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Double Bass My string journey documented (to be Continued)

#281
Chris Fitzgerald said:
This is right where I am, and one of the reasons I don't bow much. Unlike some people, I feel like it's really a different instrument/animal, and I'm too much of a perfectionist to try to master two impossible tasks when I can focus on one impossible task instead. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll set up a special bass for arco work when I retire and saw away happily until it's time to sleep the eternal sleep. That setup will involve strings that are not spirocores. :)
Click to expand...

But Chris- you're playing one of the best choices for "hybrid" strings IMO- Dominants are a fantastic arco string, especially the well-aged variant that I guess you're playing. Get a good bow (the best your money can buy is always a good idea :-) ) and you'll be surprised. For me, a huge part of rediscovering my love for arco playing was playing a great bow- and I mean a bow that is way better than my playing does it justice. Suddenly, all the things that I had practiced for years on and off and never got quite right felt super-easy, because my old bow was making anything that relies on a quick bow response unnecessarily hard.

But, sorry for the derail. I'll stop here. Buy a great bow. Start bowing. Now. Heavily. It'll be great. :-)

Best
Sidecar
 
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#282
you-must-resist_o_332077.jpg


:D
 
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#283
I have seen folks mention the Spiro/Obligato combo, but no one has mentioned the Spiro/Evah combo. I recently noticed that String Emporium sells and recommends this combo. For me, I like Spiro Weichs for pizz but prefer a more arco set for my carved bass. I have tried lots of things, but I’m curious about this. For a mixed set, I want something that works well with the tension of a Spiro Weich E and A. I have a new set of EP weichs I’m going to try...I may wind up mixing them with Spiro Weich E and A.

I find it odd that no one mentions Presto strings. Either they really suck or no one here has tried them. I recently got a set of used Prestoflex lights I’m going to try, but I’m curious about the Presto Balance Hybrids which are supposedly lower tension and better with the bow. Another one I’m curious about is the LaBella 7720, which Stanley Clarke uses and sounds great both pizz and arco.
 
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#284
DaveAceofBass said:
I want something that works well with the tension of a Spiro Weich E and A. I have a new set of EP weichs I’m going to try...I may wind up mixing them with Spiro Weich E and A
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I’ve tried this (also with medium Spiros) and it works okay, but I’m not a fan of Evah’s arco tone. They start fine, and they are dark enough of course, but there’s both a one-dimensional and a coarse aspect to their arco tone that made me conclude they weren’t for me.

I’d rather use a more tonally versatile arco string like Flexocor Deluxe.

But that’s just my 2 cents on my bass- if you got em, try em!
 
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#285
i have done this in the following ways:

spiro medium with evah weich and meidum G
spiro medium ea with evah medium and weich dg
spiro medium E with evah weich ADG

as stated in the very first post of this thread, what happens is I find that I miss the spiro low strings so i throw them on, then it sounds harsh so i want the evah G, then it sounds uneven so i throw the rest of the evahs on, then i miss the spiro low strings...

if you're going to do it make sure the spiros are dead. I wouldn't use the lights on my bass again and would do evah medium G maybe. I found the flex deluxe better.

I think @Don Kasper used Sprios with an Evah G at some point.

If you get new spiros with a new evah the evah will sound miss matched within a few months.
 
#287
But all this matters to which side of the pizz/arco pendulum you sway towards. I could see why someone would use an Evah/Spiro combo if they played mostly pizz music. But if you happen to like the pizz output of flex deluxe (and I for one, do), then I think you have a versatile mixed use setup.
 
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#288
Sam Dingle said:
I think @Don Kasper used Sprios with an Evah G at some point.
Click to expand...
Still using 3 Spirocores and 1 Evah: Spiro Long E/C Mittel, Spiro Weich A & D, Evah Weich G. (Still HATE both the sound and feel of the Spiro G...)
I always replace ALL 4 at the same time. On my bass, they sound and feel very consistent from string to string.
FYI/TMI?
Thanks.
 
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#291
Ok I'm back to tinkering. The madness has started again:

Quick recap: I got a new bass. 7/8ths juzek. Threw sprio mediums on it and didn't like the E string on that bass so put a heavy on. Much better. Then got a C extension put on and sadly there isn't a stark long C string. The medium was doing fine. I got curious based on another thread and tried a medium Evah on the G and liked it ok, but it threw off the tension of the rest of the strings.

I then took out the spiro weich ADG and threw those on with the medium Long C. I took videos of all 3 sets.

I liked the medium Evahs gauge but the tension threw everything off

I love the sound of the full set of mediums but the feeling on the E isn't perfect. I'd love to fix that.

The sound of the weich ADG is much less exciting then the full medium set, but the feel is there and it makes the E jump out in comparison. I like that part.

Last time I tried weich strings I didn't like them on the band stand. Got a loud gig tonight so I'll test the weich there. Let me know what you think in these videos, and don't mind the shot playing.






 
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#292
Sam Dingle said:
Ok I'm back to tinkering. The madness has started again:

Quick recap: I got a new bass. 7/8ths juzek. Threw sprio mediums on it and didn't like the E string on that bass so put a heavy on. Much better. Then got a C extension put on and sadly there isn't a stark long C string. The medium was doing fine. I got curious based on another thread and tried a medium Evah on the G and liked it ok, but it threw off the tension of the rest of the strings.

I then took out the spiro weich ADG and threw those on with the medium Long C. I took videos of all 3 sets.

I liked the medium Evahs gauge but the tension threw everything off

I love the sound of the full set of mediums but the feeling on the E isn't perfect. I'd love to fix that.

The sound of the weich ADG is much less exciting then the full medium set, but the feel is there and it makes the E jump out in comparison. I like that part.

Last time I tried weich strings I didn't like them on the band stand. Got a loud gig tonight so I'll test the weich there. Let me know what you think in these videos, and don't mind the shot playing.






Click to expand...

Sam — Step away from the string box!
 
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#296
I'm stuck with my Spiro purples. Gotta be honest I love them but I'm moving away from jazz sadly and orchestral stuff is more appealing nowadays so instead of spending 600€ on a new bow I should get new strings. Do solo belcantos tuned down have the same tension as my spiros?

Sam, you are not alone :)
 
#297
Simon Toth said:
I'm stuck with my Spiro purples. Gotta be honest I love them but I'm moving away from jazz sadly and orchestral stuff is more appealing nowadays so instead of spending 600€ on a new bow I should get new strings. Do solo belcantos tuned down have the same tension as my spiros?

Sam, you are not alone :)
Click to expand...

Actually I find belcantos to be lighter than medium spiros. I would try orchestral belcantos first.
 

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