Double Bass Thomastic Spirocore, from birth to death.

[Uncletoad]

Progris Riport:

When the existing Spirocores on my Alsatian Queen stopped staying in tune on the gig I knew I had to give up their broken in goodness. They had just passed that point where they wouldn't buzz or Mwaah at all no matter what you did. They took off like a Flexocore under the bow and roared through the worst sounding crap on the bandstand. And now, because I punish them, they take a powder.

It was a mixed set, Stark E about 3 years old, Mittel A about 2 years old, Mitt D and G on and off this and the Cleveland for 2 years intermittently.

This was the end though. They were unraveling at the pegbox, splitting over the bridge and were shedding red fur everywhere.

Time for a new set. Damn. Gotta break the banjos in again.

5pm, came home from work early and installed a fresh set. Stark E, Mitt A/D/G. They sound like Shat.

Buzz buzz buzz, boing boing boing....why would anybody buy these damn things.

Whip out the bow. They sound worse.

A third grader with no concept of bowspeed or pressure. I sound like Elmo with Yo Yo Ma. Or his fish Dorothy with the violin underwater. Hideous.

6pm. I practically smoked a bar of Soft Oak Rosin getting everything lubed up. I am Michael Phelps with a Rosin Bong. She's starting to sound more like a bass already. I'm tired and the baby is home with the Queen of the Land of Cows. I must cook dinner. Rob Petrie with an apron.

10pm. Everyone is washed up, tucked in, and read to. One more crack at them before tomorrow's gig.

They still sound like ****. I still sound like a third grader. I go stand in a corner so they sound bigger coming off the wall. The bass gets to loud and Baby V starts making noise from the bedroom like he wants to whip out his bongo and play along.

Bad idea.

Quit playing and putz around on the computer. Come up with stupid idea for a thread on TB. Like I haven't done this before....

Tomorrow, first gig with lousy sounding fresh strings.

This is their birth.

It is a fight to the death.

This may take awhile.

End Progris Riport.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

We'll be right behind you all the way Unk!

 

[Treyzer]

Unka,

Since we're friends and all. can you send em to me in about 6 months? Just kidding.... Good luck on the gig tomorrow !Bro

T

 

[bribass]

Oh, it won't be so bad. Nobody but you will notice the extreme clackity clack and buzzing under your left hand on the first few gigs. On the up side you'll be cuttin' thru the cacophony of the mix and bar noise like never before...and we'll find out exactly when baby V graduates from Elmo to Barney. Max is more into Little Bill now except when he hears me practicing and insists on holding the strings just above the bridge while I'm trying to tackle some Bach. Maybe he's tryin' to tell me something. "Stick to the Be-bop , Daddy".

Actually I really dig them after about 4 to 6 weeks of a lot of playing. That's when the most annoying brightness has started to fade and you start to appreciate the power and intonation of a newer set.
I like 'em on the fresh side. For me they start to lose the best of their centered pitch and articulation in as little as 9-10 months.

Have fun and 'Embrace the Mwah!'

Bri

 

[drurb]

Spirocores-- for some, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

I live without 'em because I can't stand that banjo sound and, well, they're a bit too bright for me at their best. I say this knowing that someday I might return to them! Keep us posted.

 

[Paul Warburton]

You know we're ALL with you in spirit, Toodles. You know the drill........
Hold on to yer size XXXXXXX Large panties my dear.....something NEW may be coming up for allus.
Thas' all I can say right now.

Your new Thread post was a beaut.

 

[Jason Hollar]

Ha! You are a wise purveyor of the poop!

Just put on two shiny new Mittels D&G replacing my beloved Obligatos -- because I'm looking to add some kind of new magnetic pickup for SLGs (Stoopid Loud Gigs) this summer.

Good news is -- the Stark E and Mittel A I've been fooling around with are nice & broken in -- and I'm still well within the "honeymoon" period on those.

Although I'll leave the rosin smoking to yinz guys, I've going to get back in the chickin' pluckin' shed this morning and see if I can settle these things down.

 

[bonaventura]

So pray tell how were they on the gig?

 

[Uncletoad]

So pray tell how were they on the gig?

To soon to tell. Gig's at night.

 

[thesneakyjesus]

i've heard you can really rub them down with a leather belt that has got a little bit of crisco on it to get rid of that. You can also do it with the crisco.


I've never had the expierence though.

 

[Uncletoad]

i've heard you can really rub them down with a leather belt that has got a little bit of crisco on it to get rid of that. You can also do it with the crisco.


I've never had the expierence though.

Crisco is for frying chicken. No shortcuts for me. I'll play my way through it.

 

[Menacewarf]

Dear Toad,

I'm a little dissapointed you would balk at the chance to rub kitchen fat all over yourself ***cough*** ....er...the stings.

And throw some leather into the equation...

Well I guess I'm just a bit dissapointed.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Bri is right. Nobody but you will notice the metallic newness. The strings will prolly sound good through the amp out in the room anyway.
Since you're done experimenting and will leave them on your beloved, never to be tempted by another string , they may last forever.

 

[zeytoun]

Decades from now, on your deathbed, may you have a smile on your face because your departure coincides neatly with a perfectly broken-in set of strings.

And to all our enemies: may you die with a squeaky-new set of strings, as a testament to your unrealized potential.

 

[foilracer]

...o.k. ...so who has the story of breaking in "solo spirocores"
tuned down to play with orchestra and what does it sound like at the first rehearsal and then the last concert of the season (arco)?....was that story about Berlin Phil. using spiro solos for big symphonies true????? what do quiet passages really sound like? thanks for any answers.....

 

[fdeck]

Dear Toad,

I'm a little dissapointed you would balk at the chance to rub kitchen fat all over yourself ***cough*** ....er...the stings.

And throw some leather into the equation...

Well I guess I'm just a bit dissapointed.

PW just rubs his nut on them.

 

[Uncletoad]

Progis Riport:

Gig was good. Strings started a bit "hollow" but warmed up as the gig progressed. Nowhere near as funky a sound as I feared. Arco was pretty awful but i suck there anyhow. Pizz I've learned how to pretty much sound like me these days so the boing and buzz was pretty minimal.

If anything they were a bit stiff all night.

I'm glad I replaced them. The old guys really were getting quite dark. Matched up with the dark bass it was getting fairly hairy sounding. This added brightness brought a welcome bit of sheen back to the bass tone.

Interesting to see how it will sound after tomorrow night's hit.

so far so good....

End Progris Riport.

 

[bonaventura]

Toad,

just for the record, you mentioned the various ages of the Spiros that came off the Alsatian.

you had a 3-year old Stark E and the rest were +/- 2 or so.

which one of them really gave out, triggering the replacement of all in the end?

 

[Uncletoad]

Toad,

just for the record, you mentioned the various ages of the Spiros that came off the Alsatian.

you had a 3-year old Stark E and the rest were +/- 2 or so.

which one of them really gave out, triggering the replacement of all in the end?

The Stark E was a thud pretty much and the pitch centers were getting wavy. I couldn't touch it without my hand turning black. The A was losing power and focus, the notes had become short. The D sounded kinda flat and was getting thuddy as well. The G actually sounded really good and I was contemplating leaving it. I so rarely like a Spiro G I was afraid I'd just hate the new one. I don't though.

I've gotten so accustomed to buying used spirocores I don't remember the last time I got a new set, mostly cause I hate the break in period. The thing that surprised me the most this time round is how OK they sound to me right out of the box. I don't think it's the strings. I'm sure the great bass helps a lot given it's dark tone however I also think I've gotten better at finding my sound in the bass/string combo I'm playing regardless of what it is.

I know that because I still have very little acumen with the bow and right now these strings really suck under my bow hand.

 

[Dr Rod]

you brought tears to my eyes Toad,

hang in there buddy !