Jargar and Flexocor

Bobby King · #1 06-18-2005, 11:27 AM

I'm a gut string lover but I've been using Flexocor Medium (92 Flexocor) recently for their great arco response and sound. I don't mind the pizz sound, it's not too bright/wirey and has a little bit of "thump" like gut. I'm also curious about the Jargar strings. How do they compare for both pizz and arco? Is the pizz brighter, more or less sustain, and how do the tensions and stiffness compare? Likewise arco? Is the sound and bowabilty as good as Flexocor? What about the qualities of the different gauges?

Also, I've only used Flexocor Medium. Does anyone have experience with other gauges of Flexocor and can they describe the differences?

Finally, does anyone have any used Jargars they want to sell?

Thanks folks!

Bobby

dfp · #2 06-19-2005, 01:50 PM

i can respond only to the part about flexocors. i recently tried a thin A and E (replacing the mediums) b/c the mediums had such a stuffy pizz sound. the thin ones had a little more character (grrr, sustain, whathaveyou) but i didn't keep them for long b/c they, like the mediums, were still very much an arco string: not loud or powerful enough for my taste on pizz. they mixed well with medium flexcor D and G, though. they had a pleasingly lighter tension, not too loose. compared to a louder string like Thomastik Superflexible (which i'm enjoying) the Flexocors made my bass sound dead. in a bad way.

the thin Flexocor bowed great, though. easier to bow than anything i've tried (flex, orig flex, obligato, helicore, oliv, eudoxa, etc). good luck!
DaveP

**Francois Blais** · #3 06-19-2005, 03:06 PM

I can't speak about arco issues, but for pizz, I'd say that Flexocor 92's and Jargar are probably the warmest steel offerings on the market.
Jargars are even warmer and darker then Flexocors in my experience.
I second Dave's comments on the Flex thins.
The Thicks are also very nice; more sustain, more power, but stiffer to play!
Jargars are also available in three gauges.
I think several slappers use Jargar Dolces as a substitute for gut.

Bobby King · #4 06-19-2005, 03:34 PM

Thanks guys!

I'm actually trying to get a sound about 10% "jazzier" than Flexocor medium for pizzicato. It sounds like the Jargars will be too thuddy. I'm almost OK with the Flex mediums for pizz and their arco is the best. How much thinner are the thins and is the tension a lot lighter? The mediums don't have a great deal of tension as it is. Also, do you lose much bottom with the lights?

Thanks for your help!

Bobby

**Francois Blais** · #5 06-19-2005, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby King

I'm actually trying to get a sound about 10% "jazzier" than Flexocor medium for pizzicato. It sounds like the Jargars will be too thuddy.

My opinion too, according to what you consider to be a "jazzier" tone.

Quote:

I'm almost OK with the Flex mediums for pizz and their arco is the best. How much thinner are the thins and is the tension a lot lighter? The mediums don't have a great deal of tension as it is. Also, do you lose much bottom with the lights?

I can't give number figures for the tension differences, but the tone is definitely thinner, quieter.
You could maybe consider using Flexocor thicks for the A & E, and mediums for the D & G.
IMHO, this is the best jazz mix for Flexocor '92s.

Did you try Original Flexocors?

Bobby King · #6 06-19-2005, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

My opinion too, according to what you consider to be a "jazzier" tone.

I can't give number figures for the tension differences, but the tone is definitely thinner, quieter.
You could maybe consider using Flexocor thicks for the A & E, and mediums for the D & G.
IMHO, this is the best jazz mix for Flexocor '92s.

Did you try Original Flexocors?

By "jazzier" I meant just a little brighter and sustaining. I've never tried Original Flexicore but I've had the impression that they are darker than the 92's. Not looking to go in that direction. Maybe Flatchrome Steel. Some say they're bright like Spirocores, others say they're more like Flex. The whole string thing is so subjective. Let's face it, we're all nuts!

AMJBASS · #7 06-19-2005, 08:48 PM

I thought about using Flexocore "thick" tension to see if I could get a little more volume and attack. Haven't tried them yet....

Vunz · #8 06-20-2005, 12:54 AM

What about Pirastro Permanents? Relatively bright, good sustain, and very, very bowable.

Cheers,

Vincent

**Francois Blais** · #9 06-20-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby King

By "jazzier" I meant just a little brighter and sustaining. I've never tried Original Flexicore but I've had the impression that they are darker than the 92's. Not looking to go in that direction.

The Original Flex A & E are indeed darker, but the D & G are brighter/strounger sounding than the '92s.

Quote:

Maybe Flatchrome Steel. Some say they're bright like Spirocores, others say they're more like Flex. The whole string thing is so subjective. Let's face it, we're all nuts!

The "new" Flat-Chromes are indeed quite bright, more than 10% jazzier than '92s methinks, so would be the Permanents IMO.
However the Permanents are thicker and have a fuller tone than Flat-Chromes.

**Francois Blais** · #10 06-20-2005, 08:55 AM

Hi again Bob.
Maybe you'd be interested to try Kolstein Varicore Excel strings.
An orchestral string with huge volume, brighter than Flexocors.
Nice hybrid string for both arco and pizz, not well known and underrated.

Bobby King · #11 06-20-2005, 01:59 PM

So here's what I did:

I had some Superflexible E&As that I previously found too bright to match with the Flexocor 92 D&G. My son's bass has a full set of Superflexibles so I took off the E&A and gave him the new ones. His are at least half a year old and now they match up fine with the Flexs (I'm loving the G&D pizz sound of those!). They bow reasonably well, too. So, that's my solution... for today anyway

They should sell bottled "Finger Funk" to put on your strings.
Or how about "relic-ed" or "distressed" steel strings

Maybe I can just keep pilfering my son's after a few months or so.

Thanks everyone!

dfp · #12 06-22-2005, 09:26 AM

hey Bobby, i was just catching up on this thread and was about to suggest exactly what you've come to with the Superflexible E and A with your Flexocors D and G. glad you found some peace (for now!)...

if you're ever in Knoxville on a Sunday night, stop in at Barley's in the old city. you'd enjoy ogling my New Standard Cleveland with the Velvet Anima strings I put on it last night...

is there anywhere i can catch you in Nashville? i got friends/family there...

Dave

Bobby King · #13 06-27-2005, 11:50 PM

Hey Dave,

Have we met? There's another bass player from Maryville that I've talked to a bunch. I last saw him at the Camperfest. That's not you is it?

Anyway, I play various gigs around Nashville. Probably more electric than upright but I'm doing more upright recently. I work with T. Graham Brown off and on, have worked for John Berry, Tanya Tucker, Holly Dunn and others. I've done some theatre on upright, "Always, Patsy Cline" and "My Way" (Sinatra) playing upright. I do an Elvis tribute show

on Mondays and Thursdays at The Texas Troubador near Opryland. I do the first half of that on upright - doing the Sun and early RCA tunes.

I've played at The Palace Theatre (I think that's the name) in Maryville with a woman named Irene Kelly. It's a little old theatre in town there.

My email is RSK1957@aol.com

BTW, I've been experimenting with the Innovation strings and so far I'm liking them a lot. Still have the Flex/SprFlex combo, too.