At this point, I'm thinking both Pistoys, plus a rewind on the lowers. But I guess now I'll decide after I play yours for a bit. I do love that Lyon G. So Phaaattt.
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Double Bass Conundrum
- Thread starter Marcus Johnson
- Start date
At this point, I'm thinking both Pistoys, plus a rewind on the lowers. But I guess now I'll decide after I play yours for a bit. I do love that Lyon G. So Phaaattt.
That's why I want you to try the Pistoy G before you buy. I was a little down on it when I first put it on. I LOVED the sound of the Lyon and the Pistoy has a different sound. It's still a great sound but it is not the same as the Lyon. The way the Pistoy responds though is something to behold and after a short while I couldn't see going back to the Lyon. I did put the Lyon back on after working with the Pistoy for a couple of days but the difference in playability is so extreme that the Pistoy went back on and stayed on.
If you buy a D, I would seriously consider the Pistoy though even if you go with a Lyon G. The Pistoy D sounds like a lower pitched Lyon G.
If you buy a D, I would seriously consider the Pistoy though even if you go with a Lyon G. The Pistoy D sounds like a lower pitched Lyon G.
That's the plan either way. Funny, though... the Lyon D actually is fine on my bass... in its usual function as a sonic oasis in the middle of the set. I didn't really notice it's "earthiness" until the G was gone. I usually pass over it quickly n any given line I'm playing. When the Lyon G broke, it still held its own pretty nicely as the uppermost voice on the bass.
But yeah, I'm really wanting to try the Pistoys.
But yeah, I'm really wanting to try the Pistoys.
Whoa... the Pistoy from Mark just arrived in the mail. The Lyon is a very pretty string, but this thing is another level beyond that. It looks like spun silk. Very smooth finish.
Hah! Nahh, my intention is to give it a go for a bit, and then send it along to you. I don't want to bash the snot out of it for too long.
Give it a go. It is different than the Lyon. It's much more playable with a more direct sound. There's less puff around the attack than with the Lyon. I didn't like the sound at first but the playability is very attractive. After a while, the sound just got in my head and now I couldn't (or wouldn't) play anything else.
It also has the same thup all of the way up the neck. Once it stretches out (which should only take a couple of days), it'll sing like crazy. And that's a well used string. Imagine what a new one would be like.
If you're going to spend some money, get one of these and a Pistoy D. Unless the E and A are buzzing, don't get them rewound. It'll cost you over $100 and not only won't there be any benefit, they may come back not sounding as good as when they left.
mark
It also has the same thup all of the way up the neck. Once it stretches out (which should only take a couple of days), it'll sing like crazy. And that's a well used string. Imagine what a new one would be like.
If you're going to spend some money, get one of these and a Pistoy D. Unless the E and A are buzzing, don't get them rewound. It'll cost you over $100 and not only won't there be any benefit, they may come back not sounding as good as when they left.
mark
I'm going to pile on and try to get some feedback on how it sounds/feels!!!
Warning: Threadjack.
I'm gonna put in another gut order soon and while a Pistoy D is a certainty, I'm torn over whether to go Lyon again on the G. Being a old-school jazz / django music / bluegrass / folk guy, I dig that trad mingus/PC/Blanton tone and only really venture into thumb a couple of times a gig. Most of my solos are in the transition area or slapped lower on the fingerboard. That said, I play at breakneck tempos and want a string that can keep up!
One of my big concerns is I'll fall back into the problem I had two Lyons where I could play much faster on the G than the D. I'd like the two to be balanced, ya know? The frustration from that lack of balance is what drove me away from gut in the first place.
Warning: Threadjack.
I'm gonna put in another gut order soon and while a Pistoy D is a certainty, I'm torn over whether to go Lyon again on the G. Being a old-school jazz / django music / bluegrass / folk guy, I dig that trad mingus/PC/Blanton tone and only really venture into thumb a couple of times a gig. Most of my solos are in the transition area or slapped lower on the fingerboard. That said, I play at breakneck tempos and want a string that can keep up!
One of my big concerns is I'll fall back into the problem I had two Lyons where I could play much faster on the G than the D. I'd like the two to be balanced, ya know? The frustration from that lack of balance is what drove me away from gut in the first place.
I can't help you with the G issue. Both are great strings. They sound a little different from each other. The Pistoy is a little more modern sounding (think Scott LaFaro--if you want to call 50 years old "modern"). You already know what the Lyon is like. I didn't like the Pistoy G at first (after playing on a Lyon G for a year) but after it broke in, I loved it. After a few weeks, I put the Lyon G back on and it only lasted a day or so before going back to the Pistoy and I haven't looked back.
The Pistoy D will solve your speed problems. It responds and recovers much faster than the Lyon and it is much more focused. I'd went with a light D and when it stretched out, it sounded a bit like a lower pitched Lyon G.
It would require bowing to find out
. I'm not much of an arco guy so I'm not the guy to ask. I have run a bow over them and they grab the bow better than steel for me but all arco in my hands sounds like someone stepping on a cat's tail. Let's wait for Marcus' assessment which will likely include arco.Really nice under the bow. Pitch definition is a little bit easier than the Lyon was, and there's less gut nasaliciousness. Less of that big WHOMP in the pizz department, though. As a pure arco set, this is as good as anything I've played. When you throw in the pizz, the Lyon G gets the edge for me.
Dono, send your mailing address so I can send it to you. To totally confuse everyone, I ordered a set of Spiros this morning, since I was running low on 'em, and Chris Quinn still has that deal going. I never like to be without a set of Spiros, and this will set me up for a good long time. I'll get around to ordering the fresh Gamuts when the busy season starts.
Dono, send your mailing address so I can send it to you. To totally confuse everyone, I ordered a set of Spiros this morning, since I was running low on 'em, and Chris Quinn still has that deal going. I never like to be without a set of Spiros, and this will set me up for a good long time. I'll get around to ordering the fresh Gamuts when the busy season starts.
I'm thinking about metal myself. Intonation/tuning issues are a pain. But man that sound is sweet when it get's going. Subjectively, seems like my emotional state goes hand in hand with my intonation. If I'm hesitant or timid, the intonation is crappy. If I'm confident, well you get the idea.
