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Double Bass Baby Bass megathread
- Thread starter nil
- Start date
I'd ask Ray Ramirez:
20 Esmeralda Street West
Humacao, Puerto Rico 00791-3660
Tel. (787)613-0906 Cellular
(787)716-1291 Home
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Ray Ramírez Basses20 Esmeralda Street West
Humacao, Puerto Rico 00791-3660
Tel. (787)613-0906 Cellular
(787)716-1291 Home
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I’m in the process of restoring a Zorko and need some help.
- Is there a good option for replacement tuning machines?
- The pickup is toast so I’m inclined to use a Vic’s model B. Good?
- Strings for some thump? The customer will primarily use it for bluegrass/roots.
Thx
- Is there a good option for replacement tuning machines?
- The pickup is toast so I’m inclined to use a Vic’s model B. Good?
- Strings for some thump? The customer will primarily use it for bluegrass/roots.
Thx
I went to go visit Ray at his workshop in October 2023 and he didn't have any spare discs.
I contacted JR Acoustic Pickup through Facebook Messenger, and they're willing to sell a pair of bridge foot discs for $80 at the on October 12th. jrconga123 [at] gmail [dot] com. I only need one and didn't have $80 to spare at the time.
I've heard Carlos Guzman is the guy for pickups. He might have some. He's on FB.
Hi Folks... I've had Spirocore solo gauge on my BB4 for few decades now and am now considering switching to the Eurosonic tape wounds to go even easier on these ol' hands, and to closer match the guts I have on my DB. Has anybody here had had both Spiro Solos and Eurosonic Lights on their Ampeg to compare tension and tumbao playability? And are the Eurosonic Ultra lights an even better option, or do they suck? I apologize if this question has been asked here before - I couldn't find it in a search, so I'm asking it again. 
Ok.
I was just making sure you're not using a fingerboard magnetic pickup (think Krivo) where string ferrous content is very important.
I can't answer your question though, sorry.
But maybe you can just get two Eurosonic strings to check how they do before committing for a whole set.
Good luck!
I was just making sure you're not using a fingerboard magnetic pickup (think Krivo) where string ferrous content is very important.
I can't answer your question though, sorry.
But maybe you can just get two Eurosonic strings to check how they do before committing for a whole set.
Good luck!
Thanks anyway. I see you're in La Belle Province - greetings from Vancouver! I've been trying to source a Canadian distributor for Eurosonics for an economical source to try them from. It appears there's a distributor in Calgary (Aolian Strings).
Allan
Keep in mind that Eurosonic is the US marketing name for the (polish) Presto Nylonwound strings.
Maybe you can get them better under their original name.
I‘m not sure if you can order them from Thomann (as Presto Nylonwound).
Maybe you can get them better under their original name.
I‘m not sure if you can order them from Thomann (as Presto Nylonwound).
Thanks for the tip! I see them as Prestos at Thomann for ~C$169, but shipping to Vancouver is ~C$109. They also have black tape wound Prestos called "Jazzicatos" that are more expensive, but they don't really say what the difference is other than black wound with "powerful dark sound with percussive punch and unobtrusive sustain" vs. white tape wound "characterized by a dark and mellow, yet strong sustain sound".
The Jazzicastos are higher tension than the Nylonwounds. I think they are available in two versions which differ in the lower two strings only.
I have a set (bought used) but not my cup of tea. I like the Presto Balance Hybrid Light better. But it is easier for me to get them in Germany.
That’s a lot for shipping. Last time I sent a string set as a registered letter from Germany to Australia and payed a lot less (about a quarter or even a bit less). But that is not insured.
Thanks for your help. I'm looking for something a just a little lower in tension than the Spirocore solo gauge. I also find that on hotter nights my hands get sticky on the metal wound strings, and might slide easier on tape wounds when that happens. I found and printed out the string tension chart on Talk Bass (which I believe you had something to do with - thanks!), and it seems like the Presto/Eurosonic lights have that slight tension difference, and would presumably have better definition on a Baby Bass than the Ultra Lights.
I'd worry that they would have no sustain. Are you using 3/4 size Spiro Solos? You could get 4/4 which would have less tension, but the silks would go past the bridge. Probably not a big deal on a BB, but weird looking, none the less.
What about the Innovation/GHS Silver (or Golden) Slaps?
I have an old UK set of the Silver Slaps and they are in the range of gut string tension (E and A a bit higher tension like metal wound gut). If you don’t need the bow they might do it. Haven’t tried them on a EUB, you need a piezo or the original BB diaphragm pickup as they don’t have steel inside, but they should work well.
You can even mix them with better lawn cutters like @Don Hergert does.
I like the Silver Slaps, just don’t use them as there is no high C string available and they are not as good as metal wound strings for (orchestral) bowing.
For an EUB a synthetic core string works well to keep the sustain low enough, even highly damped orchestral (bowing) strings might work well, but they often have too much tension. But they almost all have an outer metal winding.
The difference between Innovation/GHS and Presto/Eurosonic is the core. Innovation uses a low stretch (like a gut G) core whereas Presto/Eurosonic uses a spiral steel core. Those with magnetic pickups pointing at the string (not below the bridge like the diaphragm) need the steel core. A BB with the original diaphragm pickup or EUBs with a piezo pickup should work with synthetic core strings and plain or wound gut too.
You mean the Ultra Lights? Yeah, me too. I have also have a BB5 with a high C set of Spiros tuned down to BEADG, but I haven't played it in decades because it's too "flappy". (It also has an Eb neck instead of a D one like the rest of my uprights, so there's also that).
FWIW, you can also order a set of Aquila Sugar Slaps for CDN$169 from Long-McQuade.
Maybe these could fit the bill?
I have no experience with Aquila strings though.
Pirastro Evah Slaps are quite low tension too.
Maybe these could fit the bill?
I have no experience with Aquila strings though.
Pirastro Evah Slaps are quite low tension too.
Well that sounds promising. I have Aquila E-A (Gold Springs) on my jazz upright and they match the gut D-G in tone and tension as well as the now-defunct Velvet Garbos did. I'm very happy with them. The Sugar Slaps should work with my Ampeg? I'm not the original owner (of course) but I can't see how the pickups are anything but what came with the bass.
