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Double Bass New Kolstein strings

#21
BassiklyAC said:
Yes, several, ranging from a guitar trio to a big band gig. Last night’s trio gig however (piano/bass/drums) was the first one where I felt the strings had settled in and were beginning to sound like they were…well, ultimately going to sound.

I still think they are a work in progress and with more gigs today and in the coming weeks, I’ll continue to post if I find it noteworthy. I’m working on some Bach duets with a violinist and if I get close to the results I’m hoping for in regards to the arco qualities of these strings (my skills with the bow non-withstanding) I’ll consider it a win. In a jazz/pizz context they’ve already won me over.
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Did you ever play Zyex? Your description reminds me of them
 
#25
Thank you for sharing your impressions- I’m following along with you here. I live about 20 minutes from Kolstein and have thought about making a run over there to pick up these strings. Sounds like you are sold on the pizz response and sounds like they bow fairly well too. I guess I’m wondering if they are a truly viable arco string. If they are, then that meets my definition of a good mixed use string.
 
#26
Selim said:
Thank you for sharing your impressions- I’m following along with you here. I live about 20 minutes from Kolstein and have thought about making a run over there to pick up these strings. Sounds like you are sold on the pizz response and sounds like they bow fairly well too. I guess I’m wondering if they are a truly viable arco string. If they are, then that meets my definition of a good mixed use string.
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I’ve had the strings on for the better part of a month now and they’ve warmed up considerably. I’m noticing a difference even since my last post.

I have been spending a lot of time with the bow and the arco response gets better and better. My concerns about the lower strings (scratchy and difficult to start) are gone and now I’m hearing and feeling good things up & down the entire range of the instrument.

Pizz-wise, easy to play and very easy on the hands. Tone is right in the sweet spot for me. If you can give these strings time - about 3 to 4 weeks - they’re worth the wait.
 
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#27
BassiklyAC said:
I’ve had the strings on for the better part of a month now and they’ve warmed up considerably. I’m noticing a difference even since my last post.

I have been spending a lot of time with the bow and the arco response gets better and better. My concerns about the lower strings (scratchy and difficult to start) are gone and now I’m hearing and feeling good things up & down the entire range of the instrument.

Pizz-wise, easy to play and very easy on the hands. Tone is right in the sweet spot for me. If you can give these strings time - about 3 to 4 weeks - they’re worth the wait.
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Thank you, Adam!
 
#37
bassically_eli said:
@BassiklyAC Are you still using and enjoying these strings? I'm close to pulling the trigger on them for use on an old, German flatback I acquired earlier this year.

Anyone else try them yet?
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Hi Eli,

An emphatic yes to both questions. I know I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to post some demo/review type videos on the Heritage strings and I still intend to do so. Just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet.

But I can definitely say the dreaded string merry-go-round has ended for me. I’m a fan.
 
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#38
My Kolstein strings arrived today from Gollihur. I put the G-string on, and it settled in and sounded very nice right away, so I put the other three on as well. Hopefully they settle in over night as they are still stretching out right now.

Idk what the actual tension is, but they are significantly looser feeling/more flexible than the Spiro Weichs they replaced, and so I've already raised the bridge adjusters half a turn. Volume wise, I think they are close to the Spiros on my carved bass, but the Spiros give the illusion of being slightly louder due to being so mid-rangey, I think--too mid-rangey I think. It would be nice to hear how they compare from across the room.
 
#39
bassically_eli said:
My Kolstein strings arrived today from Gollihur. I put the G-string on, and it settled in and sounded very nice right away, so I put the other three on as well. Hopefully they settle in over night as they are still stretching out right now.

Idk what the actual tension is, but they are significantly looser feeling/more flexible than the Spiro Weichs they replaced, and so I've already raised the bridge adjusters half a turn. Volume wise, I think they are close to the Spiros on my carved bass, but the Spiros give the illusion of being slightly louder due to being so mid-rangey, I think--too mid-rangey I think. It would be nice to hear how they compare from across the room.
Click to expand...
I found it took a good 2-4 weeks for the strings to settle in. Worth the wait though as they sound terrific once you get there.
 
#40
I'm worried that I may have gotten a couple of bad strings. The G-string is very nice and about what I expected, the E-string seems very good, too-- growly with some of that new string zing that I know will mellow out soon enough--but the A and D have a pretty terrible metallic ringing sound that doesn't seem to be going a away. It's not SO bad when fingering a note, but it's pretty awful when pizzing the open strings.

I am always very careful when installing strings, especially synthetic core strings, and double and triple check to make sure they don't get twisted. Not sure if maybe uninstalling and reinstalling, or perhaps cleaning, will help. They are leaving a fair amount of metal dust on my blonde fingerboard.
 

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