Olive G and D

bassphase · #1 09-26-2004, 01:18 AM

Hi

I just swapped out the Spriocore weich G and orchestra D for an Oliv G and D on my new Wan Bernadel. WOW!! These things kill. So sweet----and of course the Spirocores still provide the growl on the bottom although I'm considering maybe a Dominant A to make the transition a little smoother. Anybody?

Oh, and what are those little felt washers on the Olives for???

bob

Humberto · #2 09-26-2004, 05:54 AM

I'm thinking of trying the Oliv G & D with Pirastro Obligato A & E. I'll let you know how the A & E work.

Question: did you have to change your set-up at all for the Olivs?

**Francois Blais** · #3 09-26-2004, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassphase

Oh, and what are those little felt washers on the Olives for???

They protect the tailpiece wood from the metal ball pull.
All Pirastro strings come with felt rings.

bassphase · #4 09-26-2004, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humberto

I'm thinking of trying the Oliv G & D with Pirastro Obligato A & E. I'll let you know how the A & E work.

Question: did you have to change your set-up at all for the Olivs?

No---and I was kind of expecting too. The nut slots were wide enough and the low string height is fine left as it was. There's noticeably less tension than the Spirocores which is a nice side benefit. Volume is very close too.

bob

bassphase · #5 09-26-2004, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

They protect the tailpiece wood from the metal ball pull.
All Pirastro strings come with felt rings.

It would seem like they might affect the tone. Do I have to use them? Are Pirastro ball ends more destructive than say, spirocores?

bob

**Adrian Cho** · #6 09-26-2004, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassphase

It would seem like they might affect the tone. Do I have to use them? Are Pirastro ball ends more destructive than say, spirocores?

bob

I thought it was accepted that the felt washers do make a slight difference to the tone - especially pizzicato.

A couple of guys here in town use Olivs on the top and Obligatos on the bottom. I don't like Obligatos on the bottom myself.

Humberto · #7 09-26-2004, 12:19 PM

Adrian, what do you like for the A & E ?

I've tried the Pirastro with & without the felt and I think it makes little difference, at least on my bass, if anything I think it damps the sound, but not by much.

Glad to hear I shouldn't have to adjust my bridge for the Olives.

**Adrian Cho** · #8 09-26-2004, 02:02 PM

Well previously I used Eudoxas. However I just changed basses and I am finding this bass needs higher tension strings so I'm experimenting with different strings for the E and possibly the A. I am actually no longer using an Oliv G but am now using a Chorda G which is Pirastro's unwound gut G. Works very nicely with the Oliv D.

bassphase · #9 10-03-2004, 05:39 AM

OK

After a week I don't like the Oliv D that much anymore. Too ill defined and thumpy. I still Love the Oliv G. I wish the timbre of the G and D were the same but they really aren't, at least on my bass. I tried a Dominant D and it sounds too much like a Spirocore--a little less sustain and tension and a bit darker but basically the same timbre. I want something to match or at least compliment the Oliv G. I don't know where to start--probably another wrapped gut string but this is getting fairly unpredictable (and expensive). The idea is to get a sweet gut sound on the higher strings and transition smoothly to the growly sustain of my Spiro E.

Any suggestions??

Oh, one more thing--pizz only.

bob

**Francois Blais** · #10 10-03-2004, 10:36 AM

I'd suggest an Original Flexocor D.
I think it'd fit nicely with an Olive G.

bassphase · #11 10-10-2004, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

I'd suggest an Original Flexocor D.
I think it'd fit nicely with an Olive G.

But how about tension? Aren't the original Flexocores fairly high tension? Probably much more than the Oliv. How about a Pirastro Pizz D?

bob

bassphase · #12 10-15-2004, 09:13 AM

I think I solved my string dilemma (sort of). I put on a Pirastro Pizzicato D string to go with the Oliv G and the Spiro E and A. This combination is sweet in the upper registers with a nice string tension and the Spiro E an A growl nicely and have good definition. The transition from string to string is very smooth with no jarring timbre shifts. The problem is the Pizzicato feels like a f*#king wood rasp! I took some 000 steel wool to it (which gave it a strange orange cast for some reason) and it helped a great deal.

Anybody want to buy a 1 week old untrimmed Oliv D for cheap?

Oh, I thought I saw someone mention a spell checker in a post---where is it? I type very bdlyy badnly bawdy...

bob