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Double Bass Innovation Ultra Black for jazz
- Thread starter Hofimbass
- Start date
I used them for a brief time quite a few years ago, Pre GHS acquisition of Innovation. I think they were on my bass for about 2 weeks.
Both during and after the long break in/stretch period (which is to be expected) I found they had a “wobbly” pitch center. The pitch never really settled or focused and the notes didn’t seem to be in tune with themselves. Unwanted vibrato with chorus pedal are the closest analogies I can make. This may have gone away after some more playing in time. But as they were, gigging with them was tough.
Not sure how they would compare to the current version, but recent reviews of GHS produced Innovations haven’t been encouraging.
As always, YMMV.
Both during and after the long break in/stretch period (which is to be expected) I found they had a “wobbly” pitch center. The pitch never really settled or focused and the notes didn’t seem to be in tune with themselves. Unwanted vibrato with chorus pedal are the closest analogies I can make. This may have gone away after some more playing in time. But as they were, gigging with them was tough.
Not sure how they would compare to the current version, but recent reviews of GHS produced Innovations haven’t been encouraging.
As always, YMMV.
I don't know about the Blacks, but the pre-GHS SilverSlaps I been using take longer than 2 weeks to really break in, more like a month to fully stabilize both tuning and tone; they're playable right away of course, but tuning is wacky for about 2 weeks, then the "plastic" tone takes at least another 2 weeks to work off. Arco really speeds up this break in period.
I had the Ultra Blacks on my ply bass for quite a long time: a year-and-a-half maybe. This was back before the GHS takeover. I had nothing like the experience that @PBandJazzBass describes up above. They were very nice under the hands, stiffer than the Super Silvers (which in turn are stiffer than the Silver Slaps), but not nearly as stiff as the Mittel Spirocores which followed them. The pitch wasn't as definite as with Spirocores or other metal strings, but to my ears not much worse than, say, with Obligatos. The timbre was warm and a bit gut-like, but certainly not as much as is delivered by the Super Silvers—which just came off my main, hybrid bass. There was a trade-off between (i) focus/definition of pitch and (ii) gut-like character in going between the Ultra Blacks and the Super Silvers. I would note that the E string in the Ultra Blacks set was very usable; however, the E in the Super Silvers was (to my ears anyway) unusable and I used a stark Spirocore E with the A, D, and G from the Super Silvers set. I agree that you need some patience to let the polymer in any of the Innovation strings align under tension and for the character and focus of the strings to develop. A couple of weeks does it.
Like I said, YMMV.
I guess I just prefer a string that’s usable right away rather than having to wait a month or longer. And, as I mentioned, the new strings made by GHS may behave differently.
I guess I just prefer a string that’s usable right away rather than having to wait a month or longer. And, as I mentioned, the new strings made by GHS may behave differently.
