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Double Bass Genssler Tempera Strings

K

kennym57

Jun 29, 2005
26
3
San Francisco
#1
Hi,

I would like to hear from players, primarily Arco players who are playing on or have tried these strings. I put them on my Italian bass about a week ago. Mixed results for me. My opinions later, but I would love some feedback on Tempera strings from others who have tried them recently. Thanks!
 
#7
Do you find that you're able to dig in during loud passages (i.e., last page of a Tchaikovsky symphony) as much with Temperas as you would with some steel strings? I've been interested in trying these for a while, but that's a bit of a concern for me.
 
#8
Leif Dering said:
Do you find that you're able to dig in during loud passages (i.e., last page of a Tchaikovsky symphony) as much with Temperas as you would with some steel strings? I've been interested in trying these for a while, but that's a bit of a concern for me.
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Temperas are certainly capable of providing plenty of volume, but I don't have to "dig in" as much to achieve it.

We need to learn the response characteristics of any string we use. If you're used to applying heavy bow weight, it's because the string REQUIRES that of you in order to get the result you want. The weight that you would use on, say, Flexocors, will choke gut strings, or any string with significantly less tension.
 
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#9
AGCurry said:
Temperas are certainly capable of providing plenty of volume, but I don't have to "dig in" as much to achieve it.

We need to learn the response characteristics of any string we use. If you're used to applying heavy bow weight, it's because the string REQUIRES that of you in order to get the result you want. The weight that you would use on, say, Flexocors, will choke gut strings, or any string with significantly less tension.
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Thanks. I used EP Weichs for a couple months and I found I had to change my approach for them a bit to get the most out of them; I'd imagine Tempera would be similar. Currently I'm used to original flatchromes which do not require digging in, but certainly can take lots of bow weight when I'm having enough fun in a FF passage.
 
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#10
Leif Dering said:
Thanks. I used EP Weichs for a couple months and I found I had to change my approach for them a bit to get the most out of them; I'd imagine Tempera would be similar. Currently I'm used to original flatchromes which do not require digging in, but certainly can take lots of bow weight when I'm having enough fun in a FF passage.
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Yeah, the Original Flatchromes are great orchestral strings - I might even say they're the BEST strings I've tried in their particular style/construction/purpose.

Genssler's approach is very different from Pirastro's; he believes that low tension is the best path to ease of playing and sound production. My favorite strings to bow are guts, but I just can't deal with constant tuning in rehearsals, so the Temperas do it for me in that context... and they can be bowed quite loudly. They DO require an approach adjustment, though!
 
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#11
I've had mine on for about a month and am quite happy with them so far. I'm using one bass for all of my playing, arco and pizz, and they sound very good and are comfortable to play. It does take some adjustment, especially for bowing. They seem to me to be somewhere between gut and steel as far as arm weight and digging in is concerned. Less is more most of time. They have a nice, balanced sound on my bass and are working well in the situations I've used them in. It also took a while for them to play in, but so far so good.
 
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#13
these are easily the best strings I have ever played. Incomparable to anything else. Allow, as you've noticed already, at least 2 weeks settling of both the strings, your bass and... your playing. Then revise the setup if needed.
Genssler advises a heavier (or, better put, denser) tailpiece for better results, but I had great results with my original (very light) one.
The singing quality is unparalleled, the range of colours equally so. Very easy on the left hand, for me you feel a good wrap of the fingers on the extra surface on these. They are extremely quick and sensitive to any input you apply on the bow, which for me is just a joy.
Downside: the sound is not recognisable particularly as that string or the other, but people will notice a difference. It's not a standard tone at all. Because of that I wouldn't advise them (Jan-Ole doesn't either) for audition situations for example, where you might stand out even if your playing is flawless. A panel might feel something is off, without knowing really what, which is not always the situation you want to be in.

Otherwise, for any real music making, I'd hope the concept (low tension) would become standard so we get more options. I've never felt my bass resonate and project as much as it did after getting all that pressure off. It's, quite frankly, another instrument. A free one, the real voice of the bass. For me.
There's a reason Saksala plays Eudoxas now and there was a time in Berlin Phils history when they strung Solo Spirocores tuned down... ;)
 
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#15
I'm very happy with these strings after about two months. It took a while to both play them in and get comfortable with the different feel and concept. The comments here are also true for my experience. It does take an adjustment in how to produce sound from what we may be used to, but it's a relief to feel that by playing more lightly and letting the instrument "breathe" we get more sound and better tone.
 
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#18
So after 6 weeks, I really began to see, feel and hear the benefits of the Temperas> Lots of color and flexibility in the sound. Brighter than the BelCantos, EPs, and (lately) the Passiones that I have used recently, which is a good thing on my very dark sounding Italian bass. A lot of "personality". Unfortunately the G string just broke a few days ago, down by the tailpiece. Hopefully Ole will send a replacement!
 
#19
dylanjohnson said:
How do you like them compared to those Kols
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Ah, that's a worthy comparison, I think! Both are purposefully designed as "hybrid" strings. I like both strings a lot.

But the short answer is, even though I think the Kolsteins are also a really nice "multi-use" string (I'm keeping them), the Tempera hybrids really are winner in the hybrid design: for me, they are the first string that just doesn't compromise at all in either pizz or arco tone/response. They don't make me wish for something that some other string does (e.g, Spiros - and both me and my bass LOVE Spiros).

They doing everything so well and hey - I just can't find anything wrong with them!

Beyond that, I don't feel I'm qualified to give a direct - and fair - comparison, because the Kolsteins, like some other synth core strings I've used in the past (Zyex comes to mind) take some time to fully break in and work out their kinks. But if I can answer a specific question (like tension/feel differences, etc.), fire away!
 
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#20
I ordered the orchestra Temperas originally, but when Jan Ole contacted me to say they were ready to make my set, he brought up their then newly-developed hybrid set (because I had put down 50/50 arco/pizz on the form). And he told me that players are also using the Hybrid set in orchestra.. FWIW
 
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