sam, where have you had sucess with bow placement. closer to the fingerboard or the bridge? i trying to figure tbat out. i appreciate your help.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass New! Pirastro Perpetual Double Bass strings
- Thread starter luisraulmunoz
- Start date
I don’t use Perps, but use Spiro Weichs. My recommendation would be to use black hair, a softer rosin, to bow mid-way between the fingerboard and bridge. Also give them time and I imagine Perps will be relatively easy to bow. A month or two in with my current set of Spiro Weichs the arco playability was wonderful.
I’m away from the bass till the new year. Maybe closer to the fingerboard. Try a bunch of different things it’s all bass specific. I have arco examples earlier
In the thread to give you an idea of the sound I’m getting
thank you guys.
i seem to get a better sound if im closer to the fingerboard. its a bit of a pain to get a beautiful sound.
thanks
i seem to get a better sound if im closer to the fingerboard. its a bit of a pain to get a beautiful sound.
thanks
Been using a mixed set of polys & perps (either 2 x 2 or 3 perps + poly G) and they blend fine. The poly sound is a little less complex than perps but the polys have more girth. Both are nice with bow, the perps sound "woodier", the polys start easier and are fuller.
I like the perp G over any gauge of Spiro, but I prefer the poly G over it (for both pizz & arco).
Edit: I should mention that the polys are about a year and a half old. The perps are relatively new, of course.
Last edited:
Since switching from the Perps to a full set of Spiro Mitts, my sound is definitely significantly more powerful. As much as i liked the tone and feel of the Perps i really do wish they had a little more oomf, for my bass anyway. All about that tension yo. At the time same the Perp G has a nice tonal fullness to it that the Spiro G doesn't quite have. The flexibility difference of the strings is super apparent on the Perps when you are changing strings. They literally will take the form of whatever contour you set them on. While the Zyex A I was taking off and Spiros i was putting on were much more rigid in that regard.
I guess where i land is, Perps are a nice string set unless you(or your bass) are a tension junky.
I guess where i land is, Perps are a nice string set unless you(or your bass) are a tension junky.
I’d be curious to see what you think of the Poly. I think they are worth the experiment for anyone who’s enjoyed any aspects of the various synthetic core strings currently out there.
Will let you know. It will replace a Zyex G.
I've tried a bunch of different G strings over the Perpetuals on my bass (never can get used to thin steel G strings) and have ended up with the Polychrome G. Zyex, Evah, and Obligato Gs all felt good, but were still a little brighter than I wanted. Guts (plain and steel wrapped) sounded the best, but were a little sluggish. The Polychrome seems to blend well on my bass, feels nice under the fingers, and responds more quickly than gut. Hope it works out for you, too.
Not to derail the thread but Michael, have you had the chance to compare the Polychrome to the Oliv G? I love my Perp EAD+Oliv G, but it's good to have a cheaper alternative.
Never tried the Oliv G so maybe it’s not fair for me to say, but I like to think of the Polychrome G as the poor man’s Oliv!
Maybe I'll try it when my three year old Oliv gives up the ghost.
Yes, I've used an Oliv G a fair amount, including at one point on top of Polychromes. No non-gut string is going to sound quite as nice as the Oliv, but I do feel that the Polychrome is the most Oliv-like of all the synthetic strings I've tried. The Polychromes are thicker than some of the other synthetic options, and relatively low tension, which helps them to feel a little more like a wound gut string. Sound wise, I think they are also closer to Olivs than most others, but again, it won't really be the same. When I had a full set of Polychromes, I went back and forth a few times swapping the G with the Oliv. I preferred the sound of the Oliv, but the Polychrome seemed a little more clear and articulate on my bass.
I think my time with the Perpetuals is finished. They are beautifully made strings and check the boxes as a hybrid string. Nice clear tone, and they start well enough with the bow. I see them in the same category as, and as a strong alternative to, Spiro weichs.
There's something missing for me tho, not sure what - oomph, depth, maybe.
I went back to a Polychrome 3 + old Spiro mitt E, which works the best for everything on this bass.
There's something missing for me tho, not sure what - oomph, depth, maybe.
I went back to a Polychrome 3 + old Spiro mitt E, which works the best for everything on this bass.
I don’t think I’ll let go of them just yet, Sam. They are a very nice set of strings that I may want to give another try at some point.
But their relative thinness may also be a factor for why I switched them out. I’ve always had trouble getting used to thin strings - particularly thin steel strings.
I put it on yesterday and will do a gig tonight. This bass has Spiro Mit EA and Weich D. The Poly seems to be around the same thickness as the D. It feels a bit stiffer than I like but maybe it will loosen up? It sounds good, very full, with plenty of heft to the tone, not zingy, and blends pretty well with the other strings.
If it doesn't loosen up, may not be a keeper for me. We'll see...
Can’t remember their feel when new, but I’d describe their broken-in feel as “medium lowish tension”.
