Double Bass American Alternative to Spirocores

[day82]

Are the Zyex string light or medium ?

 

[A. Munk]

Zyex has both light and medium.
3/4 and 4/4 I think.
I've only used the mediums. I'm a pretty big fan of these strings.
I have them on two basses right now.
One of my work basses and my good German. They can thump for swing, great for jazz and they bow well.
For me, they work great.
I get about a year of heavy use.

 

[Daniel Baskin]

Spiros are also very durable AND reusable. It's not just that you can have them on the bass for forever and never replace them, it's that you can soak them in some 90% iso-alcohol over a day or so (yeah, you'll have to take them off--it helps to switch out two pairs; I usually switch them out to experiment with others but always come back to spriro mittels) and they sound pretty much new when you put them back on.

 

[MikeCanada]

I agree that Spirocores are basically indestructible, and last forever. Even though they might be a little more expensive up front (they're on the cheaper end of "professional" strings especially if you plan on using the bow) their life expectancy more than makes up for it.

I played the Helicore Hybrids for a while years ago, and found that instead of being a great crossover string, they happened to be terrible for pizz and arco. I had some quality control issues as well. I believe that was about 8 years ago, so there's a chance that the "new and improved" version is better. Some people love them, but opinions still tend to be a mixed bag. As for Spirocores, I have encountered very few people that don't enjoy them for what they are. They don't appeal to everyone, but they are a fantastic string and well worth the cost up front.

 

[nicechuck]

I have Helicore hybrid lights on my bass and love them.

 

[TomB]

Zyex has both light and medium.
3/4 and 4/4 I think.
I've only used the mediums. I'm a pretty big fan of these strings.
I have them on two basses right now.
One of my work basses and my good German. They can thump for swing, great for jazz and they bow well.
For me, they work great.
I get about a year of heavy use.

In what ways do you think the Zyex were an improvement over your Obligatos, if you don't mind me asking? Thank you.

 

[A. Munk]

Ask away friend.
1. More volume/ presence ( I play a lot with no amp). They also amplify well.
1a. Brighter.
2. Durability. They can really take a beating. ( no unravelling/ breakage).
I've been getting around 9-12 months a set. A friend of mine who plays at least as much as I, gets quite a bit more. (2+ years)
3. Cost.
4. No string roll.
All in all a great string.
It took a little getting used to the increased tension and stiff-ness.( never tried the lights)
Hope this helps

 

[martinc]

Ask away friend.
1. More volume/ presence ( I play a lot with no amp). They also amplify well.
1a. Brighter.
2. Durability. They can really take a beating. ( no unravelling/ breakage).
I've been getting around 9-12 months a set. A friend of mine who plays at least as much as I, gets quite a bit more. (2+ years)
3. Cost.
4. No string roll.
All in all a great string.
It took a little getting used to the increased tension and stiff-ness.( never tried the lights)
Hope this helps

A Munk:
Ditto on your four points.
However I found the tension of Zyex Mediums much like Spiro Weichs.....easy to play. After several months of re-discovering the joy of Spiro Weichs on my bass, I would say the Zyex Mediums come a close second for me. The steel rope core Weichs react quicker to the right hand but the synthetic-core Zyex mediums are not far behind.

 

[A. Munk]

A Munk:
Ditto on your four points.
However I found the tension of Zyex Mediums much like Spiro Weichs.....easy to play. After several months of re-discovering the joy of Spiro Weichs on my bass, I would say the Zyex Mediums come a close second for me. The steel rope core Weichs react quicker to the right hand but the synthetic-core Zyex mediums are not far behind.

Agreed! Spiro weichs are also a great string.
They last a long long time.
Personally I need a little more beef on the G string.

Thinking about obligatos last night.
.. I think the main reason I stopped using them was the unraveling at the bridge. ( they never did break though)
Good sounding string all in all.
My advice for using obligatos is to make sure your set up is all good before installing them. Lots of graphite in the bridge and nut slots.
Then most important, leave them be.
They don't seem to do to well taking them on and off.
Very easy to bow.
Easy the hands.

 

[martinc]

A Munk:

Funny thing about the Weich G is that I never liked it on either my Kays or my King. Too thin and pingy. But on my Eberle it has a solid, beefy sound.
As for the Obligato's....I was a tester for Pirastro at the time they were introduced. I liked them a lot on my 1948 Kay C-1. However I did not know how short their lifespan would be. They were shot after 7-8 months. Dead and hard to tune.
For me, the Zyex Mediums are a better string than Obligato's. On my Eberle, they last longer, feel smoother on the left hand and sound just as good as the Obligato's. I also like the tension (and the price!) of the Zyex.