Pirastro Pizzacato Strings

[A. Munk]

Didn't find much info about these.
Anybody used/using these?

Hey Bobby King!
What's the latest on these?
Still using?

[Francois Blais]

At least they taste good!
Sorry, couldn't resist!

[Bobby King]

Hey Mr. Munk!

I am not currently using them, but I still think that they are excellent strings. One of Nashville's finest, Dennis Crouch, uses the E&A with Gamut plain gut D&G. This is a deluxe gut set-up, IMO! The Pizzicatos are brighter and more sustaining than Eudoxas or Olivs, they have a metal wrapping that is not exactly smooth flatwound, but smoother than roundwound. I found this wrapping to be more durable than Eudoxa/Olive, and the strings could be taken off and put back on without separations in the windings developing. As the name might suggest, they are not a good arco string. They produce a sort of hollow sound, but they are bowable if your arco needs are minimal. They are available as all metal wound, and the G&D are also available with a tynex-type winding like Golden Spirals. I had a bunch of these some years back but sold them all (like an idiot) when I went into a steel string phase. Now I'm back on the gut habit, but I'm currently quite happy using synthetic-core Super Sensitive Sensicores for my E&A (although I recently did a trade for some used Eudoxas, which I may try again). Wound gut strings can sound great, but they are very susceptible to pitch instability due to temperature and humidity changes. Using a more stable E&A can be a big help, and these days there's some great alternatives to use on the E&A -- Velvets, Sensicores, Evah Pirazzi, Innovations, etc. Also, the Pizzicatos have gotten ridiculously expensive. They don't seem to ever have become tremendously popular, but I think they are very good strings.

[rzakota]

Hi Bobby.

How did you like Nylon wound D? It looks like you won't get any clear sound out of that thick string. I really like G that I'm using, so just wondering how D sounds next to G.
Anyway, I'm looking for D string that works with Pizzicato G. So far, I haven't found anything that sounds better than dead spiro wiech D

Ryo

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by rzakota

Hi Bobby.

How did you like Nylon wound D? It looks like you won't get any clear sound out of that thick string. I really like G that I'm using, so just wondering how D sounds next to G.
Anyway, I'm looking for D string that works with Pizzicato G. So far, I haven't found anything that sounds better than dead spiro wiech D

Ryo

Hello Ryo!

The Pizzicato nylon D was problematic. Like you said, it is very thick and not clear sounding. Also, because it is so thick, it may require widening the slots on your bridge and nut. The G is very nice though.

There are not a lot of options for a tynex wound D unless you find new old stock of a Golden Spiral or Red-O-Ray. Labella makes the Goldentone, but it is very floppy/low tension. I wish one of these "boutique" gut-string makers would make a string like that, but I get the impression that most of them just tolerate us pizzicato bassists, they prefer to cater to baroque musicians and find flatwound and nylon wound gut to be low-class

The D has always been the most problematic when putting together a gut set-up. It is hard to find a string with clear pitch and decent tension, and one that is not enormous in diameter. I recently bought a Gamut Pistoy gut light+ gauge D, and it is the best plain gut D I've ever owned. (it cost $160 freakin' dollars though!) Still, it does not have the clear pitch all the way up the neck that a wound or steel string does. You just have to deal with that if you want the gut sound. I also think that the Velvet Garbo D is a very good choice, not real gut, but matches well and produces clear pitch. Terrible for arco though. There's no free lunch!

[A. Munk]

Hey Bobby King...
Good info. I knew you'd come through.
The pizzacatos do seem to have some great traits.
Using them for the lower end sounds good but a little pricey.
Oh well..... the quest continues.

So... I've got this set of Spiracore Weich....
I'm tempted...

[rzakota]

The nylon ones are nice alternatives if you have problem of breaking plain or varnished gut. I'm really enjoying the G It also has longer sustain than regular plain ones or some other steel strings.
Now, I saw velvet released new Garbo set. I wonder why they say its "high quality European made plain G" Then its not velvet, no? It's off the topic, sorry.
Ryo