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Double Bass String Suggestions Please

agrestic_sound

agrestic_sound

Supporting Member
Dec 20, 2011
53
53
San Francisco, CA
#1
Is there a string with the thump and warmth of a gut with the ability to bow like a BelCanto? I am mainly referring to the G string at this point, not necessarily an entire set.

I just put on a full set of old BelCantos (from 2008) after trying out the Kaplans. For me, the Kaplans were great initially but then tended to mellow to much, not giving me the brightness I like in thumb position. When I put the BelCantos back on, I felt like I had my sound back. I like the sound of the G BelCanto arco, especially in the upper register, but when it comes to pizz, its way too thin sounding for me.

I need to buy a new set of strings or mix match and just want some thoughts/opinions. I have never messed around with heavier gauge strings. I was thinking maybe the heavy gauge BelCanto G?

I'm doing a lot of gigs now that require a nice round pizz sound but I also have to play arco in the upper register, which sounds more pleasant with a steel string, especially through the PA or amp. I have Dlugolecki guts on one bass and the BelCantos on the other, so thats the where I'm coming from in terms of sound. Is there a happy medium?
 
#3
Hmm.. I never liked the BelCantos - I thought they were high tension, stiff, and the pizz was dead..... but if those strings are working for you, perhaps the D'Addario Zyex strings may be worth a shot.

My favorite strings are Pirastro Obligato - awesome pizz and very warm arco sound.
Pirasto FlatChromeSteels - another winner for both pizz and arco but much more aggressive than obligatos...
and Zyex - higher tension but sound great with both pizz and arco.
 
#4
Has anyone ever experimented with taking a string they already like and trying a heavier gauge for a beefier sound? When I was looking for a new bass last year, I tried an instrument that had the heavier gauge Evah Pirrazi for the G string. For the hell of it, I borrowed a friend's medium gauge Evah G and swapped them. The bass lost all of the "bass" it had on the G.
So I'm wondering, does part of the great sound of a gut string come directly from it's thickness? Would getting a thicker steel string generally produce a more robust sound?

Thanks for the help above.
I've never tried the Olivs, I've heard great things.
Had the Obligatos a few years ago; I liked the pizz but didn't like how they "rolled" under the bow, most noticeably on the A and E.
The Pirastro FlatChromeSteels are the strings I use for solo tuning.
Don't think I'd dig the Zyex bc of the high tension, but who knows?
 
#5
Hi
I have used the Belcantos for Pizz and arco with a lot of success . The Belcanto has the sweetest richest arco sound on my bass. The Pizz although not particularly loud is of a good quality. Used in recordings and was quite pleased with the result. Gone back to Spiro Weich again ( I always find myself returning.) To me they bow almost as easy as the Belcantos . The sound is a little brighter on my bass. I think there is a greater dynamic range with the Spiros. You can get a real whisper and ff up close to the bridge when needed.
The Pizz is superb. All that you'd expect from Spiros and they seem to bring the best out of my bass.
 
#8
Turkos12 said:
Is there a string with the thump and warmth of a gut with the ability to bow like a BelCanto? I am mainly referring to the G string at this point, not necessarily an entire set.

I just put on a full set of old BelCantos (from 2008) after trying out the Kaplans. For me, the Kaplans were great initially but then tended to mellow to much, not giving me the brightness I like in thumb position. When I put the BelCantos back on, I felt like I had my sound back. I like the sound of the G BelCanto arco, especially in the upper register, but when it comes to pizz, its way too thin sounding for me.

I need to buy a new set of strings or mix match and just want some thoughts/opinions. I have never messed around with heavier gauge strings. I was thinking maybe the heavy gauge BelCanto G?

I'm doing a lot of gigs now that require a nice round pizz sound but I also have to play arco in the upper register, which sounds more pleasant with a steel string, especially through the PA or amp. I have Dlugolecki guts on one bass and the BelCantos on the other, so thats the where I'm coming from in terms of sound. Is there a happy medium?
Click to expand...

Maybe Obligatos? Some folks mix Obs on top of Spiro Mittel Es and As. They offer some thump, and, oh my god, they're easier to bow than Spiros...
 
#10
I would mess around with USED Spirocores of various tensions. My second choice would be new Dominants. Once broken in Spiros have a nice front end as long as your string height isn't too low and tons of power. You will have to experiment with learning to get what you want out of them, particularly pizz in the upper registers but all the sounds are in there if you look for them. Obligatos are obsolete. Zyex are interesting. I tour and play a different bass at every gig, by the time we hit the downbeat the bass sounds like me. spending a lot of time looking at your strings to sound better is like looking at your tennis racket to win more tennis matches or your paintbrush to paint more masterpieces. Get something solid that works and then face the man in the mirror. Mingus could play on any strings, Sampras could win with any racket, Picasso could paint with any brush. I'm sure you know this but I'm talking to a whole forum here....
 
#11
marvin spangles said:
Spiro Weichs are pretty easy to bow imo.
Click to expand...

I've been using Weichs for about 3 years. They're tolerable with the bow and much better than Mittels. They work well enough on my dark bass.

I don't want to open this can of worms again, but I find that it's impossible to totally eliminate the Spiro "scratchy start"--and I've practiced my little tail off.

Spiros can be *ok* for arco, depending upon the player's needs and the sound of their bass. I find it impossible to play lively, fast passages without them turning into a scratchy mess (the same passages played with Belcantos have tonal definition and a smooth delivery.)

But I don't have a problem with Sprios if I'm doing low-key, fairly simple supporting lines...
 
#12
Jason Sypher said:
Obligatos are obsolete. Zyex are interesting.
Click to expand...

I'm curious why you say this. Are you saying Zyex are taking the place of Obs? I had a chance to try Zyex for the first time recently, and could see how they do a similar thing.

(Personally, I don't like Obligatos, but I can see why some folks would use them. And, I've seen them blended with Spiros with surprisingly good results!)
 
#15
I don't bow orchestra excerpts but I do bow some fast passages without any scratch at all. Perhaps my bass is darker. I think Obligatos are fine but there are other similar strings that do that thing better. I think of them as somewhat inferior but many of the rentals I use are strung with them and I still get by.
 
#16
Jason Sypher said:
I don't bow orchestra excerpts but I do bow some fast passages without any scratch at all. Perhaps my bass is darker. I think Obligatos are fine but there are other similar strings that do that thing better. I think of them as somewhat inferior but many of the rentals I use are strung with them and I still get by.
Click to expand...

My bass is pretty dark. You're probably a better player than me.

I've decided that I need to get a 2nd bass with Belcantos just for arco playing. I've been bowing Spiros for years, and I can never get them to do what I want to do. With Belcantos, I effortlessly achieve things that seem impossible on Spriros.

That's where I'm at. I'm very jealous of those who like Spiros for arco. I wish I could be satisfied, because I have to keep them on at least *one bass* for pizz.
 
#18
Thumpie said:
My bass is pretty dark. You're probably a better player than me.

I've decided that I need to get a 2nd bass with Belcantos just for arco playing. I've been bowing Spiros for years, and I can never get them to do what I want to do. With Belcantos, I effortlessly achieve things that seem impossible on Spriros.

That's where I'm at. I'm very jealous of those who like Spiros for arco. I wish I could be satisfied, because I have to keep them on at least *one bass* for pizz.
Click to expand...
When I say Spiros are easy to bow I mean Weichs not mittels.
Try alternating your Belcantos with Weichs every few weeks and see if the 'perceived scratchiness' starts to disappear. Might be a little cheaper than getting a second bass. I'm only saying this because I think that I was in the same predicament as yourself. I think my technique must have improved over this last year (Doing about 1 1\2 -2 hours arco each day ) ... cos I find that the Spiro weichs work great for both. However if you have the money, space and an understanding partner go for it. :hyper:
 
#19
marvin spangles said:
When I say Spiros are easy to bow I mean Weichs not mittels.
Try alternating your Belcantos with Weichs every few weeks and see if the 'perceived scratchiness' starts to disappear. Might be a little cheaper than getting a second bass. I'm only saying this because I think that I was in the same predicament as yourself. I think my technique must have improved over this last year (Doing about 1 1\2 -2 hours arco each day ) ... cos I find that the Spiro weichs work great for both. However if you have the money, space and an understanding partner go for it. :hyper:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the ideas!

I've been using Weichs--I've thought about trying switching between strings on the same bass, but I need to keep the Spiros on for gigging (about 90% of my gig playing is pizz. right now).

I'm getting a 2nd bass, and I'm hoping practice on the Belcantos will improve my arco on Spiros. I certainly know I'll be more motivated to practice my bowing when I've got a set of Belcantos in front of me!
 
#20
It takes time. It also takes true relaxation and a light touch. It's not something that can be rushed. I practice almost exclusively with a bow and have for years. I learned a lot by watch Edgar Meyer, watching how he activates a string. I also use very little rosin which was an acquired skill and preference....
 

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