Double Bass Spirocores... dammit

[Paul New]

Spiros can do it all. The rest is up to you. Nobody likes to admit that but it is 100% true.

I admit it, I cannot get a G spiro of any gauge to sound good on my bass. Lord knows I’ve tried.

 

[Don Hergert]

I love Spiros. But they would definitely be the string of choice for a bass banjo.

Bass Banjo??? Spiros???

There actually were bass banjos in the "Classic Banjo" period (~1870s - ~1930). They were open-back, mostly strung with gut, over a big skin head, in sync with higher voiced banjos of that period. There were "classic banjo" orchestras commonly playing marches and such, where the banjo bass played a similar role as a pizz double bass. I don't have a bass banjo in my collection from that era, but I do have a cello banjo and a standard tuning short-scale parlor banjo from that period. None of them wear Spiros.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I admit it, I cannot get a G spiro of any gauge to sound good on my bass. Lord knows I’ve tried.

Is your string height very low?

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I admit it, I cannot get a G spiro of any gauge to sound good on my bass. Lord knows I’ve tried.

Same here. No matter how high I set them or where the sound post is placed. They always sound like a fretless BG string. Lots of “mwah” and sizzle.

For a long time, I just sort of tolerated it.

 

[garrett2]

Spiros can do it all. The rest is up to you. Nobody likes to admit that but it is 100% true.

True except for the G I think.

 

[Francois Blais]

Some have replaced the G with a Superflexible, but to me it's not much different.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I wonder if this has anything to do with usage. I tend to bow most of the time off the stand and my spiros settle pretty quickly. Or perhaps a darker bass may be a factor.

 

[Earl]

I admit it, I cannot get a G spiro of any gauge to sound good on my bass. Lord knows I’ve tried.

Cut a thin rubber band and tie it around the string in front of, and close to the top of the bridge. Adjust slightly away from the bridge for a less zingy sound.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Or write Pirastro and ask for a tone filter which is a holed rubber disk that goes in between string and bridge top letting the string reside at the hole on the bridge groove.

 

[Paul New]

I wonder if this has anything to do with usage. I tend to bow most of the time off the stand and my spiros settle pretty quickly. Or perhaps a darker bass may be a factor.

Bass, I think, but maybe something to do with how I approach the string too.

They sound great when played by people not me.

 

[crd]

I wonder if this has anything to do with usage. I tend to bow most of the time off the stand and my spiros settle pretty quickly. Or perhaps a darker bass may be a factor.

They sound glorious on a dark bass. They never worked well for me on the long scale instrument I played most of my life. They sound great on my current walnut flat back.

My favorite and least favorite thing about Spiro's is they are impossible to make choke arco. It is pretty fun to be able to really lean into the bow and have the string go a harder and still sing.

 

[garrett2]

Is anyone using a Spiro set with an Oliv G?

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Is anyone using a Spiro set with an Oliv G?

I’m using S42 Mitts with an Oliv G on an old German flatback and can’t imagine changing them. The Spirocores are at least a year old, although I’m putting a new extended E/C on it so it will need to settle down. This combination works very well.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I just put S42 Weichs on a big old German plywood which is a very dark and loud bass. It is still very dark, loud and boomy; and my backup for the foreseeable future.

 

[garrett2]

Three Spiros and an Oliv

 

[Bruce Calin]

I used Spiros on my old blockless wonder orchestra bass for years. They really made that bass sing and project arco, which was what I wanted at that time for that instrument. On the bass I decided to use for everyday playing after that, they were just too bright and stiff. I used Superflexibles for quite a while and they served the purpose, but as time went on they also were just too stiff to be comfortable. I've tried many different strings over the years but now I'm going for comfort and a playing style that uses much less force. Low-tension is my latest choice.

 

[saltydog]

Hello all,.
Although not quite a beginner anymore, the whole string issue has been a mystery to me. One reason is the cost incurred in buying a set of strings and the other was that for years I was totally, blissfully, happy with the strings that came with the bass. I “think” they were Spiros, and for me they were wonderful for both pizz and Arco, although to tell the truth when I finally did get new strings I just threw the old ones out. Big mistake I know. Recently, after a bunch of years, I put on a new set of Spiros and found the low end ( E and A ) to be wonderful, the “g” was good but oh my oh my the ‘D’ string just sucked when played open. When fretting it was Ok, but when played open I just hated the sound.
This happened for both pizz and Arco. I play mostly pizz, but have always liked to try some bowing. I struggled and struggled and on a friends recommendation I finally gave up and put on a couple “guts” for the D and G. They did not sound well on my bass; so I bit the bullet and bought more strings, a D and G Zyex.
So here’s my problem: (two of them )
I’m not fond of the D string Zyex sound, but it’s livable for plucking……..but i find that the Zyex strings are really tough to get a good sound out of when bowing. I know, I know, a more experienced player might not have a problem, but……..does anyone else have trouble bowing the Zyex strings? You know how just for a second when attacking the string one has to give just a little “set” to the bow on the string, a little micro second extra umphf ? Well, I just can’t get the bow to bite the Zyex strings and much of the time the bow hairs will produce a not complete sound.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to spend more money and get another set of D and ‘G Spiros…..which bring me back to what is the second problem……do you think it possible that the unacceptable Spiro D problem was possibly a problem with the string ?
Lots here I know…….any advice would be welcome.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I often use a hair tie (my wife calls them “scrunchies”) to dampen the sound of the open D and G strings with Thomastik Spiros or Dominants, especially when they are new-ish. They always helped me a lot in this regard. Just pull over the scroll and place over the nut and tighten against the bottom of the scroll. One of my basses has been sporting two of them for years.

 

[Don Hergert]

... but oh my oh my the ‘D’ string just sucked when played open ...

Setup??? Since the D sounds worse open than stopped, I'd be wondering if there's a nut issue with that string, maybe the slot is too tight, or maybe just a problem with the nut itself? Also, perhaps a sound post adjustment would help? Perhaps a visit to your favorite luthier might be in order?

Then also, there are lots of different types of Spiros. Are these S42 (4/4) or 3885 (3/4) Spiros? What tension are they (Weich, Mittel, Stark, Solo)? These different categories all represent different tensions and gauges. If your D is giving you trouble (after the setup questions have been addressed), you might want to try a different length or tension/gauge of Spiro.

And, it might just be your double bass. If you're having similar problems with the D strings from other types/brands, I'd be suspisious that there's something going on with the instrument, not necessarily the strings.

Lastly, having complaints about any type/brand of D string on a double bass is not uncommon. I've read many accounts of this, and even experienced it within my 7 short years on the double bass, to some extent with each of the three different types/brands of strings I've used. Something about the acoustic geometry of a double bass seems to make that D more difficult to tame than the other strings, except by touch while playing.

Anyway, lots of setup variables. Lots of possible valid approaches. Plenty of string choices to consider. If it were me and I could not control this with touch, I'd have a luthier look it over, with the current strings on it so I could demonstrate it, before diving into more strings.

 

[elmer]

I often use a hair tie (my wife calls them “scrunchies”) to dampen the sound of the open D and G strings with Thomastik Spiros or Dominants, especially when they are new-ish. They always helped me a lot in this regard. Just pull over the scroll and place over the nut and tighten against the bottom of the scroll. One of my basses has been sporting two of them for years.

Thanks Chris, this sounds useful! Could you post a photo of one of your scrunchies?