Thanks again all. I am thinking i am just perceiving the string being lower due to being thinner. What you all say about nut depth makes sense. Still somewhat new to the whole bass setup/care thing, even after 4-5 years on the instrument.
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Double Bass My string journey documented (to be Continued)
- Thread starter Sam Dingle
- Start date
I found the helicore mediums on a students bass felt SUPER thin on the high strings. Much thinner than the spiro mediums I'm playing. More comparable to spiro lights maybe
Just an update. I'm still on spiro mediums. I was playing my set that at this point probably had 2 years on them or close to that. They'd been on and off a few times and the silks look horrible. I picked up a set of weich from @SamuelHarris and decided to trade them for a set of mediums instead. Got that set in yesterday and they looked brand new. I took alcohol to them, got the gunk off, and just threw them on. My old ones were just a little too dead for me, the harmonics weren't as rich at the octave and the D on the G string part.
These new spiros sound good. Nice fundamental and actually got rid of a buzz near the Eb, E, F on the G string. Arco is rough though but I've got a little bit of time to kill them (or practice). I made an A/B video so if anyones interested ill post. Carry on.
These new spiros sound good. Nice fundamental and actually got rid of a buzz near the Eb, E, F on the G string. Arco is rough though but I've got a little bit of time to kill them (or practice). I made an A/B video so if anyones interested ill post. Carry on.
Here they are: my thoughts are that the new ones are a little bit crisper which I like. I played a gig with a pianist and drummer with the old strings on wednesday (thursday?) and then again last night with the new set. I could hear the pitch a little better in that situation which was what I was going for. the new ones also feel a little more flexible I think, to the point that I was over playing them a bunch last night. Not sure what thats about.
Be warned the playing isn't great, and the arco is terribly out of tune in thumb position (don't record a video of the first time touching the bass in the morning).
old
"new"
the new ones I think were just on a bass and got very little playing time. I wiped some grime off of them before putting them on so I'm gonna consider them pretty new.
Soundwise the difference is small. The E string feels much better on the new set though.
You're right that there is not a huge difference, but with the newer set I hear more growl and note definition in the lower register. You're getting a nice, solid sound in both videos. Your bass also looks a lot like my 1960 Ernst Heinrich Roth.
- Steve
- Steve
Its a 57 Hausmann. And the clarity in a band setting is nice, and I also feel that there's not as much effort to get the notes ringing.
I'm also finding the same thing now that I have a new set of Spirocores on my bass after several years with synthetic-core strings.
- Steve
Steve,
What gauge/tension level of spriocore are you using? Im thinking about a set for my upton hybrid. Mostly jazz and some Arco.
Thanks
What gauge/tension level of spriocore are you using? Im thinking about a set for my upton hybrid. Mostly jazz and some Arco.
Thanks
Bigbassguy steve is using the 3/4 weich strings if i'm not mistaken. I'm using the 4/4 medium set in both clips.
3/4 light (weich)
No, that would result in a thinner string with less tension and a slightly darker sound.
- Steve
Random thoughts/questions:
Was the Helicore string Daddario's answer to the Spirocore?
How come Spiro's don't die, while other steel strings do?
Was the Helicore string Daddario's answer to the Spirocore?
How come Spiro's don't die, while other steel strings do?
I don't think so. They were originally an orchestra string and they decided to expand the line and offer three varieties to meet the need of bassists playing a variety of styles. It's a pretty good idea that no other manufacturer has copied for some reason.
Spirocores do die, it just takes a while. They can sound good for years, but I've encountered sets that were completely dead.
- Steve
My first set was played for 3.5 years. i had it for 2 and a half and my teacher played that set for 1.5 years, 7 nights a week at a resturant for 3 hours at time (plus practice and other shows). They were beautifully dull and glorious with the bow.
My first set was played for 3.5 years. i had it for 2 and a half and my teacher played that set for 1.5 years, 7 nights a week at a resturant for 3 hours at time (plus practice and other shows). They were beautifully dull and glorious with the bow.
If I take him at his word, the former owner of the bass I recently bought said that it has the same set of medium Spirocores from when he bought the bass around 2005.
And they sound (better than) fine - however, as everybody knows, there's all kinds of variables at play as to why one set would last 10 years (or more) for player A while another set would last 2-3 years (or less) for player B.
For instance, I don't know how much time he put on those strings from then until now, so how "old" are they really?
And they sound (better than) fine - however, as everybody knows, there's all kinds of variables at play as to why one set would last 10 years (or more) for player A while another set would last 2-3 years (or less) for player B.
For instance, I don't know how much time he put on those strings from then until now, so how "old" are they really?
