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Double Bass string suggetions?
- Thread starter 1dreday
- Start date
What have you used before. What did you like, not like about them. What kind of music are you playing?
Example if you say you want a multi purpose string but you play 5 nights a week in a symphony section, and a sunday jazz brunch, I'll say use evahs or flexdeluxe with a spiro E
if you say you play jazz 5 nights a week and arco at home, I'd say use spiros.
Let us know that and also tension you prefer.
For now at least, I'm very high on Piastro Perpetual strings. My favorite arco string, and maybe my favorite jazz string. I've only had them on for a few weeks. If the arco stays where it is and the pizz calms down just a little I've found the answer.
Yes, it's hard to beat Spiro weich for [steel-string] pizzicato. Arco, the Spirocore E is good but G and D not so much.
I’m gonna counter slightly and say that, in my opinion, a broken in set of Spiro Weichs are probably the best hybrid set there is.
Gut core with metal wound and you have the gut pizzicato sound and no problem with arco.
And easy maintenance (plain gut requires lot of knowledge to maintain).
I used Velvet for years and the feeling under the fingers was great, the velvet are gut and copper.
I know that eudoxa is gut and silver.
And there guy and aluminum also.
With these strings you have the link with the tradition, no plastic no synthetic, natural sound.
ciao
And easy maintenance (plain gut requires lot of knowledge to maintain).
I used Velvet for years and the feeling under the fingers was great, the velvet are gut and copper.
I know that eudoxa is gut and silver.
And there guy and aluminum also.
With these strings you have the link with the tradition, no plastic no synthetic, natural sound.
ciao
Maybe i mistakenly understood because my english language but Spirocore its not a hybrid string it is a full metal string, no other material but metal inside and outside...maybe i'm wrong?
All good man. Indeed they are a full on metal string but for me and some other people, I’ve found them to be ideal for playing pizz and arco. I’m one of those who do believe that Spiros can indeed be bowed (that’s what they were intended for) if you’re arco chops are up to snuff. Once they’re broken in, they put out a dark but present tone which helps you and the ensemble play in tune.
A couple of months ago we shared a acoustic outdoor gig with a great bluegrass / string band. The bassist played mostly arco on a hybrid bass with spiro weichs. I can`t remember hearing sweeter live arco tone ever. Spiros have any and every arco color in them, but the fundamental clean tone is noble and beautiful, in hands of a skilled player, off course.
Just a side question (that’s certainly been brought up a number of times) for you Spirocore guys.
I have Spirocore Mittels on my hybrid now and enjoy them. They’re the only strings this new Thomas RM200 has had. In the past I’ve had Spirocore Weich on my previous hybrid Strunal. I liked the slightly lower tension of the Weichs, but wasn’t crazy about the very thin G string.
Other than that are there any real tone differences between the two gauges in your experience?
I have Spirocore Mittels on my hybrid now and enjoy them. They’re the only strings this new Thomas RM200 has had. In the past I’ve had Spirocore Weich on my previous hybrid Strunal. I liked the slightly lower tension of the Weichs, but wasn’t crazy about the very thin G string.
Other than that are there any real tone differences between the two gauges in your experience?
I’m currently hoping that a used set of S 42 Spiro Mittels pop up in the classifieds here because I’m curious to try them after using Weichs for over a year. From what I can ascertain the biggest difference is volume and that to me it seems like Mittels may have more overtone content. Once Weichs are broken in I’ve found that they don’t have as much overtone content when they’re new (still plenty though) which is why I think they’re a really good hybrid string.
Also not to derail the thread too much as well, but when I met and talked with Mark Helias last week he brought up something pretty interesting about the whole bowing Spiros debate. He said his teacher played with the NYC Phil in the 60s and 70s and apparently most of the Bass section wound up with a full set of Spiros at some point in that time frame. They started off with the E strings and Helias told me that some of the players progressively added another Spiro after the other until they got a full set. I’ve been in a 3 person bass section before where everyone had Spiros and it sounded epic and quite Russian as we were playing the Shostakovich Violin Concerto.
I will say, my other bass, an odd Kay necked carved body (NO joke! ...now that’s what I call a hybrid!), I have strung with Innovation Golden Slaps WITH the always useful Spiro Weich E! That is (again, no joke...) a 40 year old Spiro E!
They do prove their worth over time for sure!
They do prove their worth over time for sure!
