Double Bass Identifying S42 vs. 3885.0

[TroyK]

I agree with DoubleMidi, though I don't know the history like he does. We're not using these strings as intended, so I think that they didn't understand why this would be important when they released Spirocores to begin with.

Just the idea that a bunch of (mostly pizz players) who only know each other via the Internet would be mailing used strings around the globe to each other without original packaging would have been laughable.

Or the idea that I have a cardboard box of old strings that I'm hanging onto like a baseball card collector and that occasionally I would look in it, pick something up and think "What the hell is this? Where did I get it? Did I ever try it?"

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I agree with DoubleMidi, though I don't know the history like he does. We're not using these strings as intended, so I think that they didn't understand why this would be important when theye released Spirocores to begin with.

And these strings were made as bowed strings for the European orchestras. The concept was not a jazz pizz string but an orchestral bowed string.

BTW, when I am at Musikmesse Frankfurt I sometimes talk to the string designers/makers of Thomastik-Infeld if they are there. I think they told me about for whom they have been designed originally.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Or the idea that I have a cardboard box of old strings that I'm hanging onto like a baseball card collector and that occasionally I would look in it, pick something up and think "What the hell is this? Where did I get it? Did I ever try it?"

"...well, how did I get here? This is not my beautiful bass! These are not my beautiful strings! This is not my large tube amp....Oh my god, WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

(...there are Spiros at the bottom of the ocean...)

Thanks for the unintentional ear worm, my friend. It was most welcome.

 

[TroyK]

"...well, how did I get here? This is not my beautiful bass! These are not my beautiful strings! This is not my large tube amp....Oh my god, WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

(...there are Spiros at the bottom of the ocean...)

Thanks for the unintentional ear worm, my friend. It was most welcome.

"Arco Killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?"

You're most welcome. I live, but to serve.

 

[Jim Dombrowski]

Here, let me ruin that for you ...

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

No auto play, no Rick Roll, no ruin.

 

[Jim Dombrowski]

What is “Rick Roll”?

 

[Jeff Kissell]

What is “Rick Roll”?

Extreme, I know, but it had to be done...

 

[eh_train]

Has anyone asked Thomastik this question?

Rick Astley aside, I finally got an answer after emailing Thomastik (Bernhard Rieger's reply, my comments inserted in square brackets):

"Many thanks for mentioning this topic: we hope to be able to clean up the confusion. As the S42 and the 3885,0 are different sizes they do have quite a noticeable difference in length: the length of silk at ball end and the length from ball end to end of metal winding are different for some centimeters. " [And yet they don't say what the difference is - I realize another TBer on this thread did make this measurement]

"So for a traditional reason and also a branding issue, we kept the colour red on all strings (also preventing even more confusion if we would change the silk colours). Everybody who does have 2 different types at home (3/4 for 3885,0 and full size for S42) easily can distinguish them when comparing the lengths." [But you have to have both strings to compare them, or the measurements handy]

"In any case it is always good to keep the envelopes and put back old strings in there.. also with a note when they have been used." [Some of us do this, some of the time, but many don't ever]

"I truly hope that helps.

My very best regards,

Bernhard Rieger”

[Did they "clean up the confusion"? I don't think so...]

 

[Martin Beer]

There has been some variation in silk length over the years even within the same set. I'm not sure I have them any more, but I had an older set without their packets where the silks at the tailpiece end were longer than on the 4/4 Mittel set I bought new in 2016. But I'm sure my newer 4/4 set were labelled correctly as the silks on those are still longer than the 3/4 set they replaced, as well as having slightly lower tension.