Looking at getting even lower tension strings as I have suffered an injury and even the spirocore lights test my stamina. Don't want to lower the action as I like an old school sound. Anyone tried velvet blues and are they easier on the left hand than the spirocore Ws? If not, any reasonably priced recommendations?
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Double Bass Low tension strings help!
- Thread starter nick8ass
- Start date
Spirocore Solos tuned to orchestral pitch would be a logical move for you. Very similar to what you're using, but a bit less tension, also a little different tone, I think in a good way.
I haven't tried Blues, but the other Velvet strings are all compartively lower in tension than more traditional strings.
I think those (or other types of solos strings tuned down) are the two common, logical recomendations for someone with your question.
I haven't tried Blues, but the other Velvet strings are all compartively lower in tension than more traditional strings.
I think those (or other types of solos strings tuned down) are the two common, logical recomendations for someone with your question.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
If you don't use the bow much, the Innovation silver / golden slaps are very nice. They are basically a gut substitute with similar feel and playability. Be advised they are also very gut-like in size as well.
-Jeff
-Jeff
I had an buggered pinky joint for a while; Spiro W's were too hard on it, as were Innovation 140 H & B's. Corelli's 370TX's & Spiro Solo's tuned down were ok but I didn't like the sound overall. Haven't tried Velvet Blues (sorry), but Anima's are pretty good so Blues could work well. If you're cool with a high string height, guts are also great (best I've tried, hands down), even cheap ones; soft on the fingers & a great sound. Harder to play fast compared to steels, though.
If you like a more old school sound than all spirocores, you could try Dominant Solos on the D and G and Spiro Solos on the A and E. I think this would be a pretty excellent low tension pizz/arco hybrid set, if that's important to you.
With Garbos you will be comfortable, given that arco is not in your priorities. Otherwise thw Spiros Solo tuned normally can give you the desired result.
nick8ass said:
Plain guts don't have many tuning issues to speak off IME; they're very stable, whereas wound guts are finicky with humidity changes. Also, plain guts, if well oiled before installation & then tuned-up to let them stretch & drop back to concert pitch will have a fairly short settling in period. Use a heavy A string for the E; forget about the 4mm ones you get in the sets. Check out this thread (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f17/plain-gut-e-802448/) I started if you're interested in reading more on this.
I just took off a set of Blues. They are very easy to play, low tension, with a big sound. Arco not easy. I replaced them with Spiro solos. I would say the Spiros feel a little tighter and have less volume and are darker than the Blues. Also darker than Spiro Weichs.
Velvet Blues tensions are supposed to be 25kg on every string. That's a couple pounds lighter than the figures we have for tuned-down Spirocore solos; solos are in turn a couple pounds lighter than weichs. The differences are greater on the bigger strings - all fairly close on G, but Velvet stays there while the Thomastiks get tighter, and by the time you get to the E string, the weichs are around 30kg.
These numbers are measured, literal tension exerted by the string at rest. There may be other parameters that are like tension - like, what if some strings are more elastic than others? that aren't so easily measured. I was interested for my bass, not so much my hands, so tension was really the issue for me. Also, we have several instances of different tensions reported for the same strings, so the relatively small differences may not be unambiguously significant.
Anyway, the numbers convinced me that Blues would be a good bet for a low tension string. They (also) feel more elastic and comfortable to me than Spirocores, but maybe that's just the tension. I can get sounds out of them with a bow, but don't need to, so am not the guy to ask. If arco were more of an issue, the Compàs 180 sounds like a great general purpose string, though I suppose more expensive than Blues. Blues have a weird kind of zing at first, but that goes away and they sound great to me - cleaner, darker sound than my old Spirocores. If I should ever wear them out, I'll probably think about guts, and then get another set of Blues.
These numbers are measured, literal tension exerted by the string at rest. There may be other parameters that are like tension - like, what if some strings are more elastic than others? that aren't so easily measured. I was interested for my bass, not so much my hands, so tension was really the issue for me. Also, we have several instances of different tensions reported for the same strings, so the relatively small differences may not be unambiguously significant.
Anyway, the numbers convinced me that Blues would be a good bet for a low tension string. They (also) feel more elastic and comfortable to me than Spirocores, but maybe that's just the tension. I can get sounds out of them with a bow, but don't need to, so am not the guy to ask. If arco were more of an issue, the Compàs 180 sounds like a great general purpose string, though I suppose more expensive than Blues. Blues have a weird kind of zing at first, but that goes away and they sound great to me - cleaner, darker sound than my old Spirocores. If I should ever wear them out, I'll probably think about guts, and then get another set of Blues.
Very sorry to hear that!! I broke a tendon in my middle finger (mallet finger) and it was in a splint for 6 weeks, so to be sure to ease myself back into it I used Innovation Super Silver. Lovely tone, bit like gut. Soft and low tension.
You may also find that a Marvin cable tail'piece' helps with how tight or tense strings feel under the fingers; it seems to assist with a sense of elasticity in the string. Bear in mind though that it will probably also change the sound of your bass (less damping mass will allow certain frequencies to speak more; could be good, could be bad. I was happy with mine on steel strings (more mid-range), but ditched it when I went to guts as I wanted a darker sound with them).
Good question! Their 370F weight is near the same tension as the other low tension options mentioned above (except gut), and the 370M is even lighter. But they evidently sound different, and all I could find is brief verbal descriptions of the difference. Especially interesting if you bow much, I think.
