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Double Bass String Recomendation

#22
1. What are you using the bass for (arco, pizz, 50/50, 10%pizz/90%arco ?...) 75% pizz 25% arco

2. What kind of sound are you looking for (bright, dark, long sustain, thumpy, gut-like, etc.). Bright.

3. What kind of feel are you looking for (high/low tension, thick/thin gauge, etc.) Lower Tension a little easier to hold down the strings.

4. What strings have you used in the past and what did you like/dislike about them (If you don't know what was on your old bass, try to find out what strings they were by providing the silk colors at both ends).

The silk on the stings now is Green with a Gold swirl.
 
#23
I suspect you have more problems with setup than strings.

If your strings are hard to push down you may have too high a string height, excessive camber in the fingerboard, an ill fitting bridge, a broken or badly repaired neck....

I recommend before changing strings go see a luthier who specializes in Double Basses and have them evaluate your bass for setup.
 
#24
Uncletoad said:
Right. That's the talking point then.

Fwiw, I agree that evah weichs on a young ply bass stands a pretty good chance of being a nice sounding easy bowing good pizz string.

However, If you can bow spirocores you can bow anything. Spirocores sound great under the bow if you have a good hand and when you have deficiencies they stick out in a way that you don't have much problem addressing them.

And, I defy anyone to find an all around better pizz string than Spirocore.

So if they help your bowing chops develop and sound great pizz that and a teacher couldn't be a better recommendation.

Not the easier softer way but that wasn't the question.
Click to expand...

At the ISB Convention last June, Thomastik gave an early presentation at 7am Thursday on their strings (it wasn't on the ISB schedule, but was a flyer distributed at the convention). I believe it was their chief engineer who stated that, originally, Spirocores were designed to be used for arco, not necessarily pizzicato, and that the popularity of the string for pizzicato was not intended nor anticipated. I thought that was an interesting design revelation since I'm another who believes Spirocores are a challenging string for arco use, although I've been using them for years for jazz on all but one of my instruments. Before that, I used Lycon strings for my first few years of playing until Lycon sadly went out of business. Then I found Spirocores. I have to agree that Uncletoad's bolded quote is probably quite true.

Lloyd Howard
 
#25
JasperPeak said:
1. What are you using the bass for (arco, pizz, 50/50, 10%pizz/90%arco ?...) 75% pizz 25% arco

2. What kind of sound are you looking for (bright, dark, long sustain, thumpy, gut-like, etc.). Bright.

3. What kind of feel are you looking for (high/low tension, thick/thin gauge, etc.) Lower Tension a little easier to hold down the strings.
Click to expand...
From those descriptions I would recommend Spirocore Weich or Solo tuned to orchestra pitch. Evah weichs are not bright, at all, spirocores are as bright as they come.

This is only after consultation with a luthier who can evaluate the condition of your bass and the relevance of the setup to your requirements.
 
#26
Uncletoad said:
From those descriptions I would recommend Spirocore Weich or Solo tuned to orchestra pitch. Evah weichs are not bright, at all, spirocores are as bright as they come.

This is only after consultation with a luthier who can evaluate the condition of your bass and the relevance of the setup to your requirements.
Click to expand...

He's not always fulla ****! :D
 
#27
#28
drurb said:
Once upon a time, it was found:

Just ask PW. ;)
Click to expand...

They, IMO, were the best DB strings ever produced for what I dig in a string. Red Mitchell turned me on to them in about 1960. Unbelieveable pizz point to the tone with outrageous blossom. Under the bow they were much better than Thomastik Reds. There's an album called "Hear Ye, Hear Ye!" The Red Mitchell Harold Land Quintet...where Red bows some great stuff when he was using the fiver (before the 5ths tuning).
Damn....I can still hear those ******'s.
 
#29
Paul Warburton said:
They, IMO, were the best DB strings ever produced for what I dig in a string. Red Mitchell turned me on to them in about 1960. Unbelieveable pizz point to the tone with outrageous blossom. Under the bow they were much better than Thomastik Reds. There's an album called "Hear Ye, Hear Ye!" The Red Mitchell Harold Land Quintet...where Red bows some great stuff when he was using the fiver (before the 5ths tuning).
Damn....I can still hear those ******'s.
Click to expand...

I can still hear and feel 'em as well and I miss them!
 
#30
Andy. If you can give more information it would help. Do you know what strings are on there now? What type of bow are you using? Updating your profile will help the regulars here give you helpful advice.
Regarding your questions, those old Kay basses can be pretty nice. I played Kays through high school and college orchestra days and survived. A friend of mine has had spirocores on his Kay for 25 years and it sounds great.
Your use of the word 'fretted' indicates that you may have never had a double bass teacher with solid arco experience. If you can make a decent sound on open strings, but not when engaging your fingering hand, I suspect your technique needs improvement. Just my take on it.
 
#31
Around 1998 I found a Lycon D string in some old stock from a music store that had closed down.
At the time I had no idea about their popularity decades before.
I tried it out with whatever other strings I was using on my Kay at the time.
I liked it so much I kept it on for about a year and a half when the wrap separated quite a bit where the string crossed the bridge.
I liked its tone, focus and tension. I have been unable to find any other string that sounded the same.
I never played a complete set. Wish I had.
But I had a taste of what Paul and others have written about.
 
#34
I really enjoy playing Obligatos (also from Pirastro, the company that makes the EP's).
Great for both arco & pizz, very good amplified sound too!
They are a little cheaper, so maybe you'll like to give them a whirl before more expensive types... The search goes ever on & on & on...
 
#35
Adrian Juras said:
There has to be a way for a manufacturer to get the patents and produce these strings. If they are as good as you guys are saying, I am sure they would sell well enough to justify the cost of equipment, design etc.
Click to expand...

It just might happen. ;)

They were as good as we say they were. Like heaven... :)
 
#37
If you are wanting a comparison between the 2, there are a ton of threads on Talkbass about the D'Addarios. IMO they don't hold a candle to the Spirocores. They aren't as consistant, don't have the same focus and depth to the sound, and don't have the volume. They bow alright. The hybrids are better IMO, but I would take Spiros over them any day.
 

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