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Double Bass Superflexible 3/4?

#21
Mark Gollihur said:
I just took a brand new set received within the past month and dropped a digital caliper on the D string. It comes up .0745.
Likewise, the A showed .0790.

In 12+ years, I've not heard anything about Thomastik changing the tension, gauge, or formulation of the Superflexibles.

So, the measurements on my site are still valid. Maybe it was a mistake of packaging or manufacture at the factory? Does the tension feel "right-ish" when at pitch? Did you measure the string with a caliper?

Where did you get the strings from? Perhaps it's not a genuine Thomastik? (If you got it from me, I can verify that it is; I only buy Thomastiks at the one authorized US distributor.)

Very curious.
Click to expand...

The thickness of the D was way too much. Just as the specs on your website say; almost as thick as the A string and not balanced with the rest of the set at all.

If you compare it with Spircores weich (063 for D and 079 for the A) and the Superflexibles (074 for the D and 079 for the A) you see that the Superflexibles D is 011 thicker than the Spiricore which is really much. Never saw such a thick D string. Also the tension felt that way. Didn't measure them (I don't have the tools). But didn't have to because you could tell and feel right away that it was really thick. That's why I took them off after one week.

Not sure anymore where I got the strings from. I am not sure if it was the 4/4 or 3/4 set.
It has the light blue fabric on them I think. If someone wants to buy them from me for not much just send me a PM.
 
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#24
Les Fret said:
The thickness of the D was way too much. Just as the specs on your website say; almost as thick as the A string and not balanced with the rest of the set at all.

If you compare it with Spircores weich (063 for D and 079 for the A) and the Superflexibles (074 for the D and 079 for the A) you see that the Superflexibles D is 011 thicker than the Spiricore which is really much. Never saw such a thick D string. Also the tension felt that way. Didn't measure them (I don't have the tools). But didn't have to because you could tell and feel right away that it was really thick. That's why I took them off after one week.

Not sure anymore where I got the strings from. I am not sure if it was the 4/4 or 3/4 set.
It has the light blue fabric on them I think. If someone wants to buy them from me for not much just send me a PM.
Click to expand...

Both the 3/4 and 4/4-specific sets have blue/blue threads, the only way to identify which is which is to look at the ball end, AFAIK.

As for thickness/diameter/gauge, it is often completely independent of tension because of various manufacturing or materials differences. So, the "correct" gauges being a purely subjective thing, I cannot dispute that you found it uncomfortable. But I do still wonder if maybe there was a packaging mixup, because I've not heard complaints like yours before.

That said, the tensions as measured by Thomastik are pretty consistent and balanced, and within conventional ranges for medium strings.

Measured at 41-41.7" scale, the 3/4 set has the following tensions:
G 62.8
D 66.1
A 68.3
E 70.6

And the 4/4 measured at 43.3" (which is all I sell, I don't stock the 3/4 strings)
G 70.6
D 70.6
A 75.0
E 75.0

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#25
Mark Gollihur said:
Both the 3/4 and 4/4-specific sets have blue/blue threads, the only way to identify which is which is to look at the ball end, AFAIK.

As for thickness/diameter/gauge, it is often completely independent of tension because of various manufacturing or materials differences. So, the "correct" gauges being a purely subjective thing, I cannot dispute that you found it uncomfortable. But I do still wonder if maybe there was a packaging mixup, because I've not heard complaints like yours before.

That said, the tensions as measured by Thomastik are pretty consistent and balanced, and within conventional ranges for medium strings.
Click to expand...

Agreed about the tension versus thickness issue. Thickness doesn't say all. But on this set it is in my opinion. Especially with pizz string crossings the transition from the G to the D is very uncomfortable. I don't think it is a packaging mix up because your specs tell the same very small difference in thickness between in D and A.

How can I tell from the ball ends if I have the 3/4 or 4/4 ones? The balls end have the roman number for the strings numbers on one side and an "O" at the other side. There is the blue silk at both the ball ends and the other end of the string just as in the brochure you attached (I don't see any difference as for looks for 3/4/ or 4/4 in that brochure).
 
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#27
Francois Blais said:
O stands for Orchestra.
Solo strings have an S.
The numerals tell the string: I for G, II for D, III for A, IV for E, in orchestra gauge of course.
Nothing tells the lenght, except the envelope, or a measuring tape. :)
Click to expand...

So I can not see whether it is a 3/4 or 4/4? I don't have the package anymore. I want to know before I try to sell them. A string is about 179cm (70,4") long and silk starts at 140cm (55,1") Not sure I cut them or not.
@DoubleMIDI: yes it is a D string for sure it has the II at the ball end.
 
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#28
I don't think there's a way to see if you have 3/4 or 4/4 thomastik strings. I can't tell which spiro weich I have.

I will say that the superflexible D string is uncomfortably fat compared to the G string. Its about the difference in a set of velvet strings from A to D (on the Anima set, the D and G are the size of gut strings, the E and A like normal steels) but then the jump to the G was weird. I did only play them for a moment on a friends bass. Don't recall any tension issue.
 
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#29
Les Fret said:
So I can not see whether it is a 3/4 or 4/4? I don't have the package anymore. I want to know before I try to sell them. A string is about 179cm (70,4") long and silk starts at 140cm (55,1") Not sure I cut them or not.
Click to expand...
Mark will probably be able to compare it with one in his stock, and since he only has 4/4s that should be easy to tell which one you have.
 
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#30
I once found string lengths for 3/4 and 4/4 Spiros, but cannot remember where it was, since I stored that info somewhere on my computer.

What I can remember is, that the strings for the different pitches have different lengths and that the length difference for 3/4 and 4/4 strings was about 6 to 8 cm.
A length difference of one of two cm might be normal manufacturing variation, but if it's more, it might be the other kind of string.

So, if you ask Mark for the string length specify the string, so you compare both the same string position (pitch).
 
#32
Les Fret said:
I hereby ask Mark to measure the A string of the Superflexibles (also where the silk starts, measured from ball end to silk at the peg side). Thanks in advance! :)
Click to expand...

I have those measurements in a spreadsheet already.

Note that the strings have different lengths based on position! As expected, these are the universal 4/4 (and 3/4) size, not the 3/4-specific sets, which are even a special order with the US rep for Thomastik. They don't even list them on the site, I didn't even know they made 3/4 specific Superflexibles until I went and looked at the Thomastik master catalog.

  • Pegbox silk length is, prior to being cut, how much threaded silk there is on the non-ball (tuning machine) end of the string
  • Speaking length is the length of playable string (between the silks)
  • Afterlength is the amount of silk there is on the tailpiece end of the string, not including the ball end itself.

String ----- pegbox silk length ----- speaking length ----- afterlength
E ----- 13" ----- 48" ----- 6"
A ----- 15.75" ----- 48" ----- 6"
D ----- 15.5" ----- 48.5" ----- 6"
G ----- 11.5" ----- 50" ----- 6"

Hope that helps.
 
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#35
I use that small tube of my Spiros to reduce friction of the D string (highest peg on my high-C 5-string) when it runs over the A peg and string.

So whenever the string on a higher peg has contact to a lower peg or wound string on that lower peg you can avoid than both strings are in contact. If they are the friction during tuning can destroy the silk and stretched windings.
 
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#37
Had a look at my pegbox today. I tried shrinking tube from an electronics store, but that got cut by the string winding wire. Then I used the outer rubber isolation from a mic/instrument cable and that seemed to work. A bit big, but why not.
For my 5-string the string goes over two lower pegs, so I needed more than one tube.
 
#39
Spiro measurements for 3/4 and 4/4.
 

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