Soft Strings?

Charles Shores · #1 07-26-2005, 12:20 PM

Hi, I've got some strings on my rental Shen that sound OK, but I'd like some advice on what to try next!

My current strings sound a tiny bit harsh to my ears, and I wish they were a little bit softer on the hands. My friend kelly has some strings on her bass that feel soft and produce a very warm tone. I tried the string search in the noob links but it didn't work.

Could anyone suggest a warmer, softer sounding string?

Thanks!
Chad

AMJBASS · #2 07-26-2005, 12:23 PM

Pizz, or arco?

Charles Shores · #3 07-26-2005, 12:25 PM

Oops, forgot to specify... I'll be studying arco in college, so that's what I'd like to get.

Bobby King · #4 07-26-2005, 12:50 PM

Pirastro Flexocor Medium is a great arco string, with a comfortable tension. I've never heard anyone call them harsh. I think that they produce a beautiful arco tone.

AMJBASS · #5 07-26-2005, 12:51 PM

That is what I would recommend as well. Very soft feeling strigns with a smooth warm tone.

**Francois Blais** · #6 07-26-2005, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Shores

Hi, I've got some strings on my rental Shen that sound OK, but I'd like some advice on what to try next!

If you tell us the silk colors at the tailpiece and pegs, we should be able to find what you already have.
As stated by other members, Flexocors are indeed the most popular orchestral strings.
Jargars are another alternative for a very soft, warm orchestral string.

Charles Shores · #7 07-26-2005, 03:06 PM

OK,

*goes and looks*

Tail: Pink with purple spiral

Pegs: Purple

Tbeers · #8 07-26-2005, 03:10 PM

I personally find the Obligato sound to be even more smooth than Flexocor. But that's just on my bass... everyone has different experiences.

**Francois Blais** · #9 07-26-2005, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Shores

OK,

*goes and looks*

Tail: Pink with purple spiral

Pegs: Purple

[shrug]
I couldn't find anything with these colors!
All the peg ends are pink?
At the tailpiece it could be some kind of Corelli string, but they use a different color at the peg for tone ID.

jneuman · #10 07-26-2005, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

[shrug]
I couldn't find anything with these colors!
All the peg ends are pink?
At the tailpiece it could be some kind of Corelli string, but they use a different color at the peg for tone ID.

Could those be the Kolstein Heritage's? Whats are the color code for those? The only purple spiral strings I know of are pirastro and Kolstein Varicore.

Jon

Charles Shores · #11 07-27-2005, 12:00 AM

Bob at his shop in greensboro said they were IIRC "some new synthetic strings..." Maybe they're just some import cheapo synthetic core strings?

jazzbassnerd · #12 07-27-2005, 12:35 AM

Definitely not a "cheapo synthetic string." I'm pretty sure those are Kolstein Heritages. I have them on my bass and love them to death (to be fair I've had them a little over a week). I think those strings are fantastic.

Then again, although I will be playing classical music in college, I am technically a "jazz major" so I am probably looking for something different in a string.

Good luck on the search.

Charles Shores · #13 07-27-2005, 12:10 PM

Hmmm, maybe so.

I remember testing out the bass in the shop and getting a nasty (in a good way) growl out of them. I thought "hey, these would be great for jazz!"

They lost the growl in a couple of days, but they still have that stiffness that I'm not quite into. The G and E strings, E specifically have great tone from half to thumb position, the D is better than average, but the A just sounds like a dud anywhere past 3rd position! The E string really sounds brighter and more clear in thumb position than the A does.

**Jeremy Allen** · #14 07-27-2005, 01:49 PM

I think those are Heritages, too. They aren't so much pink as "pinkish," or kind of an indistinct color. I and those of my friends who have tried them have had very mixed reactions to them--intitially very positive, then quite negative.

If you like the strings that your friend Kelly has, why don't you tell us what color the ball-ends and windings of those are? (Or ask Kelly what they are...) They should be easy to identify, and you could just buy a set of those.

Charles Shores · #15 08-16-2005, 10:34 AM

Ok guys, i found out the colors of her windings. The peg box's windings are blue and the tail's are blue too, (a slightly different blue, but if I had to call it a color, it would be blue.)

Any ideas? I checked the string finder and it said they were thomastik dominants.