Thomastik Stark as "Hybrid Strings

[goodgig]

I've been spending most of my time the past 2 years playing arco - Corelli M and then Bel Canto. My wife wants to get back into singing jazz, so I strung up a set of Starks asuming that they would be a good jazz string but not so good for arco. You know what? I like them almost better than either of the other sets for arco! Much more projection Maybe I have honeymoon chops on these. But . . . for those who have used the starks in the past what am I to expect as they break in?

Gary

[brooklynbassguy]

They get darker with age. I find some days they sound amazing, other days they choke the life out my bass with the tension on the top-I keep them at 3mm for the G string. I'm trying corelli tx, at a much higher string height. I'm undecided as it's so different, but they bow sweetly...

[goodgig]

Brooklynnbassguy, thanks for your input. My Spiros are essentially a new set of strings that I had installed during major repairs before I dove into the Rabbath method. So they're not yet broken in. Today I AB'd them with my old bow and then with my Prochownik. The strings respond much better with the Prochownik and sound more nasel with the old one.

Interestingly, I put on the Spiro E with the Corelli A, D and G, an unlikely combo - but that works OK if I just want to trade out the one string and stick with Corelli for the bow work. I don't like the Bel Cantos on my bass for pizz. - too muted for non-classical playing.

I would like to try the Corelli TX strings that you mentioned - but I'm watching the funds these days.

How long do Spiros take to settle in to the darker tone?

Gary

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by goodgig

How long do Spiros take to settle in to the darker tone?

Gary

Prepare to grow a beard waiting.

They darken up but it takes awhile.

The Stark D/G especially.

I think they sound great under the bow and pizz.

[goodgig]

Boy am I red - top to bottom. . . They are Spirocore Mittels not Starks! Anyhow Phil, they really sound good both arco and pizz. After a while I'll swap out the D and G for Bel Cantos as you have done - and around and around it goes.

Gary

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by goodgig

Boy am I red - top to bottom. . . They are Spirocore Mittels not Starks! Anyhow Phil, they really sound good both arco and pizz. After a while I'll swap out the D and G for Bel Cantos as you have done - and around and around it goes.

Gary

I was just talking to another fellow the other day who was struggling with spirocores under the bow vs. their pizz tone. His bass was particularly dark. He swapped out the spiro D/G with a Belcanto pair and found them too dark. When you pizz on a dark bass with these arco friendly strings like the Belcanto and the Flexocor they can get pretty woofy and loose some punch and clarity you may become used to with the Spirocores.

My bass is bright and pretty tight on the top end of the fingerboard. I like these arco strings and Guts because it gives my plywood bass some air.

If I had a super dark bass that had lots of air on the D and G with spirocores I'd rather use a whole set of them. Bow difficulties aside they are monster pizz strings and still my favorite jazz sound growly low G and all.

They have an nice cutting tone with the stick that is a pita but also very clear which I like.

[Eric Swanson]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

I was just talking to another fellow the other day who was struggling with spirocores under the bow vs. their pizz tone. His bass was particularly dark. He swapped out the spiro D/G with a Belcanto pair and found them too dark. When you pizz on a dark bass with these arco friendly strings like the Belcanto and the Flexocor they can get pretty woofy and loose some punch and clarity you may become used to with the Spirocores.

My bass is bright and pretty tight on the top end of the fingerboard. I like these arco strings and Guts because it gives my plywood bass some air.

If I had a super dark bass that had lots of air on the D and G with spirocores I'd rather use a whole set of them. Bow difficulties aside they are monster pizz strings and still my favorite jazz sound growly low G and all.

They have an nice cutting tone with the stick that is a pita but also very clear which I like.

Uncletoad,

As you say, different strokes. I am currently using Spiro Weich D, G and Belcanto A, E...the other end of the rainbow...

For me, part of the trick is the soundpost setting and the bow requirements are different with an A/B Belcantos/Spiros.

With the Spiro's I seem to want my soundpost set "darker" and "looser". They will be plenty dang bright without any help. And I want a lighter bow...like my Morizot or the IP's Prochownik. For the Belcantos' seems like the post would be ideally set "brighter" and they seem to like a heavier bow...

Of course, mixing the strings the way I currently am takes none of that finesse into consideration...