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Double Bass Spiro Weich- 3/4 vs. 4/4

lrhbass

lrhbass

Supporting Member
Apr 20, 2009
508
236
Dallas,Tx.
#1
Have used the 4/4 SW. off and on for years on various basses. I have noticed quite a growth in popularity of the 3/4 set here in the USA,in recent years and have read many posts about them . I would like a little input from people that have changed to the 3/4.
Looking for a less whine or nasal sound on the G. Any opinions?
 
#2
There are so many variables with double basses. I have S42 weichs (4/4) on my bass and they do what they do really well. The 3885's (3/4) are subtle shades different. They are not going to be a silver bullet for any G string woes. The biggest difference I felt was in the perceived tension of the strings themselves under the hands. The S42s feel a little more flexible (to me). If you were to blindfold me and sit me in front of my bass with somebody else playing, all other variables the same, and ask me to identify S42 or 3885 by hearing it, I wouldn't be able to tell you which is which.
 
#3
IME and on my bass (smaller German hybrid by Benedikt Lang), the 3/4 Weich’s were too dark and dampened. I much prefer the 4/4 Weichs for the added air they have to their sound. Mine are quite old and are pretty dark but there’s still that him of air. Also, FWIW I installed the G with the ball end facing out in the tailpiece so that the strings are more evenly matched in terms of tension and tone. YMMV, etc.
 
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#4
i really just think of them as a higher tension weich. if your bass likes higher tension then they can be great. if not then you will just be choking your sound. i personally found them a little too stiff feeling on my bass vs the 4/4. but that bass doesn't like higher tension strings.
 
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#5
3885's were like razor wires on my 42" bass. Whinier, wolfier, brite AF. They came right off. I bought them used from TB a few months ago.

If you want a less whiney G, then you're looking for something other than Spirocore. You'll find plenty of advice here on TB on alternate G strings for otherwise full Spirocore set...olive, Evah pirazzi, Obligato, bel Canto, to name a few.
 
#6
I tried the 3/4 3885 set last year and found the D string to be out of balance with the rest of the set on my instrument-actually seemed brighter than the G. The G sounded great on my bass. I removed this set after two days.

On the S42W set, I have had no issues with the G string being nasal or difficult to bow once I practiced on them and allowed them to settle in but it sounds like a different G string may be preferable for your bass.
 
#7
lrhbass said:
Have used the 4/4 SW. off and on for years on various basses. I have noticed quite a growth in popularity of the 3/4 set here in the USA,in recent years and have read many posts about them . I would like a little input from people that have changed to the 3/4.
Looking for a less whine or nasal sound on the G. Any opinions?
Click to expand...
I say use a superflexible G string. Like a spiro but less bright
 
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#8
I have a 1963 fully carved Roth which basically is a factory bass like the juzeks with a thick top. This bass was never a loud bass. I tried Mittels 4/4 and choked the top making it very muted/quiet. Tried the Weichs 3/4s and it was perfect. Not choking the top and tension felt nice. One day as an experiment I tried weichs 4/4 and I felt that they didn’t move enough air. Too loose. So I went back to weichs 3/4.
Fast forward 11 years later I had my luthier regraduate the top to make the bass more resonant plus a new bass bar. Now that the top isn’t as thick the weichs 3/4 are too tense and the Weich 4/4 are perfect.
Tte scale length is 42”.
 
#12
I have used the 4/4 which and now use the 3/4 weich. The big difference for me is tactile. The 4/4s feel very wirey in comparison. The 3/4 feel more similar to mittel, but not as stiff. I like them a lot.

On sound, I'm definitely getting more fundamental and less whine, but I think that could be a setup issue.
 
#13
The 3/4 solo G works great with 4/4 weich. You get to keep the nice low tension with just a slight bump in size (and just a hair more tension) and much less whine. Some folks seem to think the solos are a touch darker and may have some additional dampening material in them. From my experience with them that sounds about right. Ive had this set on one of my basses for over a year and its worked out great
 
#15
I have used both 3/4 and 4/4 Weichs on and off for years. The 4/4 are easier to play, but not as loud on my bass. A few years ago I went to 3/4 Weich E&A and paired them with an Obligato D&G and really loved that sound because it took the twangy sound of the Spiro D&G away. Fast forward a few years and tried Perpetuals. Found the E to be too growly but the D&G were warmer than the Spiros. Last year I went to Perp Stark D&G over 3/4 Weich E&A on my LaScala Hybrid. Loved it but after a while I wanted a little softer feel. Went back to 4/4 Weichs. D&G were whiny. I don’t like them so went with a standard Perpetual D&G on top, but now I really think I’m ready to go back to the Obligatos on top. I think if you can get a good matching tension with the Obligato on top or Perpetual on top they are very similar to a full set of Spirocore without the bad parts.
 
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#16
Brad_Pearson said:
The 3/4 solo G works great with 4/4 weich. You get to keep the nice low tension with just a slight bump in size (and just a hair more tension) and much less whine. Some folks seem to think the solos are a touch darker and may have some additional dampening material in them. From my experience with them that sounds about right. Ive had this set on one of my basses for over a year and its worked out great
Click to expand...

The 3/4 solo D is nice too!
 
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