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Double Bass New! Pirastro Perpetual Double Bass strings

#1,241
Currently rocking Spiro S42 mitt E/A under passions stark D/G. This combo satisfies the desire for fatter G/D. The S42 A/E bow and pizz well on my bass having a nice arco bark, and good jazz pizz sustain that transitions well with the Passione stark D/G. The latter of course bow incredibly well and roar in TP. The latter also have a great pizz thump with enough sustain for jazz.

Didn't mean to derail the perpetual thread, but the perps were too zingy for me pizz and a bit thin/whiney arco -- on my DB.
 
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#1,242
So I put a new set of perps on my bass (fully carved 2013 Wilfur) about 2 months ago, replacing a set of Zyex lights that I’d had on there for the last 2 years or so. In the past I’ve also used helicore hybrid lights (which I absolutely hated on my bass) and Spiro mitts. The first thing I’ll say about these strings is that they’re the most comfortable strings I have ever played! I’ve had tendinitis for a few years and though it has gotten much better playing upright sometimes aggravates it and I’ll have to take it easy for a few days. Since putting the perps on I’ve had significantly less tension in my forearms and I can play back to back gigs and rehearsals for multiple days in a row with no issues. They’re also the easiest string to bow that I’ve had on my bass and they amplify much better than the zyex that I’ve been using for the last 4 years or so. A few cons though, I think my bass really needs higher tension to speak properly, I noticed a slight decrease in volume and low end acoustically from the zyex which were quieter than the spiros. But they still have enough power to get through an acoustic bluegrass rehearsal just fine so it’s not a huge issue for me. I also find them to be a bit “polite” and wish I could get a more aggressive sound out of them or a little more thump sometimes, especially when I’m playing jazz. I think I’ll stick with these for a while overall but if they made a higher tension set that could retain some of the flexibility under the left hand I would be very interested.
 
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#1,244
I’ve got them at a comfortable height right now. Much higher and I can’t execute ideas with my left hand as well as I’d like. All of my gigs are amplified so I don’t really need the extra acoustic volume anyway. Some of the punch that I’m missing is just missing the front end of the notes that I got from the zyex. I’ll probably play these until they die and put my old spiro mitts back on for a while.
 
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#1,245
Aidan Woodward said:
Some of the punch that I’m missing is just missing the front end of the notes that I got from the zyex. I’ll probably play these until they die and put my old spiro mitts back on for a while.
Click to expand...

Yup. The Perps are missing some thump in the trunk. Since you amplify, try a little EQ boost around 3kHz, which will accentuate the front-end attack.

Sonically/EQ-wise, on my bass, I'd say that Perpetual's have an unfortunate low-end roll-off around 60Hz. Unfortunately, you cannot boost the bottom if it's not there to begin with. But on the bright side (literally), my bass sounds less muddy in the orchestra and chamber music settings, which I appreciate because many venues are over-reverberant and boomy -- think churches/cathedrals, art galleries, museums.
 
#1,252
This is all I can post:
 

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#1,255
bassfiddlesteve said:
Gut core? :unsure:

- Steve
Click to expand...

Writing now so people can wake up and freak out.

This is an updated perpetual G string. Not gut core, all steel just "updated with a thicker gauge to give more string to grab and give it a bigger sound".

Feels about the size of an evah weich G or zyex G. I have had it on for about an hour and only 30 minutes of playing. threw it on after my gig. it feels good, the gauge is nice and it weirdly fits with my "covid year" old EAD perpetuals (so basically 6 months of normal playing lol).

I think its a great update im sure because some people found the first G to be too thin and maybe not as full sounding. I was fine with the normal G, my favorite steel G string but with the new thicker one it may be knocked down to 2nd. There is a sound difference. it feels more full and has a different natural ping to it. Thats all I'll say now but I like it. A lot.

TroyK said:
It is possible that I may know something.

Sam, are you happy? So happy, maybe, you just can't stop playing?
Click to expand...

....maaaaaabe
 
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#1,257
Sam Dingle said:
Writing now so people can wake up and freak out.

This is an updated perpetual G string. Not gut core, all steel just "updated with a thicker gauge to give more string to grab and give it a bigger sound".

Feels about the size of an evah weich G or zyex G. I have had it on for about an hour and only 30 minutes of playing. threw it on after my gig. it feels good, the gauge is nice and it weirdly fits with my "covid year" old EAD perpetuals (so basically 6 months of normal playing lol).

I think its a great update im sure because some people found the first G to be too thin and maybe not as full sounding. I was fine with the normal G, my favorite steel G string but with the new thicker one it may be knocked down to 2nd. There is a sound difference. it feels more full and has a different natural ping to it. Thats all I'll say now but I like it. A lot.



....maaaaaabe
Click to expand...

And that's exactly why I kept my beloved Oliv G with the EAD Perpetuals. It wasn't the tone of the G string that bothered me but the thinness. Now I'll need to try this. Sure much cheaper than the oliv G. Please post the thickness if you have a caliper at hand.
 
#1,259
Sam Dingle said:
Writing now so people can wake up and freak out.

This is an updated perpetual G string. Not gut core, all steel just "updated with a thicker gauge to give more string to grab and give it a bigger sound".

Feels about the size of an evah weich G or zyex G. I have had it on for about an hour and only 30 minutes of playing. threw it on after my gig. it feels good, the gauge is nice and it weirdly fits with my "covid year" old EAD perpetuals (so basically 6 months of normal playing lol).

I think its a great update im sure because some people found the first G to be too thin and maybe not as full sounding. I was fine with the normal G, my favorite steel G string but with the new thicker one it may be knocked down to 2nd. There is a sound difference. it feels more full and has a different natural ping to it. Thats all I'll say now but I like it. A lot.



....maaaaaabe
Click to expand...
How is the tension? Do they make these in EAD?
 
#1,260
Nice, I swapped the G on my set of perps for an obligato for just that reason. I've since gone back to spiros. Both have plusses and minuses on my bass for sound but spiros last much longer for me. I can see going back to perps at some point and the new G would definitley help that decision. Cool that pirastro is still refining what seems like was already a success.
 
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