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Double Bass A good hybrid string: no such thing?

E

endorka

Oct 15, 2004
155
4
Glasgow, Scotland
www.jenclarkmusic.com
#1
I've been searching for the perfect "hybrid" string that will allow both pizz and arco. Recent experiments have directly involved Helicore Hybrid and Pirastro Flexocor strings, and listening to some others not sold as hybrid, such as the Velvet Anima and Super Sensitive Sensicors.

I have derived a couple of conclusions about string suitability for this.

1) Playability. For arco, this is "how well does the string take the bow". For example, this would seem to apply to the ease of getting the string started with a bow stroke, and perhaps the ease of keeping it going without falsing. For pizz, the equivalent would seem to be the feel / response of the string.

2) The sound of the string. For jazz pizz, most people seem to prefer a string with some growl. For arco, I prefer a purer sound - think along the lines of Edgar Meyer's tone on his Bach Cello Suite interpretation.

The biggest conflict to my mind is that it may be possible for a string to be playable arco and pizz, but not sound appropriate for one of these. My main frustration is that the strings I've heard that give a good pizzicato jazz "growl" sound terrible when bowed.

So, the conclusion: I' suggest this is because the properties that give a string a good pizz. growl are the same properties that lead to "snarl" in arco. I don't particulary like this snarly arco sound - at best it is an acquired taste, but my observations would be that for most listeners, it doesn't sound good, especially when amplified.

If this is the case, then the quest for the ultimate hybrid string is always going to be fruitless, with either the arco sound being too snarly, or the pizz sound not being growly enough, and I may as well start saving up for a second double bass now. One instrument for bowing, another for pizz.

Opinions sought - I would love to be found wrong in this!

Jennifer
 
#2
As far as strings go - yes you are correct. Your tastes in arco and pizz tone are going to clash.

Ive heard lots of great sounding players though who use bright strings. Have you heard Miroslav Vitous? Listen to his Emergence album. He uses bright strings but his arco tone is still sweet when he wants it. Not Edgar Myer smooth - but who is?

I think Vitous is using an old bass, along with many others Ive heard. If youre lucky to have a nice old mellow sounding bass, that may be the key.

At the very least it may help to have a soundpost adjustment. It helped my bass, which is only 5 years old and has spiros on it for arco.
 
#11
Belcantos. On my bass, the pizz growl and sustain are good, the percussive note start, groovy. The arco is dreamy. Downside; the sound, arco, is a bit Bb; they are as close to totally neutral as anything I have tried. Pizz does not have EUB or fretless EB sustain, like the Spiros I used to use.

I agree with Marcus; ancient Spiros are good too, and brighter under the stick. Though not as easy to start on the A and E.

For me, Belcantos are a perfect hybrid, with a touch more weight on the arco side. Spiros are a perfect hybrid, with a little more weight on the pizz side.
 
#18
Jason Sypher said:
I'm one of the few that find Evah's really boxy sounding and simple.
Click to expand...

No, I feel the same way, if I understand what you mean. I really want to like them and there are things about them to like, but something is missing for me.

All strings are a compromise of some type or another. The bass, the player, your ear, where you play, all make a difference.

3 good strategies:

1) have 2 basses if you can and really need either jazz/orch or steel/gut basses
2) pick something and stick with it.
3) buy used and trade with fellow string addicts until you find what's right for you and yours.

1's not an option for me. 2's a noble aspiration. 3's been where I've landed. I've spent amazingly little on strings considering what I've put myself through and made some friends in the process.

I do agree that 'hybrid' strings in the end are a bit of a myth, at least to me. They end up being somewhat the worst of both worlds. Pick the best string for you and live with it's limitations. If you really need a 50/50 string the best string for you will need to be able to go both ways, but the chances that it will be the "best" string for either of those is slim. Then again, stick with a set for a while and learn to get what you want out of it.
 
#20
I'm in the process from coming from #3 back to #2. I tried a bunch of (expensive!) stuff on my ply bass. Steels (even ancient spiro weichs) are to twangy for my bass and the music styles i do (old school jazz and Americana) while being murderous on my hands for both pizz and slap. High end guts are great, but I can't deal with the drawbacks (the upkeep, the arco challange, finding a good e+a) and often want a more modern sound.

After trying a bunch, I found my bass loves Animas (loud, easy to play, fat sounding while clear) so I'll do my best to stick with them as long as I can. They have some drawbacks, but so does everything and changing often is giving me the blues. I think #2 becomes easier when you have a bass you plan on sticking with for a couple of years or longer. Once you change basses, you can be back at square one.
 

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