Spirocores aren't fancy?
- Steve
To me they are. But also like, everyone uses them. I want to be cool! I want to play guts, or evahs or some string no one has heard of!
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Double Bass SPIROCORES ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!
- Thread starter Jason Sypher
- Start date
To me they are. But also like, everyone uses them. I want to be cool! I want to play guts, or evahs or some string no one has heard of!
This is a good reason not to use them. It makes a lot of sense, especially if you are primarily a pizz player, you have to like that sound, for me it is the pizz sound I like. Because we only get one chance at pizzicato note - the pluck, I think strings figure in even more. With arco we are with the note the whole time (for better or worse).
If you choose a string that no one has heard of, you will miss the peer validation that you get with Spirocores. If you (or I) try gut or Evah’s again, that amounts to doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...and you know what that means
- Steve
I know exactly what that means.
I have Zyex on my hybrid. Played a gig. Holy crap do I not like them. The worst mix of bright and plastic sounding. Not to mention rubber bands under both hands.
Over the top metallic sustain of them was super annoying. Not sure how people enjoy them. I’m sure they’ll mellow out but I’m running straight back to the spiros on that bass (which is bright in general).
I have Zyex on my hybrid. Played a gig. Holy crap do I not like them. The worst mix of bright and plastic sounding. Not to mention rubber bands under both hands.
Over the top metallic sustain of them was super annoying. Not sure how people enjoy them. I’m sure they’ll mellow out but I’m running straight back to the spiros on that bass (which is bright in general).
I used Zyex lights for a while. They definitely improve once they settle in. I actually liked them for jazz pizz, but I found it hard to bow the bottom two strings.
- Steve
- Steve
So, all of you complaining about the Spiro G - is this primarily when amplified? I notice it when amplified only. I can control it pretty well through technique. Acoustic it has never been an issue.
I think the near-universal complaint is that the G stops sounding bassy around the C note and becomes too bright and metallic. At least that was what I always felt which is why the guts were so satisfying...a bass that sounds like a bass throughout the entire range of the instrument. But over the years I came to appreciate the brightness, sustain and those musical qualities that I had rejected. I learned to use the meat of my finger differently, play further down the string and mute with the left hand when those qualities didn't fit the context of the music. It isn't a gut sound, but it is a very usable sound that people can hear, that cuts through the mix and functions within the mix. So technique and a shift in thinking is all that is needed. Guts are fun to play and I think it would be great to have a gut strung instrument around at all times if possible. But for the day to day work I can depend on the spiros to do anything I ask of them.
I was worried that I’d experience the similar complaints people have about Spiros when I put on a full set of Weichs, but like Jason I’ve grown to really like it, both acoustic and amplified. It does get brighter past C on the G string, but when I play pizz in that register I do play with a bit of a sharper attack to get a more punchy/percussive tone. I do also have my strings set up with a more medium action, so for me that helps me slightly counteract any perceived brightness. Still when I’ve listened back to recordings, I’m in love with the sound. And the arco tone on the G string is heavenly to my ears.
I agree about the "thinning" of the G string but it usually still has some nice mid range punch/kick along with it. The tone definitely becomes drier though with less definition in the bass. Not bad for lead playing, maybe not ideal for walking.
My biggest complaint is the loss of weight to the upper register, but that can be compensated for and adjustments can be made to get more front-end into the note. When I listen to the old clip someone posted above of me playing I still hear enough that I like that I don't feel compelled to go on a mad dash for guts. The string and the sound are getting the job done, defining the chords, the harmony and the groove. That's what I need a string to do, be there, be present, give a band something to hang onto.
I used the 1/2 set for my 39 inch scale Czech 5/8. Less twangy than a 3/4 weich. It cost more than 3/4 set.
I almost ordered a few different strings this weekend to try on my juzek. Away from the bass I wonder if I should try some dominants, maybe evahs? An Olive G was calling my name. Every video I would watch on youtube of a band playing it seemed the bassist was playing an Olive. Was it a sign?! But when I play the bass I like the sound and feel of the whole set.
This works, I'm sticking with it....for now
This works, I'm sticking with it....for now
Dominants are nice and powerful but not as good as Spiro for the same vibe. Oliv G is lovely, but it unwinds in a few months at key notes and is expensive. Evahs choke my basses, don't like them. Old spiros on a Juzek...like peanut butter and jelly....
Dominants would be the perfect string if you could take them on and off without them breaking. As it is, spiros are my second choice in general, and first choice for the travel bass.
After 5 yrs of experimenting with Evahs, Helicore hybrids, Corellis, finally trying out Spiro Weichs (3885’s) on the Juzek thanks to this thread. Couple days in they’re sounding really nice, even under the bow, which is a nice surprise so far. Very encouraged. Looking forward to not changing them ever. Still miss the Evah pizz attack, but they die in 9 months.
And if you miss the darker tone, just don't wipe down the Spiros. Let that gunk build up...a little more dark and thumpy. I'm about 9 months into my Spiro Weich set and they sound glorious.
