Double Bass Orchestra Bass String Setup Megathread

[stefaniw80401]

You know how you hear that the Original Flexocor A-string is the bomb? Well one of my section mates had an old set of OF's in his box and let me borrow them. I have an extension on my bass, so I could only mount the A,D and G strings. The A-string shakes my bass (and the house) like no other I've experienced.

So what is it about this OF A-string that makes it such a stand-out string? Can't be just higher tension. Using DM's string tension XLS file: Permanent med, Superflexible med, Flexocor Deluxe med, and Kaplan heavy A-strings have higher tension but don't pull a sound like the OF A-string.

Maybe it's diameter (.088)? DM's chart does not have a column for diameter, but over the years I've been collecting string diameter data in a new column I've added to DM's XLS sheet.

A-strings in asc order of tension:
Passione med .074
Belcanto med .080
Flexocor/92 med .072
Dominant .085
Helicore orch med .076
E Pirazzi med .089
Spiro S42 mitt .081
Helicore hybrid heavy .082
OFC med .087
OF med .088
Permanent .081
Flexocore Deluxe .081
Flexocor/92 stark .050
Helicore heavy .079

Of the above A-strings, which one comes close to the sound/feel of the Original Flexocor? I've heard that BelCanto A is a close one?

And one last question: what combo would match well with the OF A-string? A combo of strings, with Extended-E/C, where each are dark and shake the floor?

 

[Freud_Chicken]

You know how you hear that the Original Flexocor A-string is the bomb? Well one of my section mates had an old set of OF's in his box and let me borrow them. I have an extension on my bass, so I could only mount the A,D and G strings. The A-string shakes my bass (and the house) like no other I've experienced.

So what is it about this OF A-string that makes it such a stand-out string? Can't be just higher tension. Using DM's string tension XLS file: Permanent med, Superflexible med, Flexocor Deluxe med, and Kaplan heavy A-strings have higher tension but don't pull a sound like the OF A-string.

Maybe it's diameter (.088)? DM's chart does not have a column for diameter, but over the years I've been collecting string diameter data in a new column I've added to DM's XLS sheet.

A-strings in asc order of tension:
Passione med .074
Belcanto med .080
Flexocor/92 med .072
Dominant .085
Helicore orch med .076
E Pirazzi med .089
Spiro S42 mitt .081
Helicore hybrid heavy .082
OFC med .087
OF med .088
Permanent .081
Flexocore Deluxe .081
Flexocor/92 stark .050
Helicore heavy .079

Of the above A-strings, which one comes close to the sound/feel of the Original Flexocor? I've heard that BelCanto A is a close one?

And one last question: what combo would match well with the OF A-string? A combo of strings, with Extended-E/C, where each are dark and shake the floor?

IME the belcanto A doesn't even come close. Tension is lower, volume is considerably lower. Just nowhere near as good, the D and G though match well with OF A.

I was buying some used strings for a student and one of them was a Jargar medium A. I have to say that it's a fantastic string, i was really surprised. It's like an OF A but without the volume and lower tension. I've also been on the hunt for a good E/C that will match the kind of tone the OF A gives you, so on the way is a Jargar Forte extension and A string. If the forte is anything like the medium in terms of tone and playability, i'll be very happy. While a permanent E/C is a very good string, there's something about it i just dont like.

I'll try and remember to post my experiences with the Jargar fortes, but despite the tension and volume being a bit low on my bass, the tone and playability are really top notch.

 

[AGCurry]

For my orchestral bass, I've settled on the configuration I plan to stay with for the foreseeable future:
Original Flat Chrome G, D, A
Spirocore weich E

I tried a Passione stark G. The OFC gives me a more robust sound and seems more oblivious to poor strokes.

Tried a Permanent E ... left-hand fatigue in half and first positions, and the Spiro starts more easily.

 

[Mark_T]

Can you tell me about the OFC A? I have an Flex Orig A on right now and I like it just fine, but I'm otherwise just that 1 string away from your setup otherwise and curious...

 

[the_Ryan]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but right now I'm using Belcanto GD and Spirocore Weich AE.

In the almost decade I've had this bass it's had a few string changes. For most of its life I had full weichs on it because for a number of years I was playing a lot of jazz and I felt full weichs was the best string for me to switch between classical and jazz playing (in the past 3 years I have since pivoted to classical full-time). However, for the first six months or so of having this bass I had full Belcantos, then in my sophomore year of college I experimented with detuned Dominant solo AEB, a Flex Deluxe G over weichs, a Dominant G over weichs, Zyex lights, but I just kept coming back to weichs, so I decided to just stick with those. Then in April 2021 I was getting fed up with the weich D and G, not really because of how they responded under the bow, but more because they sounded thin and I wanted something a little fuller-sounding on those strings. I put on Belcanto DG (brief foray into the BC A, but that was quickly replaced), left the weich AE and I've just been rolling with that ever since.

I feel like this is a good setup because it mitigates the things I dislike about these full sets for orchestral playing: the Belcanto A and E (which on this bass I don't have a lot of experience with, but I've played them plenty on other basses) sound quite muddy to me, and the Spiro Weich DG are a little too thin-sounding on this bass.

In this stage of my playing career I'm definitely in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality when it comes to strings and I really only change them when I'm truly not getting what I want out of my bass.

 

[Mark_T]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but right now I'm using Belcanto GD and Spirocore Weich AE

That’s a good combination in my experience.

 

[Notaluthier]

I have a permanent E/C that i have to say is great in alot of ways. Very loud, plays quite easily, nice and bright, VERY clear pitches - no pitch drooping when you dig in, tone is fairly consistent up the string - doesn't give out once you hit the neck block. There is just an 'open-ness' about the spiro weich that i really like that the permanent doesnt do on my bass. Havent tried the rest of the permanent set but i'd probably say the E/C is my second fav so far behind the spiro.

A lot of great players use Permants, so I don't know why people have them so much.

 

[Freud_Chicken]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but right now I'm using Belcanto GD and Spirocore Weich AE.

In the almost decade I've had this bass it's had a few string changes. For most of its life I had full weichs on it because for a number of years I was playing a lot of jazz and I felt full weichs was the best string for me to switch between classical and jazz playing (in the past 3 years I have since pivoted to classical full-time). However, for the first six months or so of having this bass I had full Belcantos, then in my sophomore year of college I experimented with detuned Dominant solo AEB, a Flex Deluxe G over weichs, a Dominant G over weichs, Zyex lights, but I just kept coming back to weichs, so I decided to just stick with those. Then in April 2021 I was getting fed up with the weich D and G, not really because of how they responded under the bow, but more because they sounded thin and I wanted something a little fuller-sounding on those strings. I put on Belcanto DG (brief foray into the BC A, but that was quickly replaced), left the weich AE and I've just been rolling with that ever since.

I feel like this is a good setup because it mitigates the things I dislike about these full sets for orchestral playing: the Belcanto A and E (which on this bass I don't have a lot of experience with, but I've played them plenty on other basses) sound quite muddy to me, and the Spiro Weich DG are a little too thin-sounding on this bass.

In this stage of my playing career I'm definitely in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality when it comes to strings and I really only change them when I'm truly not getting what I want out of my bass.

I've landed on something similar - belcanto G and D, spiro mittel A, spiro weich E.

On my bass, the weich A gave me some pitch drooping and just wasnt reliable enough. The mittel E/C was so tight it actually bent my bridge adjusters out of alignment. I find the weich E/C and mittel A close enough in tension, and the E doesnt struggle with pitch drooping like the A.

I have a permanent E/C, very good but just a little stiff and uninspiring for me, the spiro weich is just such an amazing and organic sounding string, whereas i found the permanent a little metallic and synthetic sounding by comparison.

The real struggle has been a good A. The best of the bunch (and the bunch is an entire drawer at this point) have been:

Spiro mittel
Original flexocor
Jargar forte (my god this thing is easy to bow)
D'addario helicore

2 others that sound promising to me are kaplan and evah mediums

 

[AGCurry]

Can you tell me about the OFC A? I have an Flex Orig A on right now and I like it just fine, but I'm otherwise just that 1 string away from your setup otherwise and curious...

I'll try.
Because several people in this thread like the Original Flexocor A, and because it's generally known as a fairly loud and bright string, I decided to try it, along with the Permanent E. Given that a change in one string can affect another, my observations should not be taken as scientific.

Feel:
Although the tension specs for the Orig Flex and OFC A strings are very close, the OFC seems more supple. The combination of the OF A and the Permanent E gave me left-hand pain and fatigue in the low positions (see excerpt below ). The OFC A and Spiro-weich E are simply easier to play.

Sound:
My bass is inherently bright, and I try to "sanctify" that sound with strings that attenuate the brightness without subtracting too much volume; however, we generally like brighter low strings for their volume. The brand-new Orig Flex A was indeed bright, but its loudness didn't seem to justify its brightness, and its timbre wasn't matching wonderfully with the OFC D. After replacing it with a Bel Canto A (starts great and sounds nice but a little shy in volume) for a week or so, I decided to cannibalize another bass for its OFC A of indeterminate age. It's just right! Broad timbre, matches perfectly, and plenty of oomph.

Other:
The OFC starts MUCH easier, with its core sound, than the Orig Flex. This is perhaps the most important factor for me.

BUT: If you're happy with your strings ... be happy!

 

[Leif Dering]

Anyone here have opinions on Passione starks? My partner is willing to buy me a set of strings as an early birthday gift (bless her wallet), and I'm interested in trying them out but I've only ever played them on a very high end bass a friend had on trial, so my experience doesn't mean much. FWIW, I currently am running Perm E/C and Original flatchrome ADG.

 

[LouisF]

I had them on a 7/8ths bass a decade ago; nice warm sound, but no volume. I know Chris Hanulik uses them but his bass is definitely high end.

 

[Freud_Chicken]

Anyone here have opinions on Passione starks? My partner is willing to buy me a set of strings as an early birthday gift (bless her wallet), and I'm interested in trying them out but I've only ever played them on a very high end bass a friend had on trial, so my experience doesn't mean much. FWIW, I currently am running Perm E/C and Original flatchrome ADG.

They are very good. Avoid the E/C string IMO, even the stark is very flabby and just wont speak under spiccato.

I think of them as sort of the most agreeable pirastro string. None of the zing you get at first from something like flex deluxe or OFC, but just a very organic, natural sound, very easy to bow. Fairly similar to belcantos on the 1st two strings.

 

[Freud_Chicken]

I'll try.
Because several people in this thread like the Original Flexocor A, and because it's generally known as a fairly loud and bright string, I decided to try it, along with the Permanent E. Given that a change in one string can affect another, my observations should not be taken as scientific.

Feel:
Although the tension specs for the Orig Flex and OFC A strings are very close, the OFC seems more supple. The combination of the OF A and the Permanent E gave me left-hand pain and fatigue in the low positions (see excerpt below ). The OFC A and Spiro-weich E are simply easier to play.

Sound:
My bass is inherently bright, and I try to "sanctify" that sound with strings that attenuate the brightness without subtracting too much volume; however, we generally like brighter low strings for their volume. The brand-new Orig Flex A was indeed bright, but its loudness didn't seem to justify its brightness, and its timbre wasn't matching wonderfully with the OFC D. After replacing it with a Bel Canto A (starts great and sounds nice but a little shy in volume) for a week or so, I decided to cannibalize another bass for its OFC A of indeterminate age. It's just right! Broad timbre, matches perfectly, and plenty of oomph.

Other:
The OFC starts MUCH easier, with its core sound, than the Orig Flex. This is perhaps the most important factor for me.

BUT: If you're happy with your strings ... be happy!

View attachment 5020069

Interesting to hear this, as on my bass the OF A is probably the easiest starting string i've ever used, despite the tension, maybe just a shade behind a jargar forte which feels like cheating.

 

[AGCurry]

Anyone here have opinions on Passione starks? My partner is willing to buy me a set of strings as an early birthday gift (bless her wallet), and I'm interested in trying them out but I've only ever played them on a very high end bass a friend had on trial, so my experience doesn't mean much. FWIW, I currently am running Perm E/C and Original flatchrome ADG.

Nice partner! As long as she's buying, why not go for a couple of Olivs?
I have only tried the Passione stark G, a brand-new one. Had it on for a week, replacing a Flexocor.
At first, I thought it was great. Robust and balanced sound, easy to bow, easy to finger.
After a few days of practice, it was as though I had swapped my bow for a lesser one. I can't explain it.

Bel Canto, Passione, Kaplan: Strings that are engineered and marketed to "let the bass and its player" be heard; in other words, to impart little of their own character. Nothing wrong with that, but ...

On went the lightly-used Original Flat Chrome G that waited in the wings, thanks to @Selim .
For me, the OFC G is a lot like the Passione, but better and with more character. I doubt that I'll find an orchestral metal rope-core string I like more.

 

[AGCurry]

Interesting to hear this, as on my bass the OF A is probably the easiest starting string i've ever used, despite the tension, maybe just a shade behind a jargar forte which feels like cheating.

Interesting indeed. It may be that my bass's wolf tone (~A on the D string) affects the A string... dunno.

 

[elmer]

For my orchestral bass, I've settled on the configuration I plan to stay with for the foreseeable future:
Original Flat Chrome G, D, A
Spirocore weich E
I tried a Passione stark G. The OFC gives me a more robust sound and seems more oblivious to poor strokes.
Tried a Permanent E ... left-hand fatigue in half and first positions, and the Spiro starts more easily.

Andy, which Spiro weich E do you have? 4/4 or 3/4? Thanks!

 

[Freud_Chicken]

Andy, which Spiro weich E do you have? 4/4 or 3/4? Thanks!

I dont think the extension strings come in 3/4, only 4/4

 

[AGCurry]

Andy, which Spiro weich E do you have? 4/4 or 3/4? Thanks!

"S42" (4/4) Weich E, not an extension string.

 

[TK1820]

Kaplan Heavies on my Kennedy, Kaplan Mediums on my smaller bass. I had Bel Cantos on before and hated them. Too mushy.
I really like the Kaplans.

 

[Paps]

For the sake of chipping in, I use Passione low tension.
Love them; creamy, mellow, dark sound. Easy to bow and produce a nice tone.
Had Flexicore low tension before this. Not quite as creamy and mellow, but would use them again.
I've never tried combining strings as this could put any OCD tendencies out of control.