Double Bass the best orchestra strings

[nele0202]

Hi !!
I'm about to have very important audition soon and I need to change my strings, but what to put?I want to have big and deep ( woody) sound.Pizz. quality is not important.For now I have in mind jargar dolce,obligato....
Open for any sugestions....
Thanks

 

[Tim Ludlam]

Don't like any of the strings that you mentioned, but that is about as a subjective of a statement as anyone can make. I hope that you have some time to evaluate.

Check this thread out:

Ken's Oliv Martini

Personally, I like the Pirastro Oliv and Eudoxa (gut core and $$$$$) and the D'Addario Helicore Orchestras.

 

[Francois Blais]

Flexocors (warm and soft overall) and Original Flexocors. (bright top, deep boomy bottom)
Permanents (brighter).

 

[AMJBASS]

I don't like the Original Flexocore G either. The regular Flexocore G is a nice string though. You really do have to mix and match sets to get the perfect mix. The best arco mix I have played is a D'Addario Helicore Orchestra E with Original Flexocore A and D, with a regular Flexocore G!

 

[billybass]

I went from origional flexacores to permanents last year and have not looked back. The bottom two immediately were better than the origional flexicores and the top two took 3-4 week to mach the bottoms. I feel that the permanents are about 5-10% less powerful than the orig. flex's but they open up the lower dynamics and tone colors that make it worth while. There is more to bass playing than trying to make your bass go to 11.

 

[AMJBASS]

I have played a Permanent E. I do like that string quite a bit. I wasn't too thrilled with the D and G of that set though. The E and A are nice however.

 

[AMJBASS]

That is indeed interesting. I look forward to more reviews on those Original Flatchromes. I haven't had a chance to try them yet. Just the Original Flex.....

 

[Francois Blais]

Francois?? Any thoughts on the matter?

Never heard of that.

 

[jneuman]

I will test the Orig Flexs on the same Bass so I can tell what difference they may have.. If I can tell.. My Gilkes is extremly sensitive so I should be able to hear whatever difference there is.

Ken

The original flex's are even darker than the original FC's in my opinion. I have heard from several people that the original Eudoxa steel were popular as a string which could be used in a pinch for jazz pizz as opposed to the old flexocors which were strictly an arco string. This explains to some extent why Pirastro markets the new Flatchromes as a hybrid string. Your story about the Pirastro secret damping sauce is fascinating. I wonder if their problem with the G string has to do with the fact that the string is too thin to inject the right amount of juice. What ever the reason, they've fixed the problem with the new flexocor's apprently. I'm anxious to hear the results of your test.

Jon

 

[nele0202]

Wow this was fast.Thank you for input guys,it's very helpful.
to Ken:
Ken I play double bass for about 15 years and I play just classical music.I finish my postgrad, in London and I'm curently searching for job.I'm doing lots of freelancing but like sad I have important audition coming on and I want to take the most from my bass.
I play lovely Vienniese bass from 1800.At the moment I have flexocor E A and D and jargar forte G ( there is explenation for this jargar G ).Flex. G sounded very bright on my bass and I went to extrim and put jargar and now the " G" is not so bright ( not so loud but..)
I play french bow and usually don't have problems with projection and loudness.What I'm searching is deep but focus sound on the low E , A and D and dark sound for my G string.
May be this is complitely imposible but that's what I have in mind ,more or less.
One more time thanks for your answers and I'm waiting for new sugestiones.

 

[Francois Blais]

For Strings, If the Flex 'G' is too bright it might be your Bass. Flex G is better than Orig Flat Chromes and smoother. I hear that Orig Flex is even darker.. maybe?

To my ears, there's no difference between Original Flexocors and Original Flatchromes, which also is in accordance with Mueller's explanation that the Original Flats are Original Flexocors selected with a closer tolerance range.
Without factual proof, all we have is pure speculation.

 

[Julie]

I have a Klotz and keep going back to the new Flexocore. Others in the section use these also. But like previous replies it depends on your bass. Very expensive experiment is'nt it.
Good luck.
Julie

 

[Stradosfella]

Whatever the ones with the purple windings on the end are what I tend to use, I think Pirastro makes them. Then I got my new bass with a low C and I use Kolstien HERITAGE on the low C string, I found the Pirastro to be too 'muddy'. Hope that helps.
Pete

 

[Francois Blais]

Speculation?, I have a witness...

Also, it might take a fine Pedigree Instrument and a high quality Bow to tell these subtle differences.

Playing Pizz thru an amp with an EUB it not my idea of a true test. No offence meant.. Just my firm belief!

With all due respect, Ken, so why are you asking my opinion so often?
When you have your opinion on something, it seems hard to come with another point of view.
I will from now on keep my opinions for myself in 'your' string threads.

 

[Francois Blais]

Francous, I do enjoy hearing your opinions. I just posted that I have new information about the differences between the Orig FC and Orig Flex. You doubt my source but I don't. I too have spoken to Adrian at Pirastro and thanks to you that I did. I remember very clearly how you helped me. My point is that the Liquid insertion between the windings is most likely a trade secret and they will not admit that publically... Then I mentioned that the sound/tonal difference may be too slight to hear on an upright Slab played thru an amp or even on a Plywood Bass or low level Carved. I hear the most differences on older more mature Basses. It's just my opinion about this so please don't take it personal. I own several Basses and I think My olde Gilkes is the best to test this on as it is the most mature and clear sounding Bass I have and easiest the sense change.

BTW Stradosfella, the Purple/Violet are the regular or '92 Flexocore.

Ken,
Did your witness have factual proof they use a different quantity of the secret liquid in the Orig Flex and Orig Flat?
IMHO (since I don't have the chance to own beautiful quality carved basses), if it takes oustanding quality basses and very good ears to tell the slight difference between two brands of strings, to me there is in practice no difference because the difference is very very small and also very few bassists have such instruments to hear it.

Also: the purple/violet winding is Original Flexocor.
The Flexocor '92 are ruby red (burgundy if you prefer).

 

[Julie]

Sorry Ken, I don't have a way to send pics. I'll get a friend to help me with that. As far as my string experience goes, since I know my bass and know my requirements for work, I have to eliminate strings that are too bright or too thick. Strings like Eudoxa or Orig. Flex are just too hard for me to play over a long period of time. I also know that an instruments ability to respond with a bow can really dictate what string is best. It took me a long time to find the right bow to match my bass and now everything seems to work.

Regards.
Julie

 

[Julie]

Ken, the Klotz that I have is an Aegedius Klotz 178?, can't read the last number. Violin corners with a dark brown, very unremarkable varnish. It has a very robust , dark sound that I'm very happy with. Since I put on the K.C. Strings gated extension it has opened up the bottom end even more.

I had an Italian, unknow maker, that I sold to a friend that plays it in the Indianapolis Symphony. Very pretty bass, but more of a solo bass. It had an eflat neck which I just could'nt get used to.

 

[Tim Ludlam]

Alright Julie. Need to know the initials of the symphonist from Indianapolis. I may know that bass.

Thanks

 

[Julie]

My friends initials are NA. How do you know the bass?

Ken, I like the gated ext. for orchestral playing. The gates come in handy when you have to play one note for many ms. This ext. is not the greatest for fingering when the gates are open because of the way it's built, someone with larger hands may have an easier time. However, the KC model allows you to adjust the gates for tuning while the other extensions do not. If you can put one on yourself (which I did and don't want to ever do again), you can really save some money. I've only seen 2 sliding extensions. Jeff Bradetich has one and he obviously plays lots of solos.

 

[Tim Ludlam]

Thanks Julie. Not the bass that I was thinking of. I am not real familiar with any of her basses.