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Double Bass Helicore Orchestral vs Kaplans

Persona87

Persona87

Dec 4, 2012
918
596
DFW, Texas
#1
I'm looking for a new set of strings for my Eastman hybrid bass. I play about 70/30 arco/pizz, but the arco playing is almost exclusively solo playing. It came with D'addario Helicore Hybrid mediums, and the A, D, and G sounded fine. The E, though, sounded really dead and hard to start with the bow. The tension was also a bit high for my tastes. I was also gifted a set of Spirocore mittels, and they sound great pizz but the arco sounds like starting a chainsaw. I'm sure it would get better with practice, but I'm not sure if I could stick with it long enough to get there.

I've been thinking that some light arco strings might be the ticket for me, and the price on D'addario strings is right. The question is, do I go with the Kaplans or the Helicore Orchestral strings? What's the difference between the two? Is there something else that I should consider?
 
#4
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Helicores, with all due respect to D'Addario, are to Kaplans what an '89 Ford Escort is to a Mustang.
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Versatile and reasonably-priced?

Seriously, though, if I were playing 70/30 arco and pizz, I would probably pick the Helicores. If it were 80/20? Maybe the Kaplans. I've used the Helicore Orchestral strings a fair amount and found them to be pretty acceptable for jazz pizz. I've only used Kaplans once or twice, but found the pizz to be dull and thuddy, like most other arco strings. They felt and sounded really great for arco, though!

If you generally liked the Hybrids, and you liked the pizz sound of the Spirocores, I think the Helicore Orchestras will be a closer fit than the Kaplans.
 
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#6
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
The new Kaplan Solos pizz beautifully (out of the box, at least...I didn't stick with them long) and the wonderful bowability is intact.

Heli Orchs sound bland and lifeless by comparison.
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KfSherriff: I respect your opinion on such things as much as anyones, yet it sure would be nice to hear a recording of various strings when you try them. Even with whatever inherent limitations there are with online audio recordings I still find them very helpful. One exampe, which admittedly was professionally done, is D'addarios sample of their Kaplans. Of course he doesn't play them pizz so that doesn't help the jazzers much.



With the high quality of the Zoom recorders (and similar) which many of us have, I would love to hear more recordings.
 
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#7
Hey there,

I'm probably not experienced enough to judge but between the two, I would definitely go with Kaplans. Yes they sound very dark pizz, bit the sound is rich and powerful, not the dull and lifeless pizz of bel cantos and other arco strings. They don't growl like spiros but then who would think of spiros as world standard for pizz some 50-60 years ago. Helicores may be the right strings for someone, but I think they are lifeless, thin and plain quieter sounding strings if you compare to Kaplan. I've used both hybrid and orchestral as well as pizz (on my eub) and didn't like any of them. If the price for Kaplan is an issue I would try and get a set of Jargar strings, these are also very nice and dark arco strings

Regards,
 
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#8
rickwolff said:
KfSherriff: I respect your opinion on such things as much as anyones, yet it sure would be nice to hear a recording of various strings when you try them. Even with whatever inherent limitations there are with online audio recordings I still find them very helpful. One exampe, which admittedly was professionally done, is D'addarios sample of their Kaplans. Of course he doesn't play them pizz so that doesn't help the jazzers much.

With the high quality of the Zoom recorders (and similar) which many of us have, I would love to hear more recordings.
Click to expand...

Even if I had the gadgets to do so, the recorded results wouldn't be more than a pale facsimile of what my bass sounds like in my music room wearing X string.
 
#9
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Even if I had the gadgets to do so, the recorded results wouldn't be more than a pale facsimile of what my bass sounds like in my music room wearing X string.
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The question of whether that 'pale facsimile' would be more or less illustrative than your written description is the one you and I may disagree on.

If I wanted to carry the argument to its ridiculous extreme, I might suggest that rather than buying the recording of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy playing the New World Symphony, I might get more out of just reading the review.
 
#10
I have used both strings for both jazz and classical, and went with The Kaplans. They are notably darker, but play really nice and project well despite their darkness. The only disclaimer here is that my bass is very bright, and on an instrument with a darker tone, I can imagine the Kaplans being a little dull for jazz. As it is though, I play principle with a local orchestra with them, and a weekly jazz trio gig which I am able to play unamplified, and the Kaps do well all around.
 
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#11
Hi all!
My name is Sabrina Brengel and I recently took up the post of D'Addario Orchestral's Social Media Specialist. Feel free to message me here or email me at [email protected] if you have questions about any of our products. I'm happy to work with you to find the best string match for you and your bass!
Best, Sabrina
 
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#12
matt holt said:
I have used both strings for both jazz and classical, and went with The Kaplans. They are notably darker, but play really nice and project well despite their darkness. The only disclaimer here is that my bass is very bright, and on an instrument with a darker tone, I can imagine the Kaplans being a little dull for jazz. As it is though, I play principle with a local orchestra with them, and a weekly jazz trio gig which I am able to play unamplified, and the Kaps do well all around.
Click to expand...

I know this is an older thread but thought I'd ask just out of curiosity. Which tension of Kaplans were you using?
 

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