Roma Ply Owners-String Survey

[Whit Townsend]

Any Roma Ply owners changed to a soft low tension string?

These Helicores sound ok, good volume, but too much sustain and way to hard on my RH fingers. I'm looking for a soft, easy on the fingers string with good unamplified volume. Don't care about sustain or complex harmonics or overtones, just need good acoustic volume w/plenty of fundamental. Arco not a factor, magnetic pu's also not an issue.

If anybody who owns one of these basses has tried any of these strings, I'd be interested in how it changed the sound vs steel.

Eurosonic Lights or Ultra Lights
Innovation Super Sliver or Super Silver Rockabillys
Labella Supernils
Rotosound 4000s
Obligatos
Animas

Thanks

[Peck_Time]

Hmm... No sustain, big fundamental, low tension, no arco, - How about trying Barefoot Larry's Hillbilly slap strings? (I'm serious!)

http://www.traditionmusic.com/main.html

They cost under $20 including postage, and are a good way to dip your toes into the gut world (even though they are weed-whacker line).

[Whit Townsend]

Peck,
Have you actually used those string on a new, fairly heavily constructed Eastern European Plywood bass?

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by Whit Townsend

Eurosonic Lights or Ultra Lights
Innovation Super Sliver or Super Silver Rockabillys
Labella Supernils
Rotosound 4000s
Obligatos
Animas

Thanks

Whit,

I've never played a Roma plywood but have used some of these on other plywood basses.

I never liked the Eurosonics.

I've liked the Innovation strings. The black Rockabilllys are low tension with a gut-like sound. I like the 140H and B but they may have more tension and sustain than you want. I haven't tried the Super Silvers but have heard good things. I've experienced some inconsistency in the quality of Innovations, however.

Labella Supernils aren't bad on certain plywoods. I have a friend that plays for Dolly Parton and he loves them on his old Kay. They are low tension but fairly thick in diameter. "Poor man's gut"

Haven't tried Rotos

Obligato is a great string but probably not what you're looking for. They have a synthetic core and are somewhat more gut-like than a typical steel, but they still have plenty of sustain. Medium-light tension. They bow very well too. A great jazz+arco string.

Anima is another excellent string. Low tension, silk (?) core. They have less sustain than Obligato but more than a gut string or the Rockabilly. Lots of punch and a little brightness too. Works for jazz, blues, even country. They can be bowed but aren't terrific for arco, not too bad though.

Bottom line: I'd go with Innovation or Anima.

Bobby

[Whit Townsend]

Thanks Bobby,
Thats the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

Supernils are the ticket on my old Kay, all I've ever used. But this bass is a lot stiffer and heavier, don't think they're gonna drive it hard enough. I'm looking to try something soft, but maybe just a hair stiffer than Nils.
From looking at the tension chart, Obli's are almost as stiff as my med Helicores, so I don't think they are really what I want.
Animas appear nice, but pricey.
Probably gonna order a set of Super Silvers.
I am curious about the rotosounds. Description sounds sort of like Supernils, but pricer. Wonder if any better.
Another option is just get a D & G gut to go with my Med Helicore Orch E & A.

Despite the fact that they're tearing up my RH fingers, acoustically I kind of like the moderate sustain, focus, volume, and tone of the Med Helicore Orchs. If I played thru a mic all the time, I'd probably not be considering a change. But the other day, I had to plug in the PA, and oh man, sustain for days, slab sound all the way, had to work way to hard to kill the ring. I need more thump for that kind of situation which come up pretty often. If I went with gut tops and kept the steel E & A, I would still have this problem on the bass strings. So I guess I'm sorta looking for a compromise between Supernils and steel, so for now the Super Silvers are looking like my best bet.

I was hoping someone with one of these basses, or a very similar one, could comment.

[Peck_Time]

Hi Whit,

I haven't tried Barefoot Larry's strings on a Roma ply. Even if I had, it wouldn't be your Roma ply, and I'm not you.

However, from my reading of the threads in this forum (and also the threads over at Rock-a-Billy-Bass.com), many ply owners rave about these strings.

I have ordered some for my (carved Christopher) bass, which currently has Animas on it. I like the Animas, but for $20 I wanted to try 'gut' without shelling out the big bucks.

I wish you luck in your search.

[Bobby King]

Another good string is Pirastro's Pizzicato. They are a semi-flatwound, gut core string with a good thump. They have a bit of sustain, more than Olive or Eudoxa, a little like Anima in terms of tension. I have Pizzicato E&A and plain gut D&G on my 1930's King plywood and that makes a good combo with not too much ring on the low strings. Pricey though.

BTW, although I've never been too high on Helicores, I liked the Orch. Mediums best too.
They are a good arco string and also have a decent, not too bright pizz.

[Whit Townsend]

Also just found Piastro Olives or Velvet Garbos & from the descriptions seem like they would be exactly what I'm looking for.

But, man, way expensive. I'm used to changing out Supernils every 2 or 3 years whenever the windings start to go! How will these $250-400 strings from Velvet and Piastro last? Garbos & Animas, Olives and Pizzacatos? If I could get 3 years out of a set I might be willing to try some. I play between 2 and 4 hrs a week most times, with the occasional long festival weekend about 2 times a year.

Them $20 Weedwhackers may be worth a try after all, wonder if they're louder than Supernils?

[gomez hacienda]

Originally Posted by Bobby King

Another good string is Pirastro's Pizzicato.

I noticed Quinn Violins has stopped selling these strings "due to the high rate of failure". They said they would only start selling them if they were improved in the future???

gomez

[Jake deVilliers]

Actually, it is Pirastro who has stopped selling them due to their high rate of failure. There is a little notice on their website to that effect. It can't be good for their reputation to have strings falling apart prematurely, even though some guys absolutely loved them.

Jake