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Double Bass Bel Canto compared to Permanent

Steve Freides

Steve Freides

Former Mannes College Theory Faculty
Supporting Member
Dec 11, 2007
2,576
1,508
Ridgewood, NJ
#1
Can anyone give me a comparison between Bel Cantos and Permanents? I'm about to swap my low E from a set of Bel Cantos for a Permanent to see how it feels and sounds, but I'd like feedback on switching to a full set of Permanents.

My bass is a new-to-me Juzek, and being relatively new to orchestral strings, I find the Bel Cantos work to play, but not too much work, for my left hand; it's just a bit more than I'm used to. I like how they sound although, on my bass, if they err in one direction for me, it's that they're a little on the bright side.

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-
 
#2
Permanents are little brighter and a little stiffer than the Bel Canto. The Bel Cantos decrease in tension as you go down the set and I believe the Permanents do the opposite. On my personal bass, I have currently Bel Canto on the top 2 and Permanents on the bottom two. That is working really nicely on that bass.
 
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#7
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Wanna borrow a set of 92s before you go spending more money? They're darker than Bels, bow easily and aren't too bad on the left hand. I have two or three sets in reserve because I'm done messing with strings as long as I remain on the top side of the grass.
Click to expand...
That's a definite maybe. :) You folks are all a few steps ahead of me. I have a Permanent E I'm going to try here today or tomorrow, and I'll see how that feels. I'm also just ramping up my playing/practicing volume and don't want to rule out a stiffer string just yet. And my arco playing's brightness is some my crappy right hand, so, well, and I last night I bought a set of used Permanent's from a fellow TB'er.

I go or have gone through this as a guitar player, too, and on several kinds of guitars. On acoustic steel-string guitars, I've figured out I like a relatively heavy string, and play 013's - and don't seem to be too particular about the brand. Ditto on archtop electric, 013's, and on solid body electric, well, it's just not my thing and I don't much care what's on there. Classical guitar makes me crazy like double bass strings make me crazy, though, but I do also like a heavy string there as well. That I like a relatively heavy, arguably harder-to-push-down-on guitar string makes me think I might like it on my double bass after I get used to it, too.

It's wonder I don't speak in complete gibberish by now, mumbling "the perfect string, the perfect string" in between nonsense syllables ...

Could someone please point me to the widget you put on your electric drill to turn the pegs? And also to the smallest electric drill/tool that will do the job? It's time <sigh>.

I'm off to be an organist for Palm Sunday and then have a bass lesson this afternoon - I'm going to see if I can get the Permanent E on there in between.

-S-
 
#8
Funny you should mention that about guitars - I feel the same way. For Classical guitar, I like the D'Addario Pro Arte extra hard strings. I think my preference for those strings back in my classical guitar days eventually led me to a DB setup with a similar feel. Anything less just doesn't get the punch on the front end of the attack that I like/have become accustomed to. Interested to hear how your experiment turns out.
 
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#9
@Chris Fitzgerald, it's always interesting to find the right strings. Besides my good (handmade in Spain) classical, I have another one that's spruce top and maples sides/back, and it doesn't like high tension strings, even though I do, so for that one, I have to go with a medium tension. I suspect this has to do with what the optimal tension on the top is, and I also suspect it's much the same thing on a bass, too - some tops probably don't like high tension strings.

-S-
 
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#11
Steve,

FWIW, I just acquired a new 5-string that shipped with Belcantos plus a Spiro on the low B. I didn't care at all for the two low strings; they were sluggish, muffled and dead-sounding. I swapped the low E with a D'Addario Kaplan that I had lying around, but to no effect. I changed it again to a Helicore low-tension orchestral E from my spare string collection, and the difference was remarkable. I ordered a Helicore low B to replace the Spiro with similar results. The bass now has a great big voice that's perfectly matched end-to-end with the three Belcantos plus two Helicores on the bottom. I was stunned by the difference (and at my age, it takes a lot to stun me).

Again, your bass--and your mileage--may vary. Good luck!

Chris
 
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#12
csrund said:
Steve,

FWIW, I just acquired a new 5-string that shipped with Belcantos plus a Spiro on the low B. I didn't care at all for the two low strings; they were sluggish, muffled and dead-sounding. I swapped the low E with a D'Addario Kaplan that I had lying around, but to no effect. I changed it again to a Helicore low-tension orchestral E from my spare string collection, and the difference was remarkable. I ordered a Helicore low B to replace the Spiro with similar results. The bass now has a great big voice that's perfectly matched end-to-end with the three Belcantos plus two Helicores on the bottom. I was stunned by the difference (and at my age, it takes a lot to stun me).

Again, your bass--and your mileage--may vary. Good luck!

Chris
Click to expand...
Old thread but i'll add my +1 for helicore low strings. The G and D are just a bit more nasal than belcantos, but the A and E at least are a great match for the belcantos - they match in tension and tone and playability far better than the belcanto A and E. I'd go as far as to say that the A at least is my favourite A string i've ever used. Currently running belcantos above a helicore A and spiro E/C which i'm very happy with for an orchestral setup.

Re: the permanents, i'm pretty sure you definitely don't want permanents over belcantos. You'll have ultra bright and tight top strings with muddy and loose lower strings. The other way around would work well though.
 

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