-2006, 05:54 AM

I still have one G and one D. Used about a month or so. I let them go. If you're interested please go to the "For sale: accesories".

Bobby King · #11 09-24-2006, 09:36 AM

For a while, there was a luthier named George Chestnut here in Nashville that was able to have a Golden Spiral-style string custom made for him by R.Cocco. They were very good and as I recall, they had a little more tension and were slightly narrower in diameter than the Kaplans. But alas, Cocco wasn't willing to keep making them. It seems that it shouldn't be so difficult for more string makers to make a similar string given the apparent interest.

I've used Golden Spirals in the past but ultimately I preferred plain gut. The Spirals tended to be floppy, less loud, and more "plasticy" sounding than plain gut, and the tynex would eventually come unwound. They've developed a cult-like reputation (along with Red-o-Ray) probably because they're no longer made. If you're willing to spend $100 per string, buy some custom made Gamut gut strings.

This is of course, IMFO.