Superflexible solo strings at orchestra pitch

[dfp]

just got a used set of the SF solos. was using Evah Pirazzi weichs for about a year but got tired of the slightly stuffy, dull character of them in jazz pizzicato mode.. plus i'm really a devoted low tension fan since using guts for a couple years solid a couple years ago and i was hoping the SF solos tuned to orch. pitch would get a little closer to the low tension i really like. EP weichs were ok in that regard, but surprisingly similar to Spiro mediums i thought. the EP weich G and D went well w/ a Spiro med. A and E, for what that's worth.

anyway, the SF solos at orch pitch are great so far (day 2). more brilliant pizz and arco than my year old EP weichs. more bite in the sound of each, and the arco is actually pretty forgiving once the rosin is warmed up (compared to the trouble i have w/ spiros under the bow). i like it, seems like my bass is louder now w/ the SF solos. could just be the illusion of the more pronounced mids and uppers.. but the overall sound is great to my ear, more full spectrum where the EP weichs seemed limited in the mids and highs. the bass end of the spectrum is in tact, probably not as powerful as with heavier strings but i'm ok w/ it.

as for tension, SF's solos tuned to orch pitch are not nearly as "loose" feeling as i expected. which reminds me that the regular SF's are pretty tight feeling, noticeably more so than regular Spiros... though the SF solos are obviously a little narrower in diameter than the weich EPs i have not had to raise my bridge at all. the feel is pretty consistent coming from the weich EPs. nothing floppy about these solos tuned down. easy to play but stiff enough to for my right hand to have a satisfying tug on walking lines. left hand much easier to get around, i sound smoother and less encumbered. more physically in control.

if there's any sacrifice in sheer power it's not obvious after coming from the EP weichs. got a trio gig tonight, will prob be using an old Gage Realist and a old GK MB150E combo. and will try the Underwood just for comparison sake.

i just thought these were interesting strings and not enough detail was to be found on TBDB regarding them. cheers!

[flyingmarcel]

I've been using this set tuned to orchestra pitch for about a month and also find the Superflex Solo's to be a great set for Jazz Pizz playing. I came from Spirocore Mediums, which I had been using for a couple of years, so I initially found the lower tension to be a bit tricky to get used to. I raised the string height a little and now the set feels perfect, not too loose at all. The thinner diameter is a bit strange at first, but within a day or two, my fingers had pretty much forgotten what the Spiro's felt like. In fact, I think my hands like these low tension strings a lot more than the Spiro Mediums and I think I'm now sold on the low tension thing.

Interestingly, I thought about perhaps trying the Evah Weichs when it comes time to replace these, but your comments regarding them make me feel that perhaps I'll just purchase another set of the solos. I assumed the Weichs would feel similar, but what you describe sounds like more tension than I'd be looking for.

I'm also a bit surprised that these don't get more attention - I haven't tried the Spirocore Solo's tuned down, but I think the Superflexible Solo's tuned down are great for the purpose of getting a low tension steel string that sounds great.

[TroyK]

Interesting to read your experiences, guys. This has come up before and it's always kind of been waved off. I'm glad you're doing it. Please keep us updated.

[flyingmarcel]

Just got home from a marathon gig - Perhaps the nicest thing about these Solo Strings at Orch Pitch is how easy they are to play. Where my hands would have felt pretty beaten after a 4hr gig on the Spirocore Reds, I feel like I could do another three setter straight away!

As well, given that these strings seem to be a bit on the bright side in terms of tone, they seem to cut through a little better than my old worked in Spirocores, so it could also be that I'm not needing to dig in as hard, even in a relative sense on the lower tension strings. I wonder if the character of these strings will change over time and if they'll lose some of the point they currently have at the front of the note....sure hope not!

[TroyK]

One thing that interests me about these is that the D and G are exactly the same gauge as Spirocore Weichs. I can't help buy wonder what a SF Solo G would do for a Spiro Weich set. or maybe even D and G with Weich E and A or maybe even a Mittel E.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by TroyK

One thing that interests me about these is that the D and G are exactly the same gauge as Spirocore Weichs. I can't help buy wonder what a SF Solo G would do for a Spiro Weich set. or maybe even D and G with Weich E and A or maybe even a Mittel E.

Easy now TROIKA - think of your family, your friends, your bass and your band mates and remember what you've put them through in the past.

Remember The Creed - Weichs are the best, Weichs are the one true string, Weichs are the strings for me...

[TroyK]

just wondering out loud