Double Bass 2022 Spirocore Challenge

[TroyK]

Personally I think the "Spirocore lasts forever" talk is hooey. Yes, they last longer than most strings, but I've played plenty of examples of dead Spiros over the years. When I used them myself I felt they were past their prime after a couple of years. They still had clarity and sustain, but had lost much of their their brightness and punch. Plus they felt yucky.

- Steve

It's interesting that you can feel strings die, but I totally relate to that. I will say that Spirocores don't seem to hold up as well in the pegbox as most strings for some reason, maybe just because people take them off and put them back on more than most strings.

 

[Sam Dingle]

This is part of the allure of Spirocores. With every Pirastro string I have loved (and I love several Pirastro string sets) I'm planning my string changes around gigs and recordings, but they all happen between about 9 and 18 months from new. When you buy Spirocores, they could reasonably last a decade.

i always had to change my spiros after a year when i used them. E string would always go dead and i'd know its time.

 

[AGCurry]

Personally I think the "Spirocores last forever" talk is hooey. Yes, they last longer than most strings, but I've played plenty of examples of dead Spiros over the years. When I used them myself I felt they were past their prime after a couple of years. They still had clarity and sustain, but had lost much of their their brightness and punch. Plus they felt yucky.

- Steve

Well, I find it interesting that people buy a string that doesn't sound the way they want until months or years into its life.

 

[TroyK]

Well, I find it interesting that people buy a string that doesn't sound the way they want until months or years into its life.

This year, I was happy right out of the pack. Not because I want something overly bright and whiney, but because they never sounded like that.

 

[Jason Hollar]

I’ve tried two new sets over the past year or so - the weich 4/4 & 3/4 - and the perceived break in period was much shorter than previous sets.

 

[Sam Reese]

@Jason Hollar ...I see you have a Troegs IPA named in your honor.

 

[Doug Harrison]

I’m out! (Slams money on the table in shame)

Just started with a local community orchestra and unfortunately I stuck out like a sore thumb. Got some dirty looks from the cello section

I put the spiros on my 2nd bass, so it will see any bars/outdoor performances. But, in the true spirit of this challenge, I have failed. Good luck to the rest of you!

 

[TroyK]

You are NOT master of your domain!

 

[Don Hergert]

... Just started with a local community orchestra and unfortunately I stuck out like a sore thumb. Got some dirty looks from the cello section ...

Congrats on the CO gig though, that's great. BTW, don't cello players always give dirty looks???

P.S. What strings are you going to use on your Orchestral DB?

 

[Bar Star]

I’m out! (Slams money on the table in shame)

At the risk of sounding like your middle school teacher...I'd love to hear your reflections!

What did you learn about your bass, your playing and strings in general by taking part in the challenge?

 

[Doug Harrison]

Congrats on the CO gig though, that's great. BTW, don't cello players always give dirty looks???

P.S. What strings are you going to use on your Orchestral DB?

Thanks! Yes they sure do!

I had an old Oliv G and D that are actually in decent shape over Evahs in poor shape. Just got an Oliv E and A off of the classifieds. Apprehensive about them, but excited!

 

[Doug Harrison]

At the risk of sounding like your middle school teacher...I'd love to hear your reflections!

What did you learn about your bass, your playing and strings in general by taking part in the challenge?

Good question, time for a moleskin journal entry.

First of all, the weichs sound big and full with a high action. Even the G, which I was not expecting. Only the E was lacking on my bass and a mittel E solved that.

As for my playing… my intonation improved with the clarity of the spirocores. This set will last for years and hopefully will see the bass again. Spirocores are awesome!

 

[Jason Sypher]

I’m out! (Slams money on the table in shame)

Just started with a local community orchestra and unfortunately I stuck out like a sore thumb. Got some dirty looks from the cello section

I put the spiros on my 2nd bass, so it will see any bars/outdoor performances. But, in the true spirit of this challenge, I have failed. Good luck to the rest of you!

I am a little unclear about WHY those pesky cellist gave you dirty looks? Too loud? Too clear? Too good?

 

[TroyK]

Napoleon complex?

 

[PaperbackRyder]

I am a little unclear about WHY those pesky cellist gave you dirty looks? Too loud? Too clear? Too good?

Envy.... depth, length, girth

 

[Brad_Pearson]

I have to admit I'm out. I got a new bass and wanted to explore some different string options on it. My previous bass still has a full set of weichs on it, but I've barely touched it since getting the new bass.

That being said. At some point I want to put my mittles on this new bass to see how it responds.

 

[Don Hergert]

Life happens...

A big congrats on the new bass!!!

 

[Sean Riddle]

I’m out. Curiosity got the better of me. I just put on Aquila’s Red Springs metal G and D, under Spirocore medium A, E, and B on my 5 string. My Shen hybrid still wears a full set of Spiros, but I use that bass for teaching and jam sessions only. We’ll see if I wind up back to a full set of Spirocores on my 5 by the end of the year. But for the next month I’m keeping the Red Springs on.

 

[Brad_Pearson]

So funny thing. I was out of the running after I got my second bass for a steal that I couldn't pass up. I thought "great, two basses, I can string one with something other than spiros!".

After plain guts under Spiro solos, Olives under Evah w, Olives under spiro w, I'm back to a full set of S42W... And they sound GLORIOUS with tonnes of volume, and don't kill my hands... And they get out of the way of the music... Bow great... Keep me honest... Stay in tune...

When will I ever learn...

 

[Jason Sypher]

So funny thing. I was out of the running after I got my second bass for a steal that I couldn't pass up. I thought "great, two basses, I can string one with something other than spiros!".

After plain guts under Spiro solos, Olives under Evah w, Olives under spiro w, I'm back to a full set of S42W... And they sound GLORIOUS with tonnes of volume, and don't kill my hands... And they get out of the way of the music... Bow great... Keep me honest... Stay in tune...

When will I ever learn...

The joke is...they'll all be back. Not to say that the journey isn't worth something, it is. But the bottom line is, for most playing the spiros are going to deliver the goods, time after time, season after season, gig after gig. I just fell down a Danny Thompson YouTube hole and I see some red windings on his bass strings. I don't know how in the hell he gets such an enormous sound. I have some suspicion that his bass is kind of one of those special instruments that just has it, all of it, all the time.