Had a new bridge put on my girl. Brand new Spiros were also going on…until it became evident my bass is actually full size/44”. Lol, I never knew. So old 10-year-old Spiros went back on for now. And they sound and feel glorious!!
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Double Bass 2022 Spirocore Challenge
- Thread starter TroyK
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I installed my first set of new Spirocore solos yesterday on my carved Romanian shop bass with a Yamahiko pickup.
I’ve owned this bass only 5 months so I’m still getting know her. It spent the mid 2000’s being carted around Rome with a busking gypsy band and played hard before coming to the US. It’s definitely broken in but still in great condition.
On the gig last night I was amazed how much I loved the sound and feel of these strings. Compared to the Perpetuals I had on earlier this year, the Spiro solos really made the bass more resonant and much easier to play. I can hear myself very clearly, both acoustically and through a speaker. I think having less tension allows the mids and high frequencies to be more prominent.
I wonder if I should have tried the solos sooner with other basses I have owned?
I’ve owned this bass only 5 months so I’m still getting know her. It spent the mid 2000’s being carted around Rome with a busking gypsy band and played hard before coming to the US. It’s definitely broken in but still in great condition.
On the gig last night I was amazed how much I loved the sound and feel of these strings. Compared to the Perpetuals I had on earlier this year, the Spiro solos really made the bass more resonant and much easier to play. I can hear myself very clearly, both acoustically and through a speaker. I think having less tension allows the mids and high frequencies to be more prominent.
I wonder if I should have tried the solos sooner with other basses I have owned?
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Likewise, I installed Spirocore medium orchestra strings on my "slimline" Thomann bass last night, for the first time.
Here’s to getting a lot of mileage out of our investment. I want to say five years from now that I still have same set of strings on my bass.
I seem to change bass more often than I change strings, so it doesn't seem impossible!
Just ordered a full set of Spiros to replace the full set of Spiros that are now 1.5+ years old.
Full set of Spiro Mittels have been on about 5 days - Arco is still a bit "hissy" (sounding under the bow), and "PISSY " (just a bit tight & uncooperative under the bow.)
Pizz is still a bit "boingy" - esp. the OPEN D string, but past experience indicates a couple of months of playing will mellow this harsh.
The E/C & A strings are full and not too growly on my carved Juzek, while the G feels nice and full with a smattering of clarity, not thin & whiny like the Weich.
I do love the Pizz sound of New Spiros - there is a kind of "glassyness" (in the upper portion of the sonic spectrum of each string) that works well with the strong (shirtless) testosterone-laden FUNDAMENTAL of Spiro Mittels.
"....from my cold/old dead hands..."
TMI, I know.
Thanks.
First ever post to TB after some time as a member.
I'm late to the party and don't qualify for the challenge, but after following this thread for some time I was motivated to put a set of 4/4 Spiro Weichs on my bass (a really good sounding 1960s Wilfer, mensur reduced from the original 44 to a more friendly 41.75).
It's been years since I've played Spiros and those were Mittels. After installing, tuning (and retuning), and cleaning off the black residue, I've played them a bit and _really_ like how they feel under the fingers; the sound is promising and I know they'll settle in over time.
I'm just practicing these days, enjoying a singular focus on improving for its own sake; probably 50/50 pizz and arco. Seeing Joseph Conyers play weichs arco gives me a high target to aim for and I am looking forward to working a lot with the bow.
I'm late to the party and don't qualify for the challenge, but after following this thread for some time I was motivated to put a set of 4/4 Spiro Weichs on my bass (a really good sounding 1960s Wilfer, mensur reduced from the original 44 to a more friendly 41.75).
It's been years since I've played Spiros and those were Mittels. After installing, tuning (and retuning), and cleaning off the black residue, I've played them a bit and _really_ like how they feel under the fingers; the sound is promising and I know they'll settle in over time.
I'm just practicing these days, enjoying a singular focus on improving for its own sake; probably 50/50 pizz and arco. Seeing Joseph Conyers play weichs arco gives me a high target to aim for and I am looking forward to working a lot with the bow.
Thomastik Spirocore Starks
Apple iPhone recording
BAss Solo at 4:44
Apple iPhone recording
BAss Solo at 4:44
Hey all, I could use a little advice on mixing different gauges of Spiros. I'm a long time user of Obligatos (G&D) over Spiro medium (E&A). I've considered trying a full set of Spiros before, and since I play a fair amount of arco, I think the weich G&D would probably work well for me--which would have the bonus of a bit more sustain in TP(???). I'm quite happy with how the mittel E&A bow, so any problem pairing weich G&D with medium E&A? Should I consider a weich A as well?
Another option I've considered is actually weich G&D, mittel A, and stark E. Honestly, I guess I don't have a great reason for that combo; there was a thread around here somewhere about the wonders of the stark E.... Perhaps I'm trying to solve problems that don't exist....
Are there any other gauges/combinations I should consider? Solos, 4/4 sizes vs 3/4 sizes, etc.?
(This is a bit hypothetical at the moment as I just put on some Aquila strings yesterday, but so far I'm getting the impression that they don't quite agree with my bass.)
Another option I've considered is actually weich G&D, mittel A, and stark E. Honestly, I guess I don't have a great reason for that combo; there was a thread around here somewhere about the wonders of the stark E.... Perhaps I'm trying to solve problems that don't exist....
Are there any other gauges/combinations I should consider? Solos, 4/4 sizes vs 3/4 sizes, etc.?
(This is a bit hypothetical at the moment as I just put on some Aquila strings yesterday, but so far I'm getting the impression that they don't quite agree with my bass.)
I think it's pretty common to bump the E up a gauge from the rest of the set. I currently have the G up one gauge and am really digging it.
That leads me to believe that it's bass specific and there is no easy answer to your question. If you want to go full Spirocores, pick a gauge and put it on there, play it for a while and then if the bass seems to want something else, you can chase it.
That leads me to believe that it's bass specific and there is no easy answer to your question. If you want to go full Spirocores, pick a gauge and put it on there, play it for a while and then if the bass seems to want something else, you can chase it.
If you try new strings (with a different tension) wait one to two weeks until the top adjusts to the new pressure.
4/4 to 3/4 Spiros: the 3/4 have a higher tension on the same scale length, similar to up tuning the 4/4 by a halftone (or down tuning 3/4 Spiros by a halftone to get the 4/4 tension).
Solos have a tension similar to Mittel tuned down by two halftones.
See my excel file in my Dropbox for numbers of many (but not all) DB strings.
You will find that the higher strings with a steel core are harder to press down than gut or synthetic core strings because the core is harder to stretch and the thinner string cuts more into your left hand finger. People who play a lot don’t care much, they are trained to it, but if your fingers are not well trained to that you might not like the higher steel core strings after the Obligato.
4/4 to 3/4 Spiros: the 3/4 have a higher tension on the same scale length, similar to up tuning the 4/4 by a halftone (or down tuning 3/4 Spiros by a halftone to get the 4/4 tension).
Solos have a tension similar to Mittel tuned down by two halftones.
See my excel file in my Dropbox for numbers of many (but not all) DB strings.
You will find that the higher strings with a steel core are harder to press down than gut or synthetic core strings because the core is harder to stretch and the thinner string cuts more into your left hand finger. People who play a lot don’t care much, they are trained to it, but if your fingers are not well trained to that you might not like the higher steel core strings after the Obligato.
@bassically_eli I'm not an Obligato fan because they don't amplify well IME. I ended up with Dominants over a Stark E. I think the Weich G/D would likely bow fine once they get past the banjo phase. I'm not sure how they would balance with the two others, but there's an easy way to find out!
I will mention that in my experience going from a soft supple string like the Oblis to steel can be hard on the fingertips for a few weeks until the calluses build up. I use Dominants and do a 24-minute calibration warmup 6 days a week just to keep the hands acclimated to the bass and strings. Starting in Derby week this year (first week of may), I came out of pandemic mode and have played more gigs since then than I have collectively since December. At the end of a few of those 3 hour gigs, my fingertips were feeling pretty bruised and battered. At this point, the hands are rounding back into form, but I'd recommend giving your hands a month of steels on top before deciding that they are too brutal. The body is an amazing thing and those calluses do build up over time.
I will mention that in my experience going from a soft supple string like the Oblis to steel can be hard on the fingertips for a few weeks until the calluses build up. I use Dominants and do a 24-minute calibration warmup 6 days a week just to keep the hands acclimated to the bass and strings. Starting in Derby week this year (first week of may), I came out of pandemic mode and have played more gigs since then than I have collectively since December. At the end of a few of those 3 hour gigs, my fingertips were feeling pretty bruised and battered. At this point, the hands are rounding back into form, but I'd recommend giving your hands a month of steels on top before deciding that they are too brutal. The body is an amazing thing and those calluses do build up over time.
Thanks for the input so far everyone. I'm not really worried about my fingertips or hands. I've played a couple hundred gigs over the last few years, plenty of which were 3 hour gigs, and the Spiro mittel E & A were totally fine for that. I also play acoustic guitar (just started that actually) and electric bass, so I'm used to thin strings, round-wounds/rough surfaces, etc. My only concern is how the strings would balance both in terms of sound and feel. I don't think I would want to go any smaller than the medium on the E-string. But for now, I'll give these Aquilas a week or so to settle.
Honestly, if you want to try a Spirocore D and G with your Mittel E and A, I strongly recommend a Mittel D and G. Until there is a problem, I wouldn't try to out think the manufacturer. They've been doing this for a while.
I went from Obligatos over Mittels to all Mittels (S42). I kept the existing A and E strings, and they dramatically gained clarity and resonance after swapping the G and D. The Mittel A is still the most difficult for me to start with the bow - I personally think the Mittel GD are easier to bow than the Obligatos. Steel feels different than synthetic, but it wasn't a night and day difference for my fingers.
It sounds like you're prepared and in good shape to just go for it with Mittels. Seems logical to me to use the gold standard of the last several decades as a starting point, especially since you're already half way there.
June 1st: EDIT: Start of the sixth month (Thanks @bassically_eli !) of The Challenge..
How's everyone feeling about their all-Spiro life?
@TroyK How's the attrition rate?
How's everyone feeling about their all-Spiro life?
@TroyK How's the attrition rate?
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You're a month short of halfway. There have only been 5 full months in 2022 so far--or did I just miss the time warp catastrophe news buried in between monkeys pox, WW3, and stagflation stories?
I haven't done the math, but it's probably time. Where are our judges/arbitrators at?
I'll admit, I had a moment of temptation, but I made it past that. I have some progressively more serious physical issues. They aren't directly caused by the bass, but it aggravates it. The thinness of the weich G was causing me some additional pain, though and going up a 1/2 gauge helped a lot. It also really sounds good, especially as I go higher up the fingerboard.
Arco is no issue other than ... it's arco and I'm a pizz player, but I don't think it's any better or worse than any other string that I would use. They're not "gut-like", but they aren't twangy or banjo-y either, even right out of the pack. On gigs, they can sound as dark as I would want to sound on a gig. I'm happy.
I do think, for the first time ever, that a full set of S42 Mittel might be possible on my bass since I had my bridge reshaped, but I don't have any reason to try right now. The setup I have feels great.
I may try to audit the participation, assuming people admitted to caving, but I'm still in.
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