Instead of Spiro G, use _________

[drurb]

It's been noted in a number of threads discussing the venerable Spirocores that the G can be what Uncletoad so aptly called a "problem child." So, I thought I'd ask folks about their favorite replacement for the Spiro G. Assuming you have a set of Spiro mittels:

1) Would you substitute another string for the G?
2) If so, which string?
3) Why?

Thanks for playing the Spiro G game.

[Francois Blais]

Some people use the Superflex G instead.
A Pirastro Original Flexocor or Original FlatChrome is nice too.

[Bobby King]

I'll give a + 1 to the Original Flexicore G. It is darker, with less sustain, slightly softer tension. Much better under the bow -- but beware, now your Spiro D will sound bright next to it. And go no further because the OF D is no good for pizz, too thuddy. I've got my Spiros back on and the G isn't bothering me this time for some reason. Maybe the older it gets, the less annoying it is.

[Eric Hochberg]

I have subbed Evah Reg, Evah Solo, Obli, Innovation, Corelli and Olive G's for Spiro. These are all very different from one another. I found the Obli to match up pretty well with the spiros tone wise. The Evah Reg works pretty well and is a little darker. The Evah Solo has a nice clear sound and is a bit looser feeling than the spiros. Surprisingly, in didn't feel too thin. The Innovation felt nice but sounded kind of plastic-y and doesn't bow well. The Olive sounds great, felt nice but has too much excursion for me. The Corelli sounded good, bowed great, felt thin and was a bit weaker volume wise.

My goal in trying different G strings was to find something that bowed smoother without the scratchy, high freq. material, and that had a fatter feel. The Evahs and Oblis worked best for me in this context.

For the first time in many years, I've got a full set of mittels on my bass and I haven't taken the G off yet, but I'm tempted...

[drurb]

Originally Posted by ehochberg

I have subbed Evah Reg, Evah Solo, Obli, Innovation, Corelli and Olive G's for Spiro. These are all very different from one another. I found the Obli to match up pretty well with the spiros tone wise. The Evah Reg works pretty well and is a little darker. The Evah Solo has a nice clear sound and is a bit looser feeling than the spiros. Surprisingly, in didn't feel too thin. The Innovation felt nice but sounded kind of plastic-y and doesn't bow well. The Olive sounds great, felt nice but has too much excursion for me. The Corelli sounded good, bowed great, felt thin and was a bit weaker volume wise.

My goal in trying different G strings was to find something that bowed smoother without the scratchy, high freq. material, and that had a fatter feel. The Evahs and Oblis worked best for me in this context.

For the first time in many years, I've got a full set of mittels on my bass and I haven't taken the G off yet, but I'm tempted...

Wow! Now that's detail! Thank you!

[Uncletoad]

I've tried:

Superflex
Flex 92 orch
Flex 92 stark
Original Flatchrome
Original Flex
Flat chromsteel
Belcanto
Oliv
Eudoxa
Dominant
Evah P regular
Permanent
Gamut Gut
Vintage gut several
Velvet Anima
Velvet Garbo.

Both my basses have a spiro mitt G on them today. What does that tell you?

Having said all that my favorite non spiro G strings mixed with an otherwise Spiro Mitt set in order are:

Belcanto
Stark Flex
Oliv
Superflex
Dominant

Only the Belcanto balanced reasonably well on my basses with a regular Spiro Mittel set. And that's only a really well broken in one. The new one didn't cut it. Everything else was messed up somehow and when I went back to the spiro I was left with the annoying racket but on the gig it always works.

Through the pickup it's always balanced, with any other G something gets lost.

YMMV etc...

[Marcus Johnson]

Oh! That reminds me.... gotta get to the post office today...

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Oh! That reminds me.... gotta get to the post office today...

We'll alert the media.

[Marcus Johnson]

Oh... sorry, just talking to DRURB, I guess. It's early here.....

[MIKMAN]

Ιn each one of my basses the Spiro G, either weich or Mittel, sounded weak. I tried many alternatives but i finalized to the Corelli 370F, which gives better sustain and vibrates better. The volume is rather the same and the each instrument sounds balanced in all strings.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by MIKMAN

Ιn each one of my basses the Spiro G, either weich or Mittel, sounded weak. I tried many alternatives but i finalized to the Corelli 370F, which gives better sustain and vibrates better. The volume is rather the same and the each instrument sounds balanced in all strings.

On my instruments that has not been my experience, rather the opposite.

Just goes to show you instrument variables will always trump string variables. Much of what we discuss here on strings is relative and hard to apply across different basses.

[Mark Perna]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

On my instruments that has not been my experience, rather the opposite.

Just goes to show you instrument variables will always trump string variables. Much of what we discuss here on strings is relative and hard to apply across different basses.

Isn't that the truth. I have different experiences with my own basses. What works on one inevitably doesn't work on the other and they are both set up to my preferences. I can't imagine ANYTHING working on someone else's instrument.

That said, my favorite non-gut G when working with an otherwise Mittel setup was a Dominant. The Mittel G sounded small in comparison. The only problem I had was the Dominant messed with the tension in the other strings and the E ended up sounding a little anemic. When I eventually went back to the Mittel G, the E snapped back to it's old self. Other G strings I've tried: Evah (regular), Spiro Weich, Labella 7700 (? whichever one Ron Carter uses-I don't remember the number offhand), Chorda, Gamut Lyon and Gamut Pistoy. My current favorite G string is the Gamut Lyon medium.

mark

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Just goes to show you instrument variables will always trump string variables. Much of what we discuss here on strings is relative and hard to apply across different basses.

Oh, thanks alot. What the hell else are we going to talk about?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by calivox

That said, my favorite non-gut G when working with an otherwise Mittel setup was a Dominant. The Mittel G sounded small in comparison.

Agreed. In my case, I just switched string sets after trying this, but I could see playing spiro reds with a Dominant G and being pretty happy with the combination. I know I was while I waited for the rest of the new set of Doms to arrive.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

Oh, thanks alot. What the hell else are we going to talk about?

Girls, drinking, sports, what else?

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Agreed. In my case, I just switched string sets after trying this, but I could see playing spiro reds with a Dominant G and being pretty happy with the combination. I know I was while I waited for the rest of the new set of Doms to arrive.

...but it's the Dom G that kept breaking on me.

[MR PC]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Just goes to show you instrument variables will always trump string variables. Much of what we discuss here on strings is relative and hard to apply across different basses.

Since you are the guy that actually tries different options in search of the "perfect string family" I'm wondering. Have you experimented the individual string height on the tailpiece saddle? Like shimming the G string there.

What if the ball end of the G was top loaded like it is on the old Thomastik Metal Tailpiece? I remember hearing that twisting the ends on Guts can effect their tension and tone somewhat, though I've never tried it. Not sure if that would apply to modern strings.

[bribass]

Originally Posted by Francois Blais

Some people use the Superflex G instead.
A Pirastro Original Flexocor or Original FlatChrome is nice too.

Yes, a Superflexible G works very well w/ Spiro Mitts. It's a Thomastic string after all. After the break in it's warmer, but still has powerful pizz, matches tension of the Spiros well (atleast on my bass), about the same diameter as a Mit G, is cheaper and is grabbier w/ the bow. A win/win/win in my book. I used this combo for years after using a Flexocore 92 G w/ Spiros for years before that. The Superflex is better pizz G IMO.

I liked it so much I started using Superflexibles all across on my Prescott and haven't looked back. W/ Evah regs. on my German I've been Spiro free for a couple of years now. About 30% of my playing is arco and I can't give up the added grab especially in the lower strings. Some players think Superflex have too much tension, but I think if you have a good resonant instrument that isn't too "tight" feeling the tension isn't a problem especially if they aren't too old and worn out. I have a month old set on now and I'm lovin' them. YMMV

...did I mention the easier on the wallet part? $125-$135 a set at the discount sites we all love.

[Eric Hochberg]

Just put an Evah Regular G on with the Mittels and all the strings now feel tighter on my bass. Weird, I had to work a lot harder last night. Can't find any info on Evah tension anywhere. Does anyone have the numbers?

[drurb]

Originally Posted by ehochberg

Just put an Evah Regular G on with the Mittels and all the strings now feel tighter on my bass. Weird, I had to work a lot harder last night. Can't find any info on Evah tension anywhere. Does anyone have the numbers?

Hmm-- Evah regular G. On my bass and in my experience, that G was much darker, stiffer, and powerful than the Spiro mittel G. How well does the sound match up for you? I'm now afraid of the Evahs. After switching to the weichs, which I really did love, I really think it was the stiffness that did me in. It makes sense that you felt you had to work harder. The stiffness of the Evahs seems to actually increase over time. I'm not the only player to notice that. I'm sticking with the Spiros for a good long while.