What about string reviews?

[Eddue]

I have been searching these forums for information about strings to find the right string for my basses. While searching I have to sort thru a lot of off topic commentary, some helpful, others not so much! Sometimes with very little relevant info.

I think it might be simpler, more helpful and faster if there were more string reviews like those in the bass guitar forums, only with more detail. Maybe with pictures of silk colors and ball ends for identification purposes along with a brief description specs, and a list of comparable strings. Reviewers can give their commentary, pros and cons and recommendations and readers will have a quick and easy reference and wouldn't have to request the same info over and over only to be answered with: DO A SEARCH FOR...

That way I can spend more time reading the other forums and playing my bass.

Also, why not have more reviews for basses, amps, pickups etc.

I don't know if there is a reason why there aren't more, maybe because not many read them or know they are there, so I can understand if it can't be done or haven't worked in past.

Just thought it might make things easier around here. I'd be willing to help organize it, I'm sure others here will also contribute specs, pictures and information.

I know there are reviews for double bass related products in the review section but only a few and one string review

Eddue

[Fletcher Lanning]

As far as strings go, theres plenty of information in the various megathreads and stickys associated with this forum; but when it comes to how the strings actually sound on YOUR bass, you will almost definitely get different results than you would on a different bass. Some thicker basses sing with higher tension strings, while a Kay might not really speak well until you slap some Weichs on it. The only way to get an idea of a string without playing it is to try and read into all the comments and get a basic idea. Even then, your results WILL vary.

As far as bases go, I would venture to say that the majority of the players here are either (a) playing a very old bass that would be impossible for someone else to go out and buy, making a 'review' pointless or (b) have a bass that is a new bass made by one of the many makers that make bases one at a time, each one different from the next. Double Basses are so completely non-standard so your relationship with a particular bass may be different than it is with another bass from the same maker.

There are a number of factory basses made in China and Europe (Shen and Engelhardt are good examples) and you can find information on their models (as well as info on some of the lesser makers). Electric basses are hugely standard within a specific model. A Fender J is a Fender J, small changes in quality but the same basic sound, so it's much easier to make a review. In a world where a full time maker's basses cannumber in the low hundreds, not thousands, it's a different world.

[Eddue]

That's my point! There is too much information I don't need! If you have ever done a search you know you have to sort through too many posts and often can't find the information you are looking for. And how often do these post get off topic and have no relevance to what you are looking for. An organized reference would be much better, along with the reviews. It's not just about how the strings will sound on my bass but I would like to know the tension, feel, and what experiences others had with the same string without reading through hundreds of posts that may or may not be remotely related to it. Also if I can easily find pictures of strings I wouldn't have to post requests to ID a string.

As far as amps and basses, the same thing applies. You don't think a easy reference would be helpful, the pictures alone, especially of old basses would be invaluable. Also the size and weight of an amp, input impedance, speaker ohmage, eq controls! Have you ever tried to find those things in a search?

Sometimes I'd just like to get the information I need without reading thru hundreds of posts, much of it just ramblings or clever dialogs or people who just like to post negative comments or feel like they have to post something even if they have nothing to say. Other times those posts are can be entertaining but sometimes I would just rather spend my time playing my bass.

[olivieraleman]

Hi
I agree its a lot of material to wade through. The Gamut thread is something like 43 pages, maybe more. I waded through all of it when I got some Gamuts, and Im not sorry I did as there is a lot of experience in there.

As I see it it boils down to this, take the advice of Uncletoad, Calivox, Marcus Johnson, Drurb, Gearhead, Adrian Cho, Bobby King and others as they have done the testing, then spend a grand(minimum) and put them all on your bass to see how you like them, that is what I have done.

As for my taste on my bass(Upton Hybrid), I like guts on top with with Garbo or Anima on bottom, next is full set of Anima. I prefer these to Spiro, Corelli, and Evah Ps, but I could be happy playing any of them if I had to. John

[Mark Perna]

All of the information you seek is in the various threads. If you want it boiled down, you just need someone to spend a few thousand hours editing it unpaid. I volunteer you.

What you will find when you go through all of those posts though is a bunch of people who change their minds about the various strings with alarming regularity. I know if you read through my posts about strings, every few months I find the "greatest string ever" and then a few months later, I find it again with another string and then I go back to Spirocores. Strings (and amps and pickup etc.) are really your personal journey. What you have in these pages are documentation of everyone else's personal journeys. What the other two guys above me said is the way it is.

mark

[Bruce Lindfield]

Advanced Search is your friend!

I have had no problem finding what I wanted by carefully-specified searches and tailored outputs!

[Eddue]

Originally Posted by calivox

All of the information you seek is in the various threads. If you want it boiled down, you just need someone to spend a few thousand hours editing it unpaid. I volunteer you.

What you will find when you go through all of those posts though is a bunch of people who change their minds about the various strings with alarming regularity. I know if you read through my posts about strings, every few months I find the "greatest string ever" and then a few months later, I find it again with another string and then I go back to Spirocores. Strings (and amps and pickup etc.) are really your personal journey. What you have in these pages are documentation of everyone else's personal journeys. What the other two guys above me said is the way it is.

mark

I know Mark, most of the information is out there , somewhere! I have been using the advanced search function quite a bit lately. Opinions about strings change around here faster than I can read them. Threads are massive journals about the never ending search for the perfect string. I read the blogs and get a lot from them and think they serve an important purpose. I wouldn't try to change that and upset things here. However I think an organized reference with submitted reviews would be worth the effort. I am willing to put it together but not sure about the procedure or who makes the decisions around here. I have some resources for the content and pictures, just tell me who do I have to go through to make it happen!

[Eddue]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Advanced Search is your friend!

I have had no problem finding what I wanted by carefully-specified searches and tailored outputs!

Bruce, you make it sound so simple. I can usually find what I am looking for, but it isn't always easy!

[DrBassie]

There are way too many variables in what you're looking for. All pieces in the combination influence each other so a review would be irrelevant to most others.

Pickups work better on some basses than others. Some amps work better with certain pickups, etc. Strings sound different on different basses, using different pickups, with different amps.
Basses of the exact same model from the same shop will sound differently.

I've found that wading through those long threads have yielded more pertinent info than one review from one user. From there, you can find direction on what could sound good when you bring it into your setup.

[AMJBASS]

IME there hasn't really been problem finding anything I might need in these forums. The advanced search is pretty straight forward. If you are up to the task, find all of the threads that you think are relevent to what you are looking for(string reviews), and contact a moderator to sticky it in one thread at the top.

As to reviews on basses... unlike bass guitar, EVERY double bass is different, so reviews are kind of useless. Unless it has to do with construction etc, and even then its tough to compare.

[Peck_Time]

What we have on TBDB is better than a solitary string review or two. We have multiple stories of peoples journeys with different strings.

[sixandeightstringer]

Originally Posted by Fletcher Lanning

There are a number of factory basses made in China and Europe (Shen and Engelhardt are good examples)

FWIW, Engelhardts are built in Illinois.

[thejumpcat]

Originally Posted by olivieraleman

...then spend a grand(minimum) and put them all on your bass to see how you like them...

Wow! A grand just to dick around and see what kind of strings you like? Just curious -- how many TBers have that kind of disposable cash sittin' around?

[Marcus Johnson]

The ones with day jobs.

[JtheJazzMan]

Originally Posted by olivieraleman

..then spend a grand(minimum) and put them all on your bass to see how you like them

Wait, what? How much does a packet of spirocores cost?

[Fletcher Lanning]

I bought a set of Spirocores and found bass nirvana.

/thread

[Eddue]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

IME there hasn't really been problem finding anything I might need in these forums. The advanced search is pretty straight forward. If you are up to the task, find all of the threads that you think are relevent to what you are looking for(string reviews), and contact a moderator to sticky it in one thread at the top.

As to reviews on basses... unlike bass guitar, EVERY double bass is different, so reviews are kind of useless. Unless it has to do with construction etc, and even then its tough to compare.

Adrian

I just thought that with some organization a very useful reference section could be compiled here and be helpful. Just putting all relevant info together, like defragging your hard drive.
I just think that even though the information is there but it often takes a lot of searching to find it. Some of the threads are hundreds of posts long and get off topic very fast. I eventually find what I am looking for.

You are correct when you say every bass is different but think of it more like a description than a review.The physical aspects could be source of reference and pictures are always helpful to get an idea of what a bass is about. And TBers could give there comments and reviews if they have them. I don't think getting an opinion would be too hard here.

Your reply is encouraging and helpful.Who do you think will be a good person to go to? I just think an organized reference and review/comment section could be compiled here and be helpful. I agree that reviews are subjective and that's what most of the posts are. I was just proposing an organized post on a specific string, amp, pickup, bass etc with pictures, specs, links to other threads followed by user submitted comments and reviews.

But I get that some here aren't open to changes. And I can expect to hear the same responses:

Just do a search!
My favorite string is...
Just use Spirocores!

Eddue

[Fletcher Lanning]

Originally Posted by Eddue

But I get that some here aren't open to changes.

Eddue

I don't think anybody is against good change, but what you're suggesting is a massive undertaking in which someone would have to subjectively decide which information is useful, and which is junk. At that point, you also have to get everyone to re-post their specific opinions about a specific item that they may or may not use anymore. People posted a lot of stream-of-consciousness stuff while they were using a new string/amp/bass/etc that is very useful and not easily replicated.

Secondly, you don't seem to understand what everyone here is trying to tell you. Double basses are so WIDELY different from each other that reviewing a single bass in the hands of a single player would be useless unless they are trying to sell that bass. Go look on TheTalkBasses.com and you'll see what I mean. Each of those basses (all owned or made by TB posters) is more than likely one of a kind.

You can listen to a recording done by Jamerson and go to fender and probably get something approximating that EXACT instrument with an almost perfect replication of his tone. If you listen to Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, NHOP, or any of the greats (not to mention some of the greats we have posting here) you will hear a tone that comes from that specific bass and it will be just this side of impossible to ever get your hands on that bass or a bass that was made by that maker that is exactly the same.

Nearly everyone here will tell you that you can't tell about an instrument until you play it, no matter the maker.

[Eddue]

Originally Posted by Fletcher Lanning

I don't think anybody is against good change, but what you're suggesting is a massive undertaking in which someone would have to subjectively decide which information is useful, and which is junk. At that point, you also have to get everyone to re-post their specific opinions about a specific item that they may or may not use anymore. People posted a lot of stream-of-consciousness stuff while they were using a new string/amp/bass/etc that is very useful and not easily replicated.

Secondly, you don't seem to understand what everyone here is trying to tell you. Double basses are so WIDELY different from each other that reviewing a single bass in the hands of a single player would be useless unless they are trying to sell that bass. Go look on TheTalkBasses.com and you'll see what I mean. Each of those basses (all owned or made by TB posters) is more than likely one of a kind.

You can listen to a recording done by Jamerson and go to fender and probably get something approximating that EXACT instrument with an almost perfect replication of his tone. If you listen to Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, NHOP, or any of the greats (not to mention some of the greats we have posting here) you will hear a tone that comes from that specific bass and it will be just this side of impossible to ever get your hands on that bass or a bass that was made by that maker that is exactly the same.

Nearly everyone here will tell you that you can't tell about an instrument until you play it, no matter the maker.

Thanks for replying Fletcher

There is a misunderstanding here. I wasn't suggesting that someone should judge all basses, strings, amps, etc. and give their opinion to everyone else. I was suggesting just to combine info, stats, links and pictures in for a string, bass or whatever in the same place to be used as reference material or description and let others comment or review it if they chose.

Look at some of the reviews here or elsewhere on like Amazon.com, Consumer Reports, Edmonds.com

Pictures, stats, specs, sizes, weights etc., just a description and relevant info. Then let others comment, or review if they choose. Just the things you might have to look for in 10 different searches in on place.

Hope you can understand the difference. It will take some effort to compile but it's not about one person determining whats good or bad about an instrument. Or how it sounds and plays.

Just getting all the info in one place. And hearing what other have to say about it.

[olivieraleman]

It doesnt take long to rack up some dough in strings, especially once you get into guts. Playing the double bass reminds me of what my old man said about flying airplanes
"Nobody said it was cheap"!

I would imagine Uncletoad has several grand in strings at this point, and others as well. Full sets of Gamut, Eudoxa, etc.are over 500.00 at a crack. Try a set of Garbo, Anima, and some guts, you got a grand easy. John