Spirocore Weich or Mittel?

[richard hassan]

I've decided to try spirocores on my Hybrid LaScala. Can someone compare and contrast these two grades. I am working on both pizz and arco. Thanks.

[Marcus Johnson]

I have both on my hybrid LaScala at the moment.... Mittel E, Weich everything else. Arnold suggested this set when I first got the bass. I really like this combination. The Mittel sounds just a small bit "meatier" than the Weichs on my bass. I would characterize the arco sound as "good for jazz", though I'm sure that a good orchestral player could pull out a decent sound out of them. If I were concentrating primarily on arco work, I'd probably look elsewhere, but they work for my demands as a jazz player very well. Pizz is fantastic. I'm getting to the point where these strings are getting "old" and sounding really nice.

[bribass]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

I have both on my hybrid LaScala at the moment.... Mittel E, Weich everything else. Arnold suggested this set when I first got the bass. I really like this combination. The Mittel sounds just a small bit "meatier" than the Weichs on my bass. I would characterize the arco sound as "good for jazz", though I'm sure that a good orchestral player could pull out a decent sound out of them. If I were concentrating primarily on arco work, I'd probably look elsewhere, but they work for my demands as a jazz player very well. Pizz is fantastic. I'm getting to the point where these strings are getting "old" and sounding really nice.

I've used that set up as well for my Prescott bass. Worked great. I've also been using a Mittel E, Weich A & D and a Flexocore G on my German bass for years. The Spiro G is a bit whinny on that bass, but sounds great on the darker Prescott so i was using all Weichs on the Prescott until going for an adjustment at Arnolds and he thought the Mittel E w/ the Weichs was really a more balanced set. I recently purchased what I thought were Weich Spiros from Ebay, but when they arrived they were a set of Mittels, but I figured what the hey, I'll try 'em on the Prescott. Took a little bit to get used to to the added beef, but I really like the added power and volume immediately. Now I'm on my second set and I'm thinkin', well maybe the Mittels need the Stark E to be balanced just as the Weichs needed the Mittel E. The Prescott has so much 'mwah' down low that I think it may be well served w/ the Stark. Arco?, the Mittels are fine for arco. Don't forget they were designed as orchestral strings.
Hey Phil, aka Uncletoad, how does that Stark E feel?

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by bribass

Now I'm on my second set and I'm thinkin', well maybe the Mittels need the Stark E to be balanced just as the Weichs needed the Mittel E. .

I think WARMBOTTOM posed this hypothetical situation awhile back, but I can't remember if he tried it. Sounds like an interesting experiment. I still haven't done all Mittels on this bass, but I'd like to try that. Hard to get past the Spiro break-in period... maybe look for some used ones in decent shape.

[bribass]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Hard to get past the Spiro break-in period... maybe look for some used ones in decent shape.

Keep playin,. They get better. I've bought used ones which does cut down on the break in time, but you never quite know what you're getting ie. how beat they are, besides I love the newer (after the break in) string feel, before they get stiffer and start losing their pitch holding ability. For me they start to peak after 3 weeks to a month and are great for about 5 or 6 months after that. That's with playing alot. Sure I go longer out of cheapness or laziness, but I love 'em when they're newer.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by STRINGGAS JOHNSON

I think WARMBOTTOM posed this hypothetical situation awhile back, but I can't remember if he tried it. Sounds like an interesting experiment.

I used the Stark E with Mittels before I went to all Starks. It was great. I still use the Stark E with the Dominants now, which are about the same tension as the Mittels, and it's perfect.

I've noticed that, for pizz players at least, most E strings are mismatched in the sets they come in. Every single E I've ever played that was part of a matched set has felt a little flabby when compared to the upper strings. The closest to matching have been the Dominants and the Mittels, but good as those sets are, the Stark E is a better match.

On the subject of Mittels with the bow, Sid King is fond of telling the story about how he won his audition with the L.O. 20+ years ago with "Red Hots" on the bass...and if I'm not mistaken, he's using them now on his Hachez bass for the flamenco group he plays in, so I guess it can be done, eh? Although to be honest, Sid could probably sound good if his bass was strung up with fishing wire.

[Uncletoad]

The Spiro Stark E is my favorite E string and I keep coming back to it over and over again. It's terrible new but when it gets nice and warm it's a monster. I tune down to D all the time and it doesn't care. One day I'll have to break another one in and that's going to suck.

I'm using it with the Belcanto set. It doesn't bow like the Belcanto but given my gigs I need the pizz response more. Tension and size are a bit weird. It's like having a Stark E with a Weich set. I prefer it over a Mittel or Weich E though. I've tried them all. I hit the E to hard to use a wimpy string like a Weich or the Belcanto. It's not as bright as a Mittel. I could see using it with a Weich set too--at least when they are all broken in. I used it with a Dominant set and it was great. The only time I didn't like it was with the Animas. They were to far apart.

As far as the original question I think Mittels are loud and bright, I think Weichs are a bit warmer when they break in. I suck with a bow so it's hard for me to bow any flavor of spiros except the Stark E.