I like Weichs!

[Bobby King]

Back in December I bought a Shen SB 80 plywood bass to use as my "steel string" bass ( I'm an erstwhile gut-head). It came with Obligatos which sounded pretty good, but something about Obligatos doesn't quite do it for me. Then I had some Helicore Orchestras on it and the arco was beautiful but the pizz was a total thud. So, for the last few months I had been using an old set of Superflexibles which all around worked well on the bass.

But as you all know, a little money in a Paypal account will keep a string junkie from leaving well-enough alone.
I read so many posts from self-satisfied, well-adjusted Spirocore users that I thought, "it's been years, give 'em a try again". And I'd never used the Weichs in the past so I ordered a set.

Well surprise, surprise! I like Weichs. First of all, this Shen bass is not a very bright bass. It's an excellent bass for the money, it has nice even response and good sustain for a ply, but it's on the darker side so the Weichs seem to compliment it. I really like the tension of the Weichs, quite similar to the Pirastro Pizzicatos on my Strunal hybrid. I can keep the action a little higher than I could with the Superflexibles. The G string is not whiny. The Superflex actually "mwahed" more. I think it's the lower tension. It seems that a lower tension string will let certain basses produce more punch, more bass and more volume and this is the case with the Weichs on the Shen.

As for arco, it's not really that bad at all. A little buzzy right now, but I hear everyone say that this will improve over time. In any event, the bow grabs the strings and starts well. I recall playing on other Spirocores (maybe Orchestra gauge) and finding them hard to bow on. Maybe it's the lighter gauge or maybe I've improved my arco skills but it's better than I expected.

I have to say, I'm really enjoying them. My past prejudices have been unwarranted.

[Uncletoad]

Oh man.

I can't even come up with anything funny.

I believe you may be sicker than me.

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Oh man.

I can't even come up with anything funny.

I believe you may be sicker than me.

B*#w me, Phil.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by Bobby King

B*#w me, Phil.

Ok that's funny.

[ctxbass]

Interesting. Last week I took the guts off my Kay in preparation for an "outdoor, not wanting to mess with guts gig" and found some used Weichs I bought last year and never played. I too was surprised by the G. I found it much warmer than a mittel or Superflexible G, and I can walk up the neck without wincing and cringing........ ......could be my new favorite steel strings.

[Marcus Johnson]

hehehehehe.

I think I just felt the world start to spin around in the opposite direction.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I had a well broken in set that I sold to somebody a few months ago. Who was that? They might be good on the new bass..............................

[bonaventura]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

hehehehehe.

I think I just felt the world start to spin around in the opposite direction.

Or maybe it just turned full circle... "déjà vous all over again".

[Bobby King]

Well, my gut bass is still my main bass. That's still the sound I need the majority of the time. I've been extremely happy now (shut up Phil ) with the three Pizzicatos and a plain G on it. But for several years I've managed to have a second bass strung with steel strings to practice arco and when I want more of a modern jazz pizz tone. I've generally favored strings for arco but the Weichs are so great for pizz, and now I find that they're OK for arco too. Pizz-wise they're really fun - you can really fly on them!

[ctxbass]

Originally Posted by Bobby King

Well, my gut bass is still my main bass. That's still the sound I need the majority of the time.

+1

[Jeremy Allen]

I've always thought weichs sounded great. It's the feel that's gotten to me, mostly on the G string--so skinny! But they sure are fun to play on, almost a guilty pleasure. When I hear recordings of bassists who sound so great with weichs, I always think "why don't I just give in?"
(Then I play a gig unamplified, with gut strings, and I remember the answer to that question.)
Two basses, two basses.

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Allen

Two basses, two basses.

Without two basses I'd be even more string-nuts than I already am.

Anyway, I had read a lot of the posts about Weichs before I bought the set and I can't say that I really share the two most common complaints -- The G doesn't feel skinny, whiny or thin sounding; and the E isn't too loose or flabby. I think the E is great -- punchy, easy to manage and clear pitch.

I know that every bass responds differently and maybe the Weichs are just a good match with this plywood Shen. The Shen sounds crappy with guts! But it sounds like on the right bass you could use the Weich E&A with gut uppers and they'd match OK. I don't plan to do that for arco reasons.

I started on upright about 20 years ago, but just dabbled for the first 10 years. Electric bass has always been my bread and butter instrument. Maybe 10 years ago I started studying and practicing more on upright. When I moved to Nashville in 1991, I met more players into gut strings. My first gut experience was the famous Golden Spiral/Spiro Orch. combo. I loved the Spirals but I always found the Spiros mismatched in tone and tension and so I entered down the long dark hole of all-gut setups. Then after a while I started studying some arco and found the need for a second steel string bass -- could never stand bowing on gut! Then I would also enjoy pizzing on the steels too. So one thing leads to another...

But 20 years and a million dollars later my opinion is this: I like a setup of all-gut. It can be plain, flat or round but gut core at least. And I like an all steel setup too. But I've never been that happy with either a mixed set or synthetics.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I've been listening to a lot of Eddie Gomez and Miroslav Vitous lately. Not sure what strings they were using back in the late '60's and '70's but they have that sound and facility you just can't get on heavier strings.
Eddie's work with Bill Evans on "You Must Believe In Spring" really has me thinking about going back to an easier setup.

[bankerwithabass]

So I have been following this thread with interest because up to now I have been resisting with all my might, the urge to join all the rest of the string junkies out there and buy a new set of strings. (ha, ha, ha) But the Weich sounds like it's the string for me, except that I was reading on Mr. Golihur's site that these strings would never make it to an orchestra. Whilst I am not aspiring to play there (with all due respect to those who do) I do play arco and wonder if there is any truth to his comment that "You won't find too many arco players with them, as they have a scratchy sort of response, tolerable acoustically, but that scratch is often painfully and accurately conveyed by pickup systems" ? At $162 I want to make sure of what I'm getting into.

Currently I play Helicore Hybrid strings and am happy with them sort of. They are rather stiff, heavy on the low end, particularly playing pizz. But that could be bass/setup/pickup/etc. etc. So maybe I just bite the bullet and go with them since this is a relitively new bass and join the string junkies.

Any comments?

[Bobby King]

I continue to thoroughly enjoy playing these Weichs. I think that Bob Gollihur is overstating the arco issues. Maybe some others here could chime in as to whether the Orchestra (mittel) gauge is more problematic for arco but I find the Weichs to be quite bowable. They are a little bright and buzzy, but I anticipate that this will diminish over time. Everyone seems to say that the Weichs have a long break-in period. The pizz is really fabulous, totally comfortable tension, loud and punchy tone, good sustain but not too whiney (on my bass anyway).

If you are serious about orchestral arco, you'd probably want a darker, orchestra-type string -- Flexocor, Helicore Orchestra, Bel Canto, etc. But they may not make you happy for pizzicato.

Unfortunately, these strings perform differently on different basses so it's hard to avoid experimenting, the "used string drawer", and the accompanying lost $$. But, popular strings like Spirocore can be sold used on this site fairly easily. Usually you can get around half (maybe more) of the price back if they are fairly new. Don't clip them and keep the packaging.

Good luck!

[bankerwithabass]

Thanks, based on this and other threads I think I will give them a go. It would seem that buying strings and expermentation is the nature of the game.

[juuzek]

Hey Bobby,
Question: As a gut player, are you playing the spiro's at a gut action or a steel action set up?

[Marc Piane]

I was a Weich guy. I had them on my old ply (which is now my B) bass and loved them. A pretty dark bass though.

I got a Shen Willow (SB200). It is a pretty bright bass. Weich's sounded terrible. D'Addarios sounded bad too. Oblis were better but the feel sucked. I put heavy steels on the bottom and wrapped gut on the top and the bass came to life. Dark, rich, gorgeous tone.

The wrapped gut are starting to die though. I have a set of Dominants and a set of Velvet Animas waiting in the wings. And so it continues.

[Eric Swanson]

My former taacher played Weichs so I followed his lead and used them. Ended up using them for about 25 years, happily. Both pizz and arco, but never played them in orchestra (used other strings for that).

Got into the "string search" thing when I got my new bass. I was curious to learn about the new toys. Still have a 20 year old set of Weichs that may just jump onto my bass one day if I tire of the Bel Cantos.

Marcus Johnson is right. The world does feel as if it is starting to spin backwards...

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by juuzek

Hey Bobby,
Question: As a gut player, are you playing the spiro's at a gut action or a steel action set up?

More or less a steel action setup. When I bought the Shen bass that the Weiches are on, it was set up with Obligatos, and the bridge has a full arc (or whatever the proper term is) for arco play. I haven't changed it at all. I raised the adjusters a little from when I had Superflexibles on it. I wish the G was little higher relative to the others -- I like to get more finger under it -- but for arco clearance it's better this way. I can live with it.

On my other bass that has Pirastro Pizzicatos and a gut G, I have a somewhat flatter bridge and the G is higher and has more finger room. The E is a little higher too to prevent gut "flop". The Pizzicatos are less floppy than the Gamut roundwound guts, so the E could probably be a little lower now.

I can sure play faster on the Weichs , but fast is not always the objective