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Double Bass Spiro Stark Long E/C Special Order

Dr Rod

Dr Rod

Aug 19, 2005
914
18
53
#1
I am in NEED of a Spiro Stark long E/C, but the only way to get it is through special order straight from Thomastik.

I quote the text from my latest email with Thomastik:

The minimum order for special strings is 12 piece and the price is about 100 % more than standard strings. The delivery time is 2 month.

Obviously I don't need 12 strings, so perhaps if there is enough people interested we could make an order for all those interested.

I would be interested in 2 strings.

Anyone ?
 
#2
Dr Rod said:
I am in NEED of a Spiro Stark long E/C, but the only way to get it is through special order straight from Thomastik.

I quote the text from my latest email with Thomastik:

The minimum order for special strings is 12 piece and the price is about 100 % more than standard strings. The delivery time is 2 month.

Obviously I don't need 12 strings, so perhaps if there is enough people interested we could make an order for all those interested.

I would be interested in 2 strings.

Anyone ?
Click to expand...
Fwiw the Stark regular E and the Extended Mittel E are exactly the same gage. I don't know about tensions but they seemed like the same string only longer.

Is it that the Stark Extended string is even bigger than a 120 or does it have higher tension, or both?
 
#3
Uncletoad said:
Fwiw the Stark regular E and the Extended Mittel E are exactly the same gage. I don't know about tensions but they seemed like the same string only longer.

Is it that the Stark Extended string is even bigger than a 120 or does it have higher tension, or both?
Click to expand...

Thanks for joining Toad !

Yes, the Stark extended E has considerably higher tension. This is why it is not mass produced, Thomastik is afraid that it will cause tops to cave in. I find this to be a strange fear since they make a stark fifth string.
I reckon that it would be thicker as well.

I am aware of the similarities you mention, but the mittel extended E just doesn't match the upper 3 starks. Two weeks ago I had no extension on this bass, and I had a regular stark E and it sounded way better than the mittel extended E I have now. Sure, the low notes are fun, but the "stark sound" is definitely not there.
 
#4
Dr Rod said:
Thanks for joining Toad !

Yes, the Stark extended E has considerably higher tension. This is why it is not mass produced, Thomastik is afraid that it will cause tops to cave in. I find this to be a strange fear since they make a stark fifth string.
I reckon that it would be thicker as well.

I am aware of the similarities you mention, but the mittel extended E just doesn't match the upper 3 starks. Two weeks ago I had no extension on this bass, and I had a regular stark E and it sounded way better than the mittel extended E I have now. Sure, the low notes are fun, but the "stark sound" is definitely not there.
Click to expand...
Aha, good to know. I don't have an extension but if I did I'd probably join you on your group buy.
 
#5
Sorry for the necrobump, but this addresses a question I raised in another thread. The age and number of views this thread have received lead me to believe that there isn't much interest in long Stark Spiro E/C strings...

Dr. Rod, have you found a solution? I'd really appreciate any input you have.

I might be interested in joining in on a custom order if there are enough other folks to make it worth while.

Thanks!

Joe
 
#6
actually, you would be the first person that I find being interested. I no longer have an extension but what I did when I had one was to take off most of the silk in the lower part, extending the string with wires on both ends, and using as much of the actual string as possible for vibrating part. It looks messy but it works. You will have to look up different types of knots online.

Cheers
 
#9
Wow! There is some life in this old thread! :)

Dr. Rod, your research from 2009 found that they will mark the strings up 100% and we need 12 to place the order. Do you have a contact at T.I. that we could check with to verify this offer still stands?

As for transparent funding, I agree completely. Thinking out loud, I wonder if we couldn't interest a retailer in brokering the deal if we had enough people and everyone paid up front. Some manufacturers will not offer discounts to the general public and charge them full "retail"- but they would sell to a business whole sale. We'd pay the same price either way, but it could be a chance for a business to make some money off the deal. Worth looking into I suppose!

Well, I guess now we wait and see if anyone else wants to play this reindeer game! :D

Joe
 
#10
UT says that the regular length Stark E is the same gauge as the Mittel long E...but Starks have a different design that makes them higher tension...

So the trick of fitting a tailpiece extension to make a regular length Stark E should yield a different result tension wise from a long Mittel E.

What about doing the tailpiece extension trick to a Red Mitchell C Mittel string? Is that crazy?

Update- to answer my own question, the Red Mitchell C string doesn't look like it would work on my bass- the ball is right at the bridge- I doubt removing all of the ball end silk is a good idea...

Joe
 
#13
I think the Red Mitchell C is a normal length low C, if I am not mistaking, and this would be far too much of a strech to tune it up a major third, because at full long C length that string will give you a low A flat.

I have never seen the long Stark, but I may have been produced.

I made it work with the wire extensions, not pretty, but it works.

Your idea of having a dealer broker it for us would be nice, as long as we can gather enough people.
 
#14
Thanks!

I found a contact at T.I. on their web site and sent an email inquiry- not the same person you spoke with though.

I think getting a retailer to broker the deal is the best way to go, what with taxes, shipping, duties and tariffs- they deal with that stuff all the time. Hopefully we will find someone interested, but I reckon we have to get enough folks to join the party first- or maybe if we get close a retailer wouldn't mind having a few in stock? We can cross that bridge when we get there!

Good point well taken on the Red Mitchell C- thanks!

Joe
 

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