Based on my calipers, under tension, the Stark G is 0.25mm larger in diameter than the Regular one. The sound is the same on the surface. I haven't really put it through the paces to determine if there is a sonic difference under stress yet.
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Double Bass New! Pirastro Perpetual Double Bass strings
- Thread starter luisraulmunoz
- Start date
One of the things I love about the Stark G is how great it sounds with short notes. I like to walk with a loping weak beat and keep a lot of notes really short duration and the stark G has such a powerful initial ping that I can play the notes as short as I want and accent the string starts subtly but the string has such powerful immediacy that it feels and sounds like I am doing more work then I am. I also REALLY love the percussiveness of the string; ghost's and percussive X's are effortless and yet clear. Ping (what I perceive as the harmonic overtone content of the attack) is dampened or "tuned" in a way that is just spot on. I am loving the Oliv for different reasons (the throaty gut sing-y quality) but I really cant wait to get the Stark back on. I put the stark on my American Standard and it is frickin' thunderous...although I still have to have work done (the action on that bass is like a bow and arrow)
Mines been on for 1/2 an hour. I've got a gig on Thursday and that will tell me something.
Any word on commercial availability of the stark G, @Mark Gollihur? I'm ready to pull the trigger! 
So let's just get down to brass tacks. Any thoughts on how this stark G would match with a spiro set? Mitts or Weichs, and curious if it would more so resemble the Mitts than the Weichs.
I think that a whole bunch of people are going to try it. Mittels don't work on my bass, so I won't be one of them. I love the S42 Mittel G on my bass and this string reminds me of it a bit in gauge and feel (without going back and forth), but it isn't as complex, so it might fit nicely and tame things for people who want to calm down the G on that set. I'm tempted to throw 3885 Weichs on there with it, but I was done with string-foolery, so I'm not sure. I have a gig tomorrow and then I'm leaving town for a little over a week, so it would have to be August before I could try that.
Early impressions for me are that this is a very good string. It sounds great, it feels great. I'm anxious to see how it does on my gig. But, it unbalances the Perpetual set, which I loved in part for it's balance. Larger diameter G strings are generally "better", but now the E feels weaker, which it didn't for me with the standard G.
So, my early impression is "why not make a Stark set for people who want that and keep making the regular set for people who like it? I'm not sold on bumping up the gauge and tension of one string with this very well balanced set.
But, I haven't put it fully through it's paces yet and I'm over-due for a trip to the luthier. It might be interesting to go in with both and see what happens with a little wand waving.
Thanks gents, sounds like this string is in mitt territory as i kind of expected. May have to buy one when they become available. Also agreed that i would love to see a full set of Perp starks. The move to reformulate one string of the set is definitely a little strange but may just be a response to bass players always seeming to want to replace their steel G with something different.
Yeah, probably, but I think it would actually work (for me and my bass) with the 3885 Weich, which are similar to the Perpetuals, but a little stiffer. The Perp Stark G is very Perpetual like, has just enough extra tension to feel a bit more like 3885W than the regular Perpetuals. I feel more obliged to actually try that when I can get around to it. But, I haven't given it a fair chance with the regular Perp set yet, so I can't get ahead of myself.
agreed. I’d be all over a stark set. Even said so to Pirastro when the first perps came out that it would be a nice set. Still being told there’s no plan for a full set
Well this nomenclature is all pretty subjective … I feel like perps are slightly more toward spiro solos then they are equal to Mittels and that weichs are stiffer then perps but just a bit. The stark g feels equal to mittels but stiffer then the perps but not so much that I would think they were mismatched. The Oliv/stark G comparison is interesting because they both tame the g whine/buzz but in totally different ways ( I like both but favor the Stark for its ballsy up front ness )
So far I think the oliv/perps and starkg/mittels are the best match up in terms of straight tension similarity and feel…Again I really like the full perp set too (I think they should be called weich though)
To me a full perp stark set would match mittels and I would buy em
So far I think the oliv/perps and starkg/mittels are the best match up in terms of straight tension similarity and feel…Again I really like the full perp set too (I think they should be called weich though)
To me a full perp stark set would match mittels and I would buy em
Yeah, nomenclature between string sets is squishy, more so across manufactures. Most of us seem to agree that the Evah Pirazzi Weichs were actually regular and the Regulars were actually Stark.
I disagree about Perps being like Spirocore Solos. If you followed my Quarantine string box testing, they were significantly more substantive than Spirocore S42 Weich (on my bass, blah, blah, blah). Seemed closest to 3885 Weich, but not as stiff. That probably makes them "weich" in Thomastick speak, but compared to Pirastro Flatchromesteels, which also only come in 1 gauge (I think) they're just regular, the one gauge that Pirastro intended for them to be. Therefore, a beefier G string is justifiably a Stark.
A rose by any other name...at the end of the day.
Actually after settling in for a day on my bass and a little bridge straightening, it's starting to feel better on there. Need to give it time.
I disagree about Perps being like Spirocore Solos. If you followed my Quarantine string box testing, they were significantly more substantive than Spirocore S42 Weich (on my bass, blah, blah, blah). Seemed closest to 3885 Weich, but not as stiff. That probably makes them "weich" in Thomastick speak, but compared to Pirastro Flatchromesteels, which also only come in 1 gauge (I think) they're just regular, the one gauge that Pirastro intended for them to be. Therefore, a beefier G string is justifiably a Stark.
A rose by any other name...at the end of the day.
Actually after settling in for a day on my bass and a little bridge straightening, it's starting to feel better on there. Need to give it time.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
Any word on commercial availability of the stark G, @Mark Gollihur? I'm ready to pull the trigger!
We have them on order, but as of this moment, I don't know when they should become available for sure. But they recognize that their is "buzz" surrounding them, so I think we should seem them pretty soon... or at least, I hope! ;-)
You're going to sell a bunch of them, Mark. It's a good string and I think a lot of people are going to either want one on their bass or in their bag.
Whether they make the standard Perp set better or not, I personally need some more time with.
Whether they make the standard Perp set better or not, I personally need some more time with.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
Yeah, we got an early prototype and Sam is loving it on his bass... looking forward to them for sure.
+1 I'd also be very interested in a (slightly) higher gauge of Perpetuals. I found an awful lot to like about them, but on my bass I felt they didn't have enough on them. And the G was a bit too thin for my taste.
I have a stark G coming from Pirastro to try with my old mittels. Oliv or old Innovation polychrome G with the Spiros currently works well for me.
No firm conclusions on the stark G vs reg after my gig, but I was thinking during the gig "I sure like the way these strings sound."
Left town this morning for a week, so I won't have anything further until early August.
Left town this morning for a week, so I won't have anything further until early August.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
Dead mitts? When new, the Perps are ALMOST perfect but feel like light gauge strings.
