Throaty Jazz

bassplayer259 · #1 05-17-2005, 01:00 AM

i just bought a used shen hybrid and find it to suffer a little in the low end. im thinking i should change strings to maximize the sound it lacks. i really want a throaty type of sound on the lower strings. i want to feel it in my chest as much as possible. i imagine higher tension strings might accomplish this as well. any recommendations of string brand, material and tension is welcome as i really know very little about ub strings
thanks

anonymous0726 · #2 05-17-2005, 01:05 AM

Fill out your profile and help us help you out.

bassplayer259 · #3 05-17-2005, 01:19 AM

anonymous0726 · #4 05-17-2005, 01:30 AM

It's a start

How old are you. How long have you been playing the double bass? What kind of strings are on there now? Have you had it to the luthier for a proper setup?

AMJBASS · #5 05-17-2005, 04:04 PM

Throw some Thomastik Spirocore Stark tension on there and I guarrantee you'll get a lot "sound" from the bass. That is of course provided you can handle the tension.

Paul Warburton · #6 05-17-2005, 05:08 PM

Profile... Where are you located? This stuff, as Ray says, helps us to help you. We might be able to get some help for you in your particular area if we knew where you were located.

kwd · #7 05-17-2005, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer259

i i really want a throaty type of sound on the lower strings. i want to feel it in my chest as much as possible. i imagine higher tension strings might accomplish this as well. any recommendations of string brand, material and tension is welcome as i really know very little about ub strings
thanks

If you're going for the Cachao sound -I'm reading between the lines in your profile- you might want to explore the gut threads. If that's not what you mean by 'throaty', let us know.

kwd · #8 05-17-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Cachao uses steel strings. I agree though. If it is throaty you want. Go gut. It's about as deep as it gets.

My bad. I just assumed that fat, plunky sound had to be gut.

bassplayer259 · #9 05-17-2005, 10:03 PM

well ive read the thread on the starks, and i suspect that those strings would do my amateur chops in. my luthier mentioned spirocores. i have heard of the weich(sp?) the starks, and the orchestra versions. is the orchestra version suitable for jazz or are there specific middle tension spirocores for jazz?

i dont think i have the experience to perceive a difference between gut and steel. but if the price is not too much greater, and they last approximately as long, i will try gut. you make it sound like what im looking for.

T-Bal · #10 05-17-2005, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer259

i just bought a used shen hybrid and find it to suffer a little in the low end. im thinking i should change strings to maximize the sound it lacks. i really want a throaty type of sound on the lower strings. i want to feel it in my chest as much as possible. i imagine higher tension strings might accomplish this as well. any recommendations of string brand, material and tension is welcome as i really know very little about ub strings
thanks

To my mind, this contradicts itself. I think of throaty as being midrangey, less full on the bottom, and even lacking in resonance. With the Bass as well as the human voice, I consider this undesirable. What are you after? Deeper fundamental, more thump and less sustain, less twang?

oliebrice · #11 05-18-2005, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer259

is the orchestra version suitable for jazz or are there specific middle tension spirocores for jazz?

yes, the orchestra ones are the same as mittels, a lot of jazz bassists use them (I do), they're great for long sustain, growly modern pizz sound, not so great for arco (although some people see to cope, ie Mark Dresser, Mark Helias) and not so great if you're after a darker, shorter, gut-like sound

bassplayer259 · #12 05-18-2005, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bal

To my mind, this contradicts itself. I think of throaty as being midrangey, less full on the bottom, and even lacking in resonance. With the Bass as well as the human voice, I consider this undesirable. What are you after? Deeper fundamental, more thump and less sustain, less twang?

right. by throaty i mean very resonant, not very midrangey. i am not sure what 'thump' is, but i am equating it to string noise, which i want less of, and i definitely prefer more sustain. sounds like spirocore in a nutshell?

**Damon Rondeau** · #13 05-18-2005, 12:40 PM

I'm trying out the Thomastik Super Flexibles right now after hearing Arnold recommend 'em a ways back. I'm really liking them more as they break in. I find them to be a darker, grittier sound, I guess a bit more mid-rangey, in comparison to the Spirocores and Corellis I'm familiar with.

I'm also playing a hybrid. Mine's a Chris.

bassplayer259 · #14 05-18-2005, 12:52 PM

i think i need more experience in listening to strings before i can start knowing what all this input i am getting from you all really even means. i hear more good things about spirocore reds than anything else, so i will start and work from there. maybe one year from now i will know exactly what i like about the spirocores and what they lack, and i can me more of a help to myself.
thanks for all the feedback.

anonymous0726 · #15 05-18-2005, 01:30 PM

One more try on this before you go away happy

Whose sound, of all of the famous bass players in the world, would you like to be aiming toward?

bassplayer259 · #16 05-18-2005, 04:51 PM

the thing is, right now i am using helicores, which are so far from what i want, that i cannot even imagine what MY PARTICULAR bass would sound like with any decent jazz string on it. that said, 'blues in a minor' by the modern jazz quartet has a nice fullness to the lower strings of percy's bass. im really not too particular otherwise (for now). i just want it so that when i hit an open e, it sounds like my bass is really bellowing it out from the depths of its chest. and sustain.

AMJBASS · #17 05-18-2005, 07:04 PM

I don't think you are going to want steel strings in that case. You would do well to check out Obligatos, Picato Innovation 140H, or even Dominants. Although I think you will also find increasing the string height, while making it a bit harder to play, will give you a lot more of that "bounce" with a shorter sustain.

Tbeers · #18 05-18-2005, 08:27 PM

I would start with Obligatos. I've found that they are so unbelievably middle-of-the-road that it is almost impossible to be disappointed with them. You may find that you want more of a certain sound, but Obligatos are a great starting point. They're almost like a mix between a gut and a steel sound, and get good arco and pizz tone.

bassplayer259 · #19 05-24-2005, 08:09 PM

i have heard good things. i think i will start on obligatos, as a reference point if nothing else. thanks