Double Bass Even Tension Spiro Set

[Ben Rolston]

Anybody ever try putting downtuned solo 3/4 spiro E A D together with a mittel G?

Doublemidi's string tension chart shows, for my 106cm bass

G 27.86
D 27.21
A 27.21
E 27.21

Nerdy as hell, but sounds kinda fascinating

 

[Sean Riddle]

Oh that sounds fascinating. I liked the even tension of Velvets, so an even set of Spiros sounds like a dream. I don’t know which B string would work on that setup though. A Weich B might be a good fit.

 

[Mark_T]

I am also curious, but I wonder if that G will scream compared to the rest.

 

[Ben Rolston]

Yeah, the G might ideally be a hair under tension, not over

 

[damonsmith]

I've used a weich E with solos, the G is the best one - it really sings under the bow. So I wouldn't trade it out. I've used all weichs with a solo G before!

 

[Ben Rolston]

I know you’re a big proponent of Solos. Have you tried both 4/4 and 3/4?

 

[stefaniw80401]

Oooo love this discussion. Please continue, especially delving into 3/4 and 4/4 solos at orchestra pitch.

 

[Ben Rolston]

Got em in the mail today. Here's the numbers based on @DoubleMIDI 's chart -- and my own calipers measurement.

3/4 Solos:
G 1.18mm -- 26.38kp
D 1.63mm -- 27.21kp
A 1.97mm -- 27.21kp
E 2.62mm -- 27.21kp

I put a Perpetual Stark G at 26.9kp (Pirastro measures tension at 106cm, so I think this number is right.)

4/4 Weich:
G 1.17mm -- 25.07kp
D 1.60mm -- 26.93kp
A 2.01mm -- 27.86kp
E 2.69mm -- 28.79kp

Impression:

Better than weichs on my bass, most obviously the D string is thicker and less whiny and the even tension makes everything feel nice and bouncy. I don't have a 4/4 Spiro Mittel G around but I'll have to find one to try the full Spiro set. I've really enjoyed 4/4 weichs for most of the last 3 years but now that I've been playing out more post-COVID I've gotten frustrated with weichs sounding whiny, especially around the heel of the neck on the D and G. Trying these Solo 3/4s comes at a funny time because I've been really into a set of Zyex Lights I bought as a stopgap, but

 

[stefaniw80401]

What's the tone quality of the 3/4 solos at orchestra pitch. On my bass, S42 weichs sound darker than S42 mitts.

 

[Ben Rolston]

What's the tone quality of the 3/4 solos at orchestra pitch. On my bass, S42 weichs sound darker than S42 mitts.

On my bass S42 weichs are a little scooped sounding, proportionally more fundamental and highs than mitts.
The 3/4 solos are very similar to weichs tonally, my perception is very slightly more fundamental.

 

[Ben Rolston]

Putting these up for sale, my bass likes Zyex lights more than these.
I still like these more than 4/4 weichs for what its worth :O