Thanks for reading this thread! What, in your opinion, are the best strings to use on a EUB for pizz style only? Thanks...Uprightman
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Double Bass Best Strings For EUB Pizz Style ?
- Thread starter uprightman
- Start date
Thanks for reading this thread! What, in your opinion, are the best strings to use on a EUB for pizz style only? Thanks...Uprightman
What ever strings get you close on the real bass, go at least one step darker for a start. This will give you a similar response for a similar tone. In my experience, anyhoo.
uprightman said:
You know there is a special EUB forum, with lots of threads about string choice...right?
Hi Uprightman.
Can you please take a minute and fill out your profile?:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/profile.php?do=editprofile
As for your question, this is very subjective!
What's best for me could be the worst for you.
Since your profile is empty, we don't know what rig you have.
Also, what kind of pizz tone do you want?
Bright with sustain?
Dark and thumpy, gut-like?
Best regards, and enjoy the forum!
François
Can you please take a minute and fill out your profile?:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/profile.php?do=editprofile
As for your question, this is very subjective!
What's best for me could be the worst for you.
Since your profile is empty, we don't know what rig you have.
Also, what kind of pizz tone do you want?
Bright with sustain?
Dark and thumpy, gut-like?
Best regards, and enjoy the forum!
François
I have had a bit of a moan recently about Tomastic Spirocors(light) on my Steinberger CR4M, well... I may yet take it back. I was thinking that they were a bit bright and was looking for something a bit darker. I played a full live set with them last night, and in the context of my band (a bit world,a bit funk, a bit jazz) they were just spot on.
The tone on the bass was set to flat and the amp was also just about flat on the tone. It had good fundamental note projection, just the right amount of sustain and just enough of a DB kind of tone and feel to suit my band.
If you are looking for a real DB tone then I think you may need to get a darker string, but for a band that is a kind of mixed bag the Spirocors did the job well.
The tone on the bass was set to flat and the amp was also just about flat on the tone. It had good fundamental note projection, just the right amount of sustain and just enough of a DB kind of tone and feel to suit my band.
If you are looking for a real DB tone then I think you may need to get a darker string, but for a band that is a kind of mixed bag the Spirocors did the job well.
"in the context of the band" is so hard to judge until you're there. I'm a sound operator more often than bass player at the moment and I hear so many instruments that are tweaked to sound awesome when played solo in a bedroom, but don't cut it in the band mix. Bass generally needs to sound too bright on stage to have enough clarity at the back of the room.bob atherton said:
bob atherton said:
I've got an NS CR5 as well as a real DB and Francois recemmended me Pirastro Orchs for the EUB and these have been excellent in all respects - whereas I have Spirocores on my real Double Bass!
As both Ray and Francois have said - darker strings (usually those intended for Orchestral use) do seem to sound better on EUBs for a Jazz Pizz style...?
As a general rule, these are orchestral strings, those made to be played with a bow, as they are loaded with dampening material that makes them sound mellower and less metallic.EggyToast said:
However this is not written on the envelope, so you need to learn about the various brands.
The so-called "hybrid" strings are also interesting.
They're designed to perform well in both arco and pizz settings. In fact they compromise a few things so they become attractive if you really play both styles, or want a slightly darker string, not too much thump.
Brighter: More high frequencies, probably more middle, generally (not always) longer sustain.
Darker: More fundamental, less of the above.
Darker: More fundamental, less of the above.
so realistically, if I'm interested in arco for providing a good chunk of sound, in both backing and "up front" pieces, but not actual "solos," and also looking for a solid jazz/pizz string but not the really thumpy rockabilly sound, a synthetic or a hybrid might be right up my alley?
Is there any resource around for actually hearing the different types of strings that are out there? obviously they'll sound different from bass to bass, but there aren't really any resources around where I live, and ordering expensive strings blindly when I'm not that used to the differences is a bit daunting
Is there any resource around for actually hearing the different types of strings that are out there? obviously they'll sound different from bass to bass, but there aren't really any resources around where I live, and ordering expensive strings blindly when I'm not that used to the differences is a bit daunting
Thank you all for your string tips. I just got a Zeta Strados that came with red labels. The sound was horrendous. I put an old set spirocore mittels. It was better, but very whiney and little punch. I just put on a set helicore heavy orchestras, and voila! It sounds like a bass. Not an real upright sound, but workable. Best of all it's harder on my chops than my wood bass with flatchrome steels, so when I come off from play the zeta, I feel like I can fly on the wood. Now if can find a decent flight case...
I put Velvet Garbos on my Zeta Educator and love them. The stock Zeta strings are awful (like their customer support).
I bet the pirastro flexocores that Francois recommended for my messenger bass would sound really good on a Steinberger. The steinberger, like the messenger, has tons of sustain and I definitely liked the flexocores a lot because they made the bass sound less like a fretless and more thumpy. I currently have a Jargar G string on it and it's very clear, but I think I still prefer the Flexocore 92 G. They bow great of course.
I want to dust off this thread a little... I'm finding that I'm playing upright almost exclusively now and just dusted off my EUB so I can use it for quiet practice after the kids are asleep.
It had spiro's on it which worked great for me back when I was an electric player. But now, I'm finding the sustain to be a real bummer. So I just threw some old strings on it - Jargar orchestras. And found them to be completely dull and lifeless. However, they have the right decay! so I think I'm on to something. But the Jargars sound like rubber bands which is not acceptable.
When I get some free time, I'm planing to replace them with another old set of strings - d'a Helicore orchestras. I'm hoping to get a little more tone out of those.
It had spiro's on it which worked great for me back when I was an electric player. But now, I'm finding the sustain to be a real bummer. So I just threw some old strings on it - Jargar orchestras. And found them to be completely dull and lifeless. However, they have the right decay! so I think I'm on to something. But the Jargars sound like rubber bands which is not acceptable.
When I get some free time, I'm planing to replace them with another old set of strings - d'a Helicore orchestras. I'm hoping to get a little more tone out of those.
I have Obligatos on my Eminence and find them to be a good fit. I like them on my regular double bass too.
- Steve
- Steve
I doubt the Obligatos would give him the fast decay he seems to want.
They are rather growly and clear sounding.
They are rather growly and clear sounding.
