Double Bass Low Tension Strings for Laminate Bass (SB88)

[BKBroiler]

Hi all,

I've been reading through the variety of threads on strings and am looking for some specific recommendations. I believe I know what I want but need suggestions for what I should try.

I'm looking for a lower tension string for an all ply Shen SB88. Stylistically, I am playing singer-songwriter/americana/roots music similar to early Norah Jones and the two albums of the Plant-Krauss collaboration. I am currently using a Lifeline pickup and while I do not bow I would like the option to bow for intonation practice. My bass was bought and set up with D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Mediums. I recently tuned down a half step and the light bulb when off for the feel that I had been unknowingly missing.

Reading the threads here it seems like I might be looking at:

Dominant Solos tuned down to Orchestra pitch
Perpetual Solos tuned down to Orchestra pitch
Spiro Weichs
Obligatos (with another option for pick up?)

I'd love to hear suggestions or experiences of what might work. Thanks in advance,

Brian

 

[Ed S]

Guts - always guts!

 

[Earl]

Spiro Weichs

 

[LouisF]

Other possibilities: Jargar (Dolce), Kolstein Heritage, tuned down Spiro solos... But +1 for guts (Maybe the gut Evah Golden Slap set - which I'm told are pretty bowable)

 

[Dr. Love]

I was using all solo strings tuned standard until recently but felt like the E just wasn't moving air the way the other 3 were, so my current setup is regular E and the rest are solos. Specifically: Regular Flexocor Deluxe E, and solo Flex Deluxe A, D, solo Flex 92 G.

 

[BKBroiler]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions! The Evah Golden Slap Set looks really interesting and feels like a safe alternative to going all guts (or just having a gut G.) I've never used guts before so am a little shy about making the larger investment and extra care and attention.

 

[Thumpa]

Hi all,

I've been reading through the variety of threads on strings and am looking for some specific recommendations. I believe I know what I want but need suggestions for what I should try.

I'm looking for a lower tension string for an all ply Shen SB88. Stylistically, I am playing singer-songwriter/americana/roots music similar to early Norah Jones and the two albums of the Plant-Krauss collaboration. I am currently using a Lifeline pickup and while I do not bow I would like the option to bow for intonation practice. My bass was bought and set up with D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Mediums. I recently tuned down a half step and the light bulb when off for the feel that I had been unknowingly missing.

Reading the threads here it seems like I might be looking at:

Dominant Solos tuned down to Orchestra pitch
Perpetual Solos tuned down to Orchestra pitch
Spiro Weichs
Obligatos (with another option for pick up?)

I'd love to hear suggestions or experiences of what might work. Thanks in advance,

Brian

Obligatos. Will work great with your pickup. I use them on a SB100 ply for Americana/Bluegrass/roots unamplified. Amplified with K&K Bass max for Big Band and Jazz standards with drummer.

 

[HateyMcAmp]

I had two different basses Shen plywood basses, and both sounded probably the best with Evah Slap strings. They are a lot darker than downtuned solo steel strings, though.

 

[Eli Brockway]

I've never used guts before so am a little shy about making the larger investment and extra care and attention.

The extra care isn't much, honestly. Trim and sand the strings if you need to because they're splitting off hairs, oil them whenever they seem particularly dry. Definitely not cheap to get into, though, aside from the people on here who sell used guts in the classifieds.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I'm rocking Spiro solo downtuned on E/A/D and a plain gut G. Love it.

 

[HateyMcAmp]

The extra care isn't much, honestly. Trim and sand the strings if you need to because they're splitting off hairs, oil them whenever they seem particularly dry. Definitely not cheap to get into, though, aside from the people on here who sell used guts in the classifieds.

I used gut on for most of a ten year period. Honestly, I always had a hard time getting them to last for more than six months, even with a pretty detailed care regime. I ended up just using gut on the G string after a while, because it was the cheapest to change out and my synthetics/steels last a normal amount of time. There are some people who can decade from a plain gut string, it’s the luck of genetic draw on how much your hands sweat and how acidic that sweat it.

I really liked the set of Evah Slap synthetic E-D with the plain G from the gut set. Very well priced, very well balanced feel and tone-wise. Feels much more like a “gut” set than a “hybrid” set, the the real gut on top adds a lot of color. If you find the gut doesn’t work for you, the synthetic G is pretty good too.

 

[DaveAceofBass]

Spiro 4/4 Weich E&A with Obligato Solo D&G (A&E tuned to orchestral pitch)

 

[Eli Brockway]

I used gut on for most of a ten year period. Honestly, I always had a hard time getting them to last for more than six months, even with a pretty detailed care regime. I ended up just using gut on the G string after a while, because it was the cheapest to change out and my synthetics/steels last a normal amount of time. There are some people who can decade from a plain gut string, it’s the luck of genetic draw on how much your hands sweat and how acidic that sweat it.

Man, you should see the sort of hell I've put steel strings through. The strings on my slabs suffer even worse.

I'm probably the only person I know who has killed a spiro mitt E (alongside other E strings, and of course As, Ds, and Gs) on a well-set-up instrument in as short of a period (a few months) as I have, to the point that they decided to snap on me. Meanwhile my CH Chordas are still perfectly fine (other than where the wire on the E and A has turned black from the silver plating wearing off) after a year and a half. Something about whatever combination of water, salt, oil, and caustic fluid that secretes out of my hands combined with how hard I play kills steels entirely, dulls synthetics up real quick, and yet the guts don't care.

It's weird and backwards but I'll take it.

 

[Ed S]

IME, minimum care and attention for my Evah guts. They do tend to go out of tune more than others. But not so much that it is unmanageable. IMO, you can either try a bunch of different strings and eventually end up w guts, or you can go right to guts and avoid all the hassle and expense!

 

[Eli Brockway]

IMO, you can either try a bunch of different strings and eventually end up w guts, or you can go right to guts and avoid all the hassle and expense!

The ever wonderful three categories of strings for the double bass:

Gut, Spirocore, and Wrong.

 

[BassFalcon]

Corelli are Very low tension.

 

[gogogergie1]

You could try the Aquila Sugar Slaps, low entry price at $100 new

 

[BassFalcon]

Im hesitant to mention them but I think the Superior Bass Works Dirty Guts may also be appropriate…maybe, given the focus on the old school vintage sound. Those are basically weed wacker line so pretty low tension.

 

[Matt Ides]

I think Zyex lights are going to be a good option for you. Lower tensions than spiros, some gut sound, but focused fundamental and good with the bow. I think Spiros will still feel to tight unless you get the solos and tune them down.

 

[Don Hergert]

Im hesitant to mention them but I think the Superior Bass Works Dirty Guts may also be appropriate…maybe, given the focus on the old school vintage sound. Those are basically weed wacker line so pretty low tension.

Worth mentioning, Superior BassWorks (SBW) markets "Standard" and "Deluxe" Dirty Guts. The Standard strings are basically kevlar core gator line with a nice no-knot tailpiece anchor. The Deluxe strings, while the same basic line, also are spiral-cut which makes a huge difference in touch and tone, plus the spiral cut makes the strings very responsive to the bow. The whole SBW Deluxe set sounds especially good amped or plugged into a PA. Acoustically the SBW E and A strings are pretty weak, but the same applies to many real gut E and A strings.

Both the Standard and the Deluxe Dirty Guts come in a 6-string bump pack which allows the choice of strings at variable tensions.

Wacker category strings are probably the lowest tension strings a person can get for double bass. They may be too low tension for some people.