String Emergency!!!

pmckee · #1 11-28-2007, 11:12 PM

I just broke my G string (obligato) about 30 minutes ago. I loosened the strings so I could move the bridge a bit and then as I was tuning it back up the G which was already a bit frayed at the bridge end just unraveled and now I'm screwed ..... I have two recording sessions tomorrow night (Thursday). My bridge is kind of warped and my D is kind of fraying as well so I am definitely going to get a full set up done in the near future.
So I think I am going to just take my bass to the only shop in downtown Boston

and buy a g string and have the guy put it on for me 1st thing in the morning. I will never buy another set of obligatos as long as I live so what do you guys reccommend? I'm looking for an all purpose solid string, nothing fancy. When I get the bass properly set up I may choose a different set to be put on for the E A and D so I want to make sure that the G I buy tomorrow would be compatible with other makes should I decide that I want something different for the remaining strings. Or should I just buy the entire set and then have it set up at a later date with it having all new strings on it?
The reason I posted this here is because my teacher told me I should get some thomastik orchestrals. I found the obligatos way too floppy and thin. I want something more substantial and old school, but not gut. Would the orchestrals fit this description. I hope I wasn't too unclear here. any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Pat

**Francois Blais** · #2 11-29-2007, 06:21 AM

The teacher probably talks about the new Thomastik Belcantos, meant for orchestral playing. There's a megathread about them here:
Thomastik "Belcanto" Strings megathread

They're not thicker than the Obligatos though.
They're steel strings.
If you want something thicker, you'll need to look at gut strings, or other synthetics like Innovations and Velvets.

drurb · #3 11-29-2007, 07:16 AM

Well, you posted in the Dominants thread so I wondered if you were considering those. I'm assuming, based on your profile, that you play mostly pizz. I could be wrong. In any case, although I really liked the sound of my Obligatos, I too found them to be too weak-- just couldn't dig in. When I did, they seemed to give up. I switched to Dominants and I love them. They feel stiffer than the Oblis in a very good way and their sound is much bolder and stronger. Of course, this is on my bass. I always like to point out the huge interaction that seems to occur between specific basses and specific strings. In short, strings that sound great on one bass can sound like **** on another.

Then there's the Dominant breakage issue. Detune a set of Dominants and it seems like there's a 70% chance that one of them will go when you re-tune them. For now, I'm willing to live with that drawback.

All of this leads me to ask, why not Spirocores?

Uncletoad · #4 11-29-2007, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

All of this leads me to ask, why not Spirocores?

Yea. If you play jazz, and you haven't done some time with Spirocores on your DB than that's the smart move. Weichs if you prefer low tension Mittel or Orchestra if you want the regular tension.

Its the industry standard Jazz pizz string. Everyone who calls themselves a Jazz bassist should use them for 6months to a year before going through all the other things. It's the benchmark.

Mark Perna · #5 11-29-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Yea. If you play jazz, and you haven't done some time with Spirocores on your DB than that's the smart move. Weichs if you prefer low tension Mittel or Orchestra if you want the regular tension.

Its the industry standard Jazz pizz string. Everyone who calls themselves a Jazz bassist should use them for 6months to a year before going through all the other things. It's the benchmark.

And, it seems, the one I always go back to after spending a gazillion dollars trying other strings out.

mark

pmckee · #6 11-30-2007, 01:02 PM

Hey guys thanks a lot for your feedback. I ended up borrowing a bass from my friend so it all worked out. I loved the strings he had on his so I think I am going to go for those. I think they were Thomastik Weichs but I am not positive. I asked him and he did not know what they were either as he kind of gave up playing it months ago so he could focus primarily on electric. They were definitely thomastik (red at the bottom) and purple at the top......so are these weichs or spiros?

LowNote · #7 11-30-2007, 01:25 PM

Those are Thomastik Spirocore Weich strings. The Weich is the weight and they are the light gauge. You may want to bookmark the following website that will help you identify strings in the future: http://quinnviolins.com/qv_stringidsearch.shtml

pmckee · #8 12-01-2007, 11:04 AM

Thanks LowNote. I actually identified them at the shop and had a new d and g (both weichs) put on. I love them. Sounds great. My fingers are going to take a bit if a beating this next week though because I am coming from playing low tension obligatos for 1 year.

Marcus Johnson · #9 12-01-2007, 11:19 AM

Wait 'til they break in for awhile... then you'll really love them. Especially when they still sound great (and don't break) after about thirty years.

I think I'm going back to them. I loaned an old set to a student, I might have to disappoint him.

PS... I really like them with the Mittel E on the bottom, as suggested by Arnold Schnitzer when he set up my bass. Turns out he knows what he's talking about....

Uncletoad · #10 12-01-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

PS... I really like them with the Mittel E on the bottom, as suggested by Arnold Schnitzer when he set up my bass. Turns out he knows what he's talking about....

Yea. He was the same guy that told me to "avoid that string changing thing like the plague." Just get used to the Spirocore Mittels he put on there.

I ignored him.

He was right.

Bastard.