Help choosing soft strings

[bassvid75]

Hi,
I have a 1880 German Dbass and the neck its a litle bit lower.
The strings has a high tension,the result its good for bowing but for pizz
I think its heavy and the sound goes off to soon,does not have sustain that i like,thus anybody knows a set of strings that might fits well and be more soft?
Thanks,
Bassvid

[marvin spangles]

Hi

What are the strings that are on it now?

[bassvid75]

The Supremes from Rotosound,new old stock.
The bass has 109cm

[DoubleMIDI]

The Supreme is a string set from SuperSensitive (green sleeves) and they are rather thin and light steel strings.

As I know Rotosound only makes one set of double bass strings and they are nylon wound strings on G and D and metal wound on A ad E. They are rather thick strings made for pizz.

You won't get strings with much less tension than Supremes, except gut and some Rockabilly strings. Thicker strings like naked gut are easier to the left hand because the pressure is more distributed on the area of the fingers.

The higher tension comes from your longer scale (than "normal"). You need to enhance the tension compared to a shorter scale to reach the same note.

Supremes have a nice tension on a 109cm scale for steel strings. But they are thin. If this is not the problem, you can try the SuperSensitive Pinnacles which are a bit brighter with a very little bit more tension.
Otherwise you might want to check out some synthetic core strings or gut. The synthetic core strings often have more tension, but often are easier to play. You can get synthetic core strings with less tension from Innovation. But the bowable strings from them have about the same tension as the Supremes, only some of the pizz strings have a lot less tension and still a lot of sustain. The lowest tension bowable synthetic core strings I know are the Innovation Braided (140B) and the SuperSensitive Sensicore.

[nicechuck]

Corelli strings are low tension. I used the nickle wounds for over a year and liked them

[Jaromir]

Another option is to use solo strings and detune, like the Spirocore solos. They sound very well both pizz and arco.
Regarding synthetic strings, I can recommend D'addario Zyex, they have much less tension compare to Evah Pirazzi, for example, and also sound great.

[moles]

IIRC, Rotosound did in fact make a string set called "SUPREME"...either before they came out with the RS4000 Superbe's, or possibly concurrently (i.e. both sets were available from them for a time).
(EDIT: I see the OP did state "new-old-stock, which settles that...)
109cm (just under 43") is long enough that Spirocore S42 weichs would probably respond nicely, and be easier on the hands.

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by moles

IIRC, Rotosound did in fact make a string set called "SUPREME"...either before they came out with the RS4000 Superbe's, or possibly concurrently (i.e. both sets were available from them for a time).
(EDIT: I see the OP did state "new-old-stock, which settles that...)
109cm (just under 43") is long enough that Spirocore S42 weichs would probably respond nicely, and be easier on the hands.

Yes they came before the RS4000 indeed
But i think the're for 3/4 and my bass i suspect its a 4/4

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI

The Supreme is a string set from SuperSensitive (green sleeves) and they are rather thin and light steel strings.

As I know Rotosound only makes one set of double bass strings and they are nylon wound strings on G and D and metal wound on A ad E. They are rather thick strings made for pizz.

You won't get strings with much less tension than Supremes, except gut and some Rockabilly strings. Thicker strings like naked gut are easier to the left hand because the pressure is more distributed on the area of the fingers.

The higher tension comes from your longer scale (than "normal"). You need to enhance the tension compared to a shorter scale to reach the same note.

Supremes have a nice tension on a 109cm scale for steel strings. But they are thin. If this is not the problem, you can try the SuperSensitive Pinnacles which are a bit brighter with a very little bit more tension.
Otherwise you might want to check out some synthetic core strings or gut. The synthetic core strings often have more tension, but often are easier to play. You can get synthetic core strings with less tension from Innovation. But the bowable strings from them have about the same tension as the Supremes, only some of the pizz strings have a lot less tension and still a lot of sustain. The lowest tension bowable synthetic core strings I know are the Innovation Braided (140B) and the SuperSensitive Sensicore.

The tension its not nice,the sound ok but in finguer its very heavy and high tension,its a shame because i like the sound dark of it

[bassvid75]

The Supremes.

[DoubleMIDI]

Spiro S42W (the S42 are the Mittel) Weich work nicely on my 110cm scale bass. For a darker sound I like the Innovation Braided (140B) on my bass. They have almost the same tension than the Spiro S42W and I have mixed them for some time (Spiros on bottom). I heard the Innovation Braided are available again. (Only StringExpress, where I got them last time, seems to be out of bussiness.)

Other chioces for a dark string might be orchestral steel rope core strings that are more damped than Spiros, but most of them are again a bit higher tension.

Innovation and SuperSensitive have lower tension strings. Innovation with a synthetic core and SuperSensitive with either steel rope or synthetic core (don't try the red label solid steel core). The discontinued SuperSensitive Supreme was a bit darker and light, the Pinnacle is a bit brighter.

[bassvid75]

I think ill go for the Spiros S42W
Thanks!

[donn]

Let us know how it turns out. My guess is that the tension will be higher than what you have now, but that's based on published values that don't account for the scale length issue, and I have no idea how much difference that really makes.

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI

Spiro S42W (the S42 are the Mittel) Weich work nicely on my 110cm scale bass. For a darker sound I like the Innovation Braided (140B) on my bass. They have almost the same tension than the Spiro S42W and I have mixed them for some time (Spiros on bottom). I heard the Innovation Braided are available again. (Only StringExpress, where I got them last time, seems to be out of bussiness.)

Other chioces for a dark string might be orchestral steel rope core strings that are more damped than Spiros, but most of them are again a bit higher tension.

Innovation and SuperSensitive have lower tension strings. Innovation with a synthetic core and SuperSensitive with either steel rope or s

ynthetic core (don't try the red label solid steel core). The discontinued SuperSensitive Supreme was a bit darker and light, the Pinnacle is a bit brighter.

On monday ill try a velvet compas 180 from a friend of mine,he told the're almost dead but i want to try them just to check the tension of it,what do you think?comparing to the s42s?
Pedro

[TonyD]

If you like the Velvet Compas 180 - I have a set for sale in the Classifieds.

[DoubleMIDI]

A bit less tension than the Spiro Mittel 4/4 (S42). Nicer to play for the left hand because of the larger diameter of the high strings.

The E (or whatever you mount on the lowest peg) is tricky to mount, because the red thick part should not be wound on the peg or the string breaks. You may need to correct the tailpiece mounting several times until it works. (You can hold the string above the nut until the red thick part will fall behind the nut, then let the string fall into the nut slot.)

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by TonyD

If you like the Velvet Compas 180 - I have a set for sale in the Classifieds.

Ok,ill let you know,thanks.

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI

A bit less tension than the Spiro Mittel 4/4 (S42). Nicer to play for the left hand because of the larger diameter of the high strings.

The E (or whatever you mount on the lowest peg) is tricky to mount, because the red thick part should not be wound on the peg or the string breaks. You may need to correct the tailpiece mounting several times until it works. (You can hold the string above the nut until the red thick part will fall behind the nut, then let the string fall into the nut slot.)

Thanks,i do not see how it is but on monday ill get it,i think.

[donn]

Sounds like something that would be less of a worry, with a long scale.

Velvet strings are normally designed to tune at 25kg, so apart from what they may feel like, they're low tension strings in terms of force on the top of the bass, even compared to "weich" strings and downtuned solos. That's why I picked Blues for my old plywood bass.

[bassvid75]

Originally Posted by donn

Sounds like something that would be less of a worry, with a long scale.

Velvet strings are normally designed to tune at 25kg, so apart from what they may feel like, they're low tension strings in terms of force on the top of the bass, even compared to "weich" strings and downtuned solos. That's why I picked Blues for my old plywood bass.

And what i need its a low tension rght now,my bass has 109cm and the strings are for 3/4.