Double Bass New! Pirastro Perpetual Double Bass strings

[flatback]

gotta say after a few weeks being really happy with my spiro reds back on, I did my first gig of the summer and sounded and felt stiff and tight and stingy with the sound....put back on the Perps, OH yeah! my bass loves these strings. The bass rings out, bows beautifully, is open and full and not slow pizz. Totally pleased with these strings

 

[rickwolff]

Lets see if they come back to life, but I think the strings are dead. few weeks over a year old. Threw the G back on real quick and it was lifeless. day or 2 and the olive went back on and it sounded brighter and better. The E suddenly stopped having any sustain. Super dead. Bowed like a dream though! I threw a spirocore on the E and its much better. The A/D strings are very thuddy though. I'm not super upset though. I can justify these once a year because they're my favorite. The spiro E, perp AD and olive G is nice. I may just let it last till august and then throw a new full set on in august.

I think you may be confusing these with the strings made by the Lazarus String Company. If they go dead just wait four days and they come back to life.

 

[Sam Dingle]

I think you may be confusing these with the strings made by the Lazarus String Company. If they go dead just wait four days and they come back to life.

right lol. i was pressured to change them by my teacher after a lesson today...gonna throw on at least the EAD tonight....

 

[Selim]

I hate changing strings but I want to try these soon. I have a standard 41 3/4 with a high overstand (higher than al 3/4 I had or tried) but low saddle. Other's too like @Selim who used Flexocor Deluxe. Sorry to revive this thread but appreciate helping a brother out.

logdrum, some comments on these 2 based on experiences with them on the same bass (I only own one now):

Perpetuals are a really nice dual-purpose string that fall on the pizzicato side of the fence.
Flex Deluxes are also a nice hybrid string that fall more on the arco side of the fence.

P's are a lot easier to work with in general (less resistance than FDs), but had less depth on my bass.

P's are louder pizzed, and as best as I can remember, about equal arco volume.

FD's are a lot more interesting and versatile (more colorful) with the bow if you have enough technique to bring that sort of thing out.

P's with the bow are darker and much easier to start than Spiro mittels and marginally easier than weichs (the string I feel is the closest to them and should be compared with). But I still prefer Spiros (over both strings), probably because they don't quit on you and they give back what you put in to them.

I'm currently not playing either because: FD's are more work than my hands can manage (I am starting to develop issues) and the P's, although easy enough to work with, didn't have enough ooomph/depth on my bass.

For reference, I'm currently using 3 Innovation Polychromes (another really nice dual purpose string) + an old medium Spiro E.

Hope this helps.

 

[Selim]

I've had Perps on my bass for a couple months now. They replaced Jazzers which I found too stiff feeling for my taste. The Perps are a bit looser, have a nice growl, bow well, with kind of a mid-rangy tone. I like them, but I think I prefer the the heftier sound I get with Spiros.

I think this works as a good overall general assessment (I had a similar experience).

 

[logdrum]

logdrum, some comments on these 2 based on experiences with them on the same bass (I only own one now):

Perpetuals are a really nice dual-purpose string that fall on the pizzicato side of the fence.
Flex Deluxes are also a nice hybrid string that fall more on the arco side of the fence.

P's are a lot easier to work with in general (less resistance than FDs), but had less depth on my bass.

P's are louder pizzed, and as best as I can remember, about equal arco volume.

FD's are a lot more interesting and versatile (more colorful) with the bow if you have enough technique to bring that sort of thing out.

P's with the bow are darker and much easier to start than Spiro mittels and marginally easier than weichs (the string I feel is the closest to them and should be compared with). But I still prefer Spiros (over both strings), probably because they don't quit on you and they give back what you put in to them.

I'm currently not playing either because: FD's are more work than my hands can manage (I am starting to develop issues) and the P's, although easy enough to work with, didn't have enough ooomph/depth on my bass.

For reference, I'm currently using 3 Innovation Polychromes (another really nice dual purpose string) + an old medium Spiro E.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for that assessment

 

[Sam Dingle]

New set is great. just did the EAD. Little more growl little more presence. Happy I changed I like the new feel.

 

[Contranash]

With these strings being compared to spirocores, and spirocores actually being one of the preferred Arco Solo strings, I am curious any primarily classical players' experience with the Perpetual Solo, compared to Spirocore Solo.

 

[16fuss]

At least Ton germany, spiro solo are not a prefered string for solo. When i saw an audition last time, everybody played passione.

Spiro solo are very popular for jazzers here.
Spiro solo are great for dark Instruments f.e. if you restring your orchestrabass for an audition in solo tuning. German orchestras own the basses, so players have dedicated solo instruments. These are more bright.

 

[16fuss]

I made a short arco video with Perpetuals. In my channel is another one with spiros. I like both, but the basses are very different.

 

[flatback]

Just snapped my E Perp at the tailpiece, Pirastro is going to send me another but anyone else have this problem? Ways to avoid? Also I am thinking about getting a set of solos to play at regular tuning (been having some arm issues)...I tried tuning down a step to see what that feels like with the regulars ...if solos are like that there is almost no effort to make them sing but do they have any different character then the reg Perps (it is a big thread and might have been covered but I cant find the relevant comments) Thanks

 

[Sam Dingle]

Just snapped my E Perp at the tailpiece, Pirastro is going to send me another but anyone else have this problem? Ways to avoid? Also I am thinking about getting a set of solos to play at regular tuning (been having some arm issues)...I tried tuning down a step to see what that feels like with the regulars ...if solos are like that there is almost no effort to make them sing but do they have any different character then the reg Perps (it is a big thread and might have been covered but I cant find the relevant comments) Thanks

Hey I tried the solos and orchestra perps on one bass, the solos are great if I remember correctly them tuned to orchestra pitch they were very slightly more heavy than the orchestras tuned down a full step which helped. I gave them to a friend who loves them on his bass, i say give them a go. I like them more than Spiro solos because the E string isn’t weak.

 

[Contranash]

Okay, I've recieved my set of solos, tuned to the engineered pitch, A E B F#. I am a classical player, btw. They bow easy enough out of the package, and are brighter than Bels (but what aren't?). They seem quite high tension in the left hand, or at least stiffer to use than the bels. Decent amount of color variation, and we'll see how they break in. They aren't nasal or raspy, which is the danger of a high-sustain low-dampening string. Any other primary classical players have experience?

 

[LaFaro01]

I just swapped my Perpetuals with a fresh set of Helicore Hybrids. As much as I liked the Perps, the Helicores do seem to open up the sound of my bass a lot more.

I did the very reverse yesterday and on my bass it's just the opposite... the perps sound a lot more open and even with a much greater dynamic range and they sound and play arco far better.. I'm very curious about the development in the next weeks and months.. for my bass the seem to be a real great improvement compared to the Helicore Hybrid. I just like them more than the Evahs on my other instrument because of the fast response, their clarity and dynamics..

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I did the very reverse yesterday and on my bass it's just the opposite... the perps sound a lot more open and even with a much greater dynamic range and they sound and play arco far better.. I'm very curious about the development in the next weeks and months.. for my bass the seem to be a real great improvement compared to the Helicore Hybrid. I just like them more than the Evahs on my other instrument because of the fast response, their clarity and dynamics..

Yeah, a lot of it depends on the instrument and the need/preferences of the player. On my bass, the Perpetual E string was very weak but the HH E is considerably louder and the low end is far more present.

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

I've been experimenting trying to find the perfect steel E string to match a raw gut ADG, tension wise I was digging an ancient spiro weich E, tonally my favourite was a Jargar Medium A string (felt way to soft and pitch was an issue) a Perpetual E is seeming like a serious option

 

[elmer]

I have a Perpetual E under Innovation Super Silvers and I like it very much. Tension is just right (low but not flobby), playability and the feel is nice and easy, it has nice sustain and growl and it cuts through very well. I like this one better than Spiro weich E which I also tried. So give it a shot

 

[labravajazz]

I have a Perpetual E under Innovation Super Silvers and I like it very much. Tension is just right (low but not flobby), playability and the feel is nice and easy, it has nice sustain and growl and it cuts through very well. I like this one better than Spiro weich E which I also tried. So give it a shot

Yes the Perpetual E is a winner for me
The A is good too but as a gut string player I’m not so keen on the higher strings
FWIW I have kept using the E perpetual along with gut A D G - keeps the tension pretty good IMHO and that stability on the E is a good balance

 

[sean_on_bass]

Just put a Perp E and A in place of some Spiro mediums since i have been practicing alot of arco and wanted something a little more tolerant under the bow. The lack of power and resonance with the Perp was so significant that i couldn't keep them on and went back to the Spiros. Like literally a 20% drop in overall power. The playability is great, i just couldn't deal with the lack of sound potential. Oh well, at least glad i revisited them again, but that will undoubtedly be the last time i try to put them on this bass.

 

[Don Kasper]

Just put a Perp E and A in place of some Spiro mediums since i have been practicing alot of arco and wanted something a little more tolerant under the bow. The lack of power and resonance with the Perp was so significant that i couldn't keep them on and went back to the Spiros. Like literally a 20% drop in overall power. The playability is great, i just couldn't deal with the lack of sound potential. Oh well, at least glad i revisited them again, but that will undoubtedly be the last time i try to put them on this bass.

Word.
The Perp long E/C that I tried was annoyingly "hollow" - (pizz and arco) - no fundamental bottom end...All midrange growl but no "bite"... a bit "light in the ass", as Branford Marsalis once said.
Arco was uncooperative and whiny, too.
I went back to a Spiro Mittel E/C and life is good - the windows are rattling, the cats are scared, candles are being blown out, motion detectors are activated, etc. You get the picture.
The Perp A, D, and G are nice, though. Go figure.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.